DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Lexus RC F

Lexus has all but confirmed it will reveal a range-topping F version of its all-new RC coupe to rival the new BMW M4, which will also make its world debut at the Detroit motor show in January.

The Japanese luxury brand has announced it will unveil an “all-new performance model engineered from scratch” at Detroit, and previewed the vehicle with this single teaser image.

Close inspection suggests the model is based on the new RC coupe revealed at the Tokyo show last month, but with a more aggressive front bumper, a bespoke front quarter panel with a prominent vent and F badge behind the wheel-arch and a beefier wheel, tyre and brake package.

Lexus showed its all-new IS sedan-based coupe at Tokyo in two forms: the RC 350 powered by a 236kW/380Nm 3.5-litre V6 and the RC 300h hybrid fitted with a 162kW/221Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric system.

The RC line-up, which will also include the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol RC 200t, will be Lexus’ first direct rival for mid-size German coupes like the BMW 4 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A5 in Australia by the end of next year.

However, as we’ve reported, the RC F – a brand name for which Lexus has also filed US and European patents -- is likely to up the ante with a 339kW/544Nm 5.0-litre V8 that meets strict Euro 6 emissions standards and introduces the Toyota group’s first fuel-saving cylinder deactivation system.

Those performance outputs are up from 311kW and 505Nm in the 5.0-litre V8 that powers the previous-generation IS F, a replacement for which is yet to be revealed.

Riding on a rear-wheel drive platform with a shorter wheelbase than the IS sedan, Lexus’ first direct competitor for BMW’s upcoming M4 (as well as the C 63 AMG and RS 5 coupes) will come standard with a three-mode eight-speed ‘Sports Direct Shift’ automatic transmission with shift paddles.

Like the M4, the RC F will employ carbon-fibre body parts including its bonnet, roof and boot lid, plus other light-weighting measures learned from racing at the Nurburgring with the race-spec Lexus IS F CCS-R, which undercuts the production IS F’s kerb weight by 300kg.

There will also be a speed-sensitive automatic rear spoiler and other aerodynamic elements also seen on the LFA, which will allow the RC F to hit 300km/h.

Riding on 15mm lower suspension, the RC F will feature a unique reinforced suspension sub-frame, Sachs monotube shock absorbers, specially tuned control-arm rear suspension, uprated coil springs and anti-roll bars, and slotted Brembo brake discs with six-piston front and four-piston rear callipers.

Inside the RC F, which rolls on unique 19-inch BBS wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 rubber, will be sports bucket seats co-developed with Recaro and loads of carbon and polished aluminium trim.

Race versions of the production RC F will be seen on racetracks from Suzuka to Nurburgring and Laguna Seca as new internationally standardised DTM-class race regulations come into play in Japan, Europe and the US by 2017.

The RC is based on a derivative of the same architecture as IS and GS. It rolls on a wheelbase 70mm shorter than the compact IS sedan at 2730mm, sits on a track the same 1840mm width as the GS and has an overall body length 30mm shorter than the IS at 4695mm. The RC is also 30mm wider and 35mm lower than the IS.

“Designed from the asphalt up, to strike at the heart, the newest Lexus F model will debut at the January 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit,” said Lexus.

“Engineered from scratch, one performance layer at a time, the newest F model promises a bold, gritty, experience synonymous with the famed Lexus F heritage.”

At the same time, rumours continue to persist that Lexus will also show a concept that previews a belated replacement for its respected Supra sports coupe at Detroit.

High-level Toyota officials reportedly told Autoblog that Lexus plans to “shock the world” next year with a new Supra concept, which could be the result of a deal between Toyota and BMW to co-develop an all-new sports car.

Hopes of a born-again Supra were last raised by Toyota at the 2007 Detroit show when it revealed the FT-HS concept, which was designed by the car-maker’s Calty studio in California and powered by a 300kW hybrid powertrain.

While mainstream RC coupe pricing is expected to start somewhere between the new IS sedan ($55,900) and BMW’s 4 Series ($73,200), the RC F is likely to carry a pricetag similar to the old IS F sedan ($126,300).

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