2015 Lexus RC Coupe Set for Tokyo Debut

Lexus is working overtime to inject emotion into its brand in the wake of the LFA supercar's departure. The LFA was the limited-production model designed to prove that Lexus knows how to build something other than a leather-lined Toyota. The follow up is the new Lexus IS sedan, the mass-production model designed to re-position the automaker in terms of design and performance. Now, on November 20 at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, the automaker introduces the new 2015 RC coupe, the next chapter in the remaking of Lexus through personality and performance.

Globally, two models will be available. The 2015 Lexus RC 300h is a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that combines an Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, an electric assist motor powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to deliver about 220 horsepower to the car's rear wheels. Eco, Normal, and Sport driving models are available, and the CVT can be shifted manually.

The 2015 Lexus RC 350 is equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, likely the same one found in the Lexus IS 350, that makes 306 horsepower and is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

According to Lexus, the new 2015 RC coupe delivers dynamic, emotional, alluring appeal. The car is equipped with the widest and lowest example yet of the new Lexus spindle-style grille, which is flanked by triangular headlights with a 3-lamp LED design. When the low-beam headlights are illuminated, the lighting creates an L-shape that is repeated at the rear by the LED taillights.