The crowds at next week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (26 – 29 June) will be treated to the first UK appearance of the Lexus RC F, the high-performance coupe that has already generated huge interest in its motor show appearances around the world.
The RC F will be moving off the show stand and on to the track to give just a taste of its performance potential, making speed runs during the “first glance” sessions on the festival’s hill course. The Lexus LFA will also be storming the hill as one of the festival’s supercar competitors.
The RC F, due for market launch at the end of the year, has at its heart the most powerful V8 engine Lexus has yet produced for a road car. The 5.0-litre, 32-valve unit produces more than 450bhp and 520Nm of torque, matched to a specially calibrated, eight-speed Sports Direct Shift transmission.
The new technology that makes the RC F a great handling car as well as out-and-out fast includes the world-first use of a torque vectoring differential in a front engine/rear-wheel drive configuration. Three operating modes – Standard, Slalom and Track – let the driver adjust the system to provide to gain the optimum degree of traction and control.
The coupe’s highly rigid body is a fundamental element in delivering outstanding grip, constructed using a number of specialist manufacturing techniques, including new body adhesives, laser-screw welding and multi-spot welding.
The RC F has evolved from the new Lexus RC coupe, which will follow it to market in 2015. As well as benefiting from a more advanced and powerful engineering package, the RC F has even greater visual impact, reflected in an emphatic treatment of the Lexus spindle grille and cues directly inspired by the LFA supercar. These notably include bonnet air outlets and front cooling ducts. The bodywork includes carbon fibre elements to help keep weight down, including the roof, bonnet and active rear wing.
Lexus RC F preliminary technical specification
| Engine capacity (l) and configuration | 5.0 V8 |
| Max. power (bhp/kW) | ˃450/335 |
| Max. torque (Nm) | ˃520 |
| Transmission | 8-speed Sports Direct Shift, intelligent electronically controlled automatic |
| Driven wheels | Rear-wheel drive |
| Seating capacity | 4 |
| Overall length (mm) | 4,705 |
| Overall width (mm) | 1,850 |
| Overall height (mm) | 1,390 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,730 |
| Kerb weight (kg) | ˂1,800 (target) |
| Brakes | Power-assisted Brembo discs |
| Wheels | Front – 19 x 9J Rear – 19 x 10J |
| Tyres | Front – 255/35R19 Rear – 275/35R19 |
| Estimated top speed (mph) | 168 (electronically limited) |
