Lexus unveiled the all-new RC coupe at the recently held Tokyo Motor Show.

It is based on the GS platform, the RC gives the Japanese luxury carmaker a truly sporty model outside of the LFA. Let's just say it's a relatively "cheap" way to race a Lexus for those who can't afford to buy the aforementioned limited-edition supercar.

Now, Lexus Manila accompanied a few of its valuable customers to the show, and these Lexus owners were naturally smitten with the RC. Some of them, in fact, were already badgering company president Danny Isla for a unit and virtually all of them are clamoring for a V8-powered RC. The RC isn't officially available with a V8 engine.

You see, when Lexus presented the car at the Tokyo Motor Show, only two engine choices were announced: a 3.5-litre V6 and a 2.5-litre in-line-four hybrid.

Thing is, there has been unofficial talk about Lexus soon coming out with a V8 powerplant for the RC, and that the variant could appear at the North American International Auto Show in January.

Likely to be shoehorned into the RC is the 416 HP, 5-litre V8 found under the hood of the new IS F - most probably tweaked to better serve the requirements of a sports coupe.

According to Isla, Toyota Motor Philippines president Michinobu Sugata wanted to bring in the V6-engined RC when the new car is launched in our market sometime August next year but the TMP boss is now reportedly rethinking the plan after the Filipino Lexus owners have expressed a preference for the V8 version.