Why The Lexus RC F Super Coupe Will Make You Think Twice About Buying An M4

Lexus isn’t a company to shy away from big engines and mad styling. Its astonishing LFA supercar (RIP headphone users) featured huge air vents, acute angles and, of course, that 4.8-litre weapons-grade V10 engine. Thanks to its extensive use of lightweight carbonfibre, a stiff body, endless power reserves (552bhp; 354lb ft) and a 203mph top speed, it was capable of lapping the Nurburgring in 07:13.92. For context, that’s only 17 seconds off the pace of a Porsche 918 Spyder.

Since the LFA’s limited production run of 500 cars ended in December 2012, exciting and focused performance cars from Lexus have been lacking. Until now…

The new RC F is said to borrow much of its tuning and tech from the LFA, and features a 4969cc, 32-valve V8 under its sculpted bonnet. The super coupe’s 471bhp power figure makes this the most powerful V8 in Lexus history, up by 12 per cent compared with the IS F with which it shares the same engine. The rev limit has also been raised from 6800rpm to 7300rpm.

Naturally, power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox (people who buy these don’t drive manual anymore), which helps propel the RC F from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, ahead of its limited top speed of 168mph.

On paper, then, the new Lexus sounds like a pin-up car; a naturally-aspirated V8, shouty looks, RWD, 168mph top speed and 471 horses. The real question is: how does it compare with its biggest rival, the BMW M4 (there’s also the M3, RS4 and C63 if you prefer to quench your power cravings with something a little more practical).

Both the M3 and the RC F can handle a track like Ascari (the location of this launch as per video below) with ease and, I’m sure would put in fairly similar lap times. It’s the way in which each car delivers its power where you’ll really notice the differences. Where the M4 uses a twin-turbocharged straight-six, the Lexus sticks to the mantra ‘there is no replacement for displacement’. While this is true in terms of noise and purity, the Lexus lacks low-end torque. This means that gears need to be shifted down far more frequently than in the turbocharged M4, to keep the heavy V8 in its 4500rpm+ sweet spot.

Speaking of changing down through the gears frequently, this is the one major flaw with the RC F. During testing, we clocked five seconds for the eight-speed auto to manually switch from eighth gear to engage the desired third cog. Five seconds might not seem particularly long now, but find yourself wanting to overtake a slow-moving lorry on a B road, and that five seconds might mean the difference between the overtake or further frustration. The gearbox’s inability to block shift like other high performance cars is also disappointing.

Torque and gearbox issues aside, the RC F is otherwise a brilliant car to drive fast. Grip levels are extreme - thanks in part to the coupe’s wide rear tyres (275/35/R19), stiff chassis and immense 1765kg weight - but it’s the torque vectoring differerential (an optional extra fitted to our test cars) that’s the real party piece.

The TVD uses two multi-plate clutches that are controlled by a pair of electric motors. Their job is to feed up to 100 per cent of engine torque to each wheel in one thousandth of a second. The result is a car that produces huge grip on any road surface, which makes inducing a drift more difficult than in an M4, but not impossible; 471bhp cannot be tamed, in other words…

The RC F comes to a halt well too thanks to big brakes front and rear (380mm and 345mm respectively), and steering is sharp and direct, despite the system - like most cars these days - being electric. Thrown at the best fast corners and challenging chicanes, the coupe’s handling also gets a thumbs up. With TVD, you get three driving modes - Standard, Slalom and Track - the latter of which ensures high speed stability on a circuit like Ascari. Switch to Slalom, and you get crisper turn-in, while Standard combines the two in a softer package.

Inside the RC F, you’re greeted by a stunning pair of leather racing seats. Like in the M3/M4, they’re not only wonderful to look at, they’re also extremely good at keeping you upright and are very comfortable; more comfortable in fact than the Bimmer’s. The doors are also nicely scuplted and there’s plenty of cool carbonfibre weave to get excited over. What’s not so nice is the centre console, which is too plasticy and feels at odds in its cool surroundings.

You get a really good feeling while driving the RC F; not in a cocky ‘look at me, I’m riding around in a £60k Lexus coupe’, but because people stop, stare and turn around to see the car - just look at that face. The naturally-aspirated V8 also sounds incredible especially above 6000rpm.

The best thing about the Lexus RC F is its ability to just be a Lexus - smooth, quiet, comfortable and wafty. Push a few buttons, and you’ve got yourself a high-revving track slayer with complicated tech to keep you on the black stuff.

I guess a good way to differentiate the the M4 and the RC F would be to say that the M4 needs an experienced set of hands to be driven on the limit, while a gorilla like me can be made to look like a half-decent driver by the Lexus.

M4 or RC F: which is it to be for you?