The Lexus LC 500 is one of the most gorgeous grand tourers on the market, but it's never been the fastest. That's because its engine, as wonderful as it is, lacks turbocharging, relying instead on high revs to produce strong performance. That could all be set to change soon as a twin-turbo V8 engine is rumored to have been developed with a monstrous 660 horsepower.

In a Lexus press release about the LC competing in the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race taking place in May, the automaker referenced the "newly-developed V8 twin-turbo engine destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars." Almost a year ago, Lexus first hinted that "something big is coming to the LC," and 660 horses would definitely fit that description.

Based on sources close to Lexus, the twin-turbo engine will likely displace 4.0-liters and produce about 660 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Those represent improvements over the existing LC 500 of 40 and 21 percent, respectively. For some perspective, it's almost 100 hp up on the Mercedes-AMG GT R and in the territory of supercars like the Ferrari 488 GTB. It should enable the LC F to reach 60 mph in a probable time of under four seconds. A ten-speed automatic is a likely transmission choice. In a video by Kirk Kreifels on YouTube, the twin-turbo V8's sensational sound can be enjoyed below (scroll to around the 5:55 mark - you're welcome).

Lexus says that the LC's participation in the Nurburgring race will also enable them to focus on other aspects of its future road cars' performance such as high-rigidity suspensions and improved aerodynamic components. We can only hope that these developments filter down to the beautiful LC.

The Nurburgring event is set to begin on May 21, 2020, which we think would be the perfect occasion to confirm a hotter LC F. The combination of the Japanese brand's legendary quality, the LC's stunning design, and enough firepower to roll with Italy's best is enticing. As we have already seen with the bold RC F pictured below, performance upgrades work brilliantly with Lexus' current design language, distinguished by elaborately-detailed light clusters. Bring on the twin-turbo V8 LC F, Lexus!