Lexus’ Tease Of The Next-Generation RC F, Mused By The GR GT3 Concept

Aiming for better performance for both road and track versions, the next-generation Lexus RC F will be directly inspired by the Toyota GR GT3 concept. 

Although no official information has been made, it is suggested that the next Lexus sports coupe is to be developed from the outset with motorsports being the focus.

Stated by TRD president David Wilson in an interview with Car & Driver, the current RC road car was not developed with motorsports in mind, in fact, the RC F GT3 race car was an ‘afterthought’.

Wilson furthered, “What we’ve all come to learn is, that’s not the way you bring a GT3 car to the market. Before you put your first line on paper, you decide you’re going to race that car and that shapes the design parameters and the performance parameters of that production car.”

To paint a picture, the GR GT3 concept in question is the one Toyota Gazoo Racing revealed at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.

Where it was seen with a classic race car silhouette that features a long bonnet, a swept-back and steeply-raked rear window, and a large rear spoiler.

It also has a very low front spoiler, bonnet vents, a side-exit exhaust, centre-lock wheels, a full-width rear light bar, and a humongous rear diffuser.

Significantly shedding a lot of weight unlike the current versions, if the next-generation RC F is to look anything like the GT3 concept, it would certainly be a head-turner.

In terms of the performance, the GT3 prototype is said to feature an internal combustion engine, as hinted by the concept's side-exit exhaust pipe behind the front wheels.

However, for the next-generation Lexus RC F, there is a possibility that it might feature a hybrid powertrain, as it is almost a requirement for a Lexus these days.

Comparison purposes, the current RC F GT3 racer is powered by a 5.4-litre V8 engine producing more than 367 kW of power, mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission.

Whereas, the RC F road car uses a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 with 351 kW and 530 Nm, mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Regardless, TGR intends to use the feedback from the GR GT3 concept and its motorsport technologies to develop both GT3 and ‘motorsports-bred’ mass-production cars in the future.

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division claimed it’ll have a running prototype of the GR GT3 concept by the end of the year, while the next-generation RC F should arrive in a couple of years. 

That said, after Lexus publicized its pledge to go full-electric by 2030, the future of its racing program was questionably bleak, but, it looks like the worry was unwarranted after all.