HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AND FANS OF OPEN-AIR DRIVING WITH A TWIN-KIDNEY GRILLE FOR THE ALL-NEW BMW Z4... PAT GOSS WITH QUICK AND EASY WAYS TO KEEP YOUR ELECTRONICS HUMMING... SEE HOW BIG PEOPLE MOVERS ARE BECOMING VERY ECO-FRIENDLY... AND THE RADICAL AND READY TO RUN LEXUS RC F COUPE...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

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ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John: AN ALL-NEW BMW Z4 ROADSTER HAS HIT THE STREETS.

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, THE ONLY TIME YOU HEAR ABOUT IT IS WHEN PEOPLE REFER TO IT AS SHARING ITS BASIC CHASSIS WITH THE REBORN TOYOTA SUPRA.

WELL, WE'VE BEEN Z4 FANS SINCE IT FIRST ARRIVED FOR 2004.

AND, DESPITE A DWELL IN PRODUCTION, WE THINK THIS 2020 Z4 DESERVED ITS OWN TIME IN THE SUN.

* A NEW BMW Z4 MAY NOT INCITE THE KIND OF HYSTERIA BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ORIGINAL Z3 ROADSTER THAT JAMES BOND DROVE ONTO THE SCENE BACK IN 1996, BUT LET'S NOT FORGET, THIS IS ONE ROADSTER THAT BEATS WITH THE HEART OF BMW.

AND THE 2020 Z4 M40I CERTAINLY GOT OUR BLOOD PUMPING.

NOW, THREE GENERATIONS REMOVED FROM THAT ORIGINAL Z3, AND NO LONGER BUILT HERE IN IN AMERICA, THE LOOK OF THIS Z4 IS NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM LAST GEN.

BUT THERE IS AN ALL-NEW CHASSIS BENEATH, AND WHEELBASE ACTUALLY SHRINKS ALMOST AN INCH, WHILE OVERALL LENGTH GROWS BY ALMOST 4.

NOT TO WORRY, THAT INCREASED OVERHANG SPACE IS WELL USED, AS PROPORTIONS NOW HAVE AN ALMOST CLASSIC SPORTS CAR VIBE COMPARED TO THE EXTREME LACK OF OVERHANGS IN MOST MODERN PERFORMANCE MACHINES, AND BODY PANELS ARE NOW MUCH MORE EXPRESSIVE.

LIKE, THE FIRST GENERATION Z4, THE FOLDING TOP IS NOW CLOTH; NO HARDTOP LIKE LAST GEN.

BUT, YOU WON'T REALLY MISS IT.

PLUS, IT WEIGHS LESS, ALLOWS FOR QUICKER OPERATION, AND STORES MUCH MORE COMPACTLY; PROVIDING 9.9 CUBIC-FEET OF TRUNK SPACE; THAT'S UP 50%.

THE BASE 30I, WITH ITS 255 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER TURBO I4 ACTUALLY ARRIVED FOR '19, BUT YOU HAD WAIT UNTIL MODEL YEAR '20 TO GET THIS 3.0 LITER INLINE-6 TURBO WHICH IS SHARED WITH THE TOYOTA SUPRA.

REAR-WHEEL DRIVE ONLY, OF COURSE, WITH 382 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ROADSTER APPROPRIATE, THERE'S SEATING FOR JUST 2, BUT YOU AND YOUR LUCKY PASSENGER WILL GET A SLIGHTLY UPDATED TAKE ON THE TYPICAL BMW DRIVER-CENTRIC ENVIRONMENT.

PLENTY OF ROOM INSIDE FOR ALL BODY TYPES, AND SEATS ARE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH FOR WHATEVER EXTENDED GETAWAYS YOU MAY HAVE PLANNED.

TECH FEATURES INCLUDE THE LIVE COCKPIT PRO HIGH-RES.

DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, 10 INCH TOUCHSCREEN WITH IDRIVE 7.0, AND AVAILABLE HEAD-UP DISPLAY.

WITH THE NEW SOFT TOP UP, IT'S A PLEASANTLY CALM DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

WHEN DOWN, IT REMAINS QUIET ENOUGH FOR EASY CONVERSATION, AND WITH THE REMOVABLE WIND BLOCKER IN PLACE, BUFFETING IS REALLY KEPT TO A MINIMUM.

THROWING CAUTION TO THE WIND, WE HIT THE VENERABLE BLACKTOP OF OUR TEST TRACK FOR SOME QUARTER MILE RUNS AND MORE.

TENACIOUS GRIP FOR BOLTING OFF THE LINE WAS HARD TO COME BY, BUT WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, THE M40I WILL GET YOU TO 60 IN LESS THAN 4.0 SECONDS.

THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DELIVERS GEAR CHANGES LIKE ITS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT; YET, SOMEHOW DOES SO QUITE SMOOTHLY.

HANDLING IS A REAL HIGHLIGHT, WITH IMMEDIATE RESPONSE THAT SOME MAY COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING TWITCHY; WE'D DESCRIBE IT MORE AS ALMOST INTUITIVE, AS THE CAR CARRIES OUT YOUR REQUESTS INSTANTANEOUSLY.

COMPARED TO LAST GEN., THIS IS A TOTALLY NEW SUSPENSION DESIGN; COMBINING A DOUBLE-JOINT SPRING STRUT FRONT, WITH A 5-LINK REAR.

THE M40I ALSO GETS THE ACTIVE M SUSPENSION WITH COMFORT, SPORT, AND SPORT+ MODES; AS WELL AS M SPORT ACTIVE LOCKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND M SPORT BRAKES BEHIND EITHER 18 OR 19-INCH LIGHT-ALLOY WHEELS.

YOU CAN FIND SOME OVERSTEER, IF YOU GO LOOKING FOR IT, BUT YOU WON'T FIND MUCH BODY ROLL AT ALL.

YOU DO HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY THAT TUNE OF COURSE; STREET RIDE CAN BE HARSH IF THE PAVEMENT IS ANYTHING BUT NEW.

AS FOR SAFETY, COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING IS STANDARD, BUT BLIND SPOT MONITORING AND LANE DEPARTURE WARNING ARE EXTRA, AS PART OF A DRIVER ASSISTANCE PACKAGE THAT ALSO INCLUDES BMW'S ACTIVE DRIVING ASSISTANT.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 24-CITY, 31-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED; OUR AVERAGE, NOT BAD, AT 25.8 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

MAKING FOR AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 12.7 BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL USE, AND 5.5 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

THE BASE BMW Z4 SDRIVE30I STARTS AT $50,695; THIS SDRIVE M40I, AT $64,695.

WHILE, CONVERTIBLE SALES HAVE BEEN VERY FICKLE OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S ALWAYS A PLACE IN OUR AUTOMOTIVE HEARTS FOR A 2-SEAT PERFORMANCE, ORIENTED ROADSTER.

WITH THE 2020 BMW Z4 SDRIVE M40I, NOT ONLY HAS BMW KEPT THE TRADITIONAL SPORTS CAR ALIVE, BUT MADE THE Z4 MORE DYNAMIC THAN EVER; BECOMING LESS OF A CUTE CRUISER, AND MORE OF A SERIOUS PERFORMANCE MACHINE.

SO, DOES PORSCHE HAVE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT?

NOT REALLY.

BUT, FOR US AND BMW FANS, THE MOST POTENT Z4 EVER, IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.

* MANY OF THE NEW PASSENGER VEHICLES WE DRIVE THESE DAYS ARE ELECTRIFIED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, EITHER AS A HYBRID OR FULL EV.

NOW, MORE AND MORE OF THE TRANSIT VEHICLES, WE RIDE ON ARE FOLLOWING A GREENER PATH TOO, WITH ELECTRIC AND HYBRID POWER ON THE RISE, ALONG WITH NATURAL GAS AND OTHER CLEAN FUELS.

WELL ONE COMPANY IN PARTICULAR, IS FLYING HIGH AS AN INNOVATOR OF TOMORROW'S CLEAN TRANSIT SOLUTIONS.

* NEW FLYER IS AMERICA'S LARGEST TRANSIT BUS AND MOTORCOACH MANUFACTURER.

FROM THREE U.S. PLANTS, THEY CRANK OUT 60 BUSES A WEEK.

THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT CONSIDER THAT EVERY ONE IS CUSTOM-SPEC, AVAILABLE IN THREE LENGTHS AND FIVE POWER SOURCES - DIESEL, NATURAL GAS, HYDROGEN FUEL CELL, HYBRID, AND FULL BATTERY ELECTRIC, ALL FROM THE SAME LINE, AND THE FEAT BECOMES NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING.

WE VISITED NEW FLYER'S ANNISTON, ALABAMA ASSEMBLY PLANT, WHERE MORE THAN 35 BUSES ARE IN PRODUCTION AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

EACH BUS IS BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP, LITERALLY.

RAW STEEL IS LASER CUT, BENT AND FORMED ON-SITE, THEN HAND-WELDED TO CREATE EACH FRAME ASSEMBLY.

FROM THERE THE ZIGZAG PRODUCTION LINE ADDS THE HUGE BODY PANELS, WINDOWS, CUSTOM INTERIORS AND MILES OF WIRING THAT MAKE UP THESE BEHEMOTHS.

FOR ITS BATTERY-ELECTRIC AND FUEL CELL BUSES, NEW FLYER USES A MODULAR BATTERY PACK TO FIT IN THE SAME ENGINE BAY AS DIESEL AND CNG MODELS.

AN ADDITIONAL BATTERY PACK CAN BE LOCATED ON THE ROOF TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY AND USABILITY FOR THE BUS INTERIOR, WHERE SPACE AND FLOOR HEIGHT ARE CRITICAL.

BUSES ARE EVEN PAINTED ON-SITE, SO THEY ARE READY TO HIT THE STREETS IN THEIR NEW CITIES, ALREADY IN UNIFORM.

WE COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE AN ORDER FOR OUR HOME TOWN BWI AIRPORT BEING READIED FOR DELIVERY.

THOUGH, WE DO WISH THEY WERE LOW-EMISSION MODELS, THE CHOICE OF POWER IS UP TO THE CUSTOMER, AND DEPENDS ON EACH BUSES INTENDED USE AND ROUTES.

Ian Macpherson: THE INDUSTRY IS MOVING MORE TOWARDS ZERO EMISSIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH CALIFORNIA IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS WHERE 100% OF THEIR FLEETS ARE GOING TO BE PURCHASING ZERO-EMISSION BUSES BY 2030.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY MANDATING THAT THE BUSES WILL BE EITHER BATTERY ELECTRIC OR HYDROGEN FUEL CELL, WHICH PRODUCES A ZERO EMISSION BUS.

John: AS THE INDUSTRY TRANSITIONS AWAY FROM PETROLEUM FUEL, NEW FLYER IS GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO HELP FLEET CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND THEIR CLEAN POWER CHOICES.

THE VEHICLE INNOVATION CENTER IN ANNISTON IS THE FIRST RESEARCH LAB IN NORTH AMERICA DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF BUS AND COACH TECHNOLOGY.

THE V.I.C.

ENGAGES LEARNING THROUGH INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, SIMULATION AND HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES COMPARING THE BENEFITS OF VARIOUS PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND OFFERING EXPERT GUIDANCE ON WHICH WILL BE THE BEST TO FILL THEIR NEEDS.

THIS ELECTRIC BUS SIMULATOR DEMONSTRATES HOW DRIVING STYLE AFFECTS EFFICIENCY, AND RANGE, AND TEACHES THE TECHNIQUES THAT ALLOW MAXIMUM REGENERATIVE BRAKING DURING ROUTINE DRIVING.

OPERATING COST SAVINGS FOR BOTH CNG AND ELECTRIC DRIVE BUSES CAN BE SIGNIFICANT, IN FUEL COSTS AND REQUIRED MAINTENANCE VERSUS DIESEL POWER.

WHICH IS IMPORTANT SINCE NEW TECH AND HIGH-TECH USUALLY COST MORE TO BUY UP-FRONT.

SO, FLEETS HAVE TO DO THE MATH TO MAKE SURE THAT OVER THE FEDERALLY-MANDATED 12-YEAR LIFE-CYCLE FOR TRANSIT BUSES, THE ONGOING COST SAVINGS AND DESIRABLE ENERGY-ENVIRO BENEFITS RESULT IN A WISE LONG TERM INVESTMENT.

VARIOUS RE-CHARGING OPTIONS MUST ALS0 BE CONSIDERED FOR ELECTRIC BUSES.

CHOICES INCLUDE CONVENTIONAL PLUG-IN CHARGING OVERNIGHT, OR ON-ROUTE OVERHEAD QUICK-CHARGING THAT CAN KEEP BUSES IN SERVICE 24 HOURS A DAY.

Ian: A DIESEL BUS OR A CNG BUS CAN EASILY ACHIEVE 350 MILES RANGE, WHEREAS OUR BATTERY TECHNOLOGY CURRENTLY LIMITS US TO APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 200 MILES RANGE.

WE EXPECT THAT TO INCREASE OVER TIME, AS BATTERY TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, AND WE GET MORE ENERGY DENSITY IN THE BATTERIES.

ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL IS IT CAN ACHIEVE THE RANGE OF 350 MILES, AND AS WELL IT DOESN'T TAKE IT NEARLY AS LONG TO CHARGE UP THE BATTERIES BECAUSE YOU JUST PLUG IT INTO A FUEL SUPPLY STATION AND IT RAPIDLY FILLS THE TANKS WITH THE HYDROGEN NEEDED.

John: WITH MORE THAN 65,000 TRANSIT BUSES SERVING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S., THE SHIFT TO ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN THESE IMPORTANT PUBLIC FLEETS CAN HAVE HUGE ENERGY SECURITY BENEFITS, WHILE ALSO HELPING TO PAVE THE WAY FOR MANY OTHER LOW/NO-EMISSION VEHICLES BOTH LARGE AND SMALL.

* AS CARS BECOME MORE ADVANCED, CARING FOR THEM BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED.

WELL, LET'S HEAD DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE WHERE PAT HAS THE LATEST KNOW-HOW.

Pat Goss: LOOK UNDER THE HOOD OF A MODERN AUTOMOBILE AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ALL KINDS OF WIRES AND SENSORS, AND MODULES, AND COMPUTERS, AND SO ON.

WELL, THAT MEANS THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC AND THEY NEED A GOOD ELECTRICAL SUPPLY WHICH THAT ELECTRICAL SUPPLY STARTS HERE AT THE OLD FASHIONED BATTERY AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD CLEAN ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON THE BATTERY DON'T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE THIS MESS.

WELL, FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES AND CLEAN THE BATTERY.

THERE ARE BATTERY CLEANERS YOU CAN BUY THOSE THAT HELPS, AND THEY'RE ALSO BATTERY CABLE PROTECTORS THAT SEAL THESE, AND PREVENT FUTURE BUILDUP OF CORROSION BUT ALSO, DON'T FORGET THINGS LIKE THESE FELT PANTS TO GO UNDER THE CABLES ARE CHEMICALLY TREATED AND THEY HELP PREVENT THE CORROSION SO USE THOSE.

IF YOU HAVE A CAR THAT HAS THESE OLD-FASHIONED BULBS IN THEM WELL, MANY OF THESE CAME WITH A SILICON-BASED DIELECTRIC GREASE AROUND THEM AND LOOK PRETTY NASTY BUT IT WAS THERE FOR A PURPOSE AND EVERYBODY WIPED IT OFF.

WELL, THE PURPOSE WAS TO KEEP MOISTURE OUT FROM AROUND THE BULB AND TO KEEP THE BULB FROM VIBRATING IN THERE, SO REPLACE IT, DON'T THROW IT AWAY.

ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAVE HERE WITH BULBS MODERN HEADLIGHT BULBS THEY HAVE CONNECTORS THAT GO DOWN INSIDE, THEY OFTEN GET CORRODED THEY MAY FLICKER, DO CRAZY THINGS.

YOU HAVE SPECIAL CONTACT CLEANERS AND ELECTRONICS CLEANERS AND SO ON THAT CAN BE USED IN THE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

AND HERE'S SOMETHING ALL CARS HAVE THESE COIL ON PLUG ASSEMBLIES WHEN YOU CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS YOU HAVE THESE RUBBER BOOTS THAT GO DOWN INSIDE THE VALVE COVERS.

WELL, THEY SOMETIMES GET WELDED TO THE VALVE COVER AND WHEN YOU TRY TO TAKE IT APART THEY PULL APART AND PREVENT THAT DIELECTRIC GREASE ON THE RUBBER PART KEEPS THEM FROM ADHERING AND CAUSING PROBLEMS.

NOW, WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT CHEMICALS THAT CAN BE USED AROUND A CAR THESE DAYS, YOU HAVE TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH WHAT IS NEEDED ON YOUR CAR THEN BUY THE RIGHT PRODUCT.

ONE PRODUCT DOESN'T FIT EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD FOR SURE.

RIGHT PRODUCT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF GRIEF AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

Greg Carloss: THE ACCELERATING TREND TO ELECTRIFY AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAINS IS CERTAINLY EVIDENT WITH OUR MOTORWEEK LONG TERM TEST FLEET.

SINCE WE GOT THE KEY FOB A YEAR AGO, WE'VE PUT OVER 17,000 MILES ON OUR 2019 HONDA INSIGHT.

THE 151 HORSEPOWER, 2-MOTOR HYBRID SYSTEM WITH A 1.5 LITER I4 AND A CVT, CONTINUES TO PRODUCE IMPRESSIVE EFFICIENCY NUMBERS.

WE'RE NOW AVERAGING 52.1 MILES PER GALLON, AND THAT'S RIGHT ON WHAT IT'S GOVERNMENT COMBINED CITY/HIGHWAY SAYS IT SHOULD BE.

WHETHER, IT'S HOT OR COLD LIKE IT IS NOW, THE INSIGHT'S HYBRID SYSTEM SEEMS UNPHASED.

NOW THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING A LITTLE BIT MORE SINCE WINTER STARTED, BUT THE TRANSITIONS ARE STILL SMOOTH AND IN THE BACKGROUND, RIGHT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.

WE'VE COMMENTED ON THE LACK OF USB PORTS IN THE BACK SEAT BEFORE.

BUT, WITH APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO... PLUS, HONDA SENSING'S SUITE OF DRIVER ASSISTANCE FEATURES...

THE INSIGHT IS NOT ONLY A HIGHLY ECONOMICAL WAY TO GET WHERE YOU'RE GOING, IT'S A SMART ONE TOO.

OUR 2019 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PLUG-IN HYBRID IS PROVING GOING GREEN CAN ALSO COME WITH THE ROOMINESS OF A UTILITY THAT'S IN DEMAND THESE DAYS.

DURING THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, WE'VE ADDED 8,500 MILES TO THE ODOMETER.

PROPELLING THIS QUIET PEOPLE MOVER IS A 2.0 LITER I4 WORKING WITH TWO ELECTRIC MOTORS TO CREATE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

WE'VE SEEN MORE RAIN THAN SNOW IN THE MIDATLANTIC, BUT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE EXTRA TRACTION ON WET ROADS.

AS A PLUG-IN HYBRID, THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF ELECTRIC ONLY MILES, IN THIS CASE, IT'S ABOUT 22.

NOT SURPRISING OUR TEAM GOES THROUGH THEM PRETTY QUICKLY.

BUT THEY HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE OVERALL 35.5 MILES PER GALLON FUEL ECONOMY, WE'RE SEEING SO FAR.

GREAT FOR ANY UTILITY THIS SIZE.

WE'LL UPDATE YOU ON OUR NISSAN ALTIMA MID-SIZE SEDAN AND PORSCHE MACAN S PERFORMANCE UTILITY ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: OVER ALMOST 40 YEARS, WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN CARS AND THE CAR INDUSTRY EVOLVE.

AND THAT PROCESS IS ACCELERATING.

LAUREN MORRISON HELPS KEEP US UP TO DATE IN THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Lauren Morrison: AS AUTOMAKERS LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO SHOWCASE THEIR VEHICLES, THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT STAGE.

CHINESE AUTOMAKER BYTON MADE SOME EYEBALLS POP WITH THEIR 48 INCH SCREEN THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE DASHBOARD OF THEIR FIRST PRODUCTION MODEL, THE BYTON M-BYTE ELECTRIC SUV.

CONTINENTAL'S TRANSPARENT HOOD CAN SHOW WHAT'S ROLLING UNDERNEATH.

BOSCH IS BRINGING THE SUN VISOR INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.

IT TRACKS THE SUN'S SHADOW, KEEPING IT OVER THE DRIVER'S EYES, WHILE ALLOWING A CLEAR VIEW OF THE ROAD.

THE HYUNDAI S-A1 IS ELEVATING RIDESHARING.

THEY'RE TEAMING UP WITH UBER TO PRODUCE AIR TAXIS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY FLY THEMSELVES.

JEEP IS OFFICIALLY BRINGING PLUG-IN HYBRID POWER TO THE WRANGLER, RENEGADE, AND COMPASS.

THEIR NEW 4XE SUB-BRAND PLANS ELECTRIFICATION FOR ALL MODELS BY 2022.

THE FISKER OCEAN ALL-ELECTRIC LUXURY SUV ARRIVED WITH A STARTING PRICE JUST UNDER $30,000 WITH FEDERAL TAX CREDITS.

THE MERCEDES-BENZ VISION A-V-T-R CONCEPT ELIMINATES THE STEERING WHEEL, WITH THE DRIVER PLACING THEIR HAND ON THE CENTER CONSOLE TO ACTIVATE THE CAR.

THE AUDI AI:ME IS FULLY AUTOMATED CAR THAT READS EYE MOVEMENTS TO RECEIVE COMMANDS.

THE 4-RING BRAND'S VISION OF THE FUTURE ALSO INCLUDES A 3D HEAD-UP DISPLAY.

THE BMW I3 URBAN SUITE GIVES A PASSENGER PLENTY OF ROOM TO STRETCH OUT, WHILE ZEROG LOUNGER SEATS RECLINE UP TO 60 DEGREES IN THE BMW X7.

HONDA'S AUGMENTED DRIVING CONCEPT FEATURES MORE THAN EIGHT DRIVE MODES BETWEEN SEMI-AUTONOMOUS AND FULLY AUTONOMOUS OPERATION.

AND TOYOTA WILL BUILD "A PROTOTYPE CITY OF THE FUTURE" IN JAPAN, TO RESEARCH NEW TECHNOLOGY IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS.

SO, FOR ADVANCE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, ITS FULL SPEED AHEAD.

AND THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: IN THE WORLD OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE LUXURY THE STAKES KEEP RISING.

AND THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO CONSIDER, STYLE, COMFORT, AND OF COURSE, THAT ADRENALINE RUSH WHEN YOU PUNCH THE THROTTLE.

IF IT'S A COUPE, SO MUCH THE BETTER.

LIKE THIS LEXUS RC F. SO, LET'S SEE IF THIS RARE, "RADICAL COUPE" IS READY TO EXCITE AND IMPRESS.

* LEXUS SELLS ITS FAIR SHARE OF SUVs, NOT TO MENTION IT WAS LUXURY SEDANS THAT MADE THEM WHAT THEY ARE TODAY.

BUT THEY'VE CERTAINLY HAD A FEW MORE EXCITING OFFERINGS ALONG THE WAY, OF THE 2-DOOR VARIETY.

THEIR CURRENT FLAGSHIP COUPE LC500 IS ALL ABOUT ATTRACTING ATTENTION FOR THE BRAND OF COURSE, SO IT'S EASY TO FORGET ABOUT THIS 2020 RC F COUPE, A CAR THAT'S ALL ABOUT PERFORMANCE.

SO, TO KEEP THIS LUXO-ROCKET THAT DEBUTED FOR 2015, FRESH IN PEOPLE'S MEMORY, LEXUS PUTS FORTH A SLEW OF UPDATES.

NO MID-CYCLE REFRESH IS COMPLETE WITHOUT A STYLING NIP/TUCK FOR THE FRONT AND REAR.

FOR THE RC F, THAT MEANS RE-DESIGNED AIR INTAKES IN THE FRONT FASCIA THAT NOT ONLY LOOK BETTER, BUT DIRECT MORE AIR TO THE OIL COOLERS.

ALSO, IN THE INTEREST OF MANAGING AIRFLOW; DOWN THE SIDES, THE ROCKER EXTENSIONS HAVE BEEN WIDENED, AND THE TREATMENT IN FRONT OF THE REAR WHEELS RESHAPED WITH A MORE CONCAVE DESIGN.

IN ADDITION, THE REAR BUMPER TAKES ON A NEW FORM, WITH FRESH TAIL LIGHTS THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE.

THANKFULLY, THE STACKED TWIN EXHAUST TIPS REMAIN.

NOT MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT REALLY, IT'S ONE WILD LOOKING LEXUS!

INSIDE, YOU CAN STILL SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF THE THROWBACK THEME TO THE DASH WHICH THE LC TOOK TO A NEW LEVEL.

WE'D STOP SHORT OF SAYING, IT'S CLAUSTROPHOBIC IN HERE, BUT THE CONFINES ARE CERTAINLY INTIMATE.

THE FRONT SEATS THEMSELVES ARE QUITE COMFORTABLE HOWEVER, AND 10.1 CUBIC-FEET OF TRUNK SPACE MAKES THINGS PLENTY PRACTICAL FOR BOTH WEEKDAY CHORES AND WEEKEND TRAVEL.

FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO US, LEXUS' TOUCHPAD CONTROLLER STILL EXISTS, AND ITS STILL HERE IN THE RC F. FOR A CAR THAT DEMANDS YOUR FULL ATTENTION WHEN BEHIND THE WHEEL, IT'S JUST TOO DISTRACTING.

NOTHINGS SOUNDS LIKE A V8, AND IT HAS CERTAINLY BECOME A RARITY IN THE SMALL SPORT COUPE SEGMENT, SO THIS 5.0 LITER POWERED RC F EASILY STANDS UP AND APART.

A GROWL GRABS YOUR ATTENTION EVERY TIME YOU FIRE IT UP; EVEN MORE SO, WITH ITS ROCKET-LIKE THROTTLE RESPONSE.

IN ADDITION TO A LITTLE ADDED POWER, NOW AT 472 HORSEPOWER OR FIVE MORE THAN BEFORE, AND 395 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, UP SIX; THE V8 HAS GONE ON A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN.

THERE'S A NEW INTAKE, ALUMINUM BRACKETS REPLACE STEEL, AND THERE'S A LIGHTER A/C COMPRESSOR.

THAT, AS WELL AS NEW STANDARD LAUNCH CONTROL, SHOULD MAKE FOR QUICKER PROGRESS TO 60.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE COULDN'T GET THE LAUNCH CONTROL TO WORK PROPERLY, AND FINDING A HAPPY MEDIUM BETWEEN TOO MUCH TRACTION CONTROL AND TOO MUCH SLIP WITHOUT IT, ALSO PROVED DIFFICULT.

SO, WE WERE UNABLE TO BEST THE QUICK 4.4 SECOND 0-60 OF THE ORIGINAL RC F OR IT'S QUARTER MILE TIME OF 12.8 SECONDS AT 114 MILES PER HOUR.

IT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE, AND THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE IS QUITE VISCERAL, WITH THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC RIFLING THROUGH GEARS QUICKER THAN SOME SEQUENTIAL MANUALS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S NOT AS QUICK AS RIVAL'S TURBO-6s.

NEW FOR THIS REAR-DRIVE CHASSIS, ARE REVISED BUSHINGS AND TUNING.

THE RESULTS ARE LASER BEAM HANDLING, QUICK NICELY-WEIGHTED TURN-INS, BEAUTIFUL BALANCE, AND VIRTUALLY NO BODY ROLL.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 16-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 19-COMBINED; WE AVERAGED A GOOD 20.2 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM.

PRICING STARTS AT $65,925.

SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT THAT'S A BARGAIN COMPARED TO EUROPEAN COMPETITORS; NONE OF WHICH HAVE THE CHARACTER OF THIS V8-POWERED LUXURY MINI-BEAST.

THE IS-F SEDAN WAS ARGUABLY LEXUS' FIRST TRUE DRIVER'S CAR.

IT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE LFA SUPERCAR, AND EVENTUALLY THIS RC F COUPE.

AS IT DID WHEN IT DEBUTED, THIS 2020 VERSION DELIVERS EXHILARATING PERFORMANCE, YET REMAINS A BIT OF A THROWBACK TO A SIMPLER TIME WHEN V8s RULED THE WORLD, BUT WITH THE ADDED BENEFIT OF THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ASIAN LUXURY CARS ARE KNOWN FOR.

NOW, IF YOU WANT SIMILAR THRILLS IN A MORE AFFORDABLE PACKAGE, THERE'S THE RC300 F SPORT.

IT'S A BIT OF A TWEENER; OCCUPYING THE MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN THE POTENT RC F AND A BASE RC 300.

IT RECEIVES MOST OF THE SAME UPDATES AS THE RC F, BUT OPERATES WITH A 241 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER TURBO-4, IF YOU STICK WITH REAR-WHEEL DRIVE.

OPT FOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, AND YOU GET A NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 3.5 LITER V6 WITH 260 HORSEPOWER.

BUT IF YOUR PERFORMANCE PENDULUM SWINGS THE OTHER WAY, THERE'S ALSO A NEW RC F TRACK EDITION WHICH WE'LL HAVE A FULL TEST ON SOON.

SO MANY COUPES WITH SO MUCH PERFORMANCE!

THIS IS INDEED A NEW ERA FOR LEXUS.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN GMC GOES 3-ROW BOLD WITH THE ACADIA AT4.

AND THEN, WE HIT THE TRACK IN THE MIGHTY MERCEDES-AMG GT R. UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

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STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *