[LeXth]Lexus RC F GT3: Ready to Race 2016

[LeXth]Lexus RC F GT3: Ready to Race 2016 Jan 26, 2015 6:31:40 GMT -6

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Post by n7thGear™ on Jan 26, 2015 6:31:40 GMT -6

THE LEXUS RC F GT3 :
"LEAN, LOWERED, AND RACE-READY

Having celebrated its world premiere at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the RC F GT3 racing concept aims to enter the GT3 race circuit in 2015. Based on the RC F sports coupe, the RC F GT3 concept is wider, lower, and has been lightened to 1,250kg. Equipped with a modified version of the RC F's V8 engine, maximum output will exceed 540 horsepower."

Modified RC F V8 With More Than 540 Horsepower
Meets Group GT3 International Racing Standards
Lexus to Supply GT3 Vehicles to Racing Teams in 2015
Certified by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile)

LEXUS RC F GT3 n7thGear ompRacing.boards.net Concept Cars TECH THIS OUT

Lexus is following in the footsteps of fellow luxury brands Bentley and Lamborghini by signalling its intention to compete in the international arena of GT3 competition. At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the Japanese brand unveiled this race car concept based on its latest 2015 RC F sports car

The concept is called the RC F GT3, and development on an actual race car based on its design has already commenced, and they were eying a 2015 motorsport season debut. Lexus hasn’t said if it plans to compete in GT3 competition directly, stating only that it will be supplying RC F GT3 race cars to teams in 2015.

If you’re thinking the RC F GT3 concept looks familiar, that’s because it’s based an existing RC racer, the 2014 RC F GT500 designed for Japan’s Super GT touring car series. It features a modified version of the road-going RC F’s 5.0-liter V-8, which has been tuned to deliver more than 540 horsepower, and it weighs just 2,755.8 pounds.

One GT3-spec race we’re likely to see the RC F GT3 compete in, potentially with Lexus factory backing, is the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race in Germany and the Super Taikyu Endurance and Super GT series in Japan.. In recent years Lexus has competed in the grueling race using its LFA supercar.

Lexus revealed their new F Racing logo at the Detroit auto show and once again showed us the Lexus RC F GT3 race car concept that had previously debuted at the Geneva auto show. An RC F race car ran in the Japanese Super GT series in 2014 but the RC F GT3 is the company’s first entry into the global racing world.

Length	4,705 mm/ 185.2 in
Width	2,000 mm/78.7 in
Height	1,270 mm/50 in
Weight	1,250 kg/2,755.8 lbs
Wheelbase	2,730 mm/107.5 in
Engine	V8 gasoline engine
Horsepower	540+ hp (397kw)

(note: The RC F GT3 will go on sale to race teams with its 5.0-liter V-8 tuned for at least 540 horsepower. Weighing in at only 2756 pounds—Lexus didn’t specify if this was a dry or fully race-ready rating—but the RC F GT3 will compete with the likes of the Porsche911 GT3, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, and the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R, depending on the series.)

Development of the RC F GT3 will happen throughout 2015, with at least one car actively being tested presently. Presently, the plan is to run the GT3 car in both the FIA GT3 series (Group 3: Cup Grand Touring Cars) and in a to-be-determined U.S. series in 2016. The most logical home in America for the RC F GT3 is the GTD class in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. We spoke with Yukihiko Yaguchi at the show and he said that the team is carefully watching the rules for each series in the USA before committing. He said the RC F GT3 would need some aero modifications but could be eligible for GTD class in the Tudor series, assuming the regulations don’t change for 2016.

Lexus plans to have privateer teams campaign the RC F GT3 around the world. The company expects the final, race-ready version of the RC F GT3 will have around 550 hp from the 5.0-liter V8 and weigh around 2750 pounds. More information will be released in the coming months including the reveal of the final version of the race car.

Lexus had significant success in racing in America with their V-8 engine in the Grand Am Series (now the Tudor United SportsCar Championship). Ganassi Racing used Riley Daytona Prototypes with Lexus power to win three straight Rolex 24 at Daytona wins (2006-2008).

The idea with the RC F GT3 is to further connect the Lexus F high-performance brand to the development and marketing opportunities in racing. With the launch of the new 2016 Lexus GS F mid-size sports sedan also at Detroit, it’s clear Lexus is serious about their ambitions to join the ranks of BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG.

In these videos below, not only do we get an up close and personal glimpse at the car's sexy interior and beautiful blacked-out wheels, but we can also hear the car's rich, resounding exhaust notes as it hits the test track. Excited yet:-)

We see Lexus engineers hard at work perfecting this V-8 supercar as it prepares to hit our U.S. racetracks in the very near future. Although Lexus has an acclamied history in winning races in the Rolex 24 at Daytona since 2008, the Lexus RC F GT3 is poised to lead Lexus' first truly global racing effort. Namely, Lexus hopes the car will enter the FIA GT3 European Championship as well as a still-undetermined series in the U.S. by 2016. We don't know much more than that, as more details on Lexus' racing program will be announced sometime later this year.

Akio Toyoda’s promised to make his cars more exciting.....

LEGGO!
Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see? mmmmmm

What do you think? Would you like to see Lexus make a real mark with the RC F GT3--- considering the company DNF'D on the GTE program a while back for its discontinued LFA supercar? All the while the powerful LFA is still taking laps with a bored out 5.3-liter V-10 under the banner of Japan’s Gazoo Racing Team--can you imagine the hyperexotic lasting much longer? The RC F GT3, is not as quick tests have shown, but it sounds like a god fit for a replacement.

See more of this beautiful concept car at Lexus International

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Post by n7thGear™ on Jan 26, 2015 6:31:40 GMT -6

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