On June 28, Lexus’ tech wizards will be doing just that as the automaker campaigns its new RC F GT Concept in the Time Attack class of the 93rd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The IS F CCS-Rs Lexus ran in the 2013 race helped the company develop key components, such as the engine and gearbox, for the production version of the RC F.
FIA GT world champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Justin Bell will be piloting this year’s Lexus entry across 12.42 miles, through 156 turns, and up from the starting point at 9,390 feet to the summit at 14,115 feet.
The RC F GT Concept he’ll be using to do that may have the same 5.0-liter V8 and eight-speed automatic of the everyday RC F, but its carbon fiber body panels, polycarbonate windows, and stripped interior mean it weighs roughly 800 pounds less (3,130 pounds) than its consumer-grade cousin.
Lexus lists the RC F GT Concept’s horsepower rating as “467+” and its torque figure as “390+ lbs.-ft.” Those plus signs mean the car can be tuned to produce different (ahem…more) output during its blast up Pikes Peak.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.