The Lexus RC-F Track Edition bullies the bullies

I hate social media. It’s turned all of us into zombies in some way. Conformists too. You and I get love-bombed with BMWs and Porsches on our feeds, and soon we believe that unless we have such cars, we won’t be invited to the imaginary car parties in our heads. But there is hope – a glimmer – in this Lexus RC-F Track Edition.

What if you don’t want to be invited to the party?

The 2024 Lexus RC-F Track Edition Overview

It’s probably been awhile since you’ve thought about a Lexus RC. After all, how many do you even see in the wild? Sports cars and coupes are not popular choices – hell, even the BMW M4 is rumored to die soon. The RC will too – it’s to merge with the more expensive LC in the future.

This RC-F debuted in 2013, and no doubt the Track Edition is a last gasp for the car. Bolted to it are lots of carbon fiber (outside and in), carbon ceramic brakes, a titanium exhaust, and lightweight forged wheels. Of course, that glorious V-8 is here as well.

Right up front, I must tell you this car costs $105,555. It’s so ancient, it still comes with a CD player. Prepare to average just 16 MPG around town. And peep that Tokyo-racer inspired spoiler – exciting if you’re 12, ridiculous if you’re 40.

I love ridiculous.

Performance Score: 9. Fast that makes you Furious

On the dash are two buttons. One is marked “LAUNCH”, and one has two squiggly lines under a car icon with the word “OFF”. If you touch either, the RC will go into…ahem…EXPERT mode.

Lexus, that’s so flattering. I mean, I’m totally an expert at driving, so it’s nice to be recognized. But I think this is a hint as to what’s in store for us.

Engine

Ignite the 472-horsepower, 5-liter 2UR-GSE V-8 and a satisfying roar fills the cabin that quickly quiets down to a library whisper. Drive it around town like a Lexus, and no one would even know you’re carrying around a nuclear weapon under the hood. But once you dip your foot into the well-calibrated throttle, you will unleash a howl at 4,000 RPMs as induction noise takes over, and suddenly you will understand the meaning of life.

I need make no excuses for the RC-F Track Edition – it’s fast. Really fast. Deceptively really fast. I cannot tell you how many times I looked down and said wait, WAT? Triple digits are so easy to access, it should be a crime. Oh yea, it is. Due to lower weight, the Track Edition is ever so slightly faster to sixty (0.2 seconds) than a regular model, so there is science behind the feeling.

Peak horsepower is up there, at 7,100 RPM, and 395 lb-ft of torque is yours at 4,800. It’s never laggy at low RPMs, you just need to push the car ever so slightly to wake it up. Laugh if you want, but this is a better motor than the S65. Quote that to all your little forum buddies. Won’t break like that engine will, either.

Sound? I’m not sure how much of a difference the titanium muffler makes in comparison to lesser RC, but it does get loud at full throttle. No need for fake engines sounds here.

I love you, V-8.

Transmission

Though this unit is the same eight-speed from the IS 500, the RC-F has “Direct-Shift” listed on the Monroney label, and thus has unique programming.

Sadly it does not help, and the issue of kick-down remains. Ask for power, and the RC won’t downshift. Toe in more throttle, and it might kick down one (not enough), or two (too much) gears. Now you’re going faster than needed, so you hit the brakes only for the engine to be screaming at you. Tough to drive smooth, even for an “expert” like me.

There is a Torson limited slip differential to help dole out the power to the rear wheels, but this thing really is an animal. Anytime you pass, you must anticipate the rear end getting squiggly, or just hanging out entirely if the traction control is off. I find it to be very fun, but also a bit of a handful. Relax, RC, I’m just passing a Ford Ecovan.

But sometimes imperfections in cars help give them personality. Driving the RC-F is like having a hot date with a laugh like Urkel. It can ruin the experience for you, if you let it.

Don’t let it.

Steering and Chassis

More goodness. The steering in the RC-F is heavy and direct, which is great for helping with keeping the car pointed straight while the back end dances. Love the full Alcantara treatment once you grip it as well.

Unlike the IS 500, the RC-F is a full F-car, so it gets a an adaptive F suspension. I will say that once you try an RC, the IS 500’s lack of firmness becomes more apparent, and the RC is much better for it. But the coupe still feels a bit off – the rebound after going over a bump in the road stays in the suspension’s memory far too long. The car doesn’t feel that firm, so why is the ride so bouncy?

The Track Edition brings a carbon fiber roof, hood, and spoiler that helps drop the weight by over 100 pounds, to 3,781. That’s a good thing for every aspect of the car, and it also makes it lighter than anything with an M badge on it at the moment. It’s absolutely beautiful work too – check that F on the spoiler tail. Looking in the rear-view mirror makes it seem like you’re in an F/A-18. Exciting.

One other element the Track Edition brings are special 19-inch forged BBS wheels, but with just a 275 mm rear width, the Michelin Pilots aren’t meaty enough to handle all that power. Maybe that’s intentional on Lexus’s part – sideways is fun. But they don’t look big enough on the car either – cars like this need 20 inches in the back.

Lexus, stop off at Arby’s and give us the meats.

Brakes

Carbon ceramic are standard on this car, helping to explain some of the price premium over a regular RC-F. I must say, they are probably the best brakes I’ve ever experienced.

They feel similar to the IS 500 with their immediacy and confidence-inspiring pedal feel, but the bigger brake hardware and fade-resistance from the ceramics really just bring the RC-F Track Edition into a league of its own. Nothing I’ve driven, from Corvettes to Porsches, have felt as good. Forget cars with adjustable pedal feel.

This RC-F isn’t quite as fast, capable or composed as its competitors, but it’s not that far off. The theater you experience in getting up to speed is where the RC’s charms lie.

Lifestyle Score: 6. Meant for two

If you base your coupe on a sedan that’s already small, you get…a small coupe.

Dimensionally, the RC is big. Big enough to fool you into thinking there’s space in the back. But like the BMW M8, the rear seat is best used as a padded shelf. Kids will fit okay though – try this one if you intend you use its functional side.

Up front are simply the best real bucket seats I’ve tried in any sports car. They look great, are easy to get in and out of, and offer plenty of lateral support. The only thing missing is a carbon fiber seat back and heated cushions. Yup, leather is cold the entire ride. Do watch your head getting in and out – the RC has a roofline similar to the Supra’s, where it curves in at the window just a bit. Can’t get me to knock myself unconscious this time, Toyota.

The trunk has room, but there’s only a ski pass-through in the middle. And if you’re worried about that F-14 spoiler getting in the way, it doesn’t even prevent the trunk from opening on it’s own.

Fuel Economy: 2. Gimme fuel, gimme fire

The Monroney for this car says 19 combined MPG, and 16 around town. Maybe if you drive like a saint.

I drove it like I write a car blog for a living, so I saw 15 MPG and a range of less than 300 miles. It’s rare I need to get gas in a press car twice, but I happily stuffed its belly full.

If you want this kind of experience, you must pay at the pump. But it is hard to look at something like an M5 with much more power get the same kind of economy. Or better.

Features and Comfort: 4. Hand me the CD book

It’s easy to poke fun at the RC-F, since it features a layout from last decade. If the IS was a bit cringe at $65k, what’s this Track Edition – a bad joke? You shouldn’t sit inside an S4, or you might never come back to the Lexus.

But my needs remain pretty basic. In that regard, the RC has all you need.

The 2010s called

The cockpit layout of the RC and IS is identical, but there are some subtle (and not so subtle) differences.

In the Track Edition, you get Alcantara on the steering wheel and seats, blue Alcantara and leather throughout, and absolutely stunning blue-weaved carbon fiber trim. This is something M and Mercedes should be doing. A superb Mark Levinson stereo is wonderful, but you must plus in your phone to use Apple CarPlay.

Peak at the dash to see an absolutely tiny and useless speedometer, and the center dial does not move over in a cool transformation like it does in the IS – though that’s merely a gimmick. Elsewhere it’s pure old-school Lexus, with that touch pad mouse, big dial for drive modes, and fantastically dated HVAC controls.

I still find it absurd that the cruse control stalk in these isn’t lit up at night. Even if I had been more familiar with the car, it’s impossible to find it.

Still, aside from seat heat, everything you “need” is here. If you’re concerned, remember to check the rear-view mirror to see that fighter jet spoiler, or look at the underside of the hood that peaks out and revel in beautiful forged carbon fiber.

Tokyo-cool

I personally don’t think the RC is much of a looker – the IS is sleeker. This car feels like it needs a rhinoplasty. But the 2019 freshening improved the looks, and the overall Lexus aesthetic remains futuristic and cool.

Our RC-F Track Edition is painted Caviar, a very pretty metallic black that pops with red metal flake. You can also have Ultra White or Cloudburst Grey, and I would perhaps go for the white here to make all that carbon stand out. Lesser RC get shades of yellow, red, and blue (my favorite), marking a rare occasion that loud colors are actually cheaper.

Track Editions get a carbon fiber roof, hood (with vent!), and spoiler, along with red Brembo calipers. Titanium muffler tips look awesome, and matte black BBS wheels finish off the menacing work. I must tell you, all the carbon fiber is stunning, especially that F logo on the spoiler tailplanes. How did they do that?

Lastly, Triple-Beam LED headlamps are a $1,160 option, which feels like a bit of a price gouge for this car, but they are the best headlights I’ve used. Brighter even than BMW’s lasers, and well worth the additional cost.

Others sport coupes to consider

A new section for reviews, I’ll list a few competitors that I’ve reviewed. They aren’t necessarily better or worse, simply alternatives to consider.

• Jaguar F-TYPE
• BMW M4
• BMW M2
• Porsche 911 T

The 2024 Lexus RC-F Track Edition is a car that I’ll think about for a long time

Sometimes I’ll get emails that lambaste my scores. I bet I will for this one too.

‘There’s no way I’d pick an RC-F over an M4! Ur So DuMb LoL.”

And on the surface you’d be right. An M4 is faster (and newer). But it’s also a safer choice. Everybody has one.

The Lexus RC-F Track Edition is different. Its suspension fixes some of the IS’s issues, and its reprogrammed brain makes every single corner one to slide around. It’s a handful, and it’s so much fun.

But ultimately it comes down to that V-8, something I’m sure won’t be around much longer. An engine truly is the heart of a car, and I could care less about getting to sixty 0.3 seconds faster. Not when this RC-F feels faster, and in turn makes you feel better about life. That’s the point some cars miss in pursuit of maximum speed.

The older I get, the less I care about those little hearts and shares. Just give me a car like the Lexus RC-F Track Edition, an empty back road, and a summer evening. And if you see one in your M4, watch out.

That V-8 is coming for you.

Thanks to everyone at Dumbo Bimmer, Elvis, and Sean for making this shoot happen!