Lexus RC: Agressive with a touch of style.

The RC made its debut at a motorshow and now it’s waiting to be owned. By Jerrica Leong

You can now put your name down to book a Lexus RC 350 Luxury or a Lexus RC F. Lexus Malaysia has opened up their order books for both these cars at the beginning of September. The RC is part of a ride and handling revolution that started with the GS mid-size luxury sedan and continued to the IS sport sedan.

This new Lexus RC 350 may be based on the GS platform but that is where the similarities end. The aggressively styled coupe features the most unique Lexus spindle grille which dominates bold expression and uncompromising performance. The unique headlamps design adopts the symbolic Lexus L-shaped motif.

It has a strong and purpose-built chassis and extra thick underbody rocker panels to increase the two-door’s rigidity to support and achieve a world class driving experience. New manufacturing techniques pioneered in other Lexus models, including the use of body adhesives, have strengthened the chassis as well.

In terms of dimensions, the RC 350 stands 4695mm in length, 1840mm in width and 1395mm in height with a wheelbase of 2730mm and a kerb weight measurement of 1740kg. The 3.5-litre V6 engine can manage a 314bhp at 6400rpm and 378Nm at 4800rpm. The RC 350 hits 100kph in 6.3 seconds with a top speed of 230kph.

This sporty rear wheel drive RC 350 has an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift with paddle transmission adapted from the Lexus IS F that optimises power delivery and fuel economy. You get double wishbone suspensions on the front and multilink suspensions in the rear.’

The RC-F combines the stylish refinement of a coupe with the intensity of the Lexus F dynamics. The car is a little longer than the RC 350 with a measurement of 4705mm in length, 1845mm in width and 1390mm in height with a wheelbase of 2730mm. Adding an F seem to have added the car’s weight as well, measuring at 1860kg.

Sharing the same suspension and rear-wheel drive system as the RC 350, the RC-F’s V8 engine outputs 470bhp at 7100rpm and 530Nm at 4800-5600rpm. The car accelerates from 0-100kph in just 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 270kph.

The RC 350 Luxury goes out to customers at RM526,000 on-the-road without insurance for Peninsular Malaysia, while prices for the RC-F starts at RM782,000 on-the-road without insurance. The RC 350 comes in four colours while the RC-F comes six exterior colours, and a choice of six different colours for the interior of both variants.