2014 Lexus RC F 5.0 V8 8AT (467 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lexus tried to get a slice of the market occupied by the likes of the BMW M4 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG by creating the RC F, a sports coupe with a massive engine under the hood and an aggressive look. The Japanese automaker introduced this vehicle on the market in 2014 at the North American International Auto Show for the 2015 model year.

The Japanese premium automaker was already known for its reliable and luxurious vehicles. There were some unique sports cars made by it, but none of them threatened the Germans’ supremacy in the sport compact premium segment. But when the RC lineup showed up in 2014 as a two-door version of the IS, and then the F version made its presence in the carmakers’ showrooms, things changed. But not that much. Lexus remained an appreciated brand for its luxurious, reliable vehicles. But not sporty.

With an exterior designed to conquer roads and tracks, the RC F featured a front fascia dominated by the massive spindle grille design of the brand. That was flanked by triangular side scoops mounted on the lower side of the bumper in the apron. Those were functional, and Lexus installed them there to cool the front rotors. On the hood, the automaker placed a scoop that extracted hot air from the engine compartment, while behind the front fenders, it added extracting vents to reduce lift caused by the air trapped inside the wheel wells. The car’s profile revealed an ascending beltline and wide rear fenders that covered the sticky 275/35 tires mounted on 19” alloy wheels. The short deck at the back resembled the one from the Toyota GT86 with its short incorporated lip spoiler on the trunk’s lid, while on the lower side, Lexus installed a set of four oval exhausts, stacked two by two in a diagonal layout closer to the car’s edges.

Inside, Lexus tried to create a luxurious yet sporty interior. As a result, in front of the driver, the automaker installed a dashboard where the tachometer took center stage and was flanked on the right by the speedometer and on the left by an LCD for the car’s onboard computer. The display for the infotainment unit was placed atop the center stack, on the dashboard, and featured a color display, and the driver or the side passenger could’ve controlled it via a touchpad placed behind the gear selector on the center console. The front occupants sat on leather-wrapped high-bolstered seats that featured integrated headrests and holes for a four-point harness. Still, the RC F featured regular seat belts. In the back, there was hardly enough room for adult-sized passengers. Due to the sloped-down roof line and the limited legroom, it was not recommended for long travels. But Lexus offered the RC F as a grand tourer/sports car, and that’s why it considered that a 10.1 cu-ft (286-liter) trunk was enough.

Under the hood, apart from the rest of the RC range, the F version received a five-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that sent 461 HP (467 PS) to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. In addition, a torque-vectoring differential was on the options list.