Lexus RC F Track Edition | Spotted
Who said track cars weren't daily driver material?
For a company that produces some of the boatiest cruisers on the planet, Lexus sure knows a thing or two about going quick. It nailed the super-saloon from the get-go with the IS F, while the LFA howled its way onto our shortlist of the best supercars of the last 25 years. Not every car in its extensive produced line is blessed with the F, but the ones that have are something rather special. Well, most of them.
Yes, it’s hard to look past the Ms, RSs and AMGs of the world, but the Fs tend to approach the performance car market from a different angle. Like the regular stuff, Lexus prefers its sports cars to be comfortable (early IS Fs aside), plush and, unlike many of its competitors, absolutely bomb-proof. That applies to everything from the ultra-wafty GS F all the way to the aforementioned V10 GT. Or almost everything, I should say, because the car you see here is a rare example of Lexus ripping up the rulebook.
It's called the RC F Track Edition and, shy of the LFA Nurburgring Package, is the closest thing you’ll find to a road-going version of the company’s boisterous RC F GT3 racer. In a bid to reach ‘a higher degree of F’ (whatever F actually is), Lexus engineers focused on removing as much unsprung mass as possible from the portly GT. Standard ceramic brakes (on a Lexus!), lightweight brake callipers and forged BBS wheels shed 25kg alone, with the added benefit of providing considerably more stopping power than the base RC F. A carbon fibre-reinforced plastic roof and bonnet brought the total weight-saving to nearly 80kg.
Further emphasising the Track Edition’s more, er, track-focused nature was a new body kit with a deeper carbon fibre splitter and fixed rear wing. Apparently, they cut drag and generate more downforce to the tune of 26kg. Power, meanwhile, dipped from 477hp to 457hp over here in the Europe thanks to the then-recent introduction of WLTP, though this was also reflected in the standard RC F when it received a facelift at around the same time. On the upside, the Track Edition benefited from a titanium exhaust that not only reduced weight but also provided ‘a unique sound’. So, less poke, more shout.
Remember, this is still a Lexus at the end of the day. Despite going to great lengths to reduce weight, the interior was left largely untouched - even the dash clock was spared. The company resisted the urge to throw in a set of Recaros, too, instead leaving the RC F’s very leathery and very heavy seats as they were. That approach obviously meant the Track Edition was nowhere near as capable as, say, an M4 GTS, but Lexus was adamant that refinement wouldn’t be sacrificed in the name of speed.
A ‘track car’ that isn’t a complete chore to live with. Sounds a lot like PH Project Car, minus the creamy leather interior and sticky radio buttons. If you’re interested, now is very much the time to reach for the wallet. The ad claims that only 50 were allocated for the UK market, so it’s not often one graces the classifieds with its leather-on-carbon majesty. This one’s covered just 4,000 miles, so those carbon ceramic brakes should have plenty of life left in them for extensive track action. How does £84,990 sound? Not as much as they were when new, though you’re still paying a hefty premium over a standard RC F. There’ll be nothing else like it on a track day, mind, and certainly nothing as civilised for the drive home.
SPECIFICATION | LEXUS RC F TRACK EDITION
Engine: 4,969cc V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 453@7,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 384@4,800rpm
MPG: 19
CO2: 229g/km
Year registered: 2020
Recorded mileage: 4,000
Price new: £93,310
Yours for: £84,990
Would look ok without the spoiler, probably a very satisfying car to own, but like others of said, would take the normal one over this.
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