According to Automotive News, Lexus will debut the new RC coupe at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show — here’s some details:
The new coupe will arrive in U.S. dealerships in late 2014, said a company source speaking on condition of anonymity.
The RC will be powered by a 3.5-liter, 306-hp V-6 engine, same as the IS and GS sedans. A hybrid version will be offered in Japan and Europe, but not in the United States.
An RC-F performance version will be unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show. A Lexus source says the RC-F will be powered by a 460-hp V-8, up from 416 hp for the current IS-F.
A single engine for the standard North American RC coupe seems unlikely, especially with so many rumors about a new 2.0L turbo four-cylinder engine floating around.
Not offering the coupe with a hybrid engine in North America makes for a disappointing trend, as it mirrors the strategy used with the new IS — considering how important hybrid technology is to the Lexus brand, it’s a surprising decision to omit it from two of their brand new models.
Beyond it all, the biggest news has to be the RC F — a 460 hp V8 would suggest an upgrade of the naturally aspirated engine powering the current IS F, but that doesn’t necessarily fit with an earlier statement by IS chief engineer Junichiro Furuyama about the IS F’s 2UR-GSE V8:
“That V8 is a little difficult to meet Euro 6,” Junichiro Furuyama, the 2013 IS’ chief engineer told TMR, referring to the current IS F’s 5.0 litre 2UR-GSE engine.
“The engine has a high performance focus, so the combustion condition is more severe than normal engines. It’s a little more difficult than making the V6 engines comply with Euro 6.”
“To produce more power and torque it runs leaner. That is the problem. We probably need a new engine for the F model.”
So even with all these new details, there’s still plenty of mystery before the RC’s reveal in November — exciting times ahead.
(And what about the compact crossover concept that was supposed to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show?)
[Source: Automotive News] (Subscription Required)
No discussion thread for this article yet.