Twenty five years after the Lexus brand was launched in Detroit, Toyota's luxury division unveiled its new flagship model, the RC F sports coupé. It's squarely aimed at the BMW M4 Coupé and Audi RS 5. Yukihiko Yaguchi, RC F Chief Engineer, said: "I've built the RC F to be enjoyed by all enthusiasts, no matter what their level of expertise. There's a false perception that racing cars are hard to drive. In fact, they're easy in the right hands because they've been purpose-built for the skill level of their drivers. It's the same with the RC F. Electronics can be modified instantly on board to provide appropriate levels of performance and protection. But even at its basic setting, it's a blast!"
Exterior
We're still not fully au fait with the styling of the regular Lexus RC coupé as it has yet to go on sale, so there's a lot to take in on the F model. It builds on the appealing curves of the standard car with more pronounced air intakes and outlets, plus a more aggressive variant of the controversial spindle radiator grille up front. The stacked quad exhausts hold more universal approval, as do the 10-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels. What isn't so obvious at first glance is that Lexus has incorporated carbon fibre into the body, manufacturing the roof, bonnet and active rear spoiler from the lightweight material. Though not finalised, the target weight is under 1,800kg.
Interior
As you'd expect from something with a Lexus badge on the front, the RC F is no stripped out racer inside. It comes with a the luxuries you'd expect of a range-topper and a smattering of F-specific items, such as variable instruments, an elliptical steering wheel and body-hugging sports seats.
Mechanicals
Lexus says the RC F will be the most powerful V8-engined car it has ever made, yet, for some reason, it's being coy on the exact maximum power output, instead wishing only to confirm that it has in excess of 450hp. Peak torque is somewhere north of 520Nm and apparently induction and exhaust notes are 'regulated' to make the right noises at the right time. Like a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 needs any help...
Bolted to the back of the engine is an eight-speed auto tweaked specifically for the RC F and featuring tactile gear shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. Somewhat surprisingly, adaptive damping doesn't appear to be part of the RC F's make-up. On all four corners are coil springs and monotube gas dampers, with ball-jointed anti-roll bars. Apparently the structure itself is tremendously stiff.
Top speed is pegged at about 270km/h, with 0-100km/h in just over four seconds.
Anything else?
Lexus is claiming that the use of a Torque Vectoring Differential is a world first in a front-engine/rear-drive sports car. It has three selectable modes: Standard, Slalom and Track. In the latter setting the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system is recalibrated with an additional vertical G-force sensor to secure even greater stability.
The Lexus RC F is due on sale early in 2015.