Top Gear Review: Lexus RC F Track Edition


Top Gear has some heavy praise for the Lexus RC F Track Edition in its latest review:

It’s fair to say we didn’t pull any punches when we drove the first RC F. We hoped it would be a chip off the hallowed LFA block and it wasn’t.

But with this 2020 edition of the car, and let’s focus on the limited edition [Track Edition] – there will be just 50 available in the US in 2019 – Lexus has shown it hasn’t forgotten what we want from a sports coupe. It now makes a thunderous noise, does 0-60mph in under four seconds, has launch control but, best of all, it can be steered not just by the wheel but by the throttle, too.

It’s now not just as good as an M4 to drive, which it never was, it’s quite possibly better.

Lexus RC F: First Generation
Comments
In the USA if you pick up a major Publication (Motor Trend etc) there is a centerfold ad
In the USA if you pick up a major Publication (Motor Trend etc) there is a centerfold ad
Some interesting developments:

Only 50 for the 2020 model year coming to the US. The allocations are only to dealerships that successfully sold the F cars well. Many dealerships have not been given an allocation especially who don't sell RCF and other F cars well. Allocation is only 1 per dealership. Based on what some people who are interested in getting one said, the dealerships are saying there is a large number of people interested in the dealership's single allocation. Certainly, it is not easy to get one of these track editions as the dealerships get to pick who they want to sell it to.
Some interesting developments:

Only 50 for the 2020 model year coming to the US. The allocations are only to dealerships that successfully sold the F cars well. Many dealerships have not been given an allocation especially who don't sell RCF and other F cars well. Allocation is only 1 per dealership. Based on what some people who are interested in getting one said, the dealerships are saying there is a large number of people interested in the dealership's single allocation. Certainly, it is not easy to get one of these track editions as the dealerships get to pick who they want to sell it to.
No flying start and without Randy Pobst

No flying start and without Randy Pobst

Nice to see finally a Lexus Top Gear is willing to recognize as better than M4. However, their "untruths" about the 1st gen RCF are perplexing. Yes, there is minimal understeer in the RCF like most sports cars have and TVD was developed to get a neutral behavior, but saying it was "limo" understeer is ridiculous. I can get the car into an oversteer with the throttle very easily without being highly skilled.
Faisal Sheikh
Nice to see finally a Lexus Top Gear is willing to recognize as better than M4. However, their "untruths" about the 1st gen RCF are perplexing. Yes, there is minimal understeer in the RCF like most sports cars have and TVD was developed to get a neutral behavior, but saying it was "limo" understeer is ridiculous. I can get the car into an oversteer with the throttle very easily without being highly skilled. My hope is, the new RCF-spec MPS4S with the stiff sidewalls will go a long way in minimizing understeer.
I fully agree with you here. BTW: the Porsche 911 is known for significant understeer (engine in back); i bet it has a tendency to understeer more than the RC F. I don't know, but owning a 911 and driving it on the track the understeer is something that one must learn to manage in high speed corners. I just think that Top Gear wanted to be a little prosy and write a nice little piece with extra words to make it sound better. Perhaps they mean that if and when you do experience understeer, the experience is a little more comfortable than in something like a 911. the RC F is such a comfortable car. In a number of ways, nicer to drive than the 911.

I have to keep reminding myself that Top Gear and MotorTrend and C & D etc, are autojournalists and writing/prose and entertainment is a critical part of what they do; being entirely fair and accurate is NOT the top priority. [although, when they lavish praise, we love it!]
Agreed. The understeer greatly depends on how you take the turn. With the TVD, the key is never lift off the throttle completely. One has to feed in the power through the turn to continue to get rotation from the back.

For example, I was taking a very tight turning circular off-ramp and with TVD in slalom mode, while feeding in the power through the turn, the nose kept tucking in harder and harder until I gently got the rear end step out while controlling through throttle. While exiting out, I momentarily let off the throttle to not merge in too fast while doing a shoulder check and suddenly I got a slight push of the nose out. I corrected and got on the throttle and the car rocketed out to the straight merging lane.

PeterF
I fully agree with you here. BTW: the Porsche 911 is known for significant understeer (engine in back); i bet it has a tendency to understeer more than the RC F. I don't know, but owning a 911 and driving it on the track the understeer is something that one must learn to manage in high speed corners. I just think that Top Gear wanted to be a little prosy and write a nice little piece with extra words to make it sound better. Perhaps they mean that if and when you do experience understeer, the experience is a little more comfortable than in something like a 911. the RC F is such a comfortable car. In a number of ways, nicer to drive than the 911.

I have to keep reminding myself that Top Gear and MotorTrend and C & D etc, are autojournalists and writing/prose and entertainment is a critical part of what they do; being entirely fair and accurate is NOT the top priority. [although, when they lavish praise, we love it!]

F