I've never been one to go with the flow. I've never fawned over the run-of-the-mill commuter hatchbacks and sedans. It's the strange, weird and wonderful that has piqued my interest. I'm a firm believer that life is too short to drive boring cars (even though life is the longest thing anyone can do) and as such, I've always looked in dark corners for my vehicles, often to my detriment – there's a reason they're not popular.
The odd-balls seldom offer a perfect blend of comfort, convenience and performance. If they do offer that then they sure as hell won't offer any semblance of reliability. But this is all part of the appeal. A car with a few quirks is more likely to offer up a personality, a character that is hard to ignore.
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The Lexus RC-F is one of these cars. It's packed with character and personality and if ever a car was to drum to its own beat, this would be it. Needless to say, this rather appealed to me.
It's not a new model but the 2020 Lexus RC-F has been updated. It's now even more performance orientated than before and does it in a way that rubs up ze Germans every step of the way.
Styling
The Lexus RC-F takes the fight to the German BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 coupe onslaught with a razor-edged katana. It's a melee of sharp edges and angular lines for the RC-F, starting with the spindle grille and aggressive headlamps that are massively improved over the outgoing model. Strong DRL elements are flanked by a set of three LEDs in the headlight glass, giving the RC-F a sinister look, both at night and during the day with just the DRLs illuminated.
The front bumper receives enlarged but functional ducting that helps guide air out of the wheel wells. The keen eye will also spot the slight corner tweaks to incorporate canard-like shapes, further improving the aerodynamic flow around the wheels. Helping vent this airflow is a set of aggressive vents behind the 19-inch alloy wheels. All of this is designed to help improve straight-line stability and front end response.
It continues at the rear with the RC-F receiving a retractable spoiler above the 3D taillights with their L-shaped elements. The lower section of the rear bumper features a central diffuser, flanked by the stacked chrome tips of the quad-exit exhaust system.
The elegant coupe commands a presence in the way that only a Lexus can – there's nothing else that looks like it on the roads and you're not confusing it for anything but a Lexus. Brand identity done right.
The Drive
All of these aerodynamic additions seem to have done their job, the RC-F is a housefly on RedBull, darting from side to side at only the slightest suggestion of a direction change. Don't get me wrong, it's not particularly nervous, but you steer it more with thought than actual input. This is thanks to the myriad of suspension and chassis changes that have helped shed weight and help improve response.
Aluminium suspension components and stiffer spring rates help the front end behave like a nervous meerkat while stiffer subframe bushes help keep the rear end planted when the front end dig into corners. These changes help keep the steering geometry aligned in high-G corners with less deflection that would ordinarily result in wayward steering response.
It's all aided by the specifically designed Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres that adorn the corners, wrapped around light-weight alloy wheels and carbon-ceramic disc brakes to keep unsprung mass as low as possible. Lexus has shed almost 25 kg from the unsprung weight in total. Small touches that have a big impact.
Performance
Power comes from a hearty 5.0-litre 2UR-GSE V8 that puts down 351 kW at 7100 RPM with a meaty 530 Nm sent to the rear wheels through a hollow drive shaft and a mechanical limited-slip differential. This makes the RC-F good for a 0 - 100 km/h sprint time of 4.5-seconds and a top speed of an electronically limited 270 km/h.
Changes to the engine include fine-tuning of the Lexus D-4S control to improve mid-range torque. The high compression ratio of 12.3:1 and naturally aspirated nature of this engine results in near-instant throttle response, allowing you to balance the car mid-corner with the throttle and it allows the RC-F to respond to even the slightest modulation on the straights.
Sadly, this impressive power plant is let down by the 8-speed torque converter gearbox that is too easily confused by these rapid inputs, and lethargic on the downshifts. It's a rather severe detraction to an otherwise impressive package.
Space and Comfort
Despite the fact that there's been a focus shift to handling and dynamics, with all the stiffening that has taken place, the Lexus RC-F remains rather compliant and comfortable to drive. This is helped with the various drive modes and Adaptive Variable Suspension.
Eco and Normal modes give you a similar feel through the steering wheel and keep the suspension supple and soft. Eco mode sees the power output reduced and throttle response detuned to make the best use of the linear power delivery
Space is in short supply though, as one would expect from a sports coupe. Rear seating room is negligible and the RC-F subscribes to the 2+2 mantra of two adults and two children... two small children. Ingress and egress to the rear require a modicum of flexibility as well as the leather bucket seats, that do duty in front, take up a significant amount of real estate.
Front passengers need not worry though as the seating is supportive and luxurious with contrasting white and blue stitching on the model we tested. The racy bucket seats are enveloping and emblazoned with the F-logo and are heated and ventilated for additional comfort.
The one area where Lexus is still missing the mark is in the infotainment stakes. While their system seems impressive on paper, the user experience is less than ideal, frankly, it's downright irritating. The trackpad that one uses to control it is either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. The menu hierarchy is illogical and far too complex to be used while on the move. It's one of those set-and-forget items that is best left alone while driving. Use the steering wheel-mounted controls if you don't like the song that's playing. The one redeeming factor is that the 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system is superb, with crystal clear clarity and inputs for CD, USB, AUX and Bluetooth. Lexus is yet to adopt Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Safety
Lexus hasn't compromised on safety either and there's an impressive array of driver assistance systems and passive safety measures included in the Lexus RC-F.
8 airbags, ABS, EBD, Traction Control (TCR) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) are standard fare in the RC-F. It further benefits from a brake-synchronised pre-crash system, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and pedestrian detection.
Automatic high-beams ensure that you're always able to see where you're going, even in the poorest light, all while ensuring that oncoming traffic isn't blinded.
Fuel Consumption
I highly doubt I have to say this again, but performance comes at a price. You cannot expect a thundering 351 kW V8 to return wonderful fuel consumption, no matter how you drive it. Lexus believes that you'll return 11.2 l/100km on the combined cycle and we are going to have to believe it because, in all honesty, we had no intention of doing an economy run in the RC-F – it's was too much fun to drive it spiritedly.
Price
In taking that fight to the Germans, the RC-F is priced competitively, coming in at R1 331 500 for the RC-F with the limited-numbers, hardcore version; the RC-F Track Edition, costing a handsome R2 119 200.
All models are sold with an impressive 7-years / 105 000km warranty and 7-years / 105 000km service plan with service intervals set at 12-months / 15 000km.
The Verdict
The RC-F is a memorable car for all the right reasons. The quirks just make it that little bit special and add a character that is sorely lacking in many of its European counterparts. It has a wonderful soundtrack, more than enough poke to get you into serious trouble and as much comfort as you could ever want in a sports coupe.
The Lexus RC-F certainly isn't a car for the mainstream customer and that's fine by me because if too many people bought it, I'd have to start disliking it.
*Shoot location courtesy of Renico Construction, for office suites and more, visit Eagle Canyon Business Park.*
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