Lexus has its own Road to Daytona this year, as Lexus Gazoo Racing has revealed the brand new RC F GT3 which will race in GT3 category events in both Japan and the United States.
The car's track debut will take place at the 24 Hours of Daytona, one of the world's three great endurance races, from Thursday, January 26, to Sunday, January 29, 2017. In the States, the vehicle will compete in the GTD category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series under 3GT Racing, formally known as F Performance Racing. And in Japan, it will compete in the GT300 class of the SUPER GT series under LMcorsa.
"I'm pleased that we are able to introduce the LEXUS RC F GT3 in the GT3 category, which represents the highest level of customer racing. The first step is to place four cars in races in the U.S. and Japan, but in the future, we will nurture our RC F GT3 into a model that is loved by worldwide customers," stated Koei Saga Chief Officer and Technical Director, Toyota Gazoo Racing.
The GT3-spec RC F looks even more ridiculously cool than BMW M4 DTM racer. Wearing a full carbon fiber skin only served to emphasize the aero elements, with canards and winglets popping out everywhere. A wing towering over the trunk draws you in just enough so that you notice the large air diffuser.
The 2,756-pound coupe will pack a front-mounted 5.4-liter V8 engine derived from the production car and matched to a sequential 6-speed. However, it's worth pointing out that the Japanese GT300 class limits the output to 300 horsepower. The field will be made up of race cars as varied as the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota Prius. Yes, there's a Prius race car.
For the GT500 class, Lexus has prepared a Super GT LC 500 racer, which will go up against the Honda NSX and the Nissan GT-R. That's quite an interesting combination!
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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