2015 Lexus RC F is where it’s at. It’s aggressively styled and incorporates features from now retired Lexus LFA super car. The RC F has an active rear wing to manage downforce at over 50 mph. It has the cool LFA gauge/instrument cluster and has the muscle to back up the appearance. Expect the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 to produce over 450 horsepower. It’s not a V10, but it is the most powerful V8 to grace any Lexus to date. There’s no manual option for the RC F (boo!), but it comes standard with an eight-speed Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission and uses a Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD) out back.
No pricing numbers are available right now, but Lexus is more than happy to talk about their new painting process that gave the display model a luscious crimson. They use a combination of colors, four coats, bake it twice to create a deep custom look.
Lexus will also build a regular RC 350 and a hybrid version – Toyota/Lexus’ first hybrid coupe. The Lexus RC 300h sports a twin-injected 176 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine hooked up to a 141 hp (105kW) electric motor. The combined output is 217 hp. An electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) is the only transmission available for the 300h .
At the show, Jeff Bracken, Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager, said the automaker expects to sell around 200 RC Fs and 1,200 RC 350s each month, after they both go on sale in the U.S. this fall.
Watch this insider TFLcar video of the 2015 Lexus RC F debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show
