You can tell how excited Lexus is about their new RC Coupe from the global customs, concepts and performance packs galore.

The latest wild upgrades to the RC come from opposite sides of the world, but are each pretty exciting in their own right.

The first? An all-new 2015 Lexus RCF GT Concept, which raced up to 14,500 feet the other week at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. Billed as a true development prototype, the RCF GT is a race-ready lightweighting exercise.

From the factory curb weight for the RCF at 4048-pounds, the RCF GT drops almost 1000 pounds to come in at just 3130 pounds.

This is achieved through carbon-fiber for numerous body pieces above and beyond the UK Carbon-Pack’s standard CF hood. The trunk, front and rear fenders and door panels are all lightweight carbon in the GT, while polycarbonate replaces the glass throughout. A full racing interior drops all luxuries in favor of a full roll cage and racing seats.

A custom engine tune delivers 467HP on paper, matching the factory RCF, but is likely to be cranking out nearly 600HP in GT form.

2015 Lexus RCF GT Concept

Lexus to Compete in 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with All-New RC F GT Concept

• V8 Powered, Production Car-based Coupe to be Driven by Justin Bell
• RC F GT Program to Serve as Key Developmental Tool for F brand Engineering

June 22, 2015

TORRANCE, Calif. (June 22, 2015) – On June 28^th, Lexus will compete in the Time Attack class of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The luxury automaker will be campaigning the all-new RC F GT Concept, a vehicle that builds upon the legacy of the IS F CCS-R vehicles that last competed at Pikes Peak in 2013. This historic event, now in its 93^rd running, is a race against the clock that tests man and machine with the changing elements, altitude, and a treacherous 12.42 mile, 156 turn course that winds up the peak from 9,390 feet up to the 14,115 foot summit.The new Lexus will be piloted up the mountain by British driving ace, FIA GT world champion, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and automotive media personality Justin Bell. “With very little time behind the wheel, the RC F GT Concept has already proven fast and easy to drive, very much like the production models, actually. We expect the race car will only pick up pace as we engage more testing, tuning, and data acquisition on the mountain”, said Bell. A seasoned driver in a wide range of vehicles, Bell will bring his vast experience and knowledge to bear on the development side of the RC F GT Concept.

Serving as much more than a mere competition vehicle, the new RC F GT Concept represents  a pivotal piece of the Lexus F brand motorsports effort along with the forthcoming global GT3 program. Much like the IS F CCS-R vehicles whose efforts in motorsports helped develop key components such as the engine and transmission for the 2015 RC F, the new GT Concept program will continue to elaborate on the F brand’s performance mission, allowing Lexus engineers to experiment with prototype components, tuning ideas, settings, and software development.

A focused race car involving a high level of composite materials, the RCF GT Concept weighs about 800 lbs. less (3130 lbs.) than the street version, while retaining the same engine and transmission as the production RC F, though states of tune are adjusted for the competition environment. With RC F GT Concept, engineers can test the engine, transmission and chassis components in various conditions, experimenting with different tuning ideas, settings and software.

“The continued evolution of the F brand remains a top priority for Lexus, and motorsports provide us an outstanding opportunity to develop more than concepts and components for F brand products. Our niche line of high performance products are geared toward enthusiast drivers, and also make a very strong statement about Lexus’ engineering capabilities. Competition efforts like Pikes Peak help nurture a performance engineering culture and ideology that will have the greatest influence of future F brand products”, said Jeff Bracken group Vice President and General Manager Lexus division.

RC F GT Concept 

Lexus launched in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since that time, Lexus has expanded its line-up to meet the needs of global luxury customers. Lexus is now going beyond its reputation for high quality vehicles with the integration of innovative technology, emotional exterior and interior designs, and engaging driving dynamics and performance.  With six models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers eight F SPORT models and one F performance model.  In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 235 dealers who are committed to exemplary customer service.