Lexus LC Race Car to Debut at 24 Hours of Nürburgring
Japanese crew will continue Toyota Gazoo Racing’s tradition of campaigning performance luxury coupes at the epic German track.
Toyota Gazoo Racing will debut the Lexus LC in racing competition this May at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (N24) held at the iconic 12.9-mile German racetrack.
The winding road course nestled in the Eifel Mountains has earned its “Green Hell” nickname as one of the most grueling places to run any race. The 24 Hours of Nürburgring will consequently test the LC over a full day and night of racing against hundreds of other purpose-built race cars.
Toyota Gazoo Racing will power their LC race car with a modified 2UR-GSE V8. The same 5.0-liter engine powers the production RC F and LC500. The LC will also sport a number of race-specific modifications to the body, aerodynamics, and suspension for the rigors of endurance racing.
The car likely will compete in the SP-PRO class for cars “without standard engines.” That’s a translation of German rulebook-speak, but the short version is that the LC should be just a tad slower than the GT3-spec machinery at the race.
An all-Japanese roster will drive the LC at the N24. That includes Takeshy Tsuchiya, Takamitsu Matsui, Naoya Gamo, and Yuichi Nakayama.
