Lexus RC News

Luxury for Lexus starts at $40,000. That's the Japanese brand's global view and one endorsed by its Australian chief executive Sean Hanley.

Lexus Australia is on the verge of deciding whether to plunge headfirst into motorsport or to withdraw from racing entirely.

Local pricing and engine specifications confirmed for Lexus RC F performance coupe.Lexus have confirmed the the RC F will arrive in Australia in February 2015, priced from $133,500.The RC F will also be available in a $147,500 'Carbon' variant, which adds a carbon-fibre body kit, roof and cabin trim alongside Alcantara covered seats.Powered by a 351kW/530Nm naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8, the RC F is the Lexus equivalent of BMW's M4 and Audi's RS5, and comes in about $30,000 cheaper than both Germans.Also in the ballpark - and also from Germany - is the outgoing Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Its starting price is $157,545, a mere $10,000 more than the Lexus.Lexus says the new RC F builds on the lessons learned with the LFA supercar, and will take the mantle as the company's 'halo' model from the IS F.

All-new Lexus RC 350 coupe arrives in local showrooms, priced from $66,000.Three months after we first drove the RC 350 in the US, Lexus's new answer to the BMW's 4-series, the Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe has arrived in local showrooms.The entry-level RC 350 Luxury trim level is priced at $66,000, moving up to the F Sport at $74,000 with the top-spec Sports Luxury priced at $86,000.Effectively a coupe version of the IS sedan, the suspension is actually based around the larger GS. However, the RC 350's front spring rates have been stiffened and the rear suspension has been tweaked with the aim of reducing body roll while maintaining ride comfort.The RC 350 comes with the 233kW/378Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine from the GS350, paired with an eight-speed sports automatic transmission with manual gear selection available via paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The combined fuel efficiency figure for this combination is 9.4L/100km.The engine and transmission can be set into three different drive modes - Eco, Normal and Sport. Eco optimises the engine, accelerator and air-conditioning with a focus on fuel efficiency, Sport delivers more dynamic and responsive performance from the engine and steering and Normal strikes a balance between the two.F Sport and Sports Luxury models come with adaptive dampers and an extra Sport S+ drive mode. Sport S+ drive mode tightens the dampers during heavy braking, acceleration or cornering.Standard Safety features across the RC 350 lineup include front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and auto-dimming mirrors.The $66,000 entry-level Luxury model features 18-inch alloys and 7-inch multimedia display for the satnav, reversing camera and Bluetooth/USB compatible audio system. There is also leather interior accents, powered front seats with heating and ventilation, LED headlights as well as climate control. A moonroof can be optioned for $2,500.The RC 350 F Sport, priced at $74,000, gains a more aggressive body-styling package, 19-inch alloys, lane change assist, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, F Sport steering wheel and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.The F Sport can also be optioned with a moonroof as well as lane departure warning, collision warning, active cruise control and automatic high-beam for $7,300The $86,000 Sports Luxury model includes all of the above features and adds premium leather and timber veneer trim to the cabin.

Upcoming RC F coupe is the most potent Lexus V8 yet.Prestige makers such as Lexus are taking over from Ford and Holden as custodians of Australia's V8 heritage.An all-new Japanese road runner, the Lexus RC F coupe, is just around the corner and it's all about the performance package centred on its V8. The engine is the most powerful yet from Lexus, which has had a smoothly efficient V8 at its heart since the original LS400 in 1989.The new 5.0-litre V8 is packing more than 330kW and 520Nm of torque, figures set to run it head-on into the latest BMW M4 coupe and next year's all-new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. We will have full details later this week after the global press preview drive of the landmark two-door in New York."There is definitely a 5.0-litre V8 coming in the RC," says Lexus Australia spokesman Tyson Bowen. "It will produce more than 300kW and more than 500 Nm, yet deliver fuel efficiency better than 11.4L/100km The V8's output is not a threat to the supercharged 6.3-litre V8 in the HSV GTS, which makes 430kW.However, the difference is the Lexus engine has a future well beyond the end of local production of the Ford Falcon and Commodore. The V8-powered headliners from the red and blue teams are selling as well as ever, and better than ever if they have an HSV or FPV badge, but their time is running out.That means a V8 future in Australia is likely to wear an upscale badge from a brand such as Lexus, or Benz or BMW, or perhaps even Infiniti. Add to that performance brands such as Porsche and Aston Martin. And there will be V8s, including diesels, in top-end four-wheel-drive tow machines including the Range Rover, Toyota LandCruiser and the latest - pricey and unpopular - Nissan Patrol.Lexus says there is an obvious appeal in V8 engines, which is why it already has three V8-powered models - the LS, IS and LX SUV - in its Australian line-up. "We have V8s for a number of reasons. In the IS F it's all about performance and the visceral sound performance and acceleration that comes with a V8," Bowen says. "In the LS it's a slightly different proposition, because V8s are smooth and efficient. They are not stressed because they are not driven as hard."In the LX, it's about the flexibility and torque for low-end pulling power for towing, and the efficiency at cruising speeds."Bowen is not going into detail on the RC F, even though it's less than a week away from the public spotlight, but he is happy to discuss the Lexus obsession with V8s. "The original proposition was about the quietness, efficiency and refinement when you go back to the original LS 400 in 1989.Remember they famously balanced a coin on the engine to highlight its smoothness, they stacked a pile of wine glasses for a television commercial. They also use that 4.0-litre V8 in ultralight aircraft, because it can run so lean and for so long without troubles."

Lexus RC-F chief engineer gives a behind-the scenes look at the new BMW M4 rival's development.Lexus has put the BMW M4 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG on notice with its upcoming RC-F performance coupe.The successor to the screaming IS-F sedan is set to feature a 330kW plus 5.0-litre V8, sending power to the rear wheels via a tricky torque vectoring differential. Lexus aren't saying just how quick it is yet, or exactly how much power it uses to get there, but the RC F chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi assures it wasn't engineered just for speed, but for maximum driving enjoyment as well."The most distinctive characteristic is the emotional depth of driving enjoyment offered to drivers of any skill level," he says. Given that much of the RC-F's development time was spent at the Nurburgring, we're inclined to believe him.

New Lexus coupes set to arrive later this year or early 2015.

Lexus is swiftly shedding its beige cardigan image thanks to a range of recently launched stylish and sporty models. And the new wardrobe gains another addition with the Japanese carmaker’s newest variant, the RC 350 F Sport coupe set to be unveiled at Geneva motor show this week.A host of visual and mechanical changes over the standard RC – shown at the Tokyo motor show last November - aim to give the coupe a sporting edge to help it face off against key rivals like the BMW 4-Series.Powered by Lexus’ familiar 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6, the RC 350 F Sport sends 234kW of power and 380Nm of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox with shift paddles as standard.The F Sport is fitted as standard with Adaptive Variable Suspension which uses magnetically controlled dampers to adjust suspension stiffness, allowing for a more compliant ride on broken tarmac or a more sporting feel in the corners.The system can be controlled by the car’s computerized brain automatically after it monitors the road surface and the RC’s body movement -- or the driver can select between Sport and Comfort modes independently.Sport mode also increases the weight of the steering while sharpening throttle and gearshift responses. And in this mode the LFA supercar-inspired digital instrument display changes shape and appearance, adding some visual drama to the driving experience.A rear-wheel-steering system is also adopted by the F Sport to aid turn in response, rear wheel traction, and agility. Computers monitor vehicle speed, steering angle, and lateral forces and can then cleverly turn the rear wheels by up to two degrees. Like Porsche’s new 911 GT3, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front ones at low speed, making the car feel more responsive, and at high speed the rears turn in the same direction as the fronts to aid stability.But all of its mechanical wizardry aside, the reason most buyers will be tempted by the F Sport over the standard coupe is likely to be the design and styling, with the F Sport visual upgrades sitting well on the  RC.The vast Lexus spindle grille now features F-specific mesh, front and rear bumpers are more aggressive, and 19-inch wheels with contrasting silver and black spokes are standard.Inside, the new model boasts an F-Sport steering wheel, metallic pedals and a premium gearshift lever.The new RC 350 F Sport will debut alongside its V8-powered, range-topping sibling, the RC F, at the show overnight tonight. 

Lexus is giving the RC F its most powerful V8 yet -- a 5.0-litre engine with "more than" 335kW of power and 520Nm of torque. And the Toyota luxury brand has just showcased the car in an equally high-powered campaign linked to the 2014 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.It's not the first time Lexus has decided a bikini is the way to promote a car, with three previous years of tie-in with the best-known Sports Illustrated edition. The LFA kicked it off in 2011, with drift champion Rhys Millen sliding the car around an aircraft hangar with Dutch supermodel Rianne Ten Haken as a human traffic cone.For the latest edition it's equally well-known face Natasha Bernard, but she's not asked to perform any drift marker duties. Instead we're told how the massive torque styles her hair, and the exhaust note styles her goose bumps.The print component of the campaign uses mobile device scanning technology to channel the reader to digital platforms containing interactive information about the RC F.Launching next week with the SI edition, it's expected the digital execution will highlight the technology behind the RC F, particularly the engine's ability to switch between Atkinson and Otto cycles and the what the brand claims as the world's first front-engine, rear wheel drive torque-vectoring differential - which is said to work differently to the brake-based system on the latest HSV GTS and other vehicles.The RC F has undergone a great deal of its development process on the Nurburgring, but we're still waiting for Lexus to reveal the official lap time. Hopefully one that's also guaranteed to style a few goose bumps for prospective buyers.

The Lexus RC F has picked up the performance baton from the Toyota prestige brand's IS F and will carry it with what Lexus says is the most powerful V8 in any of its cars.Able to switch between Atkinson and Otto cycles, it's a  more powerful version of the current 5.0-litre V8, with outputs raised to "more than" 335kW of power and 520Nm of torque. Lexus didn't give precise figures during the car's official unveiling this morning, but it's a rise over engine's current 321kW and 505Nm.The engine is mated to an eight-speed auto that Lexus says improves throttle response, and Lexus has added what it claims as the world's first front-engine, rear wheel drive torque-vectoring differential - which works differently to the brake-based system on the latest HSV GTS and other vehicles -- and has three operating modes -- Standard and Slalom for stability and steering response, and Track to aid cornering and acceleration. "The system on RC F is critically different to that on other vehicles as it does not use the application of brakes to assist in vehicle trajectory," Lexus spokesman Tyson Bowen says. "Rather than applying or dragging the brake pedal to the wheel loosing traction, the RC F's differential apportions torque to the wheels that require more or less. The benefit of the system is that it does not consume power by turning torque into heat, and furthermore does not require a larger brake calliper to counter additional heat stress."With the car having been largely developed on the Nurburgring, we're keen to hear the lap time, but that's not being disclosed yet. However with the uprated engine, the RC F should better the IS F's 4.9 seconds for the 0-100kmh sprint and perhaps raise the top speed of 274km/h.The performance gets an optional helping hand from weight-trimming carbon-fibre used for the roof and other body parts, plus an active rear wing that deploys at speeds over 80km/h and retracts when you wind back down to 40km/h and a hood scoop to minimise front lift.It rides on coil-spring independent suspension front and rear, with  monotube gas-filled shock absorbers and ball-jointed stabiliser bars. The wheel-arches can house one of three 10-spoke 19-inch forged alloy  wheels designs -- the top spec finished by the hands of a metal craftsman.An imposing version of the Lexus spindle grille works with the aggressive bumpers and side skirts to add the visual promise of performance, backed up by bonnet and front fender vents, and the four stacked trapezoid exhaust tips at the rear. That attitude carries over into the cabin, with metal and carbon-fibre trim, leather-covered sports seats emblazoned with an 'F', and meaty sports steering wheel.There's also a huge central dial in the instrument cluster that shows a G-force meter and different information depending on which of the differential modes are selected, and a large infotainment screen that dominates the centre stack.