Lexus has released a 600-horsepower RC with a 6-speed transmission

The internal combustion engine and manual transmission are under increasing threat these days, but at least a few manufacturers plan to keep them around. Following Toyota’s announcement earlier this year that it would develop a set of new turbocharged internal combustion engines, Lexus is now reportedly testing them in two prototype vehicles that have us excited about their potential.

If the YouTube channel Toyota Times Revealed in a video during a press conference in Japan a few months ago, journalists got a chance to drive a new 400-horsepower Lexus IS prototype with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission – possibly similar to the automatic transmission seen in the GR Corolla and GR Yaris. A Toyota Hilux with a six-speed manual and a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine making a claimed 300 horsepower was also tested at the event.

Even more exciting, however, was that according to Lexus enthusiastJournalists also caught a glimpse of a new Lexus RC prototype with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that reportedly makes 600 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. The car is reportedly being developed for motorsports purposes, but given that manual transmissions are rarely used in racing these days, it’s easy to wonder if the automaker is simply being cagey about its production potential. Toyota has been more than happy to throw manual transmissions into its performance cars lately; it makes sense that Lexus could do the same. Even if this particular RC setup never makes it to the streets — the car is quite old — the fact that Toyota is testing the new engine in a high-performance version with a manual transmission bodes well for enthusiasts.

Toyota’s new engine line-up, developed in collaboration with Subaru and Mazda, features three powerplants: a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter, a turbocharged 1.5-liter and a turbocharged 2.0-liter, all of which demonstrate the trio of brands’ continued investment in combustion technology. These new engines are more compact and more efficient than Toyota’s existing options… and if Toyota is honest about its prototypes, they appear to be more powerful, too.

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Although we probably won’t see them until 2027, Toyota is talking about the new combustion engines early. A Toyota engineer said: Karuma News that they hope to surpass the performance and popularity of the legendary 2JZ engine. That’s a high bar to reach — but from what we’ve learned about these new prototypes, Toyota and Lexus appear to be taking it seriously.

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