AsianxWu

I've been on a search for a weekend car that has a V8 and handles well. I've been leaning towards the American options (Mustang/Camaro/Corvette), but for the price of a used Camaro SS/2SS, I can get a used RCF. C7 Corvettes are priced crazy high right now, so I'm not looking too much into those anymore.

I really like the idea of the RCF. NA 5.0L V8, reliable, and nice interiors. However, I keep hearing that the RCF doesn't handle as well as its competitors. I'm used to the handling of something like the Audi S5 (and strive for something with the handling of the Porsche 911, but we know there are very few cars that can match that). The Audi, although has a tendency to understeer when really pushing it, feel nimble 99% of the time on the street. I tested a 2018 Camaro 2SS and I felt like the handling was quite adequate, but I didn't have much of a chance to push it.

I'm just worried the RCF will feel similar to my 2015 GS350. It's ok as a daily commuter car, but falls short when you try to push it even a little bit. It feels heavy and boaty, which seems to be the consensus of the RCF (pre-facelift). I don't want to buy an RCF and upgrade the entire suspension just to not hate driving it.

bob67

For just a weekend car, with handling simliar to a Porsche 911, I would not go with a RCF. For me, best thing about the RCF is that its's a car I can drive everyday, nice commuter car in normal mode, but really feels like a true sports car in sport+ mode. But you also stated you were looking for a V8, this narrows down choices, so...... I would say it's one of the best V8 cars to go with, but not the best weekend only sports car to choose.

CAHWY128

I would say it handles really well. It is a bit heavy and does have a natural understeer, but really does quite well in the hills near where I live. It feels like a very stable high performance car.

I had an RC350 before I bought the RCF and the difference is night and day. The RC350 was a great car, but the RCF is in a different class.

I owned a Miata at the same time I owned my RCF. Did the Miata feel like more of a sports car? Yes and no. The Miata felt faster in a lot of situations where it was actually slower. The Miata feels like a sports car to me. The RCF feels like a fast competent Grand Tourer.

My father has a C7 Corvette and it feels more sporty than the RCF, it also feels like it is not as stable. I would say the C7 feels faster when it really may not be any faster than the RCF.

Finally, my friend has a Porsche 996 that I drive from time to time. The 911 feels very sporty. It feels great in the hills. It really feels lighter than the RCF. I would say the RCF is faster than my friends 996.

I guess what I am saying is the RCF is quite fast but extremely well mannered. It may not feel as sporty as the other cars in some situations, but it is just as fast.

I find the RCF to be an excellent road car. You really need to find one and drive it yourself as personal opinions as to what a car feels like are so subjective. I like the feel of the car as it suits my driving needs. Great weekend car for driving the canyons around my home. It also is a car I can drive all day if needed. Plus, for me there is a pride of ownership. I really like the car.

AsianxWu

Thank you for the comparison!

And I guess I would say I prefer a car that "feels" faster and lighter than a car that is actually faster, but doesn't feel like it. Realistically, I probably won't track it all that much, so it will be all street driving. A car that "feels" fast is nice because it's harder to break the speed limit. That's why I value handling over 0-60 times. However, I would prefer something in the mid 4s range.

05RollaXRS

Handles very well stock as it should given the work they put into the chassis, brakes and suspension tuned for the track, which was bespoke to the RCF (even compared to the RC350). It is my weekend/summer car only so it is all about driving fun for me. The criticism you are point to was 'RCF does not handle as well as the M4', which is true because the F80/F30 M4/M3 was lighter/more raw/edgy feeling. Still, it is a fully developed F car so it should not feel anything like your GS350 especially in Sport+/Manual mode. It is much smaller/wider, stiffer and sharper. Definitely, the "boaty" analogy speaks to softness/size of your GS350. Lexus claimed, the chassis was 50% stiffer than the GS chassis. You have to dial all the settings up since it has two different personalities. The aggressive and the dialed back side. RCF should cost more than the Camaro SS/2S given the same year and mileage, but that is because it is a Lexus so it has the Lexus quality and resale.

It is a big step up in handling from the S5 you have driven, which is more of a 335i class competitor rather than the M3/M4. RCF had proven to be better balance and more neutral than the older B8 RS5 in tests. The only weak think are the tires especially the 2015 - 2019 RCFs that had the Michelin Pilot Super Sport that have very flimsy sidewalls especially to manage the weight under high side-to-side transitions. The 2020+ RCF has better OEM tires than the 2015 - 2019. I replaced mine with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S with extra load sidewalls (reinforced sidewalls) and it darts side-to-side like a champ.

I have the optional torque vectoring differential. Standard is the Torsen LSD. There is also torque vectoring differential available with optional carbon fiber package that makes the RCF turn very well. Two motors on the back provides instant lock and extra torque to get the front end to respond faster to the steering inputs off-center under corner acceleration and braking. There are three modes normal, slalom and track modes for the three different types of driving conditions. The carbon fiber lowers center of gravity and adds a bit of rigidity at the top. All in all, a stock RCF on stock everything has been tested at 0.98g by C&D so that is very impressive for a high performance/luxury sports coupe.

You can see in this video in the hands of Finnish race car champion, how well the RCF dances around Fuji Speedway.




In the hands of a pro race car driver Randy Pobst, see the lateral grip in turns spikes up to 1.41 G on a stock RCF

sqlboy2000

iTrader: (1)

Just my 2 cents, I've owned a C6 and and 4 series and I can't complain about the handling at all.
Not a track guy, but I do get on it every once in a while and I have never said "wow, my vette was so much better". If anything, I'm more impressed with how well it feels in the corners.
Obviously go give one a test drive and you'll know pretty quickly!

Yri

Also, if the handling is not enough for you, the mods market is quite adequate in that department. Like Rolla said, the tires can make such a huge difference (non tvd in 2015 was tested at .91 G on Super Sports, then in 2020 a non tvd was tested at .94 G on PS4S, both on skidpads), and there are some other mods such as adjustable upper control arms for increased camber, coilovers (of course) and polyurethane lower control arm bushings (also known as the caster bushing) which will all increase the agility and perhaps the lateral G. Heck, I've heard that just by squaring the tire setup (275 all around) it changes the entire personality of the car.

As sqlboy2000 said, its worth a shot to give one a test drive and see what you think. Cheers!

05RollaXRS

The best for LSD on PSS tires was 0.93g and the TVD was 0.95g (MT) from what I remember. 0.98g (C&D) on the PS4S tires with TVD. 0.94g (C&D) was the LSD/track edition.

chris07is

iTrader: (10)

You mentioned that your gs feels like a boat, you will feel that this car is heavy as well… it’s not as nimble as the other car. I had own an Audi and an IS F, they’re both nimble compare to my RC F… take it for a spin and you can decide for yourself… As an everyday commuter, it’s a great car.

05RollaXRS

The "boaty" analogy has little do with the weight. I have driven many IS/GS and even the RC350 F-Sport. I owned quite a few Lexus cars. "Boatiness" speaks to the flimsiness in the chassis, lack of steering response and/or suspension softness as well as the sheer size of the car. The older Camrys or Lexus ES used to weigh 3300 lbs and used to float all over the place. While RCF is not harsh, still RCF is stiffly sprung both on the chassis and suspension for track days. The added rigidity on the chassis has resulted in some extra weight. Nowadays, that is the trend as the C63 AMG and RS5 are both heavier than the RCF. Even the S5 today weighs almost 4000 lbs with 60% of the weight over/aft of the front axle. The new Mach 1 is around 3900 lbs. The new M4 is also about 200 lbs more than its predecessor.

When I drive the RCF, in sport+/manual with TVD selected in slalom mode, it feels very sharp even at slow speeds with such a strong on-center response. At high speeds, it is millimeters of steering input to turn-in for a sweeper. No exaggeration. The only thing I changed was more aggressive tires with stiffer sidewalls. Definitely, don't align with your subjective experiences.

chris07is

iTrader: (10)

I’m no race car driver but I have taken my car to the track and thats my opinion and my experience..you always talk about TVD this and that slalom this and that, you driven this and that, but never really driven your rc f to the track, you’ve done on the street and corner here and there. You always based it on YouTube videos, car segment here. Also brake pads, yes tires make a lot difference as well… I got rid off my oem pads because they suck!!! I use the project mu ns and it’s a night and day…The OP needs test drive the rc f for comparison… that’s what I did, I did test drive m4 and C63, before picking up the RC F, and it’s a totally different animal…

05RollaXRS

I never said he should not test drive it. He asked us for our opinions. You might criticize opinions that don't align with you, but those are YOUR subjective opinions. What I stated above, there was nothing personal in it. I post numbers because they don't lie. You cannot get a bad handling car to put down really good numbers. Subjectively and driving skills wise, everyone is going to have a different opinion.

So, there is no track in my city, does not mean I am not skilled and I don't know how to push the car to the limit. Back in the day, I used to do solo 2 auto cross events with my Corolla XRS fairly regularly. I can push it pretty hard when the circumstances are right. You might downplay my driving skills, but don't be fooled by just having a checkmark I don't. I am quite sure I would do very well on the race track, whenever the new race track opens up.

chris07is

iTrader: (10)

I knew you would say that… and yes I agree that you would beat on the track, no doubt…

05RollaXRS

I edited that part out as I typed it without thinking it through. I took that back. My apologies.

dingyibvs

Both of you guys might be right. The TVD might allow good handling on the street, but you probably can't hide the weight as much on the track. A test drive can of course help unless the OP plans to track the car often.