Lexus has announced a series of revisions to its RC
coupe lineup, the most notable of them a modest increase in output and a
renaming of some of the versions available. For 2018, the RC 200t has been
replaced by the RC 300. At this point you may be thinking that Lexus already
offered an RC 300, and you're right. But now it offers two.
The RC 300 RWD keeps the
same 2.0-liter turbo four as the previous RC 200t, rated at the same 241
horsepower – only now it has a different name. The RC 300 AWD packs an entirely
different engine: a 3.5-liter V6 now rated at 260 hp, representing a five-horse
increase over last year's model.
The latter is the same engine as you'll find in the
rear-drive and all-wheel drive versions of the RC 350, but in that model it
produces 311 hp. An eight-speed
automatic transmits the power to the rear wheels, or a six-speed to all four.
We're not quite sure why
Lexus has undertaken such a move, but we won't be surprised to see it do the
same with other models powered by that same 2.0-liter turbo – including the NX
and RX crossovers and the IS and GS sedans.
Other enhancements for 2018 are relatively minor.
There's a larger 10.3-inch infotainment screen, some new safety and
entertainment systems, added drive modes on F Sport variants, and a new shade
of yellow for the latter.
