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Hardcore Lexus RC F spied along with facelifted model

The Lexus LC F isn't the only high-performance Lexus spied testing. Another of our spy photographers caught a hardcore version of the RC F sports coupe out testing with its more mild-mannered sibling, the latter of which was trying to hide its mild facelift. Of the two cars, the RC F is the more interesting for a couple of reasons, and not just because it will be the faster of the two. First of all, it looks like this RC F will be significantly lighter than the current model. The weight savings will likely come mainly from new carbon fiber panels that include the bare carbon hood and roof panel. It's possible Lexus will have found some other areas to save weight, but these parts are all we can see at the moment. The other reason this RC F is grabbing our attention is the impossible-to-miss rear wing. Its tall supports, large size and bold end plates signal that this is more of a track car than just a fast road car. Whether it delivers track-car levels of downforce has yet to be seen. The fixed wing is also likely lighter than the power-retractable one on the regular RC F. Another performance upgrade we can see are the giant cross-drilled brakes. One of the big mysteries of this car is of course whether Lexus will have upgraded the powertrain to match the other upgrades. We're not getting our hopes up. Lexus only has two versions of the 5.0-liter V8 (that we know of): the RC F version that makes 467 horsepower, and the LC 500 version that makes 471 horsepower. We could see Lexus using the slightly hotter LC version, but likely nothing new. Part of what leads us to think that is the RC F GT Concept Lexus built for Pikes Peak a few years ago. That car got loads of light parts, a roll cage and a wide body kit, but it had just the same 467-horsepower V8 as any other RC F. View 15 Photos As for the other RC on display in these spy shots, it gives us a solid look at the coupe's upcoming midcycle refresh. Interestingly, it appears Lexus has abandoned the split lights that had the Nike "Swoosh" style running lights. Now everything is integrated into single units. The outboard grilles now have more prominent strakes in them, and there's now a small grille or air inlet at the base of the main grille. Around at the back, there are almost no changes that we can see through the camouflage. Only a possible extension of the diffuser between the rear reflectors is all that shows through.

2020 Lexus GS F Review & Video | Looking past the numbers

You don't hear much about the 2020 Lexus GS F. It's been out for a while now, the model having debuted for 2016 and the base GS sedan stretching all the way back to 2012. That's an awful lot of time for the automotive world to whiz by, especially in the upper echelon of performance sedans. Packing 467 horsepower is suddenly weak sauce when rivals have crested the 600-hp plateau. The fact that Lexus still hasn't convinced the automotive enthusiast community at large that it actually makes compelling performance machines certainly doesn't help.  To be perfectly honest, I have avoided testing the GS F for several years now. "Who's going to buy that?" I've pondered, considering all of the above plus its $85,000 price tag. Nevertheless, I've got more time on my hands these days to test more cars and a Lexus Flare Yellow paint job is impossible to ignore, so hey, why not? Well, after a week, I didn't want to turn over the keys. When faced with first-world automotive journalist problem of picking between the the Flare Yellow GS F and the BMW M340i also parked out front, I quickly chose the Lexus. And if I had $85,000 to spend on a high-powered luxury sedan, I honestly think I'd happily choose it over the Germans that outdo it on paper. Many of you will think that stupid and will point to the numbers at hand. The GS F's 5.0-liter V8 sends 467 hp and 389 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels only, and is capable of a 0-60 run of 4.5 seconds. A BMW M5 has 600 hp and hits 60 in 3.2 seconds; the lesser M550i has 523 hp and a 3.6-second time. That M340i xDrive also in my driveway? It hits 60 in 4.1. Over at Mercedes-AMG, the E 63 has 603 hp and a 3.3-second time. Only the lesser E 53 is comparable to the Lexus with 429 hp and a 4.4-second 0-60 time. Its torque is also comparable, unlike the rest of those Germanic monsters that utterly roast the Lexus. However, all of that extra output and all of those quicker times are also indicative of the very reason the GS F remains so desirable. It doesn't have a turbocharger, ensuring unencumbered response, a zesty 7,800-rpm redline and marvelous noises that don't require the sound enhancement feature Lexus throws in anyway (and that I turned off). It also doesn't require all-wheel drive to quell elephantine gobs of tire-shredding turbocharged torque, thereby letting the front wheels simply handle the steering. The rears, meanwhile, can smoke away and swing loose should you disable the appropriate settings to do so.

Japanese earthquakes send ripples through auto industry

The earthquakes since April 14 in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu are having aftershocks on the US auto industry, particularly for Toyota. The company shut down most of its factories in the country due to parts shortages, and the plants will be closed at least through April 23. "Decisions regarding recommencement of operation at plants in Japan will be made on the basis of availability of parts," the company said in a statement. According to Automotive News, Toyota's closed factories include a vast range of popular models in the US, including the Toyota Prius, Mirai, RAV4, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus ES, LS, IS, GS, RC, NX, RX, GX, and LX. The company's only sites in Japan that are still open build Hino trucks, Daihatsu models, and the Toyota Century limo. Toyota isn't yet sure whether these shutdowns could lead to vehicle shortages in the US. "As you can imagine, we are still reviewing the situation and working to learn more," company spokesperson Aaron Fowles told Autoblog. "While we know that production will be suspended in stages at most of our vehicle assembly facilities in Japan between April 18th and the 23rd, we do not know if they will continue production suspensions. Also, any effects to our inventory and/or sales have yet to be determined." He expects the automaker to know more in the coming days. Many of the affected Toyota plants aren't even in Kumamoto Prefecture, but major suppliers have factories in the region. For example, Aisin Seiki and Renesas Electronics both had to shutdown operations at plants in the area, according to Automotive News. Toyota isn't the only automaker affected. Nissan experienced a brief slowdown but was back to work on Monday, and Honda has suspended a motorcycle plant in the region until Friday. Mitsubishi had to close a production line due to the parts shortage, according to The Japan Times, but it didn't affect US models. "A supplier to our Mizushima plant has been impacted but they only supply an engine part for our mini car line. That line has been temporarily shut down due to that situation," spokesperson Alex Fedorak told Autoblog. "That same plant builds the Lancer and i-MiEv and there has been no impact to that line and production continues uninterrupted." Two major quakes hit Kumamoto Prefecture around Kumamoto city in the past week. The first on April 14 measured 6.4 magnitude, and a second on April 16 measured 7.3.