The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of the last great racing events in the world. With very few rules or restrictions, it has become the go-to event for auto manufacturers, tuners and home-made racers to test out the wildest designs and ideas. Now Lexus is throwing its hat into this anything-goes battle arena with a new RC F GT Concept car.
Lexus isn’t just charging up the mountain towards the 14,115 foot summit for fun though. The company is using this opportunity to help fast track new advancements and testing of features and design ideas that will push all Lexus F cars forward. Lexus used Pikes Peak in the same fashion back in 2013 when it was testing the IS F CCS-R. Much of the information gathered from that vehicle was used in producing the RC F, especially its V8 engine.
The new RC F GT that will be heading up the peak differs from the production cars in a few ways, most notably in construction. The standard RC F is a heavy beast, but the new car employs prodigious amounts of composite materials that cut the heft by an astonishing 800 pounds. The engine and transmission are essentially the stock 5.0-liter V8 and 8-speed automatic, but Lexus has adjust the tuning to better suit the race.
The last piece of Lexus’ puzzle is the man behind the wheel. Lexus has tapped legendary racing driver Justin Bell to be their hot shoe. With multiple championships under his belt, including a win at Le Mans, we think he has the chops to hustle the RC F GT up the hill.
The race happens this weekend, and we will be sure to update you on how things went. Just keep it locked here on AutoTalk.com
