LUXURY + PERFORMANCE
The refreshed 2020 Lexus RC F is a 2-door 4-seater coupe with the refinement of a luxury sedan and performance of a supercar
Lexus Philippines unveiled its freshly updated 2020 RC F Coupe at the Japanese luxury auto brand’s BGCshowroom last Sunday, marking the first time Lexus PH held a weekend launch.
But this no ordinary launch. And it’s no “ordinary” Lexus too.
The RC F Coupe is a high performance 2-door 4-seater coupe with the refinement of a luxury sedan and performance of a supercar. The timing was perfect since supercar owners usually bring out their cars for a morning fun run on Sundays with their buddies and meet up for breakfast right after to avoid traffic.
The newly refreshed RC F now comes with stiff bushings in the rear suspension and steering rack mounts to improve handling for drivers who want to have a reliable daily driver that they can take out once in a while to the track with
confidence and have some fun. It also comes with more rigid engine mounts to better transmit the power of the RC F’s normally aspirated 471 horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine. Its 530 Nm of torque makes sure it has more than enough power to pull the coupe on a straightaway or out of a fast corner. Using the same engine as its bigger LC 500 brother, the improved power and torque is thanks to a revised intake routing and lower rpm trigger point for the secondary intake opening. It uses an eightspeed automatic transmission similar to its predecessor but with a higher final drive ratio to improve off-the-line response. This propels the RC F from 0 to 60mph in just 4.2 seconds and has a top track speed of 168mph (or about 270kph). To make sure the RC F has more than adequate stopping power, all the front wheels uses Brembo 6piston monoblock calipers with 14.9-inch slotted and ventilated discs and 4-piston monoblock calipers with 13.5-inch slotted and ventilated discs.
The 2020 Lexus RC F will have a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of P5,928,000. It’s considered a good buy, because buyers of its European competitors with similar performance and specs have to shell out a lot more.
The freshly updated RC F promises improved performance and its revised styling offers a more aggressive stance and the people in Lexus engineering made sure that its reduced weight did not compromise the car’s solidity and refinement. Everything was well thought of. From using aluminum toe control brackets and upper suspension support brackets to reduce weight but still maintaining stiffness, to a pared down intake manifold, to using a smaller air condition compressor, to adding an electronic launch control (which now comes as standard) ensures the new RC F is engineered for performance. With just a push of the button on the console, the system automatically adjusts the traction and throttle control for maximum acceleration from a stop. All the driver has to do is press and hold the brake pedal, engage the system, floor the accelerator to bring up the engine speed and release the brake.
The RC F will be available in six exterior colors - Radiant Red Contrast Layering, Heat Blue Contrast Layering, White Nova Glass Flake, Sonic Titanium, Graphite Black Glass Flake, and Naples Yellow Contrast Layering, which was first made available only on the flagship LC 500 coupe. For the interior, the RC F comes in three semi-aniline leather colors - Flare Red, White, and Black.