Lexus introduced the facelifted IS in 2020, but there’s been radio silence on the fate of the RC coupe that debuted nearly a decade ago at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.
That’s starting to change as Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson has suggested a new RC is a couple of years away and will draw inspiration from the Toyota GR GT3 concept that debuted earlier this year.
Speaking with Car & Driver, Wilson said the current RC F GT3 was developed as an “afterthought” and they quickly learned this is “not the way you bring a GT3 car to market.” This is a not so subtle hint that the next-generation RC and RC race car will be developed alongside each other.
Also Read: Toyota Gets Our Attention With Striking GR GT3 Concept
While Wilson was careful with his words, he told the publication it’s “fairly safe to connect the dots and suggest that that [the GR GT3 concept] could be a precursor to the next global GT3 car for Lexus.” A running prototype of the GR GT3 concept is slated to be completed by the end of the year and Wilson hinted a proper race car could follow “hopefully in a couple of years.” It would presumably be introduced around the same time as the redesigned RC.
When the GR GT3 concept debuted at the Tokyo Auto Salon last month, Toyota Gazoo Racing said they intend to “use feedback and technologies refined through participation in various motorsports activities to develop both GT3 and mass-production cars.” They also hinted at sustainability and this seems to suggest an electrified powertrain.
