Lexus RC and RC F Receive Mid-Life Updates in Japan

As Toyota’s luxury vehicle division, Lexus is well-known for producing luxurious cars at a much smaller scale. Rarely launching new models, the Japanese boutique marque instead gives mid-life refreshments to its rather obsolete models, thus enabling them to remain relevant and competitive against its respective rivals.

Lexus Japan has updated both its RC and RC F sporty coupe models in the form of handling and safety improvements. Poised to be launched in early Jan 9, 2023, this mid-life refreshment will see both models’ safety tech to be on par with the tech available in their four-door counterpart, the Lexus IS.

This update will see both the RC and RC F using a new wheel-bolting method, where hub bolts with washers are being used to hold the wheels, instead of just the nuts themselves. Lexus claims this new method will reduce unsprung mass, thus further improving the car’s handling performance.

Aside from that, the handling upgrades also involved tuning revisions for both models’ adaptive variable suspension, as well as the electric power steering system.

Just for the RC F, Lexus has tweaked its automatic transmission in order to improve the ride’s comfort. On the cosmetic side, this updated RC F receives a set of forged aluminium wheels from BBS, featuring a Y-spoke design and comes in two colours – gloss black with metallic paint or matte black with machined metal finish.

On the other hand, the sportier RC F Sport variant rides on new Enkei wheels with a complex spoke pattern and all-black finish.

For the safety upgrades, both the RC and RC F will be equipped with improved camera and radar for its object detection functions. This improved optics plus several software tweaks enable both models to detect cyclists in broad daylight and even pedestrians during nighttime. All in all, the RC and RC F’s advanced driver’s assistance system (ADAS) gains emergency steering assistance, lane-keep assist, road sign recognition, as well as cross-traffic alert features.

The updated RC and RC F will share its cabin gizmo with the current IS, giving them a new 10.3-inch infotainment display that crowns the front dash. Yet another special upgrade solely for the RC F is the inclusion of an electric parking brake system with auto-hold function – now your legs will have Lexus to thank for during traffic jams.

Prior to receiving mid-life upgrades, both the RC and RC F have recorded a rather impressive sales figure. As of Nov 2022, Lexus have delivered a total of 74,000 RCs in 62 countries and regions. On the other hand, only 11,000 units of the RC F were sold in the smaller market numbers of 57 countries and regions.

As of writing, this special upgrade is exclusively for Japan domestic market’s (JDM) Lexus RC and RC F only, while the rest of the globe has to wait for a while. For the record, Lexus Malaysia has not officially brought both the RC and RC F into our local market, with the even sportier LC 500 and LC 500 Convertible being the only two-door options available.

Folks, what do you think of this upgraded Lexus RC and RC F? Should Lexus Malaysia bring these sporty coupes officially into our local market? As always, leave your thoughts in the comments down below…