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The video below would strike me as merely a Lexus marketing ploy except for two things. First, Lexus’ RC F and the BMW M4 had the same lap times to within 0.3 seconds in Motor Trends track testing at the Streets of Willow (story link below). That test was driven by Randy Pobst. Second, I have driven all of these cars on track myself (in the case of the BMW I drove a 2015 M3) and to me, the Lexus was by far the fastest car. I had assumed it was my own limited skills that made the cars feel this way, but now I am starting to believe the evidence that the Lexus RC F, in the hands of a pro driver, is able to compete head to head with a 2015 BMW M4 or Audi RS 5.
Is the BMW M4 a Race Car?
In our previous story, we explained that the 2015 Lexus RC F seems to be more manageable for a driver with limited on-track skills. There is no doubt that the 2015 BMW M4 was designed specifically with racing in mind. In an interview, its designer used the term racecar repeatedly in describing his creation. The Lexus RC F, on the other hand, was not designed primarily for professional drivers, or for maximum lap times. Its designer had a more balanced GT car in mind.
The 2015 Lexus RC F beats the BMW M4 and Audi RS 5 in this video by about 2 seconds. Justin Bell is the pro driver in this case. What is your opinion? Is this simply a paid marketing piece by Lexus? Is the mounting evidence all wrong and the BMW M4 really much faster? Let us know what you think.
Related Stories:
2015 Lexus RC F and BMW M4 basically tie on racetrack
2015 Lexus RC F destroys the 2014 IS F on track
2015 Lexus RC F vs. BMW M3 - Which is your better track car?
AMCI Testing Link
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Comments
It's a bit tricky because lot
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It's a bit tricky because lot of people think that probably Lexus has payed for it. On the otherhand do you think those profesdional drivers will take the tisk to diminish their reputation? Especially the Lexus driver is known to not be a Lexus fan and it's verifiable in different old or recent videos from him. Then i believe it but again before buying i'll test drive both.
John thank you very much!
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John thank you very much!
I have a question, Motor Trends folks said RC F has some issues with the brakes, did you feel the same ?
in my opinion its a win for Lexus, even if M4 was faster by 0.3, who imagined that Lexus will compete BMW, I am so proud that I am a Lexus fan while its rarely to find a Lexus fan,
Thanks again John :-)
None at all. I drove 4
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In reply to John thank you very much! by habitashi (not verified)
None at all. I drove 4 different RCs on track and 3 on-road. On the track they were very confidence inspiring. On road a nice pedal feel.
It might just be me but it
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It might just be me but it seems the theme of most of your articles is how great Lexus is, especially when compared to BMW and this video certainly lives up to that. It seems more like a commercial than a serious "competitive" comparison to me. I'd even describe it as amatureish in terms of production quality.
Regardless, at the end of the day, I don't know many drivers who would prefer a two door coupe that weighs over 4k pounds for serious track duty, even if somehow it is two seconds faster around a track than an M4 or RS5.
It's not just you. At TN I
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In reply to It might just be me but it by Adam (not verified)
It's not just you. At TN I primarily cover Lexus, Toyota, and Mazda. Other writers have other brand assignments. We cover our brands honestly, but we do try to look for the best in the cars we write about. Check out the brand listings along the lower right of the home page. If you click Subaru for example you will find stories by Denis F. He also now covers BMW and does a great job bringing the best of those brands to light. If you also look back at my BMW i3 and 228i stories I think you will see they highlight the car in a positive, yet honest way. As to my style, I drive the cars (or research the cars) and I state my feelings plainly here at TN. We do report negative news about our brand assignments sometimes. My report on the RAV4 doing poorly on an IIHS safety test comes to mind. Our long-format formal reviews are also more "professional" in style. If you want highbrow writing by folks that put diction ahead of passion, I'm sure you will find plenty of outlets. :) BTW, I think using these cars on track is crazy too. I would personally prefer a Miata or more affordable Camaro SS 1LE. That said, I have often seen BMW owners in M5s and M3s at the track in their own cars. The Lexus was the underdog in this matchup, which is why it is doing well with shares and likes etc. Thanks for reading. We appreciate the feedback and take it seriously.