2019 LEXUS RC300 sport mode

1194-1. Before driving
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Driving
WARNING
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine
braking is not available when N is
selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever
with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other
than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that
may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping
noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible. Rotor damage may result if the
pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brakes on F SPORT models
(RC350 [2WD]/RC300 [2WD] only):
Moderate levels of brake pad and disc
wear allow enhanced front braking
power. As a result, the discs may wear
more quickly than conventional brake
discs. Therefore, when replacing the
brake pads, Lexus recommends that you
also have the thickness of the discs mea-
sured. It is dangerous to drive the vehicle
when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are
exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P
or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an
accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the
engine is running, and apply the park-
ing brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline,
in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or back-
ward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake
as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed
while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which
could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters,
spray cans, or soft drink cans in the
vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plas-
tic material of glasses to deform or
crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior
of the vehicle, and may also cause a
short circuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the
vehicle. If a cigare tte lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the
floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is
adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the
windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on
the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.

1294-2. Driving procedures
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Driving
position, downshifting to 5 or 4.
(  P.130)
●8-speed models: While driving in the D
position, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4.
( P.130)
●When switching the driving mode to
sport mode while driving in the D posi-
tion. ( P.190)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
 P.117
■AI-SHIFT
●The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the
suitable gear accordin g to driver perfor-
mance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates
when the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the
shift lever to the M position cancels the
function.)
●8-speed models: G AI-SHIFT automati-
cally selects a suitable gear for sporty
driving according to driver’s input and
driving conditions. G AI-SHIFT operates
automatically when the shift lever is in D
and sport mode is sele cted for the driving
mode. (Selecting normal mode with the
driving mode select switch or shifting the
shift lever to the M po sition cancels this
function.)
While the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode, move the shift
lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P
and D, make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent
accidental operation of the shift lever in
starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only
when the engine swit ch is in IGNITION
ON mode and the brake pedal is being
depressed.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is
being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your
foot on the brake pedal, there may be a
problem with the shift lock system. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
The following steps may be used as an
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Be careful of downshifting and sudden
acceleration, as this could result in the
vehicle skidding to the side or spinning.
Shifting the shift lever

1304-2. Driving procedures
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
0_OM_(U)_1810emergency measure to ensure that the shift
lever can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1
Set the parking brake.
2
Turn the engine switch to off.
3
Depress the brake pedal.
4
Pry the cover up with a flathead screw-
driver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the
tip of the screwd river with a rag.
5
Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the but-
ton is pressed.
■Sport mode/Eco drive mode
 P.190
■Snow mode
Snow mode can be se lected to suit the
conditions when driving on slippery
road surfaces, such as snow.
Press the switch.
Press the switch again to return to normal
mode.
■Snow mode automatic deactivation
Snow mode is automatically deactivated if
the engine switch is turned off after driving
in snow mode.
To drive using temporary shift range
selection, operate the “-” or “+” paddle
shift switch.
When the “-” paddle shift switch is
operated, the shift range will be down-
shifted to a range that enables engine
braking force that is suitable to driving
conditions. When the “+” paddle shift
switch is operated, the shift range will
be one gear higher than the gear in use
during normal D position driving.
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when releas-
ing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override
button, make sure to set the parking
brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pe dal is accidentally
depressed instead of the brake pedal
when the shift lock override button is
pressed and the shift lever is shifted out
of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, pos-
sibly leading to an accident resulting in
death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving mode
Selecting shift ranges in the D
position

1344-2. Driving procedures
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To set the parking brake, fully depress
the parking brake pedal with your left
foot while depressing the brake pedal
with your right foot.
(Depressing the pedal again releases
the parking brake.)
■Parking the vehicle
 P.116
■Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven
with the parking brake engaged. “Release
Parking Brake” is displayed on the
multi-information display.
■Usage in winter time
 P.197
*: If equipped
1Louder
2
Lower
The indicator comes on when the ASC
system is on.
When the dial is turned to the lowest
volume, the ASC system will be turned
off and the indicator will go off.
Parking brake
Operating instructions
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake set will lead to brake components
overheating, which may affect braking
performance and increase brake wear.
ASC (Active Sound Con-
trol)*
The ASC system is an electronic
sound system that generates
engine sound, conveying the
kinetic situations of the vehicle’s
acceleration and deceleration to
the driver through the speakers
inside the instrument panel.
The vehicle’s response to the
driver’s acceleration behavior and
shift operations are also conveyed
in sound.
When sport mode is selected, the
sound conveyed to the driver will be
louder.
Controlling volume

1354-2. Driving procedures
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Driving
■The ASC system can be operated when
The driving mode select switch is in normal
mode or sport mode. ( P.190)
■Temporary cancelation of the ASC sys-
tem functions
The ASC system may be temporarily can-
celed depending on the driving conditions,
such as when the tires slip due to sudden
acceleration.

1564-5. Using the driving support systems
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■Enabling/disabling the pre-colli-
sion system
The pre-collision system can be
enabled/disabled on ( P.71) of
the multi-information display.
The system is automatically enabled each
time the engine switch is turned to IGNI-
TION ON mode.
If the system is disabled, the PCS warn-
ing light will turn on and a message will
be displayed on the multi-information
display.
■Changing the pre-collision warn-
ing timing
The pre-collision warning timing can
be changed on ( P.71) of the
multi-information display.
The operation timing setting is retained
when the engine switch is turned off.
1Far
The warning will begin to operate earlier
than with the default timing.
2Middle
This is the default setting.
3Near
The warning will begi n to operate later
than with the default timing.
■Operational conditions
The pre-collision system is enabled and the
WARNING
●If the vehicle cannot be driven in a sta-
ble manner, such as when the vehicle
has been in an accident or is malfunc-
tioning
●When the vehicle is driven in a sporty
manner or off-road
●When the tires are not properly
inflated
●When the tires are very worn
●When tires of a size other than speci-
fied are installed
●When tire chains are installed
●When a compact spare tire or an
emergency tire puncture repair kit is
used
●If equipment (snow plow, etc.) that may
obstruct the radar sensor or camera
sensor is temporarily installed to the
vehicle
Changing settings of the pre-col-
lision system

1904-5. Using the driving support systems
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Vehicles without Adaptive Variable
Suspension System
1 Normal mode
Provides an optimal ba lance of fuel econ-
omy, quietness, and dynamic performance.
Suitable for city driving.
Press the switch to change the driving
mode to normal mode when Eco drive
mode or sport mode is selected.
2 Eco drive mode
Helps the driver accelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve fuel
economy through moderate throttle char-
acteristics and by controlling the operation
of the air conditioning system (heat-
ing/cooling).
When not in Eco drive mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the left, the
Eco drive mode indicator will come on.
3Sport mode
Controls the transmission and engine to
provide quick, powerful acceleration. This
mode also changes the steering feel, mak-
ing it suitable for when agile driving
response is desired, such as when driving
on roads with many curves.
When not in sport mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the right,
the “SPORT” indicator will comes on.
Vehicles with Adaptive Variable
Suspension System
1 Normal mode/Custom mode
Normal mode and custom mode are
selected by pressing the driving mode
select switch. Each time the switch is
pressed, the driving mode changes
between normal mode and custom mode.
When custom mode is selected, the “CUS-
TOM” indicator will be illuminated.
When Eco drive mode or sport mode is
selected, pressing th e switch changes the
driving mode to normal mode.
• Normal mode
Provides an optimal ba lance of fuel econ-
omy, quietness, and dynamic performance.
Suitable for city driving.
• Custom mode
Allows you to drive with the following func-
tions set to your preferred settings.
Driving mode select switch
The driving modes can be selected
to suit driving condition.
Selecting a drive mode

1914-5. Using the driving support systems
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Driving
Custom mode settings can only be
changed on the drive mode customization
display of the Center Display. ( P.202)
2 Eco drive mode
Helps the driver accelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve fuel
economy through moderate throttle char-
acteristics and by controlling the operation
of the air conditioning system (heat-
ing/cooling).
When not in Eco drive mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the left, the
Eco drive mode indicator will come on.
3Sport mode
•SPORT S mode
Controls the transmission and engine to
provide quick, powerful acceleration. Also,
gear shift timing is co ntrolled to suit sporty
driving, making this mode is suitable for
when agile driving response is desired,
such as when driving on roads with many
curves.
When not in SPORT S mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the right,
the “SPORT S” indicator will come on.
•SPORT S+ mode
Provides earlier down shift timing than
SPORT S mode in order to maintain a high
engine speed and provides faster gear
changes. This mode also changes the steering feel, susp
ension control and
VDIM control, making it suitable for pow-
erful sporty driving.
When in SPORT S mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the right,
the “SPORT S+” indicator will come on.
■Operation of the air conditioning sys-
tem in Eco drive mode
Eco drive mode controls the heating/cool-
ing operations and fan speed of the air con-
ditioning system to enhance fuel efficiency
(  P.205). To improve air conditioning per-
formance, adjust the fan speed or turn off
Eco drive mode.
■Automatic deactivation of sport mode
and custom mode
If the engine switch is turned off after driv-
ing in sport mode or custom mode, the
drive mode will be changed to normal
mode.
■Driving mode pop-up display (vehicles
with a 10.3-inch display)
When the driving mode is changed, the
selected driving mode will be temporarily
displayed on the side display. ( P.202)
FunctionSetting
Powertrain
Normal
Power
Eco
ChassisNormal
Sport
Air conditioning sys-
temNormal
Eco