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Next-gen Lexus RC will be a race car first

There has been one generation of the Lexus RC, the Japanese luxury maker's sports coupe meant to mix it with offerings like the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series, and Mercedes C-Class. Instead of doing that, it has hung back in the enthusiast consciousness with the Infiniti Q60, a car you remember — and remember is actually pretty good — when someone else brings it up. At least one exec at Toyota wants to change that for the next-gen RC, assuming we get one. David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development (TRD), spoke to Car and Driver at the recent 24 Hours of Daytona. C/D said Wilson "hinted" the coming RC will look at the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT3 concept revealed as last month's Tokyo Auto Salon for inspiration, the target being to create a better performing race car for global GT3 competitions, which will breed a better performing road car. "ItÂ’s fairly safe to connect the dots and suggest that [the GR GT3 concept] could be a precursor to the next global GT3 car for Lexus," he said.  As we wrote about the GR GT3 concept, Toyota believes it can provide more enjoyment for customers by commercializing race cars than by making customer cars racy. So instead of turning the next Lexus RC into a not exactly ripping IMSA and GT3 competitor, as it did with this one, the GT3 Concept could lead development of one or more Toyota Group race cars that, as required by GT3 homologation rules, become one or more road cars. Speaking to Motor1, Wilson and Lexus GM Andrew Gilleland affirmed the coming RC will be a racer first, Wilson saying, "Our Lexus RC F is a dynamite sports car, but I'll be candid and say that itÂ’s not a GT3 car. The current gen that weÂ’re racing right now was an afterthought to make it a GT3 car." That process gets reversed for the next coming, the president confiding to, "Before you put your first line on paper, you decide youÂ’re going to race that car and that shapes the design parameters, the performance parameters of that production car." Gazoo Racing said there'd be a prototype of the GT3 concept on track by the end of this year. We might learn then how Toyota and Lexus plan to push the sporty angle for track and road. As for when a new RC race or road car might debut, the TRD honcho would only say, "hopefully in a couple of years." Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lexus previews its next design language with an electric concept

Identifying a new or a late-model Lexus is child's play: Look for the giant spindle-shaped grille. It's a styling cue that defines all of its recent models, and designing an electric car is evidently not an excuse to get rid of it. Lexus published a dark teaser image that previews an electric concept that will usher in its next design language. Like parent company Toyota, Lexus has long resisted the shift towards electric cars by fervently arguing hybrids make more sense. But, as even its home country mulls a blanket ban on internal combustion technology, it's left with no choice but to go electric. It already sells a battery-powered variant of the UX in Europe, but the concept it previewed on its social channels was designed as an electric car from the get-go. It's still shrouded in secrecy, we don't even know its name yet, but we can already tell the spindle stays. Its outline clearly appears between the sharp LED headlights, though it almost looks full. And, like seemingly every concept car released in the past three or four years, the newest member of the Lexus portfolio wears a backlit emblem. Lexus electric prototype View 4 Photos Interestingly, Lexus also quietly published a separate video highlighting the electric and hybrid technologies it's developing for the 2020s, and the footage reveals a heavily-camouflaged crossover lapping a test track in Japan. Shown in the gallery above, it's fully electric, and it might be at least related to the upcoming concept. Direct4 technology will power the car. Short for Direct 4-Wheel Drive Force Control, it's a system that automatically adjusts the torque sent to each wheel based on the road and driving conditions. In this application, it consists of two electric motors (one per axle), and its total output checks in at 402 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Lexus noted it can be used for gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid systems, too. We'll need to be patient to find out more about the concept. For example, we don't know if it's related to the electric car that Toyota will release in Europe in 2021, or if it's something else entirely. If the concept and the prototype shown testing in Japan are indeed the same car, it looks like its launch is right around the corner. Related video:

Lexus LC F prototype caught testing

The rumored Lexus LC F seems to be real based on these spy shots. A prototype was spied testing in Europe, and it shows a number of significant alterations from the regular LC 500 and LC 500h grand touring luxury coupes. In particularly, they seem to show a bit more of everything for the sporty edition. The nose bears some of the biggest changes compared with the standard models. While the center grille is mostly untouched, the outboard grilles have been cut wide open for more airflow. We can see the reason why, as there are heat exchangers in each of them. A particularly large one resides in the grille on the left side of the car. We can also see that the fenders have been extended over the wheel arches. Whether this is something to throw off observers or a final addition has yet to be seen, since the wheels and tires fitted to this car don't fill the added width, and the rear fenders aren't any wider, either. While nothing has changed to the sides of the car, we can spot the LC F's new brakes. They feature cross-drilled rotors and some beefy calipers. Moving around the back, we see that the LC F will get the signature stacked exhaust seen on the RC F and old IS F. Underneath, the tips will be matched with a wide diffuser that looks rather functional. Based on a previous report, it sounds like the LC F is still a couple of years away. Not much is known about the car, but it's safe to say it will make more than the 467 horsepower of the LC 500's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. It could possibly have a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 or some sort of hybrid powertrain. To play in the same arena as some of the luxury performance competition, it will probably need at least 550 horsepower. Also expect it to cost significantly more than the LC 500h's low-$90,000s price tag. Related Video: