Earlier this week Toyota finally pulled the curtain back on the 2020 Supra, and not surprisingly, it’s been generating plenty of takes from the media and enthusiast community—both positive and negative. But the Supra isn’t the only high performance machine from the Toyota juggernaut that made its debut in Detroit.
Also being unveiled was the updated 2020 version of the Lexus RC F coupe, which includes a new Track Edition that takes the luxury GT RC F more in the direction of a formidable circuit weapon.
Lexus says the RC F Track Edition was developed from its IMSA and Super GT race teams, and one of the key goals of the project was weight reduction. When put on the scale next to the previous RC F, the Track Edition weighs in some 176 pounds lighter than before.
The weight savings was accomplished with liberal use of carbon fiber for the things like the hood, roof and trunk, along with the front splitter and fixed rear wing, which also improves the car's aerodynamics in high speed situations, of course.
Another change for the RC F Track Edition comes in its wheels and brakes. The brakes are carbon ceramic Brembos that improve track performance while also trimming vital unsprung weight. The forged 19-inch BBS wheels also add to the significant weight reduction. As far as the engine, the Track Edition gets the same 467hp naturally aspirated V8 as the standard RC F, but it breathes through a unique titanium exhaust system. With less mass to move, Lexus says the RC F Track Edition will get to 60 mph in a very impressive 3.96 seconds.
Pricing for the RC F Track Edition will be announced closer to its on-sale date in the second half of the year, and you can be assured it won't come cheap. However, we certainly like to see Lexus pushing further and further into the enthusiast market.
Some might even make the argument that this high horsepower, luxury-oriented and 100-percent Japanese performance coupe is truer to the spirit of the older Supras than the actual 2020 Supra. Whatever the case, we are happy to see that performance is alive and well all around the Toyota/Lexus family.