Lexus RC F 10th Anniversary | Spotted
Japan's V8 coupe looks more appealing now than it did 10 years ago - especially with blue leather seats
Nothing says mid-life crisis more than throwing yourself into something vaguely sporty. For most people that usually means running, cycling or at the very least signing up for a gym membership that you’ll only end up using three times at most. For Lexus, having spent decades building sensible fuel-efficient barges for people who couldn’t give a dam about 0-60mph times, its idea of a mid-life crisis meant shoving huge, shouty V8s into anything it could get its hands on. First came the IS F, which was a critical hit (if not in showrooms) and proved that Toyota’s luxury brand could kick it with the likes of Audi RS, BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.
What followed was glorious Lexus LFA, one of which is available on PH in an ultra-rarer shade of Fresh Green, which matched F1-grade engineering with Toyota-levels of refinement, albeit at a price that eclipsed the most kitted-out RX by a factor of five. Then came the RC F, a sleek two-door coupe that had BMW M4-beater written all over it. Lexus introduced a new 5.0-litre V8 for the RC F with a punchy 473hp, a good 42hp more than the M4, while its 391lb ft torque figure was only a smidgen down on what the Beemer’s twin-turbo straight-six could muster. Once again, Lexus looked set to bloody the nose of the German establishment.
However, the RC F came at a time when a certain motoring show was at its absolute peak, where whatever was said during its one-hour runtime sent ripples through the industry. For the RC F, that was a very public dressing down from Clarkson and a whooping from the F82 M4 in the process. “I really don’t like this car. I don’t like the way it looks, I don’t like the way it goes, I don’t like the way it feels”, said Clarkson while in a cloud of tyre smoke. This can’t have helped sales, which were pretty lacklustre here in Britain. HowManyLeft puts the number at around 200 if you include all the special editions, which is even fewer than the 230-odd IS Fs sold here.
Most reviewers, however, were more kind to the RC F. Dale Lomas wrote in his PH review: “Maybe it's the breakthrough from low expectations, but the RC F is surprisingly easy to love." He added: “The balance that was lacking in the IS F is finally here. Slight understeer will transform to fantastically proportional oversteer, purely with driver input.” So Clarkson was right about the RC F’s stubborn front end, but there was probably a more adept chassis lurking behind it than he cared to admit on TV.
Step forward ten years and the RC F becomes ever more appealing in a sea of turbocharged, ultra-efficient performance coupes. Its design has stood the test of time well, too, and looks especially striking in 10th Anniversary car we have here. The special edition arrived in 2018 to mark the 10th birthday of F’d-up Lexuseses and featured matte Nebula Grey paint, black wheels (optioned here with a blue lip, which looks ace), blue brake callipers and a carbon bonnet. And on the inside, Lexus fitted a pair of sub-zero blue leather seats, blue highlights on the steering wheel and dash, and even blue-tinted carbon on the door inserts.
Perhaps the greatest asset the RC F has over its German rivals is the fact that values continue to hold strong. This uber-rare 10th Anniversary will set you back £46,995, with only one previous owner on the books and just 10,000-miles recorded. Now, a standard RC F can be had for a whole lot less - take this 36,000-mile car for £31,495 as proof - but a F82 M4 can be had for high teens to mid-20s these days. And while it’ll be better to drive, it won’t match the theatre of a naturally-aspirated V8 - or the dependability of car built under Toyota’s watchful eye.
SPECIFICATION | LEXUS RC F 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Engine: 4,969cc V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 473@7,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 391@4,800rpm-5,600rpm
MPG: 26.2
CO2: 252
Year registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 10,000
Price new: £69,995
Yours for: £46,995
It must be a strange coincidence that I spotted a standard Lexus RC300 in a car park earlier and thought dam that's looking pretty smart in metallic red.
Sadly the standard 2.0T petrol and the petrol hybrid versions are too slow for my liking, think somewhere around 8 seconds to 60 when you'd expect 5-6.
The LC has a much better gearbox and engine note, with a rubbish boot and pointless rear seats. The RCF has better rear seats, same engine with a different (more muted) exhaust note and an ok gearbox. I’d say it offers about 60-70% of the LC and for the price of the first gen (£23-27k) that’s good enough for me.
Where the RCF is better than the LC is track situations, as it has engine & transmission coolers. It’s easy to overheat the transmission on the LC when hitting it hard. It’s also slightly more practical.
I almost got back into an LC but the rear seats + the canbus theft issue caused me to defer for a little longer. Maybe next time, as the LC 500 is an utterly fabulous car.
The LC has a much better gearbox and engine note, with a rubbish boot and pointless rear seats. The RCF has better rear seats, same engine with a different (more muted) exhaust note and an ok gearbox. I’d say it offers about 60-70% of the LC and for the price of the first gen (£23-27k) that’s good enough for me.
Where the RCF is better than the LC is track situations, as it has engine & transmission coolers. It’s easy to overheat the transmission on the LC when hitting it hard. It’s also slightly more practical.
I almost got back into an LC but the rear seats + the canbus theft issue caused me to defer for a little longer. Maybe next time, as the LC 500 is an utterly fabulous car.
Canbus problem is finally getting sorted with free trackers and geofence devices from Lexus, although BBC Watchdog are looking at doing a follow-up article as Lexus’s solution still doesn’t stop theft. Immobiliser and visible signs it’s fitted are the answer.
I guess that you have to see them as more of a GT car in fairness, rather than something that you grab by the scruff of the neck though? My 370Z is a bit like that in many ways as well. You can throw it around if you want, but it naturally prefers a more laid back approach really though.
I guess that you have to see them as more of a GT car in fairness, rather than something that you grab by the scruff of the neck though? My 370Z is a bit like that in many ways as well. You can throw it around if you want, but it naturally prefers a more laid back approach really though.
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