New Lexus RC coupé unveiled

The all-new Lexus RC concept has been revealed ahead of the Tokyo motor show.

Two versions of the two-door coupe will be seen at the show, with these first pictures revealing the RC 300h hybrid, which mates an electric motor with an unspecified 2.5-litre engine. The RC 350, which is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine, will also be seen. Lexus says it will announce details of European powertrain options next year.

The company has told Autocar that a more performance-orientated, LFA-like version of the concept will be seen in the New Year, perhaps destined to take on the new BMW M4 which arrives at around the same time. That version should be on sale in the UK before the RC 300h hybrid, which is most likely still a year away.

The exterior features a heavily contoured shape, more so than on previous Lexus models, as well as a wide and low-set spindle grille. The front headlight clusters, which feature three LED lamps, are triangular in shape - a throwback to the LF-LC concept seen at the Detroit motor show in 2012. That car was a hybrid sports coupe, which Lexus confirmed at the time as showing its future design direction, which has now come to fruition on the RC.

Two different wheel designs are available, with a more deeply sculpted 19-inch option shown alongside a smaller, more muscular 18-inch design.

The concept measures 4695mm long by 1840mm wide, with a height of 1395mm and a wheelbase of 2730mm.

Inside, the four-seat cabin includes wood trim. A seven-inch screen in the centre console controls both navigation and infotainment, and is controlled by a new touch-sensistive unit mounted lower down. The seats in the RC are moulded using foam, which Lexus says is similar to the process used for race seats and enhances comfort and support.

The firm says the RC is designed to raise its profile with "a wider audience of customers who are new to Lexus".