2015 Lexus RC 350 F SPORT Revealed With Wild GT3 Concept
Lexus has outed the third version of its new RC coupe, the 2015 Lexus RC 350 F SPORT, a heated-up version set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show early in March. Slotting in-between the RC 350 introduced last November, and the monstrous 450HP V8 RC F widely expected to replace the IS F, the 2015 RC 350 F SPORT has a 306HP V6 and a new styling package, along with an upgrade to the the suspension and handling systems.
The 2.5-liter HybridDrive option of the entry-level RC 350 is gone, with Lexus favoring the gas-only 2GR-FSE version with its 277 lb.-ft of torque and 8-speed sequential transmission. There's double-wishbone suspension at the front and multilink at the back, and the car is rear-wheel drive.
However, there's now Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) as standard, which automatically adjusts the wheel dampening individually to suit different road conditions, the movement of the car's body, and how the driver is actually driving. It adds a SPORT+ mode, too, which tweaks the AVS even further for more dynamic feedback.
Meanwhile, the Lexus Dynamic Handling (LDH) system adds rear wheel steering and variable gear ratio steering, and then tweaks the angle of all four wheels to cut down on oversteer and make sure rear grip is maximized. LDH uses a combination of vehicle speed, yaw rate, steering angle, speed, and lateral G to adjust the rear wheel angle by up to 2-degrees.
Front and rear wheels steer in opposite directions at lower speeds, and in the same direction at higher speeds.
As for the styling, that gets a new "F" design mesh spindle grille, 19-inch F SPORT mesh allows with dark metallic finish, and some other external tweaks. Inside, the moving driver display system of the LFA has been distilled into a similar version for the binnacle, and there's a perforated lather wheel and shift knob. The red leather seats with contrast stitching are also F SPORT exclusives.
No word on pricing, but Lexus will spill all the details when the RC 350 F SPORT makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The company will also be showing off its striking RC F GT3 Concept, based on the RC F, which has been slimmed down to 2,755.8 lbs.
It has a modified version of the base RC F's V8, good for more than 540HP Lexus says, and will be supplied in GT3-compliant form to racing teams starting in 2015.
