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High Performance Lexus RC F to Debut at Detroit Auto Show?


Drive Australia is reporting that the high performance Lexus RC F will debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January:

[RC chief engineer Junichi] Furuyama-san says the new model – which is expected to wear the RC F badge – will boast different styling to the regular RC coupe, including a “bulging” bonnet line to accommodate the 5.0-litre V8.

“To give the V8, we need some changes, especially in the engine room,” Furuyama-san says. “For example, IS F has a unique [bonnet line]. The V8 is very big. This cannot accommodate a V8, so we need to change the styling.”

The Detroit debut date mirrors a July report from Automotive News, and makes sense given the RC F prototypes being spotted in Germany & California.

One other interesting point coming out of the Drive Australia interview — the RC model shown at the Tokyo Motor Show may see some changes before reaching production:

“I want to produce it exactly the same as this car,” he says. “But there is some difficult portions to produce. We need a little adjustment for mass production,” he states, before pointing out that the sharply creased panel line from the door to the tail-light may be toned down on the real deal.

For reference, here’s the line that Furuyama-san is referring to:

Lexus RC Door Crease

Adjusting the sharpness of this body line may not be a big deal, but the way it connects with the door handle is one of my favorite design elements — really hope that’s unaffected by any changes.

Read the full Drive Australia story on the RC F

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Comments
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    Lexus Cohen
  • December 1, 2013
Tone down that front end please!
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      leopard08
    • December 2, 2013
    Why? we are just getting warmed up here and you already crying?
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      Lexus Cohen
    • December 2, 2013
    Why would I cry? I just don't want them to mess up the spindle grille. I own The GS Fsport, '14 IS Fsport and I'm in love with how simple and sexy the grilles are!
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      leopard08
    • December 3, 2013
    well to me the spindle grill in the IS look too narrow, lot of unused space between it and the head lamps. somehow the spindle grill in this RC is loosing the preditor look and the our glass which is a very good thing. it now look like part of the car
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    Ozlat
  • December 2, 2013
We know the test mules have a V8, so why don't they have a hood bulge?
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    Max
  • December 2, 2013
That line is necessary to make the side sleek and sexy, if they're going to delete it then forget about it, this car will never be so nice and sexy like hell as in this configuration.
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    leopard08
  • December 2, 2013
bulging hood is one of the best features, it make the car look like these a beast hiden under the hood. lol they had to make it bulge again
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    Mike DeLorca
  • December 2, 2013
The sharply creased panel is one of the most outstanding contributions to the profile....I'm a bit confused why the difficulty to mass produce such. Let's face it...there are vehicles on the road that cost tens of thousands less than LEXUS and have very definite and sharp angles through out the design.....I'm sorry, as positive as I am about most of what LEXUS does....I'm not buying this...cost cutting is most likely what this is all about....C'mon LEXUS if you want to lead, you will have to be more leading edge here with the body style. Slab sided and smooth is great, but we need some definition here for those of us spending our money on vehicles that are in this price point here. Look at Hyundai and Kia.....some of these styles start @ under 20K and have more deep creases and design in them....with market increasingly improving and showing leading edge designs....this is not the time to pull back....Keep up the momentum you have going !

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