Lexus RC & RC F Get Minor Update for 2024 Model Year

Posted by Kevin on January 3rd, 2023

The RC coupe has received a very minor update in Japan (and presumably everywhere else its sold), adopting a touchscreen and switching to wheel hub bolts rather than the traditional nut — here’s a Road & Track article explaining the difference. The RC F also received a suspension makeover, “greatly improving turning performance and ride comfort” says chief engineer Naoki Kobayashi.

The wheel options available to the Japanese consumer are incredible — both the RC & RC F are offered with four different designs:

Another interesting fact from the Japanese press release — as of November 2022, RC has sold a total of 74,000 units in 62 countries and regions around the world, and RC F has sold a total of 11,000 units in 57 countries and regions around the world.

JapanLexus RC F: First GenerationLexus RC: First Generation
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Gecko

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Seems like this is 2023 MY, not 2024 MY. Is that right? Lexus.com still shows the 2022 model and it seems a bit early to release 2024s.
 
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Regret that i am disappointed at the slow rate of updates generally by Lexus.
The RC model has been virtually unchanged for a very long time now.
Similarly, with the IS not really a new model, updated and using the V8 as a run out model. The interior is much the same as it was ten twelve years ago.
A pity I think as so much effort has been put into building the brand and now it would seem Toyota are pushing the Toyota name up into the luxury field viz the new Crown which appears to have moved up a notch or two.
The LS is now lagging behind the top German brands and needs a re- design or substantial refresh. When one thinks back to the original LS - wow what a stir that car created, the latest model has not repeated that success by any means.
Come on Lexus time to step up to the plate and launch completely new models to stay up with the competition. The Brand is so well thought of worldwide, but Imo the various models need refreshing and/or updating.
 
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ssun30

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^^Of course they are updating their products including new models every year, products that people actually buy.
 
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Levi

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ssun30 said:
^^Of course they are updating their products including new models every year, products that people actually buy.
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In Europe people buy low rent BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA (for big money) because they think it is nearly an X7 or GLS. They don’t buy Lexus UX because Hyundai/Kia is cheaper.

Lexus sales increase in % is as relevant as Volvo sales increase; that is irrelevant in the overall market share or even brand value ranking.
 
yiantony

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The Lexus is definitely slow in the last 10 years or so in pretty much all aspects. Flagship LS is disappointing and receiving no updates. Ancient 5.0V8 and no signs of using the 3.5T for high performance. IS and RC interior has been the same for almost 10 years. They were among the last in adapting Carplay and Android Auto and their infotainment system is ****. Insane wait time, crazy mark up and slow production in 2022, and no signs of improvements. Cancelation of GS. Lexus definitely was a more exciting brand talking about 20 or 25 years back.
 
Faisal Sheikh

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yiantony said:
The Lexus is definitely slow in the last 10 years or so in pretty much all aspects. Flagship LS is disappointing and receiving no updates. Ancient 5.0V8 and no signs of using the 3.5T for high performance. IS and RC interior has been the same for almost 10 years. They were among the last in adapting Carplay and Android Auto and their infotainment system is ****. Insane wait time, crazy mark up and slow production in 2022, and no signs of improvements. Cancelation of GS. Lexus definitely was a more exciting brand talking about 20 or 25 years back.
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RCF is serving a homologation purpose for the RCF GT3 to be able to race in the 2023 season. I don't think they want to retire it just yet. Maybe, 2024. While the interior design is now antiquated and I agree some of the new designs especially in Mercedes are mind blogging, it is very high quality and stands very well over time almost showing no wear.

The 2UR-GSE went through a major redesign in 2014 during RCF R&D. so it is far from "antiquated". Pretty much nothing is shared/swappable with the 1st gen 2UR-GSE except the bottom block. It should have had a different code, but there was a technical reason why Lexus did not rename the engine. Having said that, 10 years might be a long time, but it holds up well today given the Coyote or 3LT engines are even older than the RCF engine. Old or not, having driven many Toyota/Lexus engines, this has to be one of the very best engine Lexus/Toyota ever made.
 
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F1 Silver Arrows

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Faisal Sheikh said:
RCF is serving a homologation purpose for the RCF GT3 to be able to race in the 2023 season. I don't think they want to retire it just yet. Maybe, 2024. While the interior design is now antiquated and I agree some of the new designs especially in Mercedes are mind blogging, it is very high quality and stands very well over time almost showing no wear.
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Correct. You should see a new racecar for the 2024 IMSA season. :)

This is me spitballing but I think WEC is possible as well.
Faisal Sheikh said:
The 2UR-GSE went through a major redesign in 2014 during RCF R&D. so it is far from "antiquated". Pretty much nothing is shared/swappable with the 1st gen 2UR-GSE except the bottom block. It should have had a different code, but there was a technical reason why Lexus did not rename the engine. Having said that, 10 years might be a long time, but it holds up well today given the Coyote or 3LT engines are even older than the RCF engine. Old or not, having driven many Toyota/Lexus engines, this has to be one of the very best engine Lexus/Toyota ever made.
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Amen. The 2UR is an absolute monster when it comes to horsepower/torque output, and let's not forget to mention that it is so extremely satisfying to rev out. The engine is just neutered by really long gears and it's stuffed in cars that are a tad bit heavier than the competition (bar the IS500 and GS F).

Honestly though, I don't think weight would've been a major issue had Lexus not been a bunch of braindead monkeys when it came to transmission programming. There is no acceptable reason why that engine is paired to a transmission with the long gear ratios that it has. I can't think of a valid reason why they would do this with the exception of getting better fuel economy, but who gives a damn about fuel economy in a performance car? Let it lose 2-3 MPG in pursuit of way better acceleration times IMHO.
 
Faisal Sheikh

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F1 Silver Arrows said:
Correct. You should see a new racecar for the 2024 IMSA season. :)

This is me spitballing but I think WEC is possible as well.

Amen. The 2UR is an absolute monster when it comes to horsepower/torque output, and let's not forget to mention that it is so extremely satisfying to rev out. The engine is just neutered by really long gears and it's stuffed in cars that are a tad bit heavier than the competition (bar the IS500 and GS F).

Honestly though, I don't think weight would've been a major issue had Lexus not been a bunch of braindead monkeys when it came to transmission programming. There is no acceptable reason why that engine is paired to a transmission with the long gear ratios that it has. I can't think of a valid reason why they would do this with the exception of getting better fuel economy, but who gives a damn about fuel economy in a performance car? Let it lose 2-3 MPG in pursuit of way better acceleration times IMHO.
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True. The gearing is long in 2rd and 3rd. 2nd goes to 62 mph and third goes to 100 mph (GPS data and not the speedo). It needed to be short, but still as you have seen from my Dragy GPS data, from a rolling start the tall gearing is actually a huge plus. For example, I was running faster 60 - 130 mph at 3600 feet with a couple of bolt ons + tune than a stock 10 speed Mustang GT at sea level.

From a dead stop, having long gearing makes it less optimal in the 1/4 mile runs. RCF is not geared well for 1/4 mile runs, but with a couple of bolt ons and tune, I am hitting 12.0 - 12.1 seconds adjusted for sea level.

 
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I think that long 3rd is optimized for Nurburgring? The middle section requires a long 3rd to avoid premature shifting and you see a similar gearing on many sports cars tested and tuned on Nurburgring that are very poorly optimized for drag race (LFA is another example, it has an extremely long 3rd when combined with the 9500rpm redline).
 
Faisal Sheikh

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ssun30 said:
I think that long 3rd is optimized for Nurburgring? The middle section requires a long 3rd to avoid premature shifting and you see a similar gearing on many sports cars tested and tuned on Nurburgring.
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True. Good point. 3rd gear is great for turning speed of 67 - 80 mph. in fast sweepers You can hold the gear near the redline feeding in the throttle to balance the car while taking the sweeper and never have to shift up until you exit out and into 4th.
 
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Faisal Sheikh said:
True. Good point. 3rd gear is great for turning speed of 67 - 80 mph. in fast sweepers You can hold the gear near the redline feeding in the throttle to balance the car while taking the sweeper and never have to shift up until you exit out and into 4th.
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Yes. 3rd gear is the most used gear on track oriented road cars. Some track builds even have a dedicated 3.5 gear to have the car in best power band in fast corners.
 
F1 Silver Arrows

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ssun30 said:
I think that long 3rd is optimized for Nurburgring? The middle section requires a long 3rd to avoid premature shifting and you see a similar gearing on many sports cars tested and tuned on Nurburgring that are very poorly optimized for drag race (LFA is another example, it has an extremely long 3rd when combined with the 9500rpm redline).
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You saying this made me think of the Porsche Cayman GT4 as well. That car's 6-speed manual also has notoriously long gears. And it was because it was developed for the Nürburgring's long straights and high speed corners.
 
krew

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Gecko said:
Seems like this is 2023 MY, not 2024 MY. Is that right? Lexus.com still shows the 2022 model and it seems a bit early to release 2024s.
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Totally agree, but this update probably won't be announced in the US until April and then it almost has to be a 2024 model. All I really know is the first-gen RC/RC F is going to be 10 years old this year. 😳
 
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Press release:

No more TVD in 2023

pressroom.lexus.com

WHAT’S NEW: 2023 Lexus RC and RC F - Lexus USA Newsroom

PLANO, Texas (Jan. 11, 2023) – With its muscular form and aggressive stance, the refined Lexus RC is crafted to stand apart from the crowd. A bold fascia, available Premium Triple-Beam LED headlamps and strong character lines that sweep toward the dramatic rear valance and LED taillamps allow...
pressroom.lexus.com pressroom.lexus.com
 
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The RC looks really good for a 10 year old car. Modern cars can easily be used for 15 years and still not be old. Cars progress very little compared to generations before 2000.
 
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Rob Grieveson said:
Regret that i am disappointed at the slow rate of updates generally by Lexus.































The RC model has been virtually unchanged for a very long time now.































Similarly, with the IS not really a new model, updated and using the V8 as a run out model. The interior is much the same as it was ten twelve years ago.































A pity I think as so much effort has been put into building the brand and now it would seem Toyota are pushing the Toyota name up into the luxury field viz the new Crown which appears to have moved up a notch or two.































The LS is now lagging behind the top German brands and needs a re- design or substantial refresh. When one thinks back to the original LS - wow what a stir that car created, the latest model has not repeated that success by any means.































Come on Lexus time to step up to the plate and launch completely new models to stay up with the competition. The Brand is so well thought of worldwide, but Imo the various models need refreshing and/or updating.



I completely agree! I worked for Lexus Of Naples for about three months. I was disappointed in the user interface compared to their German rivals especially, Audi! I'd rather pay $100k plus for an A8 instead of the LS. That's very sad knowing that I'm a Lexus Enthusiast. Hopefully they update the models in need of an update/refresh and bring back the GS.
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