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:
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.
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