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Lexus reportedly debuting a trio high-performance, V8-powered F models

The V8 engine may not be long for this world, but before it disappears forever Lexus may give it a proper sendoff with a trio of eight-cylinder F cars. If reports out of Japan are true, Lexus is working on high-performance F variants of the IS and LS sedans, as well as the LC flagship coupe. The story comes form Japan's Best Car magazine, which claims the Lexus IS F will soon be making a return. Based on the updated 2021 Lexus IS, it will run an up-tuned engine that puts out 474 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque. That's a 58-horse and 24-lb-ft increase from the last IS F. To be honest it would be a bit surprising to see an IS F at this point, as the previous, third-generation IS skipped an F version. And since the 2021 IS sedan is based on that same platform, it seems Lexus would have introduced an IS F successor much earlier if one was in the cards. As much as we would love to see the IS F return, we won't hold our breaths for this one. Still, an IS F would be nothing, shock-wise, compared to what comes next. Best Car says Lexus will introduce an LS F to go up against the Mercedes-AMG S 63 and BMW M760Li. Power would come from a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making 661 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. If true, this would drastically counter the LS's mission of smooth luxury that's been its raison d'etre since 1989. Out of the three, the car that makes the most sense to us is the LC F. It's been rumored for quite a while. We even saw spy shots of the car testing in 2018, but then came chatter that the car was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Best Car, it's back on (or was never canceled) and will share a mill with the LS F. The report also says that all three cars have sport suspensions and chassis improvements that properly harness the power of these engines. Lexus has proven it can build compelling high-performance cars like the IS F and GS F, which were far better than what their sales numbers indicated. Furthermore, the Lexus V8s themselves are machines of engineering beauty, amazing throttle response and glorious sound. Naturally, we'd welcome any of these cars, even as we take the article with a massive grain of salt. Related Video:

Florida police officer injured by DUI suspect after traffic stop

What started as a fairly normal traffic stop for Sergeant Kerstan Tatro ended with him lying on the ground with a compound fracture in his arm. The policeman in Gulf Breeze, FL, pulled over a woman driving a Lexus SC 430 because her erratic driving suggested that she might be under the influence. It all went well until Tatro asked the driver to perform a field sobriety test and she sped away partially trapping the officer in the car. It was all captured by the cruiser's dashcam. As the woman started to drive away, Tatro tried to grab for the keys. He was too late, though, and she got on the gas. The Lexus ran over the officer's foot and caused the serious injury to his arm. Thankfully, bystanders were at the policeman's side within a few seconds of him being hurt. By coincidence, even Tatro's daughter was driving by the time, and was pretty shaken by her dad's condition. According to the Pensacola News Journal, a witness to the officer's injuries followed the woman to a hotel parking lot and told police where she was. They allegedly found drugs in her possession. Below is a video from the Pensacola News Journal interviewing Tatro, and he gives a thorough account of exactly what happened. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Pensacola News Journal, Ineedhelp2811 via YouTube Lexus Convertible Police/Emergency Videos police officer

MT digs deep, learns more about hot Lexus RC coupe

As we patiently wait for the all-new Lexus RC to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, Motor Trend has dug up some tasty info on the Japanese automaker's new coupe for us to discuss. While we already knew some speculative, but credible, details on the upcoming two-door Lexus, MT reportedly has the dish on some details of the hotter RC F coupe (shown in the spy shots above).
The article says that the F will carry a six-figure MSRP and use a 455-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 with cylinder deactivation, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Carbon fiber body components will help reduce curb weight, and the scooped hood is said to optimize aerodynamics as the car will reach a top speed of around 186 miles per hour. Specific high-speed handling improvements include specially developed Brembo brakes, a beefed-up suspension, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires and an automatic decklid spoiler.
As for other RC models, MT mentions the hybrid and V6 variants we already heard about, but it also says that the car could get a 2.0-liter turbo engine. This will probably be the engine used in the base model, which is expected to start at around $40,000. Head on over to Motor Trend for the full article, including a rendered image of the RC F.