Not A Car Guy

  Hard to believe, but it's been 40 years since I graduated from high school. The trip to the OC for my reunion last month gave me a good excuse to revisit the same 1,000+ miles of California back roads that I usually take for my annual pilgrimage to Coachella. But this time in the LC500, rather than the Miata! Before any comparisons, a few thoughts about the LC500, taken on its own terms: The noise the big V8 makes when into the revs is really quite delightful. This was my first extended period in "manual" mode, using the paddle shifters to manage my shifts. In tight corners on East Carmel Valley Road or up in Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge, I wasn't satisfied with letting the automatic transmission pick my gears -- the automatic can't see the next corner the way I can, and I know where I want my revs to be better than it does. While not quite as engaging as a proper third pedal, the paddle shifters are a surprisingly satisfying substitute in this car.  On...

  I'm writing this in October, which is a shame, since I've forgotten most of the details about this 1,200 mile drive to Coachella and back in April. But, as usual, it was a spectacular drive, maybe even more fun than the music festival!  My Miata remains a deliriously fun and reliable steed. Even when a jaunt up into the mountains up from the high desert to Big Pines delivered a sudden snowstorm out of the blue! Yes, I had to slow down and put the top up, but what a memorable bit of unexpected weather drama!  After having done this several times, the path I chose down this time was pretty routine. SF to Skyline to Soquel San Jose Road down to Santa Cruz. Then Highway 1 to Castroville, 183 to Salinas, then 68 toward Laguna Seca, over Laureles Grade to Carmel Valley, then my absolute favorite roads in all of California (East Carmel Valley Road to the Arroyo Seco River Bridge, Elm to Central to 101, then Jolon Road to Fort Hunter Liggett to Bee Rock to Lake Nacimiento) to P...

It took me about 2 months to put on the first thousand miles, which means I am now beyond the factory-recommended " engine break-in " period. It also means I did a prophylactic oil change.  Yes, I know that these modern cars don't need  an oil change at 1,000 miles, since engines are built to tight tolerances and don't shed metal bits like the cars of yore. But the first three oil changes are on Lexus, since mine is a CPO car. So why not? And also, the LC 500 is one of those cars that may still be on the road after 50 years, so a bit of extra early TLC doesn't seem out of place.  It's kind of humbling to consider that this car will likely outlive me. As my 1965 Corvette probably outlived its initial owner (and is still going strong out there somewhere, AFAIK). Unlike a Camry or any current EV, the LC is likely the last naturally-aspirated V8 to come out of Japan, and thus attract collectors who will probably maintain it and not drive it into an early grave. A...

UPDATE: while all of the below remains true, it turns out that my iPod/iPhone options don't hold charge long enough for my very occasional driving. And once the battery is discharged, then it takes a good long while for the iPod/iPhone to come back to life when you start driving. So I'm back to a USB stick, which I probably won't ever update because it's a big pain to sync my library without Apple Music. Sigh.  The owner's manual says that the LC 500 infotainment system supports iPods via the USB connection tucked into the center armrest. What is less apparent is which  iPods are supported.  But before we get to that, a brief aside about why anyone should care: after all, iPods are long obsolete, right? We all now rely on Spotify via CarPlay/Android Auto, right? Or just plug in a USB flash drive, if you need locally-stored music?  Sure, fine, if you're good with those solutions, feel free to skip this entry. But there are two reasons that the iPod is better.  S ...

First things first: protect the paint before any damage occurs.  Well, almost. I somehow managed to scuff the front right fender on the curb while parking. Fortunately, it was minor and easily corrected by the pros at California Detailing before they put XPEL PPF (paint protection film) on the hood, front fenders, and side mirrors. Then I had them apply a full 7-year ceramic coat on the whole car. Perhaps not the most economically rational choice for a car I don't intend to keep 7 years, but I like leaving 'em nicer than I got them. Plus, it will make it easier to wash the car without marring the paint.  I've also got a bunch of car detailing supplies coming from Chemical Guys , as well as a small vacuum and a small caddy for securing detailing supplies in the trunk. Look, it's not every day I buy a new car (in fact, this is only the second new car in my lifetime so far), so let me obsess a little. :-)

  Almost 11 years ago , I embarked on a journey to understand what inspires car enthusiasts to love cars as they do. Back then, the plan was to get a different, highly depreciated, interesting car each year. Well, the annual cadence turned out to be too ambitious. But I did enjoy learning a lot during my time with a Porsche 911 , a classic 1965 Corvette , and a modern Mercedes S Class . As well as returning to my true passion car, the Mazda Miata .  That brings me to car #5 in my automotive journey: a 2025 Lexus LC 500 Coupe.  Why the LC 500? Well, we are in the twilight of the internal combustion era, and this is among the peak final exemplars of the breed. This will almost certainly be the last naturally aspirated V8 engine that ever comes out of Japan. It's a "halo car" for Toyota, made in a special factory to extremely high quality standards, realizing a particularly Japanese take on the "GT car" -- a high performance highway cruiser. Basically, it's a J...

  Thanks to a friend of a friend (thanks, Rich!), I got to take a 2024 Lexus LC500 out for a drive. I've long been enamored by the LC500, which has been largely unchanged since its launch in 2018. It's almost certainly the last naturally aspirated V8 coupe that we will ever see from Japan. Car critics almost universally love this car, even as they admit that it doesn't win on specs against its competitors (see this recent LC500 vs. Porsche 911 comparison from Throttle House). A significant part of that adoration stems from the incredible V8 noises that this car makes when you put the pedal down.    But that's not what impressed me most about this car. Here are my takeaways, more or less in order of importance: That blue! Lexus doesn't have many truly amazing colors, but this blue is certainly one of them. Hovering right between electric blue and indigo, this is one impressive factory paint job. I also quite like the stock wheels. And it's a gorgeous car, even b...