Lexus aims to get sporty

For more than 10 years, Lexus has been involved in the Japanese Super GT race series and the marque has just unveiled a new racer. It will run a modified version of the Lexus RC F coupe, which looks like the road car but is powered by a different engine in the GT 500 category. It’s a two-litre four-cylinder RI4AG direct-injection petrol turbo engine – a relative of the two-litre powertrain making its debut in the new Lexus NX 200t compact SUV. Alongside this, the marque is set to release a RC F GT3 race car to compete in Japan and Europe. Weighing just 1,250kg, it features a modified version of the RC F’s V8, producing a maximum power output of about 397kW. The marque has also designed a new logo for Lexus Racing to help promote the sportier side of the Toyota subsidiary Steve Pragnell, general manager of Lexus NZ, believes the marque competing in GT will solidify the RC F in the minds of potential customers as a genuine performance car.