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Gautam Sharma10 May 2014
NEWS

Lexus RC F cleans up GT500

Race version of exciting new Lexus high-po coupe off to the best possible start in the GT500 category of Japan's Super GT series

The road-going Lexus RC F created a stir when it debuted at January’s Detroit motor show, and now the race version has racked up a stash of silverware after the opening two rounds of the Japanese Super GT Series.

As it competes in the top GT500 category – which this year falls into line with Germany’s DTM by ditching the former 3.4-litre V8 engines in favour of 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo units – the racer misses out on a meaty V8 rumble, but still hauls the mail.

The drivetrain is very loosely derived from Lexus’ all-new direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo motor – codenamed RI4AG – that will debut in the recently revealed NX compact crossover in early 2015 and should also become available in the new Lexus RC coupe, which arrives here this year too.

With an all-new racer, one may have expected a few teething niggles initially, but the Lexus GT500 RC F has succeeded in getting off to a near-flawless start.

In its first ever outing, the Keeper TOM’s sponsored Lexus GT 500 RC F took round honours at the challenging Okayama International Raceway on April 6, locking out three of the top five positions in the process.

“Our car was late being completed and we were only able to run it twice in the official test event[s], but we had no trouble and the [vehicle] was good,” said Andrea Saltarelli, driver of the winning RC F.

Backing up for round two, a 500km endurance race at the testing Fuji International Speedway – the spiritual home of the Lexus ‘F’ brand – GT 500 RC F entries snared two of the three podium places and made up six of the top 10 finishers.

All six Lexus GT 500 RC F racers have been designed from the ground up for the 2014 season, particularly as the new rules stipulate the use of 2.0-litre turbo engines, which are believed to pump out around 370kW.

The next round of this year's Super GT series is scheduled for early June at Autopolis Raceway in Japan.

Lexus revealed an RC F GT3 customer race car concept at the Geneva motor show in March and will supply FIA GT3-compliant cars to racing teams starting in 2015, following development testing this year.

While the concept weighs just 1250kg and outputs 397kW from a modified version of the RC F's 5.0-litre V8, production versions will be supplied to teams contest to appropriate championships in Europe, Asia and North America in 2015.

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Written byGautam Sharma
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