Lap Of Luxury: The Yokohama/A’PEXi RC F

When you think about the American time attack scene, there are several popular race car platforms that come to mind. The Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi Evo and the Honda S2000 are all found often, as are Civics and Integras for the front-drive class competitors.

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But one of my favorite things about attending Super Lap Battle is checking out some of the more unexpected vehicles that people bring out. Take a look at this luxurious machine for example.

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It’s a Street RWD class Lexus RC F that was being campaigned by a small contingent from Yokohama Tire and A’PEXi USA, and it certainly stood out in the paddock thanks to its show-esque color-shifting wrap.

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And while the Lexus was actually once destined for show duty, it now does a lot more than just look pretty. In fact, the whole idea behind entering it in this year’s Super Lap Battle event was to see what a lightly-modified, fully street-legal luxury performance car could do.

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The upgrades made to the RC F are minimal. There’s a an A’PEXi intake system, a trick titanium exhaust and the motor has been filled with high performance oils; but the screaming V8 is otherwise stock.

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Grip is also very important, so the Lexus is running 19-inch Advan Neovas on a set of Weds wheels which sit beautifully against the body. Adjustable coilovers have also been fitted to stiffen up things a bit.

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Inside, the rear portion of the interior has been stripped out, while a pair of full racing buckets keep the driver and passenger in place during hard cornering. Other than that it’s all showroom-stock.

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The big Lexus has to have been one of the most conservatively-modified cars running at Super Lap Battle, but it looked fantastic on the track and sounded even better. If I were fortunate enough to own an RC F, I’d likely have mine set up very similar to this one.

What say you?

Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia_media
mike@speedhunters.com

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1

The paint job looks a bit like the Fade knives in Counter Strike.

2

Tastefully modified, and able to perform on a track; sounds pretty damn good to me.

3

SupraMK3 *wrap job

4

SupraMK3 casual scrub
( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

5
Sandbagged and Tag

Read too many negative reviews to get excited about the RCF. I'd spend my money elsewhere

6

You can fit new suspension and grippy tyres but ultimately, it still needs to lose at least 500kg.

7

Sooooo, how fast did it go?  What was its best lap time?

8

Too heavy to do anything meaningful at the track

9

Every review and test drive I hear says these cars are not particularly good. Slow-to-shift transmissions, sloppy handling, uninspiring driving dynamics, no thanks.

10

And we know Toyota can build a PROPER car courtesy of the LFA... Just still waiting to see that knowledge spill over into other, more affordable road cars.

11

Looks fantastic though! And I love seeing more unique machines like this competing

12

There's just something about Lexus and their try at luxury performance. "No cohesion" comes to mind... An idea that looked good on paper.

13

oneslyfox I heard that even the LFA was a little half-baked in some regards. Gnarly engine and cool styling but the chassis needed tuning and the tires were garbage

14

Every review I had seen and read put it in very elite company. Jeremy Clarkson claimed it was "the best car he had ever driven". It's hard to say having not driven one myself haha

15

Liked the RCF as soon as I saw it, and still do despite the negative reviews. That wrap, though, is something else. I thought it was some kind of Maziora paint at first.

16

Slappy_Pistons 'bro.. your cars fat'

17

KarlWeeks Slappy_Pistons ololol

18

What wrap color is that? Also, what were the lap times??

19

So in stock form, performance wise, this car wasn't a show stopper. But what potential does it have?

If it was turbocharged from factory it would be easier to extract more power from it with upgrades that wouldn't break the bank.
$:kw ratio isn't that great for N/A, and a forced induction conversion blows can blow a budget right out.
Handling? apparently its a bit of a Blimp, but I how easy is it to change this... hmm. Weight reduction can make it less street friendly, and if the chassis itself isn't that rigid, more issues.
It's got a rough starting ground I think, but I hope the best for it.
Reading what Lexus had to say about it, they seemed to think it would be a big brother to the 86 almost, they didn't want it to break records, but be a fun car. They seemed to miss the mark and the 86 is a much better base. I hope they're not discouraged though, don't want that boring non-performance inspired manufacturing period to come back again.

20

Let me help most of you--who are apparently lacking any first-and experience with the F--cut to the chase…the RC F is the superior
overall machine for road and track.
1.Most drivers are hard pressed to run a 4.1
(including MotorWeek) in the M4.
2.The RC F TVD runs 4.3s all day long.  I ran a 4.2 my first time out after 1,000
miles were under my belt, understanding how to set up the car.
There is NO weight issue:  the car is a guided missile on the road and
the track—agile, responsive, and powerful. 
The TVD version is a slot car.
Watch this run on the Nurburgring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGnRcrWkz4w&feature=youtu.be
3. The RC F
has outperformed the M4 in the Road & Track Motown Mile (the RS5 as well
for the German matter).  It outperformed
both cars in the AMCI closed circuit testing, finishing the course more than 2
seconds ahead of the M4 and RS5.
4.The car has already surprised enthusiasts with
the Motorsport comparison of the RC F and M4 in 0-175 mph acceleration.
Watch this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOfQdGKvM-E" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOfQdGKvM-E
The RC F is a
superior car, especially when compared to the M4’s nearly unpredictable
behavior stemming from turbo boost, turbo lag, and a cranky DCT transmission--there are already plenty of DTC issues with the car.  There have been far too many crashes
resulting from the quirks of the car.
5.  Watch this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOfQdGKvM-E" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOfQdGKvM-E
And this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdTe9LDhj2Y&feature=youtu.be
And this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njjk3fnNfAI
And this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaPB5I2vy98

21

THE LEADERBOARD--MOTOWN MILE--Road & Track Performance Car of the Year Testing

1             2014 Ferrari 458 Speciale               51.92 sec              142.1 mph
2              2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo               51.93 sec              141.7 mph
3              2014 Porsche 911 GT3    52.18 sec              139.7 mph
4              2015 Dodge Viper SRT TA              52.36 sec              137.2 mph
5              2013 Ferrari F12Berlinetta            52.97 sec              144.4 mph
6              2014 Porsche 911 Turbo                53.02 sec              140.5 mph
7              2014 Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series     53.66 sec              135.8 mph
8              2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition   53.76 sec              135.6 mph
9              2013 SRT Viper  54.55 sec              138.9 mph
10           2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28       54.66 sec              131.2 mph
11           2014 Chevrolet Corvette Z51       54.80 sec              135.5 mph
12           2013 Porsche 911 Carrera             55.03 sec              133.5 mph
13           2014 Audi R8 V10              55.18 sec              135.9 mph
14           2012 Lexus LFA  55.48 sec              130.6 mph
15           2015 BMW M3   55.53 sec              132.3 mph
16           2015 Jaguar F-Type V8   55.84 sec              134.4 mph
17           2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1         55.86 sec              133.9 mph
18           2013 BMW M6 Competition Pack              55.89 sec              133.8 mph
19           2015 Lexus RC F                56.08 sec              128.8 mph
20           2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500             56.19 sec              134.8 mph
21           2013 Jaguar XFR-S            56.33 sec              131.6 mph
22           2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat   56.37 sec              131.5 mph
23           2015 Jaguar F-Type R      56.37 sec              133.5 mph
24           2014 Porsche Cayman S 56.73 sec              125.1 mph
25           2015 Ford Mustang GT   56.81 sec              127.2 mph
26           2014 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE    56.83 sec              126.2 mph
27           2013 Audi RS5    56.83 sec              126.0 mph
28           2014 Aston Martin Rapide S         57.01 sec              130.7 mph
29           2014 Chevrolet SS            57.43 sec              127.1 mph
30           2015 BMW M4   57.47 sec              130.5 mph
31           2014 M-B E63 AMG S-Model Wagon        57.76 sec              128.3 mph

22

Lastly,  Fifth Gears Recent Drag Race between the RC F and M4:

https://owa.postoffice.net/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=lb4j1msPiE47xAT_2vANsjGemQnq5bTb6IPHb4w8Vj0vaX_i8u7SCGgAdAB0AHAAcwA6AC8ALwB3AHcAdwAuAHkAbwB1AHQAdQBiAGUALgBjAG8AbQAvAHcAYQB0AGMAaAA_AHYAPQBqAGIAbQBfAFIATwB4AG8ANQBNAE0A&URL=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3djbm_ROxo5MM


Guess which car wins clearly 2 out of 3 runs.


The RC F is a wolf in wolf's clothing.  I recommend getting truly  informed before you comment next time.

23

http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/cars/g2456/2015-other-car-awards/
RC F Esquire Magazine's 2016 Biggest Thrill of the Year Car...with good reason

24

ProDriver Yet the public perception is the opposite. It's a shame but it is what it is. But if it keeps proving itself, there is hope for it yet :)

25
Gianluca FairladyZ

The paint job is amazing, but the wheels... I'm sorry.. It's an RCF.. I don't think the Weds match the design of the car..

26

Totally trick bro.

27

Found the wrap color: Orafol Aubergine Bronze https://instagram.com/p/99U3vXhRgT/

28

NicholasDixon Thats all wrong. Dont believe none of it bro.

29

@Paco Wrong. I watch tons of reviews that said its a great car on the track and on the roads. Its the perfect combo

30

Slappy_Pistons Even with the extra weight its can still match the M4. So it it lost that weight it would destroy the M4

31

Sweet.  I love the RCF. I saw one in person... looks like a mini supercar.  Cant believe its came outta Lexus its really badass.

32

ProDriver cool story bro... I'd still rather have an m4.. the point? who cares.

33

Q: Who cares?
A: Potential buyers

34

i23sonny Just saying.. If you're a car guy, you wouldn't really have a hard time choosing. a BMW guy is a BMW guy.. but if you don't have loyalty to either mark, than the choice depends on what you want. If you care about pure sports performance, then the m4 is the obvious choice. If you want grand tourer with toyota reliability, and lexus comfort, go with the RCF. It's apples and oranges, really.

35

like really, the rcf is a better sports car because it's easier to drive? The m4 sucks cause it's prone to oversteer and people that aren't experienced with car control crash it all the time... what? no. I'll take the fun car that's more likely to kill me, over the lazy 'more controllable' car any day. just my .02

36

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