Lexus Takes Aim At Porsche With 2016 SC

2012 Lexus LF-LC Concept (Credit: Lexus)

Porsche and its potent 911 Turbo are officially on notice, because yet another challenger is taking aim at the popular German car. Lexus, which has deep pockets and a strong desire to shed some of its boring geriatric image, is working on a production version of its LF-LC Hybrid Sports Coupe concept. The word is that Lexus will launch its new 2+2 sports coupe by the end of 2016. There are also rumors swirling around that the production car will take on the SC badge. The new car likely will be nothing like the SC430, a car that looked much faster than it actually was.

The revived Lexus SC would be a vehicle that is crafted first and foremost for incredible performance, but will still offer plenty of creature comforts and technological wizardry. Considering that Lexus is currently without a halo car, this move would fill in that lineup gap. The LFA supercar is no longer made by Lexus and was ridiculously out of reach for even many well-heeled car enthusiasts. The new SC would be a model that’s much more inclusive, like the Porsche 911. The Lexus supercar would differ on many points from the 911 Turbo.

The engine would be located at the front of the car, but would still of course come with rear-wheel drive. Lurking under the hood would be a potent V-8 engine that will likely pump out an impressive amount of horsepower and torque. An electric motor would only further augment performance. Supposedly, net output will come to somewhere in the neighborhood of 480 to 500 horsepower. Many people are likely familiar with the LF-LC. The concept car has been making the car show circuit since 2012, leading to all kinds of wild speculation about what trickery Lexus is up to behind the scenes. Some of the innovative and more exciting features of the concept reportedly will appear in the production car, like the racing-inspired steering wheel that integrates a push-button ignition and other controls.