The impending Lexus LC F is allegedly on track for the 2019 model year and pinned to rival the likes of the Nissan GT-R Nismo and Mercedes-AMG GT.

Japanese website Best Car Web says that the LC F will look to match the performance of Nissan’s most-potent GT-R variant but also offer the luxury and refinement you’d expect from a car like the BMW M6 and Mercedes-AMG GT. If true, Lexus will have its work cut out in the coming 12 months or so.

In standard guise, the LC 500 is offered with a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and a 3.5-liter V6 hybrid but to achieve the company’s horsepower goals, it is thought that the V8 will be supercharged and deliver around 600 hp. That would be more than enough to fight some of the market’s established players but will need to be matched with some weight savings.

As it stands, there’s no word on whether Lexus plans to reduce the weight of the LC but doing so would be a good idea. With the V8, the current sports coupe weighs in at 4,280 lbs (1,941 kg) and it’s a well-known fact that one of the RC F’s greatest downfalls was its excess baggage. If Lexus manages to shed a few hundred pounds off the LC for its F-branded variant, it could be onto a winner.

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