Could Lexus be building a true driver’s car for enthusiasts?

If the doom and gloom of the looming EV push has got you down, chin up! Lexus may soon unveil a 600 hp version of their now-decade-old RC coupe. The best part is, sit down for this one, it might have a manual transmission.

Related: 2025 Toyota GR Corolla: Toyota's rally-bread hatch just got hotter

Lexus RC prototype was spotted at a conference in Japan

The announcement comes on the heels of a Toyota press conference in Japan earlier this year, where journalists were shown the capability of Toyota’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in a Hilux truck and a new Lexus IS prototype.

Also in attendance, though not available for test drives, was a Lexus RC prototype spotted by the Japanese outlet Best Car. According to a report by Lexus Enthusiast, the RC was powered by the same turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder but pushed 600 hp through a 6-speed manual transmission.

The technician who spoke to Best Car mentioned that the RC prototype was “for motorsports” but as Road & Track points out, race cars rarely use manual transmissions anymore.

Toyota is well-known for squeezing high horsepower figures out of small engines

If it does in fact offer 600 hp, that’s a massive leap from the current 467 hp in the RC F—the most powerful variant of the RC. What’s even more insane, is that the 600 hp reportedly comes from a four-cylinder, while the RC F has a 5.0-liter V8.

That’s not entirely surprising coming from Toyota though. They recently squeezed 268 hp from the GR Yaris’s 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine. For comparison purposes, the Bugatti Chiron pushes 1,200 hp out of a W16 engine. I’m eagerly waiting for Toyota to make a 1000-hp V6 in the next few years.

The current Lexus RC F has been one of the marque’s more popular models

The current Lexus RC debuted in October 2014, featuring either a hybrid 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the RC 300h or a 3.5-liter V6 in the RC 350. A more powerful 5.0-liter V8 was introduced in the RC F, which quickly became the top-tier performance model. The RC received a facelift in August 2018, focusing mainly on aesthetic changes like merged headlights and a revised rear-end design.

In 2019, a track edition of the RC F was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show. It featured aggressive-looking aero elements and mechanical upgrades, making it an attractive option for track enthusiasts. The RC F platform has also been popular in motorsports, competing in GT3, Super GT, Japan’s Super Taikyu Endurance series, and Germany’s VLN Endurance series.

The base Lexus RC 300 starts at $45,945 while the RC F boosts that price up to $68,320.

Lexus RC is getting old

Now, I’m not trying to say that the Lexus RC is old, but with its last revision being in 2018, it’s starting to reach Nissan 370Z levels of “selling the same platform for years.”

According to Good Car Bad Car, Lexus RC sales numbers have been slowly dwindling through the years, with 2015 being the model’s peak at 14,784 units sold. In 2023, only 1,752 were sold while in 2024, that number has dropped to 1,258 although the year isn’t over yet.

Final thoughts

Even if a 600-hp Lexus RC with a 6-speed manual transmission doesn’t come to fruition, it’s refreshing to see that Toyota is still committed to internal combustion engines. Given their focus on hybrid technology and alternative fuels over full EV adoption, it’s clear that the Japanese automaker isn’t afraid to go against the grain. You won’t hear us complaining about that anytime soon.

Related: Toyota will replace engines in 100,000 recalled Tundras and Lexus LXs