Powered by a naturally-aspirated, 5.4-liter V8 engine that’s based on the 2UR unit found in the RC F road car, the RC F GT3 takes its road-ready counterpart as a potent starting point, but adds and enhances in key areas for the specific demands of the race track.

Because it’s been built to the globally recognized GT3 class rules, the RC F GT3 is eligible to compete in some of the most prestigious races and championships around the world. For 2024, that includes its debut season in the WEC’s all-new LMGT3 class, racing against machinery from eight other major manufacturers in a globe-trotting, eight-race season.

With the FIA World Endurance Championship introducing its new LMGT3 class specifically for cars built to the well-established and hugely popular GT3 rules set, the customer AKKODIS ASP Team is poised to showcase the Lexus RC F GT3 on one of racing’s biggest stages in 2024.

The WEC’s long-distance format is the perfect environment to showcase Lexus’ high-performance credentials against some of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers and experienced customer teams.

The RC F GT3 is already an established and proven package as it prepares for the challenges that the WEC and its eight global events, including the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, present.

With the IMSA GTD Pro championship under its belt, stepping up to the WEC signifies the next level for Lexus and its customer racing programs. 

The AKKODIS ASP Team’s ambition is clear: compete for LMGT3 honors across eight stops in four continents in 2024, aiming for two of the most sought-after prizes in motorsport, an FIA WEC title and victory in the most famous endurance race on the planet, the 92nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It's a new championship, a new challenge, and a whole new level of competition as the Lexus RC F GT3 gets ready to take on the world.

For Lexus, racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with its customer AKKODIS ASP Team is more than just chasing glory and headlines. It’s about the invaluable lessons learned and experience gained from competing in the WEC’s new-for-2024 LMGT3 class, which will be fed back to Lexus' road-car engineers to help build the next generation of Lexus road cars.

Racing is the ultimate proving ground. Out on the track, the RC F GT3 serves as a high-speed laboratory for Lexus. Long-distance racing provides Lexus with the opportunity to stress test components and technologies in a high-pressure environment. Competing in the WEC will push engineers, drivers, and cars to their limit, racing through the day and night, in torrid heat or rain.

For the Lexus RC F GT3’s first foray into the global challenge of the FIA World Endurance Championship and its centerpiece race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the choice of a world-class team was paramount.

The AKKODIS ASP Team, a highly successful French-based outfit, celebrates 25 years of competition in 2024. With a history of competing with GT3 machinery since the ruleset’s debut in 2006, earning numerous wins and championships with several manufacturers, the team’s move to the WEC with the RC F GT3 in the LMGT3 class represents a thrilling new chapter.

By partnering with Lexus for its FIA World Endurance Championship debut in 2024, the AKKODIS ASP Team knows that it has a car that’s already a proven winner. But to contend for wins and a championship in the WEC’s ultra-competitive new LMGT3 class, every single person within the team will have to operate to their highest level.

From the mechanics to the engineers, the logistics manager, and through to the drivers, each role is interconnected, and there can be no weak links.

The stakes are high, and the task is energizing. Win the WEC’s LMGT3 championship or the 24 Hours of Le Mans – or both – and you’re a part of racing history.

The engineers on the pit wall, meanwhile, must stay focused on executing their race strategy and adapting to any unforeseen circumstances. “When you start an endurance race, you must be fully focused,” says AKKODIS ASP Team race engineer Nicolas Duval. “You need to concentrate for the whole race. It’s really tough to manage and it takes years of experience to get all the strategy calls right, as there are so many. You must be ready for anything.”

And those bold strategy calls can be the difference between winning and losing. “Executing the perfect strategy seems easy the day after the race,” Duval smiles, “but at the time it’s big, big pressure. It’s tough, but I love it…”

Drivers must be instantly focused and up to speed when it’s their turn to get in the car. And to withstand the temperatures in the cockpit and the G-Forces through high-speed corners, they train like elite athletes between races.

“As a pro, you do lots of drive time at the end of the race, once the amateur drivers have finished their minimum drive time,” AKKODIS ASP Team pro driver Kelvin van der Linde says. "It’s grueling, but it’s part of what makes it appealing. Blood, sweat, and tears go into it, and it’s all about fine margins. If you compete in a 24-hour race and feel absolutely exhausted at the end, but you’ve won, it’s a unique feeling.”

And exhausted or not, van der Linde, along with his AKKODIS ASP Team teammates, will be hoping to experience that unique feeling at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 15-16.

Think of a racecar like an upside-down airplane. The downforce it makes pushes it down onto the track and produces more grip from its tires, allowing it to go through the corners faster. That’s hugely important in endurance racing, where a combination of efficiency and speed is vital to staying in contention through a six-, eight-, or 24-hour race. Minimizing drag, the force that opposes a car’s motion through the air, is essential, too. A more slippery car is not only faster in a straight line – a must-have for the Mulsanne Straight – but more efficient on the fuel needed to punch it through the air.

During every WEC race, LMGT3 cars will be involved in dozens of overtakes – make that hundreds at Le Mans. To do that most effectively, they need to handle sudden load changes through corners and constant shifts in airflow from overtaking other LMGT3 cars – or from being passed by the faster prototypes. Cars best equipped for this will gain time and track position. In-race tweaks to a car’s setup can make a significant impact, but ultimately a strong starting package is key to obtaining the best results.

To be eligible to compete in LMGT3, the RC F GT3’s enhancements must remain within the strict ruleset for the class, which still allow for some aggressive aerodynamic upgrades. But to maintain a level playing field with the eight other brands racing in the 2024 WEC, it must also fit in a championship-specific aerodynamic performance window.

“GT cars have always been road cars at heart; they all exist in dealerships around the world,” explains AKKODIS ASP Team owner Jerome Policand. “But after the GT3 ruleset was introduced back in 2006, they quickly became closer to pure racecars. Cars such as our RC F GT3 all have sophisticated aero packages. Aerodynamics have become more important year after year and are just as important as the mechanical side of a racecar now.”

“Compromise” isn’t a word that comes easily to racers. But in the case of racecar aerodynamics, finding a balance between out and out speed and cornering performance is just that, a compromise.

For Jerome Policand, owner of the AKKODIS ASP Team, finding the sweet spot for a specific track is crucial to a successful race weekend.

“An LMGT3 car such as our RC F GT3 needs to be able to slow down and navigate slow corners, yet still reach 300km/h (185mph) down the straights,” he says. “Finding a compromise is never easy for a race team, but if you don’t, you can forget about winning...