While on a trip quick to Colorado for a wedding, Lexus was willing to provide me with some transportation around the beautiful state. The car waiting in the valet spot at the airport was not just any A to B transport though. We walked up to a $80,000 Lexus RC F growling as it idled in its parking space.. It’s a car I have been wanting to drive since it came out and the roads of Denver and Colorado Springs were the perfect time to experience it for the first time.
The driving experience of the RC F is that of a fantastic GT car. The RCF is notoriously heavy compared not only to the competition, but even to that of the four door Lexus GS F it shares an engine with. The 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 producing 467 has no qualms in delivering that power to the ground though.The 2UR-GSE V8 in all “F” cars come to life around 3200 RPM. The opening of the second intake takes the car to another dimension and it will fight its own heft and pull and pull all the way until the power band finally starts to die off near the redline of 7300 RPMs.
In comfort mode, the suspension never felt too rough to enjoy the car. It’s also one of the first times switching a mode has really made a massive difference in the attitude of the car. Taking my brother in law for a ride around the block , he was shocked that he could actually feel Sport Plus as soon as the Frankenstein bolt dial was turned. Having the ability to make the switch between cornering and comfy makes for a fantastic highway cruiser.
In the corners the weight of the RC F rears its ugly head again. Even with 51 more horsepower than my IS F, the 400lb difference had me yearning for the playful, tail happy fun of the car in my garage at home. The grip of the RCF was fairly impressive, especially in Sport Plus but there is still nothing that compensates for weight.
The interior of the RC F is as nice of a place to be as any other Lexus. I’ve said it before, but Lexus continually seems to have one of the nicer, more cohesive interiors of any current luxury brand. Screens are built into the dash like they were meant to be there rather than being placed haphazardly on top like an afterthought. Something Toyota did totally forget in this car was Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Nearly inexcusable for a car in this price range. Thankfully the 2020 mid-cycle refresh rectifies this.
The red bucket seats were a hit among friends and family as it provided much appreciated pop to the admittedly pretty, but still boring paint color. Atomic Silver is very pretty, but I’ve never seen the allure of it on a near 500 horsepower sports car. This is especially true as Lexus has a wonderful shade of both blue and orange also available on the RC F.
While I loved my time in the RC F I can’t totally recommend it. If you are looking for a coupe, the BMW M4, C/E63 or even the new Toyota Supra would be slightly better options for the price. If you can stretch the budget a little higher, the absolutely stunning and slightly more powerful LC500 is begging for you to buy it. If you’re not set on a two door, the big brother GS F would definitely be the way to go. The practicality and rarity make it really cool car you would not regret bringing home.
Courtesy Lexus.com 
Courtesy Lexus.com
