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They had food, drinks for everyone as you register and then wait for you time slot.
They also provided a 10-15min Information Session about the design/development of the RC model lineup and also discussed the various features of each model.
The event featured 2 Parts and 3rd if you were lucky :
1) Autocross of 45 min featuring the RC350, RC350 Fsport, RC350 AWD, and RC350 Fsport AWD.
They also had the following cars as well: LS460 Fsport, GS350 Fsport, IS350 Fsport, BMW 435i Msport, Audi A5 (2.0T), and MB C350 (2 door).
My thoughts:
- IMO the 435i Msport was by far the fastest and the best handling of the bunch. Clear winner.
- IS350 Fsport was my next favorite, it felt more nimble and little faster than the RC350.
- Audi A5 - first time I drove one and it was very composed and flat through the hard turns, engine was very responsive (esp for 2.0T) and imo had better pickup than the 3.5 V6 of the Lexus coming out of the corners.
- GS350 Fsport was fun but engine needs more power once you stop to turn around the cones and the step on the gas it takes Forever to pick up speed.
- RC350Fsport RWD - Same issue as the GS with engine lacking immediate acceleration from a stop once you stomp on the throttle. The steering is WAY too light for my tastes, it gets heavier as u pick up speed but compared to BMW, im not used to it. It felt to me the IS and GS had a better weight to the steering.
- LS460 and MB Cclass - I didnt drive them so no comment... Note - All the cars were put in Sport+ mode for susp/engine and Transmission was also put in Sport but I did not manually shift
2) Track Time - Next part of the event was driving the Lexus RC-F and BMW M4 around the Track.
I got about 5-6 laps in each and you were able to push them pretty good. My thoughts:
- BMW M4 - I drove the M4 first and was very impressed. Car was in Sport + mode. Driving postion is perfect as most BMWs are.
It is fast as hell, corners flat, brakes great, steering is superb, no complaints at all.
- Lexus RC-F - I drove the RC-F next also in Sport + mode. The seating position is good but I was not able to adjust side bolsters - is this an option??? Overall interior is REALLY nice. The small NAV screen and cheap center plastic trim are the only major negatives.
Anyway this car is a MONSTER - The engine noise of this car alone makes it a clear winner over the M4, it sounds AWESOME. The sound on downshifts - WOW . The steering is perfectly weighted and feels natural, much better than regular RC350. Handling and braking was excellent, I couldn't feel any noticeable difference between the RCF and M4 in those respects. Overall the car is a Pleasure to drive on the track and its very easy to drive it.
The sounds of the engine and exhaust just made the RC-F much more of an experience and WAY more fun for me.
3) Special Event - They give 4 people that answer a question correctly about the RC a HOT Lap with one of the Pro drivers. I was lucky enough to be one of those 4 people. It was CRAZY!!!
What this car is capable of is beyond the potential of any regular driver.
The 4 cars were driven at the same time - these guys drifted the cars, passed each other what seemed like inches apart, full acceleration and braking, this went on for 3-5 laps, I was a little dazed . The car is really well balanced!
The statement "The Lexus RCF is faster than the BMW M4 and Audi RS5 on a closed track" is quite interesting. Would like some info on that from AMCI Testing Certified.
Having sparred with you in the M4 vs RC-F thread, it comes to me as a big surprise that you preferred the RC-F over the M4 by a big margin.
I always believed the sound from the engine/exhaust is a huge part of the performance driving experience and your review seems to confirm how RC-F puts it front and center.
The fact that you really liked the power and torque of the car makes me think you drove the RC-F with reflashed ECU, which the journalists did not get to.
They had food, drinks for everyone as you register and then wait for you time slot.
They also provided a 10-15min Information Session about the design/development of the RC model lineup and also discussed the various features of each model.
The event featured 2 Parts and 3rd if you were lucky :
1) Autocross of 45 min featuring the RC350, RC350 Fsport, RC350 AWD, and RC350 Fsport AWD.
They also had the following cars as well: LS460 Fsport, GS350 Fsport, IS350 Fsport, BMW 435i Msport, Audi A5 (2.0T), and MB C350 (2 door).
My thoughts:
- IMO the 435i Msport was by far the fastest and the best handling of the bunch. Clear winner.
- IS350 Fsport was my next favorite, it felt more nimble and little faster than the RC350.
- Audi A5 - first time I drove one and it was very composed and flat through the hard turns, engine was very responsive (esp for 2.0T) and imo had better pickup than the 3.5 V6 of the Lexus coming out of the corners.
- GS350 Fsport was fun but engine needs more power once you stop to turn around the cones and the step on the gas it takes Forever to pick up speed.
- RC350Fsport RWD - Same issue as the GS with engine lacking immediate acceleration from a stop once you stomp on the throttle. The steering is WAY too light for my tastes, it gets heavier as u pick up speed but compared to BMW, im not used to it. It felt to me the IS and GS had a better weight to the steering.
- LS460 and MB Cclass - I didnt drive them so no comment... Note - All the cars were put in Sport+ mode for susp/engine and Transmission was also put in Sport but I did not manually shift
2) Track Time - Next part of the event was driving the Lexus RC-F and BMW M4 around the Track.
I got about 5-6 laps in each and you were able to push them pretty good. My thoughts:
- BMW M4 - I drove the M4 first and was very impressed. Car was in Sport + mode. Driving postion is perfect as most BMWs are.
It is fast as hell, corners flat, brakes great, steering is superb, no complaints at all.
- Lexus RC-F - I drove the RC-F next also in Sport + mode. The seating position is good but I was not able to adjust side bolsters - is this an option??? Overall interior is REALLY nice. The small NAV screen and cheap center plastic trim are the only major negatives.
Anyway this car is a MONSTER - The engine noise of this car alone makes it a clear winner over the M4, it sounds AWESOME. The sound on downshifts - WOW . The steering is perfectly weighted and feels natural, much better than regular RC350. Handling and braking was excellent, I couldn't feel any noticeable difference between the RCF and M4 in those respects. Overall the car is a Pleasure to drive on the track and its very easy to drive it.
The sounds of the engine and exhaust just made the RC-F much more of an experience and WAY more fun for me.
3) Special Event - They give 4 people that answer a question correctly about the RC a HOT Lap with one of the Pro drivers. I was lucky enough to be one of those 4 people. It was CRAZY!!!
What this car is capable of is beyond the potential of any regular driver.
The 4 cars were driven at the same time - these guys drifted the cars, passed each other what seemed like inches apart, full acceleration and braking, this went on for 3-5 laps, I was a little dazed . The car is really well balanced!
I think we need to put up what people currently daily drive/weekend car to understand where they are coming from to divulge any bias...
@RNM, out of curiosity if the M4 had a better exhaust/engine note would you put it over the RCF? In your review it sounds like a big portion of the analysis is from the aural experience?
I think we need to put up what people currently daily drive/weekend car to understand where they are coming from to divulge any bias...
@RNM, out of curiosity if the M4 had a better exhaust/engine note would you put it over the RCF? In your review it sounds like a big portion of the analysis is from the aural experience?
The engine is a HUGE reason to buy either the RCF or M4 in the first place so yes to me its very important.
The RCF just felt more alive, more exciting to drive partly due to engine/exhaust note, and also a little easier to deal with on the track.....If you watch the MT comparison, all of those factors are very evident.
Besides the engine, I felt RCF had really excellent steering feel and perfect weight to it that felt natural and on par with the BMW, it handled great, brakes were solid.
At the end of the day, I had more fun in the RCF.
M4 has better seats, better driving position, better NAV, all carbon parts standard, better after market support, //M heritage, roomier cabin, available Manual trans and the way I would build it - it would be cheaper than RCF.
Both of these are GREAT cars - anybody would happy with either of them.
On the other hand - I really didnt like the RC350, I felt the 435i Msport is much more capable car.
I drove all versions of the RC350 - AWD, RWD, Fsport and non-Fsport - its a nice car but nothing special, and felt sloppy in the autocross event.
BTW my daily is a F10 535i RWD with 704 Msport Susp - best car i ever had by far.
Weekend car is a 2015 Subaru BRZ SeriesBlue
I have the feeling this engine may not be around anymore in a few years due to all the CAFE regulation BS. This maybe one of the last 5.0 V8 F cars or even some of the last greatest V8s and a japanese one at that. Get one while you can
On the other hand - I really didnt like the RC350, I felt the 435i Msport is much more capable car.
I drove all versions of the RC350 - AWD, RWD, Fsport and non-Fsport - its a nice car but nothing special, and felt sloppy in the autocross event.
I had the same feel for the IS350 FSport when I drove it back to back with the 335i I wound up getting last year (test drive, not an auto-X, but my test drives are best described as...exuberant). Loved the Lexus interior, I actually like the exterior styling (yes, even the controversial grill), seats were great, the fake leather in the Lexus was better than the real leather in the 335i (I even argued with the salesperson that it was so nice it just HAD to be real leather, though of course I was wrong), and, of course, while I've had decent luck with BMWs, there's really no comparison to Lexus reliability. But even in the sportiest mode, the car felt less settled when I took corners at what I consider to be a reasonably hard pace. It wasn't too bad though, and wouldn't likely have been a dealbreaker on it's own (I was pleasantly surprised to see how much of an improvement had been made over the previous IS suspension setup).
But the engine was no comparison at all - I don't need my car to be sub 4 seconds to 60, but I do want enough power that I can pass a Camry that decides to be a jerk by speeding up to prevent a pass in the fast lane - and the 350's engine simply wasn't powerful enough to be able to do that. Given that it looks like the RC will weigh in a bit heavier than the IS, it's simply not enough engine for the segment if you really want to compete with the 435 and S5. Heck, an A5 would give a RC350 a run for it's money, and a 428 will almost certainly beat it.
Fortunately, it looks like the RC-F will have enough power and handling to meet my inner hoon's needs, and there is just an attraction to a big old fashioned NA V-8 that simply can't be matched by an I-6, no matter how well engineered and powerful it is.
10-20-14, 06:26 PM
Lexus RC-F Event at Raceway Park in NJ - Pics
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