Why does lexus do such stupid things anymore...lol. Seriously, I love our cars but this is so silly. Other countries prior to these two could get the RCF and not a track edition with CCB and carbon fiber hood/roof/active spoiler as an option. actually wish we would have had the option here to be able to get CCB.

The emotional series looks like the same interior from the most recent track edition, plus ccb, bbs wheels, and Ti track edition axle back.. So it's like the track edition without looking like a boy racer car. I get it. That's perfectly fine. Porsche has been doing that for years.

It's almost like they are either confused or simply don't know what to do anymore with the car. I'm still wondering why did they remove the braces from the engine compartment? There's been no word on why they remove items for any type of any reason when they do make changes, but when the release something like these limited editions, it's just the same stock of what they have in a slightly different configuration. It would be unreal if they said as the final production, we've made the RCF have over 500hp with further tweaks/engine mgt..etc. But it's the same engine making the same power, but now it will "sound" emotional...lol.

The gray looks like every other gray that either Porsche or Audi/VW has put out. It's nice but we've seen that gray now for years.... pick a different color if you are only making 25 of them.

I get the same feelings with the RCF as I do with my Subaru STi. That engine has been in the car for YEARS with almost no changes. It's like they can't figure out that the entire world around them is changing but they are stuck on old technology and ways. I love our 8 cylinder. It's glorious. But come on Lexus....

-Nigel

 

Mine doesn't have the braces on the engine compartment either and the TE that is in PR (posted on the TE Registry thread) doesn't have one either. That's the TE and if anything that car should have more bracing. They removed it so maybe these cars don't need those braces anymore? Another weight saving attempt?

 

The Emotional TE engine compartment has something like a bracing on the back and the battery looks different than ours and on a different side. Could be a special show-room battery that connects to a wall outlet for continuous power, I guess? Like in an auto show where the vehicle lights are always on.

 

There's an idea...lean into the 100hp per liter troupe. that will get the Lexus die hards salivating and it's a nice little tip of a cap and great farewell to the RCF and our model 2UR.

Maybe have a "club sport" edition where they just get rid of the back seats, remove all motorized seating and steering wheel tilt to save weight. Do the cloth porsche door handle gimmick if you have to.....something to show some emotion rather than sell a slogan for emotional damage...LOL

 

I think that's how the TE should have been, a version with minimalist interior with more HP. Track cars don't need a back seat but the TE has one.

 

Yeah, I was wondering something looks different, but could not put my finger on it. Looks weird as the mounting points are there as if Lexus left it in case someone wants to put a 4-point brace. I believe, the bracings are no longer offered from 2023 onward on all variants. They were made of aluminum and are pretty light so I doubt it was to save weight. It might be either cost saving or they felt it did not need the extra rigidity or they might have added more bracing underbody (though, I cannot find anything on this).

p.s. The battery looks like a lightweight small battery possibly to reduce weight.

 

"For this dynamic duo, Lexus says its engineers have further tuned the 5.0-liter unit to optimize rotational balance and reduce friction "by precisely matching the masses of moving parts." Doing so has resulted in giving the V8 codenamed 2UR-GSE a "smooth rotational feel and emotional engine sound."

This sounds like they did some engine builder term called Balanced and Blueprinted engine assembly. This is normally done to produce more hp and less stress. I wonder if it truly make the same hp as the others on a Dyno, or a little more?

 

That is quite possible. Maybe, the USDM 2024 RCF might have the same engine and someone could dyno it.

 

If they did Blueprint and match to get more even and consistent tolerances, especially in bearing, piston rings, Deck height, piston to head, Squish, Rod bearing clearances. It should make more power. There also should be no one off, Freak higher hp factory engine that makes more power than another.

Or they were trying to market to the BMW M hand built engines M crowd.

 

M engines are not any more "special" so to speak than the 2UR so I would doubt that. If anything, 2UR as an engine receives far more praises than the more recent M engines. They feel and sound no different than their standard counterparts (S55 vs N55). Just more power. As a matter of fact, the highest touting BMW engine is not even an M engine (B58).

 

Agreed on the TE and making it weigh a lot less. Remove back seats (Porsche option/MB Black edition clk63...etc), remove front power seats and throw in manual buckets. Went through the trouble of giving CCB, lighter forged wheels, carbon fiber galore yet still kept so many features that in theory you are trying to sell a car for the track but not prep it for the track...smh.
THEN, have the same track edition but a luxury and that is what the current one should have been. IE: I want to look the part, but still have leather powered seats, back seats..etc. Would it really be that hard to spec it like that. Heck they do that with the RCF now. If it's not premium package you get crappy seats. How many non-premiums did they actually sell? I can only count 4-5 that I've ever seen on FB or auto trader being sold/bought and they were super rare.

I honestly think they just remove stuff to save money on their end. Hell, they removed the door ambient lighting on my 2020 which weighs pretty much nothing, but specifically made a cover plate that goes where the door LED module would have been. How is removing such a feature like that really adding value to the car? It's not, you are removing features to save a $$$. And cool features at that. Ambient lighting, driver memory seat, bracing. All removed without stating why. That's the annoying part for me.

They'll go into specific detail on how they chose to go with a smaller AC compressor because of weight, or half shafts that are hollow...etc. All for a specific purpose. Yet other things they just gloss over.

Our cars to me are special, even though most people just think it's a normal Lexus. I just wish Toyota/Lexus would realize that they could clearly give more or do more and it would be awesome. But I'm sure all the millions of dollars they have spent on research is telling them that WE in the community are the minority. And honestly EVERY person I've ever seen drive an RCF out in the wild has been an older dude. Almost like they are catering to the older Porsche dude that wants something along those lines but doesn't want to spend $200k for a car and wants it to be reliable. They settle on the Lexus knowing "it will last"...lol

Plus, if they are only making 25 each of these for Japan, we aren't going to see anything trickling down in our market... No revised engine or anything like that. I mean we don't even get power folding mirrors by default, yet the ROW does. Something as simple as a luxury feature on a $80k car and they exclude that option for whatever reason in the US market.

-Nigel

 

If you read back, that's why I said "Marketing".

I really would like to see the RC F engine dyno compared?

 

We are talking N/A engine and how the engine feels, revs and responds. That is the specialness. My point was, BMW M engines these days are as mass produced as the non-M engines so I have never heard of hand built part.

Regarding your question around dyno, RCF version of the 2UR stock dynos anywhere between 400 - 420 whp depending on the type oif dyno, mileage and conditions etc.

 

“The gray looks like every other gray that either Porsche or Audi/VW has put out. It's nice but we've seen that gray now for years.... pick a different color if you are only making 25 of them.”

-Nigel[/QUOTE]

This is so true and sums up how lazy marketing folks over! Our RCF body lines deserves more special colors for special editions. so far TE/Fuji edition colors are over conservative to me (M. Gray, White, Blue, Gray! ), if you are putting that wing back, match it with unique colors !

 

I think you missed my point twice now, so let me be more direct. When I said Hand Built M crowd is was with a - . There was a thought by some, and some BMW sales people told people this sometimes for a fact. There have been many discussion about this myth on the BMW forums. Yes I know it's .

If I was not clear when I said - "RC F engine dyno compared" I meant the normal engine dyno compared to this new "further tuned the 5.0-liter unit". Are you clear now? I'm also aware of the dyno numbers on the one now. I researched the RC F quite a bit before I went with my Sister to buy one 2 years ago. I remember RR Racing dyno'd a Stock one at 419hp on Dynojet dyno about 2 years ago. I have also seen many more Dyno's outside of CL also.