Lexus LF-NX Turbo, RC 350 Confirmed for Tokyo Debut
Lexus just officially confirmed that it will debut both the RC coupe and a turbocharged version of the LF-NX concept during the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.
Lexus has fitted a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine to the LF-NX Concept that debuted in Frankfurt last September. The company hasn’t released specific output figures for the engine but said in a statement that it will offer “guaranteed power and improved fuel economy.”
That doesn’t mean the 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine mated to a hybrid drivetrain found in the Frankfurt concept is a goner. A filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from earlier this year shows that the company plans to offer models named both NX200t and NX300h, which falls perfectly in line with those two concepts. The extreme body creases seen on the hybrid model carry over to this concept, but Lexus says it has a lower center of gravity emphasized by the front spoiler.
News of the RC coupe debut broke earlier this year, but this is the first time Lexus has confirmed the plan for its home territory show. The RC coupe will ride on the IS/GS platform and will use a 3.5-liter, 306-hp V6 like its sedan sibling and will also be offered as a hybrid, although not for the U.S. market. The RC 350 is expected to reach U.S. dealerships in late 2014. The more potent V8-powered RC-F is expected to bow during the Detroit Auto Show in January.
GALLERY: Lexus RC 350
GALLERY: Lexus LF-NX Turbo
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Lol
Well, if it doesn't have a manual transmission option (which I sincerely doubt it will), then the RC 350 is for posers. You know, middle aged businessmen with too much disposable income, a bottle of Viagra in the medicine cabinet and a penchant for ladies in their 20's. Even it's rival, the Infiniti G35/G37/Q60 offers a proper 6-speed manual. If Lexus surprises us and offers it with a stick then I'll change my feelings about it.