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Lexus puts the 2.0T into the Euro-market RC Coupe

The Lexus IS got the brand's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder to become the IS 200t. So it is with the Lexus RC in Europe, which gets the engine swap in Europe and as the RC 200t becomes the entry level model in the range. It goes on sale over there at the end of this year, and is predicted to make its way here eventually. The engine is rated the same in this application as in the IS: 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, working through an eight-speed transmission for a 0-62 mile-per-hour time of 7.5 seconds. It can be picked out by its smaller wheels and the lack of aggressive bodywork. Lexus will offer an F-Sport package that restores some muscularity. Better still is the available Torsen limited-slip differential and the adaptive variable suspension for improved handling. We don't have the entry-level coupes here like the Euro-market BMW 420i, which would be a good competitor for the RC 200t. In our market base competitors like the BMW 428i, Audi A5, and Cadillac ATS, all fitted with 2.0-liter engines, are faster, and will most likely be lighter and might be less expensive than the RC 200t. That looks like it will make the Lexus offering best for buyers who already want to get into the line but at a friendlier price. The press release below has more info. Related Video: RC JOINING THE LEXUS 2.0L TURBO PETROL LINE-UP - 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder, twin-scroll turbo unit developing 180 kW/245 DIN hp and 350 Nm of torque - 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds and 230 km/h maximum speed - 8-Speed Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission with G-force linked gear shifting Brussels, Belgium Lexus: 31 Jul 2015 - The new Lexus RC 200t is the fourth Lexus model to feature the refined driving performance of the company's 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine. Mated to an 8-speed Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission, the turbo unit adopts numerous sophisticated engine technologies to offer drivers an engaging combination of smoothness, turbo-lag-free throttle responsiveness and fuel-efficiency. The superior driving dynamics of the new RC 200t may be further enhanced through the availability of an F SPORT version, which is equipped with a Torsen Limited Slip Differential. Together with the already announced RC 300h, the new RC 200t go on sale throughout Europe at the end of the year.

This is what a Lexus RC-based 'four-door coupe' might look like

It feels like there is a secret law in Germany mandating that every domestic automaker there must offer at least one model with a four-door coupe bodystyle like the BMW Gran Coupes, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Audi A7. Several of the German brands even have the swoopy sedans in multiple sizes. So far, Lexus has stayed out of that fray, but maybe not for long, if a recently spotted test car makes it to market.
The brand is known to be testing a highly styled four-door coupe, roughly the size of the GS, under heavy camouflage. Little is known about the new model at the moment, but its existence makes sense. If it really wants to take the on Germans, Lexus is going to have to fight them toe-to-toe with competing models - especially with ones understood to have high margins.
Pictured above is a rendering from artist Theophilus Chin imagining a slightly smaller take on the genre based on the RC coupe, which he calls the RC GT. His design leaves the original shape almost untouched, but shortens the front doors to allow room for a rear doors under the arching roof. His GT would be aimed more against the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and rumored Mercedes-Benz C-Class four-door coupe, rather than the larger models Lexus actually appears to be targeting with its vehicle under development. His concept certainly nails the look, though, and while it might not have a basis in reality, we thought that it's well-resolved enough that you'd want to take a look, if only as a "what could've been" flight of fancy.

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.