RC F

Make
Lexus
Segment
Coupe

Thanks to a tweet from Mark Whitelegge, it appears that Toyota (or perhaps Lexus) will soon be introducing a V8-powered roadgoing sports car based on the GR GT3 Concept revealed last year.

How do we know? Well, the tweet shows a fully camouflaged GT3 prototype based on the abovementioned concept. The engine note does not sound dissimilar to that provided by the 5.4-liter V8 in the RC F GT3, itself an evolution of the 5.0-liter unit in the roadgoing RC F.

Furthermore, GT3 cars must be based upon a road car, and there's nothing in the Toyota lineup, or that of Lexus, that matches the menacing silhouette of the GT3 prototype we see here. This means that one (or maybe even both) of the two Japanese brands will develop a new sports car for the masses.

To date, Toyota has not revealed what will power its GT3 car, when it debuts, or what the road car it will be akin to is targeting. But all signs point toward a Lexus badge on the GR GT3 Concept-based products. Car and Driver confirmed with Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson last year that the GT3 car heading to competitive motorsport will be joined by a roadgoing RC successor.

The idea of an RC-based racecar at first seems counterintuitive. The current car is too heavy, and its overweight engine is too far forward. The steering is not particularly brilliant either, and the naturally aspirated engine runs out of puff anywhere but at sea level.

But Toyota is doing things differently this time, developing the racing car first and then refining the road car based on that. This means the next Lexus RC F could be a genuine M4 rival, if not better.

The GT3 version's specs will have to adhere to Balance of Performance restrictions, so theorizing its output is a pointless exercise. But if the RC F is to truly rival the 503-horsepower M4 and the 671-hp C63, we think it should aim for a figure somewhere between the two. 550 hp in a car with loads of luxury and tech should be sufficient, but since so many consumers are obsessed with headline figures, it could well offer over 600.

That would be a healthy bump over the current model's maximum output of 472 hp, and if it manages to significantly undercut the weight of the hefty C63 (4,654 pounds), it should be loads of fun. We suspect the car will be turbocharged this time, and some form of electrification may come to the RC range too, but for now, all we can do is wait for Toyota and Lexus to do their due diligence. Fingers crossed that this is the start of a renaissance for the latter's sports cars.