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Lexus dumps RC F Super GT in favor of stunning LC 500 racer

Japan's Super GT series remains a favorite at the Autoblog office, because like British Touring Cars and Germany's DTM, the cars look vaguely like the ones you can actually buy, and the racing is close and intense. And next year, Japan's wildest racing will include the Lexus LC 500. Toyota and Gazoo Racing are phasing out the old RC F – which will continue racing here in the US GT3 ranks since it's barely a year old – in favor of Lexus' bigger, cushier two-door coupe. The racer depends on a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder – just like every other car in the GT500 ranks – but unlike the 5.0-liter V8 or a 3.5-liter hybrid V6 in the LC 500s folks could actually buy. But let's ignore the mechanicals, because look at this monstrous racer. The LC is already the best looking car to wear Lexus' polarizing design language, but the aggressive cuts, angles, and oddly shaped headlights look great when paired with a Super GT car's aerodynamic appendages. Monstrous, flared wheel arches, a mammoth rear wing, and side skirts big enough to serve drinks on are just a few of the aero improvements for the LC 500 racer. Then, there's the really cool stuff, like the exhaust exit in the passenger side door. All cars should have side-exit exhausts in the door. According to Toyota and Gazoo's Google Translated website, the new LC 500 Super GT500 will campaign in the 2017 season. We can't wait to see it hit the track. Related Video:

TMG still developing Lexus LS Sports 650 [w/video]

If you're going to make a super sedan, you'd better do it in Germany. That's where Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz do it, along with third parties like Alpina, Brabus and G-Power, among others. Deutschland is the epicenter of the movement, regularly churning out the most powerful four-door rockets in the world. It's also where one of the racing divisions for Toyota has been hard at work on the TMG Sports 650.
Toyota Motorsport GmbH started with a Lexus LS and turned it into a 641-horsepower, twin-turbocharged super sedan it revealed late last year at the Essen Motor Show. But though we haven't heard much about it since then, the team behind Toyota's F1 and Le Mans efforts are apparently still hard at work on the project.
Speaking with Lexus' own UK blog, TMG chief Alastair Moffitt revealed that the project started way back in 2010, shortly after Toyota shut down its F1 program and left the racing team with nothing to do. The 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 was initially producing as much as 800 horsepower, but has since been refined to 650 so that it could theoretically be put into production and onto the road.

2014 Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS 250 fail to achieve Consumer Reports 'Recommended' rating

Infiniti and Lexus might be a little concerned now that both of their new luxury sedans, the Q50 and IS250, were unable to net Consumer Reports vaunted "Recommended" rating during their first year on the market. In fact, not only did the two fail to earn a "Recommended" rating, they finished behind the vast majority of the competition after testing, including the BMW 328i, Mercedes-Benz C250, Lincoln MKZ and Volvo S60 T5.
The Q50 managed to snag a "Very Good" rating overall, but CR criticized it's road manners for not being as thrilling as the car it (sort of) replaces, the G37. The mag called the handling mundane and the steering dull, while also remarking on the poor controls. According to CR, the interior quality is "nothing special." Shade was also thrown at the Q50's reportedly poor ride.
Compared to the IS, though, the Q50 got off easy. CR called it "neither sporty nor luxurious," while criticizing the 2.5-liter V6's lack of oomph and poor fuel economy. The mag then went on to lambaste the IS's handling, steering, interior, cabin space and infotainment system.