Lexus RC Coupe breaks cover

The covers have come off the all-new Lexus RC Coupe, the Japanese company's latest luxury offering to rival the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5 Coupe.

Based on a similar architecture to the new Lexus IS four-door sedan, a pair of RC Coupes have been confirmed by Lexus today, the RC 350 and RC 300h.

Propelled by engines similar to their IS-Series stablemates, the RC 350 gets a 3.5-litre V6 and the RC 300h comes with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, expected to develop similar power to the IS models, 233kW/378Nm and 164kW/300Nm respectively.

Lexus is expected to offer another two engines in due course, an entry-level 2.0-litre turbo-petrol -- which has also been confirmed to make its debut in the LF-NX concept SUV in Tokyo --  and a range-topping 340kW V8-powered RC F.

The 2+2 seat sports car provides Lexus with a stylish new product to tempt buyers, showing off a sleek new design that has clear visual links with the IS sedan and even a hint of the tyre-shredding LFA supercar.

First visualised in the LF-CC concept car, Lexus says the new RC 350 and 300h display a "dynamic and alluring" design, showing off the widest and lowest interpretation of the gaping Lexus spindle grille to date.

The Japanese luxury car maker says the new coupe was developed to "raise the brand's profile with a broader audience and new-to-Lexus customers while injecting emotional appeal into the Lexus DNA that is synonymous with build quality, refinement and reliability".

Lexus has paid special attention to the interior of the new cars too, crafting a sporty but sumptuous cabin with specially designed leather seats. A new lighting system illuminates upwards instead of downwards, genuine shimamoku wood highlights are in evidence, and the latest version of Lexus Remote Touch interface appears to make use of a new touch-pad.

Measuring 4695mm long, the RC coupe is 30mm longer than the IS sedan but rides on a 70mm shorter 2730mm wheelbase. The RC 300h model rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels while the RC 350 gets 19-inch rims and F Sport packages with even more aggressive styling cues are a given.

Lexus is yet to confirm performance figures, release dates or pricing,

The rear-wheel drive Lexus RC will be publicly unveiled at 8:45am (Japanese time) on November 20 at the Tokyo motor show, from where the premiere will be streamed live via Lexus-int.com.

As previously reported, the high-performance V8-powered RC F is expected to make its debut in early January 2014 at the Detroit motor show, and a convertible version of the Lexus RC is also on the cards.

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