Aggressively priced Lexus RC F incoming

LEXUS' flagship RC F coupe arrives in February priced from $133,500 before on-road costs, representing a saving of more than $20,000 compared with some of its German competitors.

A range-topping RC F Carbon variant is also available, which replaces the boot spoiler, bonnet, roof panel and interior trim with lightweight carbon-fibre, along with Alcantara on the seats, bringing the price up to $147,500.

Even with a $14,000 price premium, the top-spec RC F is still between $8900 to $18,930 cheaper than its European peers, with the BMW M4 priced at $166,430, the Audi RS5 costing $156,400 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG valued at $159,500.

The luxury sports coupe is powered by the revised and retuned 5.0-litre V8 engine from Lexus' former flagship IS F. Now producing 351kW and 530Nm, power is fed to the rear wheels through an eight-speed single-clutch automatic transmission, which is enough to push the RC F from zero to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds.

By comparison, the BMW M4's 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged in-line six-cylinder produces 317kW/550Nm, Audi's all-wheel drive RS5 is powered by a 331kW/430Nm 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 and the Mercedes-Benz C63Edition 507 AMG Coupe is currently powered by a 6.2-litre V8 making 373kW/610Nm, but will be soon replaced with a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 unit, available in two different states of tune, to produce either 350kW/650Nm or 375kW/700Nm.

These performance figures translate to 0-100km/h times of 4.1, 4.5 and 4.1 seconds for the BMW, Audi and current Mercedes-Benz respectively.

To tell the RC F apart from the standard RC 350, Lexus has given its halo model more aggressive styling, with two larger air-intakes at the front, a bigger rear diffuser, uniquely stacked quad tail-pipes and an electronically deployed rear wing – similar to the Lexus LFA supercar.

Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley said that the RC F is the embodiment of the Lexus philosophy.

“RC F matches a great sounding, high output 5.0-litre V8 with a fantastic chassis that rewards the performance-minded buyer with an incredible driving experience,” he said.

“It also provides drivers and their passengers with high levels of safety on top of aggressive styling that is ideally suited to the vehicle's high performance intentions.

“Everything about the RC F symbolises the passion Lexus designers and engineers have for their vehicles and puts the cherry on top of the RC Line following the launch of the RC 350 in November,” Mr Hanley said.