05RollaXRS

The weather up until the weekend was very decent. Roads were bone-dry and temperature was workable (around +1 C or 34 F). With a thick layer of dust on the car, I decided to take the RCF out for a wash (had insurance on already), but by the time I jump started my battery, it was past 10:00 PM and the coin wash was closed. I said, whatever let's just go for a drive anyway as I wanted the battery to get properly charged.

I have my tires inflated to 40 PSI rear and 38 PSI front primarily for storage purposes (to avoid flat spots). So, I drove with those tire pressures without changing. Also, the temperature was low. I put it in my favorite sport+ and manual with TVD in slalom mode. As soon as I hit the roads, either because I have been driving mostly the cushy Lexus RX for 4 months or because the tires were super-stiff with the pressure and temperature, the car felt like a brick with no roll/pitch anywhere. I could feel every little bump and imperfection in the road through the steering and through the chassis It felt very twitchy and the chassis would react to the smallest throttle or steering inputs. Felt very raw and very unhinged, which I loved even with traction control fully on. It was a huge flood of emotions once I turned through a fly-over on to the on-ramp and got on from 2nd gear to redline. Such a surreal experience.

Not having driven the RCF for 4 months, I was relearning the car. Now having driven it, I wanted to test out the narrative "RCF feels heavy". My conclusion is,I have no experience with that narrative especially having done extensive suspension modifications on my 2600 lbs Corolla XRS during my younger days for 16 years. I kept it in the right gear and I had a hard time telling I was driving a 3900+ lbs car. It felt low, wide, planted and quick on its feet to all of the inputs through steering or throttle in sport+ and manual mode. Either it could be the tires were rock hard giving the car the real rigidity it truly has or simply I ended up with a freak RCF that makes the car shrink around me when I push it hard in manual/sport+. Not sure which one is it.

I do feel the fact that extra weight was on reinforcements to achieving a very torsional rigidity of a roofless convertible and then Lexus stuck a roof and B-pillar for added stiffness . That rigidity comes through at all times. Anyway, thought I would share my moment with my RCF after many months. I am looking forward to driving it on a regular basis hopefully in about 1 month or so with my new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (XL) and that they are much better than the OEM MPSS.

Took some pictures of it at the end of the drive. Not very clear, but there is a very thick layer of dust on it.

wthrman2

Great reading!! As a fella Canadian who understands the need to put our toys away for the winter, I get it!!! Car looks great despite the dust and glad you could take it out and enjoy it to break the "winter hibernation".....

vbb

iTrader: (3)

Nice write up. I bet it's tough not driving your favorite car for months at a time, but then again it must feel nice and fresh every time you get it out of hibernation. Even if you keep the car for 20 years it won't see 100,000 miles. Did it accumulate that dust even with the car cover on? Amazing!

Car looks great. Love the spacers.

GunnyFitz

Great to see ya Rolla!
Its been a very warm January & February here in Metro DC and Ive been out railing on mine when its dry! HUGE Difference with these BC Forged over the Bling 20s!

Roche

Next purchase is a cover to protect her while she's in storage? I finally got one this year for winter storage and although the purchase process and customer service were terrible from CoverKing, the final product is amazing.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

Where can we get the RC F GT cover?

05RollaXRS

Thanks man. Definitely, this time I took it out during the winter especially since there were no rock chips on the road. Been trying to keep it clean as much as possible.

Thanks man. That is very true. I drive an RX every day most of the time and going back into the RCF came as a shock to my senses. I feel there should be more ownership experience threads so this was something that struck me. Just said to myself "I gotta write about this" and tried to make it not sound like a love letter, but yeah I tried to be as real as possible. Car has no cover right now. Hence, the dust on it.

Yeah, I started looking at them a while back at Canadian Tire and none of them looked worth of being put on this car. Once a member on this board tried to sell me his red Sparco one, which I passed on since I was doing a whole bunch of stuff at that time so it was not as big of a priority. Now I regret not buying that.

Thanks man. Have not heard from you in a long time so my thread seems to have done the trick LOL Great to hear you are having fun with your RCF. Maybe, you should do a little write-up about it too.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

Does the RCF only have one wiper arm I've seen them in the showroom , but never checked that out.

Little anecdote. When I lived back in Massachusetts, a place with real winters, I tried washing my GTO at my house with a hose. Stupid me, the water froze on contact I had to drive down to local car wash for a hot water wash

Lou

05RollaXRS

Good observation. It has two wiper arms, but one of them is kind of tucked behind the bulging hood so you don't see it from this angle.

I have water available in my underground parking garage (it is heated) so I can technically wash it in the underground parking garage, but I would need to buy a good pressure washer for it, but I have been avoiding so far since good one's are quite big and bulky so it will take up a lot of space in the storage.

wthrman2

No disrespect Lou, but how about this for an Atlantic Canada winter...And people wonder why I dislike winter?!?!? (don't forget to hit the play button)

Maybe that is why Lexus gave us the big gap in the front of the RC AWD (lol)

BlueRCF10

Can't wait for winter to be over with!

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

Ya, I know the difference between Winter and WINTER Before I retired I traveled for business. I had an account in Killdeer, North Dakota. Made a few trips there, but made one in the dead of winter What a Mistake that was I have never been so cold in all my life

Lou

wthrman2

I know...I hate being cold!!! RollaXRS will attest living in Calgary as Alberta gets brutally cold too!! While we get cold here, it is the copious amount of snow we get with our Nor'Easters that just clobber us. Don't get me wrong, it gets cold here....I usually have to tie a string at the end of my "thingy" so I can pull it out when I get back from a run!!! Or pee like my wife...sitting down

05RollaXRS

There are definitely decent breaks in the winter in Calgary because of the chinooks where the roads get dry and the weather is in the low pluses, but it is the rock chips and sand on the road that really prevents me from driving the RCF.

moahdriven

Great write up Rolla. Don't have to store away here in Cali, but even driving a rental or other car for a few days if I'm out of town and coming back to my baby, can definitely relate to that. All it takes is a few days away to be blown away by the RCF when ur back in it. Puts a smile on my face every morning starting it up before work.

Also can relate to this real winter stuff. Past few days have been pretty cold in LA, like mid 40's in the mornings 😂