It feels like there’s a secret law in German mandating that every domestic carmaker there must offer at least one model with a 4-door coupe body style such as Audi A7, Mercedes Benz CLS and BMW Gran Coupes. Several of the German automakers even have the swoopy saloons in multiple sizes. So far, Lexus has stayed out of that fray, but maybe not for long, if a recently spotted test car makes it to the market.
Lexus is known to be testing a highly styled 4-door coupe, roughly the size of GS, under heavy camouflage. Little is known about the new model at the moment; however its existence makes sense. If it really wants to take on the Germans, the automaker is going to have to fight them toe-to-toe with competing models, particularly with ones understood to have high margins.
In case you need reminding, the all-new Lexus gets its roar from more than 450 horsepower and more than 383 pound feet of torque, all courtesy of an all-new 32-valve, V8 5.0 liter powerplant, which will offer increased maximum power at higher engine rpm unlike previously possible. This powerplant is the most powerful V8 engine, the Japanese brand has ever constructed. Lexus says that the vehicle should weigh in at under 1800kgs.
Pictured about is a rendering from artist Theophilus Chin, imagining a little smaller take on the genre based on the RC coupe, which he calls it RC GT. His design leaves the original shape nearly untouched; nonetheless shortens the front doors to allow room for rear doors beneath the arching roof. His GT would be aimed more against BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and rumored Mercedes Benz C-Class 4-door coupe, instead of the bigger models, Lexus actually appears to be targeting with its vehicle under development. We thought that it’s well-resolved enough that you would want to take a look, if only as a “what could’ve been” flight of fancy.
Image Courtesy – www.theophiluschin.com