A MAJOR car brand has dropped two models from its UK catalogue and has decided to only sell hybrids and EVs.
Lexus has removed the LC and RC sports cars from sale and no longer offers a V8 to Brits.
HandoutThe Lexus LC is bowing out in the UK[/caption]
PR handoutBrits will not be able to buy a Lexus RC anymore either[/caption]
The two-door GTs were approaching the end of their expected life cycles, at seven and 10 years old respectively.
However, a spokesperson for the brand cited “legislative and homologation issues” as the reason for their withdrawal.
According to AutoCar, it is still unclear whether decision was made in light of GSR2 safety regulations, the EU’s new cybersecurity directive or fleet emission quotas.
But the outlet states that both motors are no longer available in mainland Europe, and the UK allocation for each has been sold out.
The LC has been on sale since 2017 with the choice of the pure V8 or an electrified 3.5-litre V6, receiving the option of a soft-top convertible in 2020.
It has sold 624 units in the UK over its lifetime.
The older RC was available with a four-cylinder hybrid from launch, but that was dropped in 2020, at which point the coupe was offered exclusively in hardcore RC F guise with a 467bhp version of the V8.
The RC was the more popular car, with 2600 units sold in the decade it was here.
However, Lexus only sold just 15 examples last year and only 12 in 2022.
The withdrawal of the LC and RC means Lexus’s European line-up is now mainly made up of SUVs, with just the ES and LS saloons and LM MPV remaining alongside crossovers.
It also means all Lexus models are electrified, with the firm’s naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 retiring along with the LC and RC.
That leaves the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette as the only two series-production cars available with an atmo V8 in the UK.
It comes after a car expert urged drivers to look up six powerful motors that can be picked up for less than £10,000 – including a luxury Lexus.
Jonny Brighton, who runs the motoring YouTube channel CarsWithJB, has revealed a range of budget bombshells that boast at least 400 bhp, showing you can get plenty of bang for your buck.
The stylish Lexus is described as a proper full-size luxury saloon that was apparently built as the brand’s answer to the Mercedes S-Class.
It comes with a 5-litre V8 engine which includes electric power to make a combined 439 bhp, taking it to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds.
Meanwhile, car fans in the market for a brand new EV SUV might be interested in Fisker’s flagship model that’s seen its price cut by £15,000.
And Rowan Atkinson’s ultra-rare 200 mph supercar goes up for sale – with just 3,000 miles on the clock.
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