When you think of American muscle in a car you immediately have visions of massive big blog V8 engines and raw power pouring from under the hood. These cars have been built for generations without the use of turbocharging or forced induction and even though it that these vehicles are a bit antiquated in their approach there’s always been something beautiful about an American muscle car with the big engine roaring under the hood. The one place you don’t expect to find this type of power is under the hood of a Japanese luxury sports car.

Let’s think about this for a second. Most of the Japanese sports cars we admire use turbocharging, fuel injection or supercharging. Not only that, typically the sports cars that come from this market are full of tricks that give them more push and power and the luxury models are meant to be smoother than the rest. You might think the leader in the world of hybrid vehicles, Toyota would have something more up its sleeve from its luxury sports car, but in reality we love what the Lexus RC F is and how it’s powered.

Under the hood of this amazing sports car is a 5.0-liter V8 engine. This engine is naturally aspirated and becoming part of a dying breed, but with this power plant this car fits in with the American muscle cars easily. The power you enjoy comes to you at 467 horsepower and 389 lb.-ft. of torque to give you a car that offers the power you want for the drive you’re looking for. The transmission used is about the only part of this powertrain that hints at luxury as it’s an eight-speed automatic transmission that gives you the smooth shifting you want.

Not often do you have a car that can’t figure out where it should be considered, but the RC F is one of those cars. As a car from a luxury automaker it has the driving manners that puts it in the same class as the German luxury sports cars that have an M or AMG badge on the back, but with the powerful large engine it also has the fun of being put next to the American muscle machines. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a car that carries two strong identities, as long as it can blend the two perfectly, and this car gets the job done extremely well.

Another huge benefit of this car is the aggressive styling that you’ll get to enjoy from the RC F. The long sleek lines create a perfection of motion on the road to give you a car that can easily win your heart and steal your imagination as you look at it. On the inside the RC F is all luxury and sport combined to give you a great cabin full of features and creature comforts to ensure you will enjoy your drive as soon as you start up that monstrosity of an engine under the hood.