Looks like this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be seeing a number of interesting entrants like Monster Tajima with his new electric racer and Honda bringing down the ARX-04b LMP2 endurance racer to the event. Lexus is also set to brighten up the event by lining up their new RC F GT Concept to race into the clouds.
The car is based on the production RC F coupe and builds upon the legacy of the IS F CCS-R that last competed at Pikes Peak in 2013. According to Lexus, the RC F GT Concept represents “a pivotal piece” of the Lexus F brand motorsports effort, along with the forthcoming global GT3 program.
This new GT Concept program will give the engineers the opportunity to experiment with prototype components, tuning ideas, settings and software development, similar to how the IS F CCS-R vehicles helped develop key components such as the engine and transmission for the 2015 RC F road car.
The RCF GT Concept is constructed using high level of composite materials, shaving off 800kg from the road version while retaining the same engine and transmission as the production RC F. the powertrain however is modified to suit its racing characteristics. The Lexus RC F GT Concept will be driven at Pikes Peak by FIA GT world champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Justin Bell.
“With very little time behind the wheel, the RC F GT Concept has already proven fast and easy to drive, very much like the production models, actually. We expect the race car will only pick up pace as we engage more testing, and data acquisition on the mountain,” said Bell.
