Lexus unveils new RZ600e F Sport Performance

This is the RZ600e F Sport Performance, a car that largely picks up where the 450 left off. There are still two gigantic carbon rear spoilers, the ride height has been lowered again and ‘exclusive aerodynamic components’ provide ‘powerful downforce’. There’s even a carbon roof. It’s bold, but if ever a sector needed to breathe some life into it, it’s the electric family SUV. When we picked them up, the other parents would definitely be talking. The F Sport Performance is offered in Black and Hakugin II, or Black and Neutrino Gray.

There’s also some mouth for the pants, as the 600e is the most powerful RZ yet. It is built from the latest 550e version, sold alongside the 500e and 350e in Britain, but with ‘improved engine performance’. Peak power for the all-wheel drive, 2,140 kg F Sport Performance, is therefore 425 hp (versus 408 hp in a 550e), which equates to 4.4 seconds to 100 km/h. Despite the name, this Lexus is about more than just pure speed. Behind the 21-inch Enkei wheels are huge brake discs for “precise control and an increased sense of connection, allowing the vehicle to drive exactly as intended.” That seems a bit excessive for what is ultimately a family car, but then think of how many JDM icons were built from humble origins. It’s actually tradition.

Beyond the brakes, Lexus claims ‘an even more engaging and satisfying driving experience in every scenario’, achieved in part by a rework of the RZ’s standard ‘steer-by-wire’ system – it now even has a yoke. The plus development is said to have taken place with the help of driver Masahiro Sasaki and racing pilot Yoshihide Muroya, ‘pushing the aerodynamic and driving performance to the limit’. Probably one to take with a pinch of salt as it’s still a mid-powered battery-powered SUV, but this is Lexus too – they don’t really use half measures. The F Sport Performance is downright intriguing, let’s put it that way.

In fact, it’s worth noting that the racy RZ is no longer just a special edition. There’s no mention of a production run in the press release, only that the new model “will be available through Lexus dealers nationwide on March 2, 2026.” That’s only in Japan for now, but right now you wouldn’t want anything other than Toyota and Lexus. If anyone is going to sell a Midnight Club-spec SUV outside the domestic market, it’s them.

The RZ costs from 12,165,000 yen for the black and gray version, or just under £58,000; the black and white – sorry, black and Hakugin II – is 12,440,000, which is currently £59,000. Or less than most RZ range costs in the UK. Sometimes there is no justice. Expect the F Sport Performance to clog your algorithm once they hit the road in a few months. After all, what else does Japan look like? Apart from the last one of course…