Photo: sugardesign_1 / Instagram
Lexus prepping a brand-new two-door coupe car is fresh off the rumor mill, and while it sounds somewhat plausible, we can’t help but think that preserving its brand identity should be Lexus’s main goal when designing new models.
That said, according to Japanese outlet Spyder 7, Lexus is planning on using the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86 duo as a blueprint for this upcoming UC sports car, with power potentially coming from a plug-in hybrid 2.4-liter boxer engine. Another possibility is using a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup, which makes more sense seeing as it wouldn’t add so much extra weight to the car.
In any case, should the rumor turn out to be true, let’s try and picture the styling of this potential Lexus UC sports car because things can only go one of two ways here. Scenario no. 1 is Lexus coming up with a completely original design, despite the shared Toyota GR 86 architecture, whereas the other option would be to jump in on the rebadged wagon and just add a Lexus front fascia to a car we’re already familiar with.
You can get a sense of what scenario no. 2 would be like, courtesy of this rendering by Sugar Design, who took a 2022 Toyota GR 86 and did a face swap using what appears to be the all-new Lexus IS albeit with slightly different headlights.
In a vacuum, it’s not bad looking, but it’s not amazing either, and we’d like to think Lexus could do a lot better in reality, should the so-called UC ever make it into production.
As for performance, the GR 86 puts down 228 hp and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque, allowing for a zero to 60 mph (96 kph) acceleration time of 6.1 seconds if you go for the six-speed manual, or 6.6 seconds with the automatic. We reckon Lexus should be somewhat satisfied with those types of numbers, though improvements can always be made.
In any case, should the rumor turn out to be true, let’s try and picture the styling of this potential Lexus UC sports car because things can only go one of two ways here. Scenario no. 1 is Lexus coming up with a completely original design, despite the shared Toyota GR 86 architecture, whereas the other option would be to jump in on the rebadged wagon and just add a Lexus front fascia to a car we’re already familiar with.
You can get a sense of what scenario no. 2 would be like, courtesy of this rendering by Sugar Design, who took a 2022 Toyota GR 86 and did a face swap using what appears to be the all-new Lexus IS albeit with slightly different headlights.
In a vacuum, it’s not bad looking, but it’s not amazing either, and we’d like to think Lexus could do a lot better in reality, should the so-called UC ever make it into production.
As for performance, the GR 86 puts down 228 hp and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque, allowing for a zero to 60 mph (96 kph) acceleration time of 6.1 seconds if you go for the six-speed manual, or 6.6 seconds with the automatic. We reckon Lexus should be somewhat satisfied with those types of numbers, though improvements can always be made.
Google News