MOTOR RIVALS

The luxury-sport coupe category is about to get a lot hotter. The Lexus RC 350 arrives melding audacious design and high performance like no Lexus before. Engineered as a stand-alone model, rather than as a two-door derivative of a sedan, the RC delivers all the performance, individuality, and unique luxury and technology that its body promises. Lexus expects the RC to attract the next generation of luxury buyers and those new to the brand.

Powertrain

• The 3.5-liter Lexus 2GR-FSE V6 propels the 2015 RC 350 with 306 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque.
• Aluminum block
• Intelligent dual variable valve timing (VVT-i)
• Lexus D-4S system of direct and port fuel injection. With one injector installed in the combustion chamber and a second mounted in the intake port, D-4S combines the strengths of both for maximum efficiency and low emissions.
• Eight-Speed SPDS Transmission
• The SPDS transmission combines the best of both worlds: torque converter smoothness with shifting speed of a dual-clutch unit when shifting manually.
• The SPDS transmission has three driver-selectable modes - NORMAL, SPORT and MANUAL (M)
• Downshifts are made in just 0.10-second in M mode
• Throttle blipping control matches the engine speed to the gear

Chassis

• Front suspension is double wishbone
• Rear suspension is multi-link with a toe control arm
• Monotube dampers offer ideal damping and control
• Most of the suspension components are new
• At the front, the RC gets a new suspension upper support, coil spring, damper, stabilizer bar, stabilizer bar bushing and lower number two bushing.
• The rear coil springs, dampers, stabilizer bar, and stabilizer bushings all are new for the RC.
• RC 350 F Sport - Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system and the Lexus Dynamic Handling system with Dynamic Rear Wheel Steering. Electric Steering, Electrifying Handling
• Electric power steering (EPS)
• RC 350 F Sport - available Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) automatically changes the steering gear ratio in response to vehicle speed and driving conditions
• Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) - variable damper system designed to enhance ride comfort and body lean control, contributing to natural, smooth changes in vehicle attitude
• The RC 350 RWD and AWD variants have 13.15-inch diameter brake rotors front and rear.
• RC 350 F Sport gets its own 14.06-inch diameter two-piece rotors and high-friction brake pads. The rear brake calipers are lightweight aluminum alloy.

Technology

• A 4.2-inch thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD) at the center of the instrument cluster presents the full-color Multi Information Display (MID)
• Linked to the car's multi-media system, the MID can display vehicle, audio and navigation information.
• Both the standard and optional audio systems play all popular digital formats, whether from CD, iPod®, USB or other device.
• The standard audio system drives its 10 speakers - including a 10-inch subwoofer -- with 256 watts total output.
• Available in the RC, a new Mark Levinson 17-speaker system creates a stunning 360-degree, three-dimensional sonic space. The system produces 835-watts total output while consuming less power than other systems of similar output.
• For navigation equipped vehicles, a new Remote Touchpad uses smartphone-like touch control
• The RC debuts a new version of Blind Spot Monitor with an extended detection area. The system can assist the driver when changing lanes by providing information not only about vehicles in the side mirror blind spot zones. The new system in the RC is able to provide information up to 196 feet behind the vehicle.
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) assists the driver when backing out of a parking space or driveway.

Safety

• Lexus RC has eight SRS airbags, including a dual-stage driver's airbag, dual-stage and dual-chamber front passenger airbag, driver's and passenger's knee airbags, front-seat side airbags and first and second row side curtain airbags.
• All RC 350 models have Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM), the Lexus system that coordinates control of the powertrain, ABS, electric power steering, traction control (TRAC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) systems.
• Available Pre-Collision Brake and Pre-Collision Brake Assist systems. Using the radar sensors of the Adaptive Cruise Control, these systems are designed to detect the potential for a collision between the RC and an obstacle or vehicle ahead.

The ATS Coupe is designed to be lighter, more agile and more engaging than its competitors. Cadillac's first-ever compact luxury Coupe offers drivers the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and the power from a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder or a 3.6L six-cylinder. In all combinations, Cadillac ATS Coupe takes advantage of its lightweight and strong structure to deliver exhilarating performance with efficiency, with a segment-leading power-to-weight ratio. Like the sedan, the ATS Coupe's driving dynamics are rooted in mass efficiency, which helps make it one of Cadillac's lightest and most agile models ever - and the lightest car in the compact luxury Coupe segment.

Powertrain

• Standard 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder - 272 horsepower (203 kW) and 295 lb-ft of torque (400 Nm)
• Available 3.6L V-6 - 321 horsepower (239 kW) and 275 lb-ft of torque (373 Nm)
• At 136hp/L, the 2.0L Turbo is one of the most power-dense engines in the industry - delivers 90 percent of its peak torque from 2100 rpm to 5400 rpm and the full 295 lb-ft of peak torque (400 Nm) from 3000 to 4600 rpm
• Both engines feature direct injection and dual overhead camshafts with continuously variable valve timing
• Hydra-Matic 6L45 six-speed automatic transmission with tap-shift control.
• A six-speed manual is also available with the 2.0L Turbo.
• This gives the standard ATS Coupe an advantage in power and weight over similarly equipped Coupes such as the BMW 428i.
• Estimated 0-60 time of 5.6 seconds.
• Available all-wheel drive.

Chassis

• Nearly perfect 50/50 weight balance and low center of gravity
• Five-link independent rear suspension featuring lightweight, high-strength steel and efficient straight link designs
• A multi-link double-pivot MacPherson-strut front suspension with direct-acting stabilizer bar
• Premium, belt-driven electric variable-effort steering gear from ZF Steering Systems
• Brembo front brakes
• Eighteen-inch aluminum wheels
• A driver-adjustable FE3 sport suspension is available and includes Magnetic Ride Control, a mechanical limited-slip differential, high-capacity engine cooling system and 18-inch summer-performance tires.
• Magnetic Ride Control is a real-time damping system that delivers more precise body motion control.
• Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS, patented rotor coating protection and auto-dry functionality.

Technology

• OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity with natural voice recognition
• Text-to-voice that converts incoming text messages to speech and reads them over the audio system speakers
• USB, auxiliary and SD memory card ports
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio with three-month trial subscription
• Reconfigurable 5.7-inch, three-window instrument panel cluster display
• Full-color reconfigurable head-up display.
• A Bose ® premium audio system with Active Noise Cancelation technology is standard on all models.
• 12-speaker surround sound upgrade is available on Standard and Luxury, and it is included with Performance and Premium collections - includes Bose Audio Pilot, which continuously monitors ambient sounds and adjusts the music volume
• Additionally, a navigation system is available on Luxury and Performance collections, and it is standard with the Premium Collection.
• Cadillac CUE available on base models and standard on Luxury, Performance and Premium collections – includes Text-to-Voice feature for smartphone users with Bluetooth profile (M.A.P.) and Siri Eyes Free for iPhone iOS 6 and iOS 7 users.
• Eight-inch LCD multi-touch sensitive screen - motorized, fully capacitive faceplate at the bottom concealing a 1.8L storage area.
• OnStar 4G LTE connectivity - new built-in Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect up to seven devices at once.
• Capability to remotely start the engine or lower the windows with the key fob or the owner's smartphone.
• EZ Key passive entry and push-button starting is standard.

Safety

• Available advanced safety - two cameras, eight ultrasonic sensors and six radar signals to help prevent crashes.
• Automatic braking - can pre-fill and automatically apply braking in response to potential hazards.
• Front and Rear Automatic Braking - relies on radar, camera and ultrasonic technology to help the driver prevent front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary.
• Many of the advanced safety features are bundled in the Driver Awareness and Driver Assist Packages. It includes: Safety Alert Seat; Forward Collision Alert; Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist; Intellibeam® high-beam control; Front and rear park assist; Rear-vision camera with dynamic guidelines.
• The Driver Assist package is available on Performance and Premium collections and includes all of the Driver Awareness package content, plus: Full-Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control; Automatic Collision Preparation; Motorized safety belts; Electronic Park Brake; Front and Rear Automatic Braking; Enhanced Side Blind Zone Alert; Rear Cross-Traffic Alert; Full-color head-up display.
• Eight standard air bags, safety belt pretensioners and load limiters
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with full-function traction control