A Lexus RC F LMGT3 race car was class runner-up in the 94th Le Mans 24 Hours to earn its first podium in the legendary French endurance race, the third round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The #78 Lexus RC F LMGT3 entered by AKKODIS ASP Team and driven by Tom van Rompuy, Hadrien David and Jack Hawksworth finished ahead of more established GT racing brands to stand on the podium.

A strong performance from AKKODIS ASP Team was completed by the #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3, driven by Petru Umbrarescu, Clemens Schmid and José María López, which finished fourth.

A milestone result at Le Mans further establishes Lexus’ motorsport credentials. In just its third season in WEC, Lexus is challenging more established racing rivals and pushing boundaries, whilst providing opportunities for different drivers – including young hopefuls and ambitious gentlemen drivers – to participate at the highest level of sportscar competition.

The RC F LMGT3 car, an authentic racing version of the high-performance RC F coupe which is homologated for competition, is a relative newcomer to WEC competition, having made its debut in February 2024. The 2025 season was a breakthrough campaign for the RC F LMGT3, which won two races and helped AKKODIS ASP Team finish third in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 Teams.

The next race in the WEC season takes place in São Paulo, Brazil on 12 July.

En route to the top spot, Lexus achieved the highest rankings for the interior and comfort, exterior and reliability categories. Significantly, the results are based on the opinions and experiences of car owners rather than experts and commentators, and Britain’s motorists once again responded in their thousands to the survey.

Lexus models also dominated the Driver Power model categories, with the RX taking the award for Best Premium Large SUV and rated best for interior and comfort; the RC coupe emerging as Best Sports Car and best for reliability and build quality; the IS saloon Best Compact Executive Car and runner-up to the Best New Car of the Year; and the GS saloon named Best Executive Car.

Driver Power is the UK’s largest, most comprehensive car satisfaction poll. Success in the survey is based on the first-hand experience of thousands of UK car owners who responded to Driver Power survey questions about the quality, reliability and performance of their vehicle (up to two years old) and the service they receive from retailers and repair shops.

Steve Fowler, Auto Express Editor-in-Chief, said: “It’s fantastic to see Lexus top the Driver Power brand ranking for the third year in a row. The company has a proven track record of building luxurious, desirable and comfortable cars, and the stellar reliability rankings Lexus continually generates will be the envy of many carmakers, too.”

Ewan Shepherd, Director of Lexus in the UK, commented: “It’s 30 years since the Lexus brand was born and it’s always been our aim not just to deliver the best customer service, but also to redefine what great service means to today’s customers. It’s this core commitment to excellence, a line-up of great new products and the hard work and dedication of everyone who works for Lexus – especially our retail partners – that has helped us once again claim top place in the Driver Power manufacturer rankings.”

For more information please visit: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/driver-power

The all-new car, now homologated by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, will participate in racing championships in USA and Japan, as well as a number of selected European races.

In the USA, Lexus has supplied two Lexus RC F GT3 to the 3GT Racing team, to compete in the GTD class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series.

In Japan, two cars are contesting the GT300 class of the Super GT Series with the LM corsa team.

In Europe, Farnbacher Racing and Emil Frey Racing, the two teams which competed in VLN Endurance series with RC F GT3 prototype vehicles last year, will continue their development work this season, aiming to compete at higher levels in GT3 racing in Europe in the future. On this basis, they will compete in European races in 2017, including selected events in the International GT Open series.

Last year, Lexus became the first Asian carmaker to win a VLN Endurance Championship race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a RC F GT3 prototype claiming overall victory at the VLN9 race on 8 October.

Lexus also achieved outstanding results last year with the RC F GT500, another racing car derived from the RC F. The 2016 RC F GT500 dominated the Super GT series in Japan last year, with Team SARD and drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Kohei Hirate respectively claiming the team and drivers’ championship titles in the GT500 category.

SPECIFICATIONS

Vehicle Name LEXUS RC F GT3

Engine 5.4 L V8

Power 373+ kW (500+ hp)

Torque not available

Transmission 6-sd sequential racing box

Wheels 13x18 ft, 13 x 18 rr - centre-lock

Brakes iron rotors

Wheelbase 2730 mm

Overall Length 4845 mm

Overall Width 2030 mm

Overall Height 1270 mm

Curb Weight 1,300 kg