The impending Lexus LC F is allegedly on track for
the 2019 model year and pinned to rival the likes of the Nissan GT-R Nismo and
Mercedes-AMG GT.
Japanese website Best Car Web says that the LC F
will look to match the performance of Nissan’s most-potent GT-R variant but
also offer the luxury and refinement you’d expect from a car like the BMW M6
and Mercedes-AMG GT. If true, Lexus will have its work cut out in the coming 12
months or so.
The LC 500 is offered with a
naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and a 3.5-liter V6 hybrid but to achieve the
company’s horsepower goals, it is thought that the V8 will be supercharged and
deliver around 600 hp. That would be more than enough to fight some of the
market’s established players but will need to be matched with some weight
savings.
There’s no word on whether Lexus plans
to reduce the weight of the LC but doing so would be a good idea. With the V8,
the current sports coupe weighs in at 1,941 kg and it’s a well-known
fact that one of the RC F’s greatest downfalls was its excess baggage. If Lexus
manages to shed a few hundred pounds off the LC for its F-branded variant, it
could be onto a winner.
