2007 Lexus Rx400h on 2040-cars

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Lexus RC F is a predatory sport coupe with a 450-horsepower beating heart

Take a look at that face. We can't be the only ones who see an automotive Predator staring back, right? Certainly, the Lexus RC F Coupe boasts a visually striking design that some are going to love and others are going to hate, but we can at least appreciate that it's aggressive, especially compared to the standard RC Coupe that we saw at the Tokyo Motor Show. And with good reason - there's a 5.0-liter V8 engine sitting under that massively domed hood with "more than 450 horsepower," along with a newly calibrated eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Interestingly, Lexus has tuned the RC F's engine to run on an Atkinson cycle under most circumstances, while it switches to the more typical Otto cycle when more power is required, presumably using some sort of advanced variable valve timing technology. Helping put that power to the ground with all those ponies wreaking havoc underhood is a torque vectoring differential, a first from Lexus.
Also involved in keeping the RC F planted is an aero package that includes wings and ducts galore. The headline bit is an active rear wing that deploys at 50 miles per hour and retracts back into the deck when the car drops back to 25 mph. A clear-coated carbon fiber roof can optionally join that carbon rear wing. There are apparently going to be three 19-inch wheel options, including the ones you see in our live image gallery above.

BMW-Toyota partnership to spawn hybrid supercar

BMW and Toyota inked a partnership some time ago to develop green technology, and while we were excited by the idea of a reborn Supra with BMW's carbon fiber reinforced plastic slashing the curb weight or an ultra-efficient, hybridized 1 Series, the joint efforts have been rather limited. That's set to change, though, according to a report from Australia.
Motoring reports that the partners have come to terms on a sports car. And not just any sports car, but a lightweight, hybridized model, with a six-figure price tag. Lending a bit of street cred to that idea is the site's claim that Toyota is currently carrying out durability testing on the BMW i8. According to the site, the new model will slot into the spot left by the Lexus LFA, although based on the language used, it's unclear if this is the Tokyo-bound vehicle we mentioned several months ago.
Details on this potential car are limited, although Motoring claims it will use a Toyota hybrid system mated up to a BMW gas engine - likely the 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 found in the M5 and M6. That sounds pretty amazing to us, but we'd still advise taking this with a grain of salt. What would you like to see out of a joint-venture supercar from Toyota and BMW? Let us know in Comments, and have your say on the prospects of a hybridized, twin-turbocharged V8.

Lexus IS to get Deviant at SEMA

It's time to start gathering intel on SEMA, and it starts with this drawing of a modified 2014 Lexus IS. Lexus ran a competition on DeviantART, an online community for artists, to find a suitably modified IS that it could build and display at the temple of all things aftermarket in Las Vegas. The winner, as judged by a four-person panel from among more than 600 entries, is the IS rendered above by Rob Evans.
The winner looks like the beginning of a build for an IS entry into Japan's Super GT series, with a seriously exaggerated front spoiler and rear diffuser and fender flares that aren't just punched out, they're throwing 12-punch combinations.
Evans will have his car built by VIP Auto Salon and plastered all over Lexus materials promoting its presence at the show. Oh, and he gets an IS F-Sport for a year, among other prizes. Second place went to Lucia Lee, third place to Guangho Huang. A press release below has more on the competition and the winner.