Peter Lyons of Motor Trend has breaking news on the Lexus RC coupe:
Slated for an autumn 2014 introduction, the new RC (stands for Racing Coupe!) and its RC F big brother will be the most exciting model to ever emerge from Lexus’s lineup by far.
The RC lineup will land in Lexus showrooms late next year for around $40,000, while the fire-breathing RC F will be priced a little north of $100,000.
…the flagship RC F employs carbon-fiber parts including the hood, roof, and trunklid. Oh, and that hood scoop has nothing to do with induction. Our insider tells us the intake sucks air in and channels it to the underbody, where it improves the car’s downforce.
According to Lyons, there will be four RC engine options in total:
- RC 200t: Turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder
- RC 300h: 2.5L four-cylinder hybrid
- RC 350: V6 with Torsen LSD
- RC F: 5.0-liter V8 generating 455 hp at 6800 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque at 5200 rpm
There’s even more detail on the RC F’s powertrain:
Our insider also reveals that the RC F will clear strict new Euro-6 emissions regulations. To achieve that, the RC F will incorporate Lexus’ (and Toyota’s) first-ever cylinder deactivation technology in which four cylinders will be shut down during high-speed cruising. The RC F will also incorporate a paddle-shifted, eight-speed, three-mode (Normal, Sport, and Snow) automated manual transmission called Sports Direct Shift borrowed and revised from the IS F. It’s also fitted with an advanced fuel supply system and race-tuned exhaust for a beefier note.
There’s plenty more to the article, and I highly recommend heading over to Motor Trend to read it yourself — if the rumors are correct, the RC F will debut first at the Detroit Auto Show in January, followed by the standard RC at the New York Auto Show in April.
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