Lexus axes high-performance RC F coupe

IT’S the end of an era for Lexus, a Japanese manufacturer that backed its atmospheric V8 engines to the very end, as it retires its RC F performance model globally after a successful ten-year run – with 90,000 units sold across 62 markets in that time.

The RC line up was pulled from the Australian market back in 2021, due to ADR compliance dramas, but has remained an icon in other markets where it has stood as Lexus’s last F-line performance model.

To add a silver lining to the sad news, Lexus has announced a swansong Final Edition send-off for the super coupe that will feature track-focused upgrades and the same sonorous V8 that is so adored by fans of the brand.

The special edition model will launch in 2025 in the US and Japan, featuring lightweight forged 19-inch BBS wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber, six-piston Brembo stoppers up front and four-pot units at the rear, an active rear wing, and carbon fibre parts including the roof, side rocker panels, front spoiler and rear diffuser.

Inside, the Special Edition receives a bespoke black and red leather interior with a premium audio system and 10.3-inch touchscreen, as well as Final Edition badging.

At its heart remains the 325kW/536Nm 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine, good for a 0-60mp/h (0-97km/h) time of 4.2 seconds – undoubtedly making a racket as the needle climbs to such speeds.

Lexus appears to be aligning its performance models with those of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division into the future, with the pint-sized LBX Morizo RR compact SUV arriving in Australia later this year.

The LBX Morizo RR will receive the same three-cylinder turbocharged engine as the Toyota GR Yaris and Corolla, with Lexus claiming it offers a confidence-inspiring ride that responds “faithful to the driver’s input by injecting a dose of turbocharged adrenaline”.

Lexus has confirmed the LBX Morizo RR will produce 206kW/390Nm, sent through an eight-speed Direct Shift transmission that features close gear ratios, driving all four wheels for a sprint to 100km/h that’ll take 5.2 seconds.

The Morizo RR AWD will start from $76,490 when it arrives locally, competing with the likes of the BMW X1 M35i ($90,000), Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce ($78,500), Audi SQ2 ($70,800) and Genesis GV60 Performance ($100,384).

As Lexus retires its iconic V8 coupe, it ushers in a new era of performance SUVs like the Morizo RR, that promise to offer an alternative for brand-loyal buyers – just don’t expect the soundtrack to be anywhere near as glorious.