Lexus announce performance and fuel efficiency details of its 2014 Lexus RC F V8 sports coupe which boasts 351kW and 530Nm.

LEXUS HAS DETAILED the new V8 engine in its RC F sports coupe, which, with 351kW and 530Nm, is the most powerful V8 for a road-going Lexus ever. And this is the vehicle that might, if V8 Supercars tweaks some of its entry rules, see Lexus make its Australian motorsport debut.

While the 5.0-litre V8 in the Lexus RC F is fundamentally the same as the engine in the previous generation IS F, Lexus says it has poked and prodded the engine to take “performance and drivability to a higher level”.

Maximum power is up by 12%, or 40kW to 351kW and the rev limit has been increased from 6800 to 7300rpm. It also runs a higher compression ratio (12.3:1) which boosts torque across the entire rev range, with maximum output rising to 530Nm, with peak torque from 4800 to 5600rpm. These performance improvements are, says Lexus, down to new engine componentry, including the use of titanium inlet and exhaust valves, new high-strength forged connecting rods and new main-bearing materials, as well as a intake, throttle cylinder head, a D4-S injection system, pistons, connecting rod, crankshaft and VVT-i valve timing.

According to Lexus, 0-100km/h comes up in 4.5 seconds and 400m can be run in just 12.5 seconds.

Lexus says its new V8 isn’t just about power and that it’s tuned the thing for efficiency with the engine adopting an Atkinson cycle when cruising which, in a nutshell means it adopts a shorter compression stroke and a longer power stroke for greater thermal efficiency. Basically, this means the engine, when running at a constant speed, automatically adjusts for fuel efficiency, reverting to the conventional Otto cycle when speed variation is required.

One of the criticisms of modern performance vehicle has been the sound inside the cabin or, rather, the lack of sound inside the cabin. So, manufacturers are starting to pipe in and add “auxiliary” sound. And that’s exactly what Lexus has done with the LF C.

An ECU monitors engine speed, throttle position and vehicle speed to deliver “the optimum sound for any given set of driving conditions and creates auxiliary sound to match through a speaker located beneath the instrument panel. This speaker is completely independent from the car’s audio system.
The auxiliary sound pitch changes in a linear progression in response to engine speed and the degree of throttle opening. Up to 3000rpm, it produces a steady, low and deep tone; as revs increase, this transforms into a higher-pitched note that blends with the engine’s mechanical sounds to create a rising sensation that culminates in a free-soaring sound beyond 6000rpm”.

The Lexus RC F is expected to arrive in Australia sometime next year, although Lexus still hasn’t said how much it will cost in Australia.