Akio Toyoda is serious about making Lexus cool. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyota’s CEO said that Lexus must emphasize emotion, leaving utility to the Toyota brand. Thus, instead of developing the seven-seat crossover SUV that Lexus dealerships and customers want, the company has built a dramatic four-seat coupe which, as of November 2015, was selling at a slower rate than even the automaker’s entry-level, Prius-based, CT 200h hybrid.
A mash-up of re-tuned and fortified platform components sourced from the GS sedan, the IS convertible, and the IS sedan, the Lexus RC coupe is aimed at the Audi A5/S5, BMW 4 Series, Cadillac ATS, Infiniti Q60, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe. Extravagantly styled for the latest “L-Finesse” design idiom, the Lexus RC grabs attention, not all of it positive.