Lexus Gets The Memo, Will Develop Next-Gen RC Alongside GT3 Racer
Toyota GR GT3 ConceptImage: Toyota
The Lexus RC has a weight problem, and that weight is one of the reasons it’s not very engaging to drive. Lexus knows this and has a remedy. Car and Driver report that the next-gen RC will be developed alongside its GT3 brother to address those concerns.
2019 Lexus RC FImage: Lexus
Okay, maybe saying “weight problem” is an understatement. The Lexus RC is heavy as hell. The last time we drove an RC F way back in ‘17, it tipped the scales at 4,084 pounds. To put that in perspective, and as William Clavey put it, “That’s 400 pounds heavier than a BMW M4. Four hundred! A Honda Ridgeline pickup weighs 4,423 pounds, which is the equivalent of me and two bros riding in the RC-F. It’s obese.”
2022 Lexus RC F FujiImage: Lexus
A few years later, Lexus somewhat attempted to address this weight problem by creating a limited-edition RC F Fuji. What weight-saving measures did you get for its nearly six-figure ($98,225) price? A carbon-fiber roof, rear wing, hood, and lightweight BBS wheels. All save a whopping six pounds over a standard RC F. And none of that helped its driving dynamics, with our own Elizabeth Blackstock saying “There’s a good chance your money will end up somewhere else.”
That crossover-like weight has also affected its performance in the GT3 racing class when compared to lighter competition. Speaking to Car and Driver, TRD Racing president David Wilson said racing was an afterthought with the development of the current car, something the next generation will remedy with lessons learned. Per Car and Driver:
“What we’ve all come to learn is that’s not the way you bring a GT3 car to market,” Wilson explained. “Before you put your first line on paper, you decide you’re going to race that car and that shapes the design parameters, the performance parameters of that production car.
Wilson said the new RC will be developed with racing in mind from the getgo, something that should help its on-road driving dynamics as well. He also hinted that the design of the car will have some heavy influence from Toyota’s GR GT3 Concept from earlier this year. Gazoo racing expects to have a running prototype at the end of this year. Hopefully, we can expect to see or hear more details about the next-gen RC sometime next year.
