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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.

Lexus LX J201 concept is part SUV, part 550-horsepower rally car

Lexus transformed the LX, its biggest SUV, into a supercharged off-roader that sends chills down the Ford F-150 Raptor's spine. Although it's only a concept, it will attempt to tame the desert during the 2020 Rebelle Rally. Based on the venerable Toyota Land Cruiser, the LX is a formidable off-roader even without any modifications. Many examples nonetheless end up decked out with aftermarket parts, and it's these go-anywhere rigs that inspired Lexus to create the J201. Its name comes from URJ201, which is the current LX's internal designation. Stylists started by chipping several slats off the SUV's sizeable spindle-shaped grille to accommodate a winch and a light bar that's safely tucked behind a protective cover. Other aftermarket parts installed on the J201 include a snorkel, a roof rack, running boards, and a metal rear bumper with a pair of swing-out racks that carry extra fuel and a spare tire. Users can access cargo stored on the roof via a ladder installed out back. When the going gets tough, off-roaders can count on skid plates, a lifted suspension, 17-inch wheels, and 33-inch General Grabber X3 tires to help them soldier on. There's also an onboard air compressor, which lets drivers fill up the tires (after crossing sand dunes, for example) even if they're nowhere near a power outlet.  Lexus pegs the J201's output at 550 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque thanks in part to a Magnusson supercharger, but it stopped short of revealing technical specifications. It might have added forced induction to the stock LX 570's 5.7-liter V8, which effortlessly delivers 383 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration, or it might have replaced the eight-cylinder with another engine from its arsenal. Regardless, an automatic transmission channels the cavalry to the four wheels via upgraded differentials. It doesn't sound like the J201 will ever see the light that awaits at the end of a production line. It's based on a model that sells in extremely limited numbers (4,718 units found a home in 2019), and that's nearing the end of its lifecycle. This concept is not destined to spend the next few decades in a warehouse, however. Rachelle Croft and Taylor Pawley will enter the J201 in the 2020 edition of the Rebelle Rally, which starts this Thursday, October 8. Open exclusively to women, the event will take competitors through 2,000 miles of grueling terrain in California and Nevada. Related Video:

2021 Lexus NX 300h F Sport Black Line adds flair and luggage

At the beginning of the year, Lexus introduced a Black Line Special Edition trim on the NX 300 F Sport, produced in a run of just 1,000 examples. In April, the Japanese luxury maker showed the GS 350 Black Line Special Edition that came with a pair of Zero Halliburton cases as a last hurrah for the GS line, the sedan even more exclusive with just 250 units made. The 2021 NX 300h F Sport is next to pick up the baton, earning F Sport upgrades and snagging a set of that Halliburton luggage, too. Three colors are available: the brand-new deep blue of Grecian Water and the familiar Ultra White and Obsidian. Unlike the NX Black Line shown earlier, the hybrid paints its black wheel arch liners in body color and omits the faux carbon fiber side graphic, and the 19-inch chrome wheels replaced by 18-inch rims in "dark sputter" finish. Inside, blue stitching on the seats, door panels, armrest, center console. and floor mats accents the black interior. The F Sport treatment includes headlights, a larger mesh grille to replace the standard spindle grille with horizontal slats, a tuned suspension and sharper body kit. Lexus has made normally optional features like park assist and the foot-operated tailgate standard for the Black Line. Under the skin, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder assisted by an electric motor sends its 194 horsepower to all four wheels. The Lexus Black Line Zero Halliburton luggage duo starts with Halliburton's Edge Lightweight Collection. The 22-inch Continental Carry-on and 26-inch Medium Travel Case feature linings embroidered with Intersect by Lexus spindle grille art, interior compression panels with a Lexus embossed leather logo badge, and chrome badges laser-etched with "Zero Halliburton for Lexus" outside. Naturally, they come in black. Lexus will build 1,000 examples of the NX 300h Black Line Special Edition over the next 90 days, with availability as of now. Pricing starts at $47,835 after destination, $300 more than the standard top trim, the NX 300h Luxury AWD. Related Video: