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Lexus RC F glows with your heartbeat

It's not uncommon to see all manner of sensors being installed inside new cars these days, monitoring everything from ambient noise to our levels of alertness. The question is what the automakers will do with the information gathered by those sensors, and we've seen some fairly novel innovations. This latest solution from Lexus may not be the most useful, but it's definitely one of the most interesting we've seen to date. The Japanese luxury automaker's Australian division cooked up this special RC F show car with a heart-rate monitor and a special electroluminescent paint job. The sensors detect how fast the driver's heart is beating, and displays it accordingly down the side of the car's flanks. In daylight it looks like it's painted plain old ordinary silver, and otherwise it's the same luxury muscle coupe we know, with a 5.0-liter V8 churning out 467 horsepower in resolute defiance of the downsizing/turbocharging trend that's sweeping the industry. The project was cooked up by creative agency M&C Saatchi and uses glow-in-the-dark paint from American specialist Lumilor. The vehicle is set to be unveiled over the weekend, but you can scope it out now in the images below and the preview video above. Is it pointless? Almost entirely. Does that make it any less cool? Of course not. 22 July 2015 LEXUS GETS PULSES RACING WITH WORLD'S FIRST HEARTBEAT CAR Lexus Australia has developed the world's first vehicle to display a heartbeat on its exterior in a demonstration of advanced technology and the connection between man and machine. The Japanese luxury marque collaborated with creative agency M&C Saatchi to produce a one-off RC F V8 coupe that integrates a series of technologies to display a person's heartbeat in the vehicle's bodywork. The first stage of the system works by transmitting the heartbeat of a connected person from a heart rate monitor to a bespoke electrical system in the RC F. The on-board system captures and processes the data before sending an electric charge through the RC F's body panels that are painted in electroluminescent paint developed by US-based specialist Lumilor. This innovative paint finish glows when the electrical charge runs through it and displays the person's heartbeat via a real-time animation sequence. Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley said the heartbeat car comes in the wake of other innovative brand activities in 2015 and an ongoing commitment to the development of high performance Lexus F vehicles.

Lexus LFA art car is here to celebrate 10 years of Toyota performance

The Lexus LFA hasn't been in production since 2012, but there are still a few sitting on dealer lots. It's a shame, as Lexus' super GT is a pretty phenomenal machine. Lexus seems to think so too, as it's still doing a bit to promote the car and its relevance to the F performance sub-brand. In order to celebrate 10 years of F and the RC F GT3's debut at the 24 Hours of Spa, Lexus revealed a new LFA art car. Like the BMW art cars, the LFA is used as a canvas by a professional artist, in this case Portugal's Pedro Henriques. The car features a black and white paint scheme, with flowing lines and strips along the bodywork. The car itself features a fixed rear wing and a screaming 553-horsepower naturally aspirated V10. While the LFA won't race, it will join the RC F GT3 on track this weekend as a parade car. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lexus LFA Art Car News Source: Toyota Australia Design/Style Motorsports Lexus Coupe Luxury Performance Supercars lexus lfa lexus rc f

Lexus adds RC 200t, RC 300 AWD for 2016

Do you really like the Lexus RC 350, but wish it had just a bit lower cost of entry? Good news for you then, as Lexus has just added a pair of new models to its two-door lineup. The RC now mimics the powertrain options for the 2016 IS. The new RC 200t slashes the cost of entry for the two-door Lexus, but it's unclear by how much. Lexus hasn't published pricing for the 241-horsepower, 258-pound-foot 200t, although we can come up with a ballpark based on the four-door model. The IS 200t starts at $38,265 compared to the IS 350's $41,810 price. Assuming the cars are similarly scaled, there's roughly a $3,500 price difference between the 350 and the 200t, so our best guess for the RC 200t is $40,200. As for the new RC 300 AWD, it uses the same 3.5-liter V6 as the IS 300, offering up 255 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque with standard all-wheel drive. As for the RC's other V6 option, the RC 350 will continue to be offered up with both rear- or all-wheel drive. Power output remains pegged at 306 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. Scroll on for the full press blast on the new RC, which will also come with a smattering of smaller changes for 2016. Related Video: LEXUS RC COUPE ENHANCED FOR 2016 WITH TRIO OF ENGINE CHOICES - NEW TURBOCHARGED ENGINE AND V6 AWD Three Engine Options: 241 hp Turbocharged 4-Cylinder, 255 hp V6 and 306 hp V6 Ultra-Stiff Platform for Exceptional Handling F SPORT Model with Electronic Suspension Damping and Rear-Wheel Steering Available Lexus Enform Service Connect Offers Peace of Mind October 02, 2015 -- The RC luxury sport coupe was introduced to Lexus' stable for the 2015 model year and it returns for 2016 model year with new engine variants. The new RC 200t and RC 300 AWD join the RC 350 for a more extensive luxury coupe line-up that offers drivers more horsepower options to fit their needs. In addition, the Lexus RC features several other changes for 2016. The RC 200t F SPORT and 350 RWD F SPORT now offer optional orange brake callipers and Limited Slip differential. Performance dampers are standard for RC 200t and available for RC 350 RWD F SPORT. Eminent White Pearl exterior paint replaces Starfire Pearl. Drivers can now opt in for additional peace of mind with Lexus Enform Service Connect. Lexus Enform Service Connect (one-year complimentary subscription) allows customers to remotely view information about certain aspects of their Lexus vehicle via the MyLexusandBeyond mobile application for iOS smartphone users or LexusDrivers.com.