2015 Lexus RC F Coupe Snarls With 'More Than 450 HP'

And that is the biggest news about the RC F performance coupe. This thing is powered by a 5.0-liter V8. Yes, an honest to goodness V8, and this is at a time when it seems like everyone else running to downsized, turbocharged four-cylinder powerplants. Way to go, Lexus!

This beast of an engine should put out more than 450 hp and at least 383 lb-ft of torque. Those goods are routed exclusively to the RC F’s rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. As for acceleration, the company claims it should blast from a standstill to 60 miles an hour faster than today’s IS F, which does the deed in a claimed 4.6 seconds. The RC F ought to be quicker because it’s got A LOT more power.

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Those output figures should stack up very favorably to the new M4, which of course features a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight six that cranks out 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The folks in Bavaria claim it should scamper from zero to 60 in 4.1 seconds. The RC F and M4 should be pretty close speed-wise, but BMW does have one key advantage: a manual transmission.

The RC F performance coupe’s body plays the part, but what about its interior? Well, the cabin looks pretty much like what you get in a new IS sedan and that’s not a bad thing. The design is a little busy, but the quality is obvious and the controls work well.

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However, a number of items do distinguish this cockpit from the one in its stable-mate. The steering wheel, pedal covers and seats are different from what you’d find in an IS, as is the instrument cluster. The driver-customizable gauges are similar, with a unique moving center section a la the LFA supercar, but they’ve been custom designed specifically for the RC F.

Lexus says this car will drive like a proper sports machine. To deliver on that promise it features an available torque vectoring differential that can shuffle power distribution from one rear wheel to the other to help the car rotate through corners. It’s got three driver-selectable modes: standard, slalom and track. But more important than this is mass. Engineers have targeted a curb weight under 4,000 pounds.

Now for some bad news. The 2015 Lexus RC F performance coupe probably won’t be available until around December, which is basically an entire year away. Understandably, pricing has not been announced at this time but you can bet it won’t come cheap. Fortunately for Lexus this car’s got the looks and performance numbers to justify a mighty big sticker price.