Reviews are starting to trickle in for the limited-production Lexus RC F Track Edition, let’s take a look at the first impressions.
First up is Alex Kierstein of Autoblog with a detailed review. He notes how RC F Track Edition Chief Engineer Yuuichi Tsurumoto’s true ambitions were held back by Lexus accountants:
If corporate would just loosen the reigns, Tsurumoto and his team of engineers could have built something truly exclusive, something truly special. A real ultra-performance limited-edition RC F model for a select few hardcore enthusiasts, one with a special powertrain, extreme tires and even more aggressive weight savings. Instead, the RC F Track Edition comes off as a glorified $32,000 Sport Package.
It’s unfortunate. Lexus can do better.
Car and Driver’s Josh Jacquot notes that his time with the RC F Track Edition was limited to nine minutes, making it difficult to render an absolute verdict:
The 2020 RC F Track Edition speaks the language of chunked rubber and gray smoke. It paints its character in broad, black swaths at corner exit and speaks its mind through titanium mufflers. It is a driver’s car in the way that only a Japanese luxury coupe can be—sharp and loud when that’s what you want, yet still mighty opulent…
It’s not, despite what its name implies, a no-compromise track car like a 911 GT3 RS or the late, great Camaro Z28. But it will tingle your frontal lobe in many of the same ways.
The impressions of Automobile magazine’s Nelson Ireson are quite favorable:
The updates to the 2020 model make even the standard RC F a friendlier and livelier dance partner, but the Track Edition upgrades take the RC F from track-capable to track-ready. The difference is immediately apparent and appreciated even more after a few laps have heat-soaked the brakes and left the standard car’s pedal feeling long and soft, even if they’re still plenty able to stop the car. The Track Edition’s upgraded brakes are indefatigable…
…In all, the RC F Track Edition feels like it belongs on track as much as any other luxury sport coupe in its price range, and that’s quite a compliment, considering it shares space with the BMW M4 Competition and AMG C63 S.
Discussion