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2021 Lexus RC Becomes More Appealing With Technical Improvements

Lexus has announced a series of updates for its RC sports coupe in Australia, which cover a whole bunch of stuff, from the upgraded powertrain to new features and two additional paint finishes.

One such novelty is the new adaptive control software for the eight-speed auto ‘box. The transmission, which is standard on both the RC 300 and the RC 350 models, offers improved gear changes, selecting a higher gear in normal driving modes to improve the fuel efficiency, and chooses and holds lower gears if sporty driving is detected.

The revised RC lineup also features a new stabilizer bar at the rear, with an increased diameter and reduced wall thickness. There is also a new high-strength aluminum upper arm, which reduces weight and improves rigidity. The final hardware improvement comes in the shape of an electric parking brake, which has replaced the old foot-operated pedal.

The engine options are unchanged, with the RC 300 packing a turbocharged 2.0-liter petrol pumping out 180 kW (245 PS / 241 HP) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque, and returning 7.3 l/100 km (32.2 mpg US) on average. The RC 350 uses a 3.5-liter V6 petrol, with 232 kW (315 PS / 311 HP) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft), and has a combined fuel consumption of 9.1 l/100 km (25.9 mpg US).

The car’s safety has been improved with the addition of the new Radar Active Cruise Control, which is standard across the range. Other tech includes Pre-Collision Safety, Pre-Collision Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist, Blind Spot Monitor with Lane Change Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, reversing camera and automatic high beams.

Features such as the heated and ventilated power-operated front seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, 10.3-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, digital radio and smartphone integration, and Pioneer premium audio are still on deck.

Pricing for the 2021 RC starts at AU$67,990 (US$49,712) Down Under, while the cheapest V6-powered model is available from AU$70,736 (US$51,720), a AU$100 (US$73) premium over the outgoing iteration.

Full pricing details can be seen below and exclude on-road costs and dealer fees.

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Audi Q7/Q8, Mercedes GLE, BMW X5/X6, Volvo XC90, Lexus RX And Range Rover Sport Compete In Off-Road Trial

Finding an absolute winner when it comes to all-wheel drive systems can be extremely difficult, as various other factors such as engines, tires, weight and even the driver can prove just as important as the actual tech sending power to both axles.

However, the guys over at the SUV Battle YouTube channel did a good job getting all these direct rivals together and having them compete over a steep dirt incline.

The following SUVs were called upon to showcase what their all-wheel drive systems are capable of: the 2020 Audi Q8, 2019 Mercedes GLE, 2019 BMW X5, 2019 BMW X6, 2019 Volvo XC90, 2019 Lexus RX 350, 2019 Range Rover Sport and 2018 Audi Q7, plus a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Multiple runs were carried with most of these SUVs – except for the Grand Cherokee, but that’s alright seen as how it’s not quite a direct rival for all of the other models here.

In the end, they realized that having just one driver perform all the runs was a better way to benchmark the AWD systems, and the results were reasonably conclusive. It’s too bad they couldn’t get similarly-powered engines for all the vehicles. The Range Rover Sport had the most powerful engine, so there’s no surprise that it performed really well.

What was a bit surprising was seeing the BMW X5 struggling to climb up the hill, while the X6 performed much better, although different drivers were involved, so we’ve got to factor that in.

Other models that stood out, although not necessarily in a good way, were the Volvo XC90 and Lexus RX, both of which underperformed, especially the Lexus. Meanwhile, the Audi Q8 climbed the hill as if it was in the middle of filming a commercial for Audi’s quattro AWD system.

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Lexus LC500 And Toyota Supra Are Very Different Yet Quite Well Matched

The 2021 Lexus LC500 and 2021 Toyota Supra are two hugely desirable cars and while they both come from the conglomerate that is Toyota, they couldn’t be any more different.

Sure, both the LC500 and Supra are sleek two-door coupes that offer superb performance, but they target vastly different buyers. However, this didn’t stop Throttle House from gathering the Japanese duo together for a series of drag races.

Powering the Lexus LC500 is a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 delivering 471 hp and 398 lb-ft (539 Nm) of torque. While this engine is well down on power from the twin-turbocharged and supercharged V8s that the LC’s rivals use, it is still one of the best-sounding engines on the market. Coupled to the engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission powering the rear wheels and, according to Lexus, the coupe can hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 4.4 seconds.

By comparison, the latest Supra is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 382 hp and 368 lb-ft (499 Nm) of torque. This engine is joined by a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with rear-wheel drive and results in a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds.

The key reason why the LC500 cannot match the Supra off the line comes down to weight. Whereas the Lexus weighs 4,280 lbs (1,941 kg), the Supra is a relative lightweight at 3,400 lbs (1,542 kg).

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