Lexus will display sports coupe

coupe from LEXUS

TOKYO -- Lexus will unveil a near-production version of its long-awaited sports coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show, a four-seater dubbed the RC that fills a big void in the luxury brand's lineup.

The car's styling draws from the LF-CC coupe concept shown at the 2012 Paris auto show, with a gaping spindle grille and wide-set side air intakes. It gets a rounded roof silhouette and sharply creased rear fenders.

Its L-shaped rear combination lamps and headlamps were inspired by the LFA top-tier sports car and the LF-LC concept shown at the 2012 Detroit auto show. Production of the LFA ended last year.

The car will come with either a traditional 3.5-liter gasoline powertrain or a hybrid system teamed with a 2.5-liter engine. Lexus is calling the RC a production prototype. Executives declined to say when the car will arrive in showrooms, but it is expected to go on sale in the second half of next year.

The RC is expected to sit near the top of of a revised Lexus lineup. If the SC coupe and LFA were still being produced, it would slot between them. Production of the SC ended in 2010, and the last of the limited-edition $375,000 LFAs rolled out of Toyota Motor Corp.'s LFA Works last December.

Lexus executives want another halo offering to polish the brand's sports image.

Lexus spokesman Satoshi Miyata called the RC the new "symbol" car.

Also on display in Tokyo will be a variant of the LF-NX crossover concept shown at this year's Frankfurt auto show. The upcoming version will be equipped with a new 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine instead of the hybrid drivetrain shown in Germany.

The production version of the LF-NX, also expected next year, would be the first turbo Lexus and the first turbo for any Toyota brand since the company dabbled with the technology in the 1980s.

Back then, Toyota turned to turbos to boost output from already powerful engines. Now it wants to use the technology to eke out more power from smaller, more fuel efficient ones.

The exterior shares the same jagged look of the LF-NX shown in Frankfurt and gets an interior with touch pad controls.

Key specifications of coupe

Under the hood, you'll find the same engines as in the last-generation IS. That includes a 2.5-liter V-6 rated at 204 horsepower for IS 250 models and 185 pound-feet of torque and a 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 306 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque for IS 350 models. F Sport trim levels get no additional power, but do get other performance upgrades. 

Gas mileage is nearly unchanged according to Lexus' estimates, with no more than 1 mpg variance from the 2013 model. The rear-drive IS 250 scores 21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway for 24 mpg combined; adding all-wheel drive brings that number to 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for 23 mpg combined. In the IS 350, rear-drive models score 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for 22 mpg combined; all-wheel drive models score 19/21 mpg and 26 mpg combined. 

Rear-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard. No manual transmission is offered, but a new transmission joins the 2014 Lexus IS lineup for rear-drive IS 350 models, including F Sports. The new eight-speed is smooth and quick-shifting, improving both performance and daily-driving comfort. 

Other upgrades for the 2014 Lexus IS include a re-tuned suspension and stiffening of the chassis to improve handling and dynamic capability. In practice, the result is a car that drives very much like the previous IS, but with just a bit more precision. It's definitely an incremental improvement to the IS's sport-sedan chops, rather than a revolutionary upgrade. 

Steering precision and feel is good for an electric-boost system. The optional variable-ratio steering in IS 350 F Sport models sharpens the car's responses noticeably, but doesn't improve feedback. 

Coupled with angular, expressive lines around the front end, lean and graceful curves down the sides and rear, and a purposeful stance, the 2014 IS looks like it's up for anything, be that a day chasing canyon curves or a night on the town. 

With its aggressive new spindle grille, dynamic stance, and sharp curves, the 2014 Lexus IS is all-new, but still, somehow, familiar. That familiarity is a good thing, as it kept the best of the essence of the previous IS while moving the overall design forward. Angular, expressive lines around the front end, lean and graceful curves down the sides and rear, and a purposeful stance make the 2014 IS look like it's up for anything, be that a day chasing canyon curves or a night on the town. 

The interior is a noticeable improvement on the IS' past as well. Materials are slightly nice, but the design is what really shines. With a wide, squat center console and a tiered dashboard, the visual effect is similar to interiors of cars costing twice or three times the 2014 IS' price. 

There are a few design quirks that will not be for everyone, however. At the front, the LED daytime running lights are housed in their own strip, just below the headlight, rather than as part of the headlight unit. At the rear, the tail lights wrap around the sides to form a noticeable spike, and the duct just behind the front fender can seem a bit awkward from some angles.