The RC Coupe is Lexus’ most distinguished of products, nor among its best received since its worldwide launch in 2014. That said, the luxury coupe is not without its merits, some of them are truly well-deserved, and for 2019 the Japanese premium marque is attempting to correct some of its foibles by transfusing some DNA from its bigger, posher, and more handsome brother, the LC.
Despite Lexus releasing a rather wide selection of high resolution photographs for the internet to enjoy, the updated RC isn’t really due for an official in-person debut until the forthcoming Paris Motor Show next month. Perhaps they’re hoping to garner some goodwill toward the quirkier of their duo of two-doors.
As you’ll see, the exterior changes are actually quite minor, though it does wear the stolen LC cues well. If you weren’t already familiar with the RC, you might not even be able to tell if it emerged from the factory yesterday or a few years ago. However, aside from nip and tuck, there are also tweaks to the car’s suspension dynamics (one of its weaker points) and an updated interior.
Alas, the RC, while always distinctive, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone instantly reaching for adjectives like ‘pretty’ or ‘beautiful’ to describe it.
By far the easiest way to differentiate the upcoming facelift from the model generation’s introduction is to spot the restyled headlights that flank the large ‘spindle grille’, incorporating a trio of stacked LED headlight elements. The wing mirrors, too, are a new addition, and help improve the RC’s aerodynamics while a duct in the rear bumper helps improve high speed stability.
Because the RC’s interior was one of the first of their cars to incorporate the brand’s most recent cabin design philosophy, not many drastic changes were needed. There are some ergonomic refinements and some improvements to the material choices here and there, but again, you’d need back to back references to point them out.
While that’s all a little underwhelming, Lexus seems to be leaving the improvements to its drive as the newer RC’s ace in the hole. Though it’s some ways from being testing to confirmation, the company’s engineers and test drivers have apparently exerted much effort to the retuning, markedly improving real-world dynamics. The extent of the changes has not been detailed, however.
There’s little reason to believe that Lexus has done much to the powertrain portfolio here, and should there be no change, the RC will continue to be powered by a trio of mills starting with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, and a 3.5-litre V6. Meanwhile, the RC F will retain the fire breathing naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 with 355kW.
For more on Lexus cars, check out our Showroom.
