The 2015 Lexus RC F is the Toyota luxury brand's most ambitious attempt yet to rival the performance cars from BMW M and the other German hot rod shops. Since journalists first got their hands on the new coupe, the question of how the RC F measures up to the Teutonic competition has dominated most discussions.
Now, Chris Harris is ready to submit his opinion. He drove the RC F during its press launch at the Monticello Motor Club in upstate New York a few months ago, and found it to be a mixed bag.
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On paper he called the Lexus a "confusing proposition" because the appealing, naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 is mounted in a very heavy chassis.
The negative seemed to outweigh the positive on the track, where Harris felt the car's bulk compromised handling too much, even as he praised Lexus for eschewing the turbocharged route the Germans seem to prefer at the moment, and pulled off some sweet drifts.
We drew similar conclusions when we drove the RC F at Monticello. It just didn't seem as sharp as a BMW M4.
However, Harris still found plenty to like. He genuinely liked the styling--which hasn't gotten such positive reviews in all circles--and says the RC F shines on the road.
Lexus doesn't seem to have quite hit the mark then. Maybe the 2016 GS F will finally be the Lexus F model to win some unqualified praise.
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