2020 Lexus RC F and Track Edition get their Detroit Auto Show debut
In an effort to make the RC F truly appealing to buyers with a sporting bent, Lexus trimmed some of the fat from its V8-powered luxo-coupe.
The Lexus RC F has been a polarizing car since it debuted for the 2015 model year. It's got a great engine that sounds incredible but the chassis was always a bit of a let-down for something that was marketed as being sporty and as such, it was never really embraced by the motoring public.
Fast-forward to 2019 and the Detroit Auto Show and Lexus appears to have taken people's criticism at least somewhat to heart and is offering up a re-tooled and refreshed RC F and it's also bringing out a limited Track Edition for those who really want to stick it to the folks from Munich and Stuttgart. How does it look on paper?
Well, to start, Lexus has kept the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8, and now it makes 472 horsepower and 395 foot-pounds of torque. That works out to a bump of just 5 horsepower and 6 ft-lbs, which isn't much but when paired with the car's new, more aggressive 3.13 ratio rear end (shortened up from 2.93), your butt dyno should feel the difference.
Lexus' 2020 RC F Track Edition is a high performance coupe for those who refuse to sacrifice comfort and reliability.
Lexus decided to go a little further down the performance rabbit hole with the RC F Track Edition. First and foremost, it managed to shed some pounds in the quest to make the car more agile, 176 pounds to be specific. That's not nothing in a modern vehicle, particularly when you combine that with a claimed added 58 pounds of additional downforce courtesy of the new rear spoiler.
One of the most significant upgrades for the Track Edition comes in the form of Brembo-sourced carbon ceramic brakes. These exotic stoppers combined with the lightweight 19-inch forged wheels from BBS account for 55 of the Track Edition's missing pounds. Because of all the lightweight materials, changed gearing and launch control, the Track Edition can make the sprint to 60 miles per hour in under 4 seconds.
If you absolutely must have the most sports-focused Lexus since the LFA, you can get it in one of two colors: Ultra White or Matte Nebula Gray. A red leather interior with red carbon-fiber accents is standard.
Both the 2020 Lexus RC F and the RC F Track Edition are set to go on sale sometime in Q2 of 2019 with pricing to be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Detroit Auto Show: Check out all the latest releases.
Lexus LC Convertible Concept: The RC wasn't the only thing Lexus brought to Detroit.