Lexus RC… when Lexus got sexy

Lexus cars are described as innovative and revolutionary, bold and cutting-edge. But sexy? That’s an adjective few people will have heard us use – until the unveiling of the Lexus RC, that is.

“By ‘sexy,'” explains Yasuo Kajino, chief designer at the Lexus Design Division, “we mean beautiful packaging, a visually dynamic structure and a low and wide body shape, all of which comes with Lexus’s state-of-the-art technology.”

See also: Lexus RC and RC F: your one-stop information hub

The Lexus RC is a sharply styled coupe that evokes both glamour and elegance. The spindle grille, for example, is the marque’s widest and lowest application of a grille to date. In addition, the car is is 30 millimeters wider, 35 millimeters lower and has a  70 millimeters shorter wheelbase than the new IS.

On either side of the grille, you’ll see triangular headlight casings inspired by the LFA, the most formidable Lexus vehicle to date.

At the rear, the combination rear light has been given an aggressive three-dimensional appearance, shaped into an L that takes inspiration from the car’s simple badge.

And the rear light’s interior structure has been uniquely engineered to feature hairline carvings so that when the driver applies the brakes, the cluster illuminates as if from within the car – a subtle design treatment that represents Lexus’ meticulous attention to detail.

Inside, Lexus’ first purpose-built lighting system illuminates upward to envelop the cabin in light. Genuine shimamoku (tightly layered wood) highlights accentuate the surrounding trim and provide opulent character.

This article first appeared in latest issue of Beyond.

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