Lexus introduced the RC as a stand-alone luxury sport coupe for the 2015 model year, expanding its lineup with a two-door model that was not simply a coupe version of an existing sedan. Unveiled in late 2013 and brought to market in 2014 as a 2015 model, it was positioned to give Lexus a more emotional, enthusiast-focused entry in the premium coupe segment. The nameplate launched with rear-drive and all-wheel-drive variants and quickly became known for its sharp styling, rear-wheel-drive character, and a cabin that blended Lexus comfort with a more aggressive design language.
From the beginning, the RC family also served as the basis for the higher-performance RC F, which helped establish the nameplate as Lexus’s sport coupe platform rather than a niche styling exercise. Over its run, the RC received periodic updates rather than a full redesign, allowing Lexus to keep the car current while preserving its original formula. Those revisions kept the model in production for a decade, but the overall shape and mission remained the same: a compact premium coupe aimed at buyers who wanted something more distinctive than a sedan.
Lexus announced in January 2025 that the RC and RC F would be discontinued at the end of that model year, bringing the nameplate’s first production run to a close after 2025. The RC’s lifecycle is therefore a single continuous period from 2015 through 2025, with no revival or second production era to date.