Long enough, I'd followed an 18-wheeler doing 66 passing another doing 65. On hills, they would change places, one slightly ahead of the other, the one who initiated the pass unable to keep up.
Mile after mile they went in an interminable race of over-sized lane blockers. Neither was willing to slow down, speed up, or do anything to allow the ever-growing line of civilian vehicles to pass.
Finally, through a rising right-hand curve, I spied a momentary gap between left-lane hog and slow-lane slog. That was all the flare-yellow 2020 Lexus RC F needed. Though still in "eco" (hah!) mode, when I punched the throttle, the 472-hp, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 instantly roared like an enraged lioness. The RCF rose on her haunches and shot past the truck like a cat closing on an oblivious mouse.
If, as I often suspect, these guys are big-time passive-aggressive, the driver must have been surprised to see me rocket past (65-110 mph comes fast in that car). While he was pondering that, a tap on the ventilated Brembo brakes brought me down to a speed safe enough for the coup de grace. A couple of flicks of the wrist through a suspension made even tauter for 2020 and with Michelin Pilot Sports gripping tight like a man caught in sin, we carved a tight "s" between those trucks.
Zero body lean, no tire squeal, no fuss. Zip, zap, we were gone into that dark East Texas night, the truckers' traffic knot but a fading memory, soon gone from our mirrors.
I dialed up some Dave Koz on the 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and chilled my laser-like driving focus while the Lexus kept itself centered in our lane, held us a safe distance from other traffic, watched for someone in the blind spot and took charge of the high beams.
A driver's car
Some weeks, like this one in Lexus' halo sports coupe, I really love to drive. Yes, yes, I'll be the first to acknowledge that, at the top end of a wide range of RC models and trim lines, there are those who claim the Lexus is no match on the track for the BMW M4, or Mercedes C63 or Audi RS5.
That debate requires analysis of infinite arrays of angels dancing on heads of pins. In the final analysis, I will tell you that I love all of them but am most swayed by the Lexus RCF Sport. It has the best interior in class; its $64,900 base price gives it a $5,000 to $6,000 price advantage over the German competitors; and that Lexus' unrivaled reliability and dealer experience make it the best long-term proposition
Most of all, I would tell you I like it better. The Lexus RC is a little heavier than competitors. While that's not a good thing when racing on a track, it's marvelous in a grand touring machine, and that is what the Lexus RC is, a car built for the open road, one that simultaneously provides exhilarating driving and creature comforts.
While competitors get impressive acceleration and better fuel economy with twin-turbo V6 engines, the RCF and I are old school. The Lexus is a little heavier, and throttle response is more linear, more natural. It does what one expects.
A GT family
Introduced in 2014 as a compact executive two-door coupe, the RC's combination of bold styling and performance was an immediate hit. The car has never been a high volume seller, peaking at less than 15,000 units in 2015 (by comparison, Ford sells nearly 21,000 F-150s every week) and dropping off sharply since.
Starting around $41,145, more pedestrian RC models come in four- and six-cylinder models, with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. The optional F versions provide more sporty trim features. We think the smart play is an RC 350 AWD model ($46,240) powered by a 311-hp version of Toyota's ubiquitous (we would say iconic, but nowadays everything is an icon) V6.
While we love the power, the handling and long list of refinements found on F editions, tighter suspensions, and firmer tires come at a cost - comfort. A six-cylinder RC still has plenty of power and maneuverability while still preserving the charm of a true GT car.
That said, our tester was a hoot. Lexus outfitted it with many of the goodies to be found on a limited-production RC F Track Edition - only 50 of which will come to the U.S. - starting at $96,800.
Like a lot of us, the RC has a devil of a time losing weight. For 2020, Lexus engineers tweaked various components, even the intake manifold, to reduce the RC's weight by 55 pounds. The Track Edition lost 120 lbs. more. Going to ceramic brake rotors, for example, cut 49 lbs. Extensive use of carbon fiber helped, too.
Our RF F tester started at less than $65,000 but climbed to $89,305 with option packages that included most of the goodies found on the track edition.
Lighter, hand-polished, 20-spoke wheels added $1,500. A performance package ($11,400) added a carbon fiber interior, carbon fiber roof and a carbon-fiber aerodynamic package including a speed-activated wing.
A $5,350 premium package includes many things a Lexus ought to have, such as heated and ventilated front seats, heating steering wheel, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.
We can't recommend enough premium, triple-beam LED headlamps ($1.160). We discovered that if one straddles the centerline behind two road-hogging trucks and flash those babies a few times, somebody will decide to get out of the way.