New details that could shape future high performance Lexus vehicles continue to emerge from a recent press announcement outlining an all-new family of turbocharged engines. If you missed the announcement, new 1.5L N/A, 1.5L turbo, and 2.0L turbo four cylinder engines with higher output and greater efficiency are planned to arrive over the next few years.
The new 2.0T engine was developed with performance applications in mind and now we know more about two prototype vehicles Lexus is testing with this engine: a 600 horsepower RC prototype with a 6-speed manual transmission, and a 400 horsepower IS with a quick shifting 8-speed automatic transmission.
400 Horsepower Lexus IS Prototype
The Toyota Times released video footage of the event including a test drive in what appears to be a heavily modified third generation Lexus IS fitted with the 400 horsepower tune of the 2.0T engine. While the car is blurred in the beginning of the video, the sound of the new 2.0T can be heard and views from inside the car clearly show it is a 2021+ Lexus IS (21:20 for the IS prototype):
The clip shows track driving and acceleration runs in the prototype IS which don’t reveal much other than the sound of the engine and exhaust, as well as seemingly quick paddle shifts from the 8AT… which remind us more than a little of the 8-speed Direct Automatic Transmission in the GR Corolla and GR Yaris. If a modified version of that gearbox comes to Lexus performance vehicles, it would only be a good thing.
Here is a translated quote from Karuma News who attended the press event and participated in the ride along:
This time, before this technical briefing, we tested the Toyota “Hilux (6-speed MT)” and Lexus “IS (Paddle Shift)” equipped with a 2-liter turbo.
The Hilux engine is 300 horsepower (red zone: 6200 rpm), and the IS is different from 400 horsepower (red zone: 7100 rpm).
Both of them had a light acceleration feeling of zero start, and there was almost no turbo lag, and it was simply “fun to ride”.
In addition, Toyota’s engineer said about this 2-liter turbo, “Toyota has a globally popular engine called the “2JZ engine”. I would like to aim for an engine that surpasses that,” he said, and he also looked forward to future evolution.
Hilux is a car that is active as a worker and a foot for the common people in emerging countries, and IS is a sports sedan, but the fact that it can cover both areas with the same engine may be said to be a “dream engine”.
The 2JZ inline six might be Toyota’s most iconic engine of all time, so hearing that engineers are aiming to surpass even their own 2JZ with this new 2.0T performance engine is a tall order indeed.
600 Horsepower Lexus RC Prototype
Another Japanese media outlet who participated in the event, Best Car, also had a ride along in the IS prototype and shared this quote revealing the existence of a 600 horsepower Lexus RC prototype:
[After driving the IS prototype] “I would buy this,” I said to the technician, and while I was talking to him, I saw a Lexus RC in the garage, which he said had a 600 horsepower rating. I wasn’t able to test drive it, but it was worth noting that it was equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. It was said to be for motorsports, but it speaks to the potential of this engine, and it’s sure to make the tuning industry excited.”
A 600 horsepower Lexus coupe would certainly be exciting for enthusiasts, and such a vehicle with a 6-speed manual would only sweeten the deal. It seems this prototype exists for motorsports testing, but does make us excited about what could be in store for future Lexus F performance vehicles.
It is important to mention that both of these prototypes are development vehicles and they may or may not have direct links to future production models. Using current bodies and platforms to test new powertrains is commonplace in the automotive industry, and since both the IS and RC are at the end of their model cycles, it’s prudent to expect that any future versions with these engines would be all-new generations if they come to exist at all.
As new details are released on these engines and future models, Lexus Enthusiast will keep you updated.