Lexus RC F vs Toyota GR Supra!

Intro

Many think the Toyota Motor Corporation is nothing more than a purveyor of reliable, efficient, and somewhat dull commuter vehicles. And there is nothing wrong with that, as those types of vehicles are what the vast majority of the car-buying public are interested in. However, Toyota and their luxury brand Lexus also offer several spicy models for the car enthusiast. The Lexus RC F and Toyota GR Supra are two examples. They are both 2-door, rear-wheel drive performance machines that prioritize driving excitement over practicality. But which is the better car? Well, that's a tough question to answer, and it depends on your specific criteria. However, in order to give you the ammunition you need to make an informed decision, we compare and contrast the two cars in several key areas. Let’s get started.

1. Price

Any vehicle comparison needs to start with the price of the contenders. The Lexus RC F starts at $68,295. You can get a Supra for $46,440, but that is for the 2.0L 4-cylinder. The real competitor to the Lexus is the 3.0 model which starts at $55,400. No matter how you slice it, the Lexus is the more expensive car. But it is a car with some distinctive features that the Toyota doesn’t offer. Do those features justify the 20 percent price difference? Well, let’s take a closer look at the feature differences.

2. Power

This is the biggest and most obvious key difference between the Supra and RC F. Under the hood of the Supra is a BMW-sourced 3.0L turbocharged inline-six engine. It makes a stout 382 horsepower. However, in the Lexus corner, you get a 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 with 472 horsepower. The Supra engine isn’t bad by any means; it deliverss peak torque down low, pulls hard, and sounds great with lots of pops and crackles. But we almost always give the nod to a naturally aspirated V8. It doesn’t have the low-down torque that you get from the twin-scroll turbocharged Supra engine. But the Lexus V8 sounds fantastic as it revs up to the 7,300-rpm redline.

3. Performance

In many key metrics, these two cars are neck and neck in terms of performance. According to Car and Driver test results the Lexus does 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds. A manual Supra 3.0 does it in 3.9 and the automatic needs just 3.7 seconds. Those numbers are close enough that most folks could not tell the difference. The top speed of the Lexus is 168 mph and the Supra is limited to 155 mph. That is largely irrelevant on public roads. But there are some areas where the Supra has some real-world advantages. The Supra stops from 70 mph 13 feet shorter than the Lexus. From 100 mph that advantage grows to 24 feet for the Supra. The Supra also generates 1.02 g around the skidpad compared to .98 g for the RC F.

But the V8 in the Lexus has a significant advantage when it comes to top gear acceleration. It will go from 50 – 70 mph in 3.3 seconds, where the Toyota takes 4.7 seconds. The point is that these two cars can trade performance blows all day long. The winner is determined by what performance metrics mean more to you.

4. Styling

The styling of any car is highly subjective. We're sure there are people out there that think even a Jaguar E-Type is an unattractive car. But we'll do our best to assess the styling of each car as fairly as possible. The Supra has a more unique look, without question. We like the aggressive styling of the car, and it doesn’t look like any other Toyota product. The RC F is a nice-looking automobile, but it looks like many other Lexus models, especially from the front. Drive past a crowd in a Supra and everyone will know it is a Supra. Drive by in the RC F and most will assume it is just another Lexus.

5. Transmission

The 3.0 Supra is available with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Lexus is automatic only. So, row-your-own fans have only one choice. When looking at the automatic transmissions, both cars use 8-speed units. The Supra uses the ZF 8HP unit that is also found in several BMW models such as the Z4. The RC F has a “Sport Direct-Shift” transmission by Aisin. The RC F transmission is an older unit, and most people would say the ZF used in the Toyota is the better choice between the two.  

6. Practicality

As we said in the intro, these are not dull commuter vehicles. They exist for driving thrills more than practicality. However, practicality can be a consideration for road trips or those with small families. This is one area where the larger Lexus has a substantial advantage. The Supra is a two-seater, but the RC F is a 2+2. The rear seats won’t be mistaken for those in the back of a limousine, but they can fit actual humans or additional cargo if needed. Overall passenger volume is much larger in the Lexus with 75 cubic feet compared to 51 cubic feet for the Toyota. Trunk sizes are nearly identical with the Supra being slightly larger at 10.2 cubic feet versus 9.9 cubic feet for the Lexus. If you need more room than what a 2-seater can provide, you will need the RC F.

7. Interior

What do you like better, Lexus or BMW? The Lexus has the typical Lexus design and quality, but it's one of the oldest on the market in terms of design and infotainment interfaces. The Supra has many obvious BMW parts inside. But BMW makes some nice interiors. So, if you can get over the fact that it is not a ‘real’ Toyota interior, we like the inside of the Supra just a bit more than the inside of the Lexus.

8. Driving Impressions

The Supra is the lighter, and smaller car, and it drives like it. It will feel nimbler and more of a point-and-shoot type of vehicle than the Lexus. To many people, us included, that makes it a more fun car to drive and toss around. Now, if your priorities lean more toward the comfortable, everyday driving side of things, you will probably prefer the Lexus. You would not be disappointed in either car, but the Supra gives you more of a sports car feel, whereas the Lexus gives you more of the Grand Tourer feel.

9. Reliability

We would expect both to be generally reliable, but the Supra engine is sourced from BMW. In the latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study Lexus was ranked as the most reliable car brand. BMW ended up mid-pack. In addition, the engine in the Supra is a turbocharged unit, compared to the naturally aspirated mill in the Lexus. For long term reliability, we tend to lean towards the naturally aspirated units. In our opinion, the Lexus is going to be the more reliable vehicle in the long run.  

10. Intangibles

This is a bit of a catch-all category for items we couldn’t fit anywhere else but still wanted to cover. What about the tunability of each car? The Supra has a turbocharged engine, and it is going to be significantly easier to get big power gains out of that unit.

Collectability. Which car will hold its value better, and perhaps be sought out by collectors 20 or 30 years from now? We don’t have a crystal ball, so we are guessing here. The Supra is a low-volume car and if you get one with a manual transmission or one of the 900 45th Anniversary Edition examples, you might have a future collectible. But the RC F is even rarer than the Supra and it has that glorious V8 engine.

And what about the target audience? Are you at an age where you would feel silly driving a Supra? Would driving the RC F make you feel older than you are? At the end of the day, these are both excellent cars that can keep you entertained for many years to come. Now that we have run through some of the key differences, do you think the Lexus is worth the extra money over the Supra?

 Images: Lexus; Toyota