Lexus is hopping on the black craze by offering a new appearance package, starting with the RC F Sport. Limited to only 650 units, the brand’s “Black Line” special edition is also only available in one of two colors: Caviar (black) and Atomic Silver (orange). Additional visual enhancements include matte black wheels, orange or black brake calipers, and darkened chrome. The upgrade also includes Lexus’ navigation and Mark Levinson premium audio packages — as well as a moonroof, parking assist, and triple beam LED headlamps.
Extensive orange stitching differentiates the Black Line from the standard cars and appears on everything from the seats to the dashboard and doors. The vehicles also receive an exclusive wood-trimmed steering wheel that features “distinctive shades of black” created by a 200-year old Japanese calligraphy shop.
The special edition appears to be aimed at those who want to splurge on something unique but can’t rationalize the V8-powered RC F’s $64,650 price tag. That does not make it cheap, however, as Black Line adds roughly ten grand to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. However, if you were to order all of the options included separately, it really wouldn’t make much of a difference.
Available for the entire RC lineup, Black Line prices for the 300 begin at $51,730, and $53,755 for an RC 300 with all-wheel drive. Meanwhile, the RC 350 Black Line starts at $54,660 and tops out at $56,120 for a V6-powered 350 with AWD. Models do not receive any engine upgrades; the RC 300 sticks with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine making 241 hp, while 350s stay with the 3.5-liter V6 and its 311 hp.
These limited edition Lexus RC variants will make their first public appearance alongside the new UX subcompact crossover at the New York Auto Show at the end of March. Sales commence later this spring.
[Image: Lexus]
GAD! That thing is hideous! They may call it an hourglass grill, I just call it a wide-mouth bass.
At least it only has two (visible) doors.
“Black Line” who cares. Call me when they introduce a “Not spanked with an ugly stick” option. That I would like to see, sort of a toned down grille version for folks that just cant get past the front end. Hell, they may pay extra for the upgrade. I for one cant wait till Lexus just puts this whole design language out to the back 40. Its WAY to hideous and I actually drive a Lexus, mind you from 2013 before they went mental on the look.
Japanese calligraphy, that seals it. Let me call my credit union.
Some cars need more black. All-black Civic hatch is actually not bad looking. It hides well those black caw spots
How is “Atomic Silver” orange?
It’s not. It’s a dark silver, edging on gunmetal.
“Atomic Silver” is a brand of mineral water bottled in Belize. Probably their second biggest export next to straw hats.
I’ve always pined for orange dashboard stitching and a craftsman-made steering wheel finessed from driftwood. Those things just scream “sporty”. And that grille, grrr-wow! What a chariot.
Black is slimming and this car is certainly on the pudgy side.
This wheel design is recycled from the base wheels on the 2016+ LX570. Looks a lot better on a coupe.
Going even further back, they offered similar ones on the 2 generations ago RX and possibly on some special edition GS and IS trims from 10 years ago or so.
The correct term is “BNG” for Bold New Graphics. Any biker, boater or jetskier knows this means literally zero new, just BNG. Thanks Lexus.
Let us know when you find horsepower, or anything…
Didn’t Toyota try to drum up some interest in the Prius C a couple of years ago with a throwaway black-with-neon-trim package? I can’t remember if it was neon green or neon orange, or both. It was cheap and hideous, and had/has absolutely nothing to do with real reasons behind the model’s tanking sales.
This minor limited edition with drum up zero additional interest in an unpopular entrant into a dead category. Anyone remember Final 500 Oldsmobiles? Rarer than this, and just as noteworthy.
You know, if you want good sales, you have to make the product that someone would actually want. With so many ‘eh’ vehicles on the roads today, when something truly unique comes out, it does pretty well. This thing? In no way unique outside of simply being ugly. You can’t even use the phrase, “It’s so ugly it’s cute” because that bloomin’ Nissan Juke took that route and it worked… for a while.
Why use their most aged platform for this and not something like the new LC?
So this is where those guys from Scion went. The ones who issued a limited number of “special edition” FR-S cars every year in unique colors with a few bespoke trim bits. Now they just have better materials to work with.
Drove the RC350 and found the steering dull, throtle tip in very slow, tires loud and overall not a Lexus I would want to take a trip in. I did expect more.