MONGSTER BIG BOYS TOYS: May 2015

Some shots of the monster V8 RC-F before I test drove it on Lexus's recommended "long route". For starters, the engine growled into life like a V8 with more sporting pretensions than I expected. Much like how a German marque would announce its awakening, followed by my almost open mouthed astonishment as how unbecoming it is for a Lexus to behave. You know this is going to be a very naughty Lexus!

After the engine settled into a pleasant burble, & I wiped off my dribble, I began to appreciate the external proportions of this compact sports car. That V8 just doesn't register with the design of the car. You almost instinctively think it should have a refined yet high revving power plant. I continued onwards to peruse the interior. Sorry no external pics but I'm sure you are well familiar with how it looks already.

This is the car in normal mode. Even then the purposeful growl at idle is noticeable. The dials doesn't do the IS F sport Cyclops party trick. Which makes this looks quite busy with the additional flanking menu & speedometer.

This is the view from the rear seat. Those sports seats are massive yet are still comfortable & grip you in all the right places for some, ahem, power slide action. No I didn't do any but I got to feel what it was like!

Obviously I had to try the rear seat if only for research purposes. It's a tight fit but it accommodated my frame with aplomb sans the lack of foot movement & my hair touched the headlining slightly. Larger adults would need a shoe horn to get in & out. Even for the front because of the high seat bolsters, low slung position & forward positioned dash.

I should've taken some shots of the dash in eco, sport & sport+ mode. The rev counter changes & the left menu also showed different info/stats. Sport & Sport+ looks the best as there's more contrasty colors to enhance the sporty feeling complimented by the V8 symphony which can be heard in any mode. Just that in Sport mode onwards, the aural simulation is more... Orgasmic!

Quite a familiar looking dash design compared with the IS F sport & NX. Supposedly the new corporate look Lexus wants to embark on. I don't hate it but I'd prefer a little more touches of luxury that we've accustomed to a Lexus. Maybe I'm expecting too much for it to look like an Aston or Bentley. Hey, you want to be the best, there you go.

Yes, the Mark Levinson in car entertainment is there for the unlikely event that you get bored by the V8 burble, growl & howl. The menu is accessed by a taptic touch pad & doesn't feel as laggy & archaic as on the joy sticked GS & IS.

Central timepiece looking more & more like a watch. Picture doesn't do it justice. It is the usual jewel like adornment that is accustomed to the Lexus brand.

So how does it drive? The 4.8s 0-100kph on paper figures belie the real story. It's a very linear & rapid visceral acceleration, which you feel as you get pressed back into the seat. Yet you have to glance at the speedometer to actually realize that you've reached over 200kph in what felt like mere moments. The suspension is somewhat stiffer than an IS F sport, no surprises there but it's not as stiff as say a Mk6 VW Golf GTI. Cruising just above the highway limit in eco mode it sounds & feels fairly refined, more so the engine note. I still dislike normal mode for some reason on the adaptive damping setup. I think the compromise is not balanced, maybe I just prefer a more comfort oriented gait. Getting old methinks. Move into Sport mode onwards, the ride firms up & you get a hint of the purposeful V8 growl ready to unleash all 470 of Lexus's muscular horses. At full throttle it's fire breathing horses! It's addictive & potentially a licence loser. Beware, you have been warned!