Lexus RC 350 2014 Review - International

Considering the most recent mainstream Lexus sports cars are the IS 250C and SC 430 hard-top convertibles, you could argue the signs aren't promising for the RC 350 to be something truly special.

But a new architecture, a strong V6 engine, decent dynamics, some potent styling inside and out and unquestionable value make this a car worth remembering – for the right reasons.

Lexus wants your love, not just your respect. Being quiet and classy is no longer good enough. It wants to step out the shadows, crash the Euro-party and get funky.

Enter the RC 350 coupe, which goes on sale in Australia in November, the vehicle (literally and figuratively) by which Toyota's luxury brand wants to establish an emotional connection with potential luxury sports car buyers.

As we've detailed elsewhere, Lexus has had a fair old crack at coming up with a car that might just cause the heart to leap as well as the head to nod, rather than nod off.

Its recipe for romance is a rear-wheel drive coupe base based on a new architecture, powered by the tried and true drivetrain combination of 3.5-litre 2GR-FSE V6 engine and eight-speed torque converter automatic. The exterior is dynamic, the 2+2 interior both high in quality and attitude.

While there will be just one drivetrain, there will be three levels of trim: Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury. With a pricing spread starting from as low as $65,000 and topping out around $100,000, the RC 350 shapes as both intriguing proposition and value. It starts with a big bang for your buck advantage over its German rivals in base specification and gradually gives that up as it progresses through the range.

Put it this way, if you do indeed end up being able to buy a 233kW/378Nm, 6.3-second 0-100km/h RC 350 Luxury for $65,000 (plus ORCs), it will line up against the likes of a 135kW/270Nm, 7.3-second BMW 420i for $69,500 (plus ORCs).

Head up the range and the bang quotient doesn't appeal so much as the buck gap narrows. Sure, the F Sport mixes in its own more aggressive styling and some important technical ingredients like adaptive suspension and rear-wheel steer, but the drivetrain outputs change not one jot. And the Sports Luxury will drown in high-tech gear to justify its higher asking price but add not one kW or Nm.

So it's the Luxury that is the value model in this range, which means the head should be happy. And happily the heart should get a kick too.

That's because the RC 350 Luxury delivers a nice combination of power and poise. That big naturally-aspirated V6 is genuinely one of the smoothest and nicest example of this vanishing breed you could hope to sit behind.

It combines sweetly with the transmission to boot you strongly past slower traffic or up a steep hill at a gallop. It cruises happily, quietly and vibe-free at 140km/h on the freeway. There's no hitches, hesitations or lag and there's a lovely, barking V6 beat to go with it.

The downside is the claimed fuel economy, which at 9.4L/100km is as old -chool as eschewing turbocharging and downsizing. The substantial 1680-1740kg kerb weight is hardly cutting edge either, not when the BMW 435i weights in at 1525kg. That's an embarrassing gap that has an immediate impact on thirst.

There is an eco mode for the throttle and transmission responses if you so desire, but it really does dull the drivetrain down too much. Sport is at the upper end of the scale (Sport+ in F Sport and Sports Luxury), so normal felt just fine most of the time, unless you really felt like hunting along fiercely. But this is not really that type of car -- it's more GT than sportster.

The tune of the Luxury's non-adjustable suspension confirms that. It has a well-sorted compliance rather than scalpel-sharp tautness. It floated a little over the numerous bumps and crannies of the New York highway system, neither invoking real confidence or deterrence. The steering behaviour and handling response was in sync. No doubt the need to control that substantial kerb weight plays a role in the RC's substantive, rather than sylph-like feel.

The F Sport was more inclined toward that direction, but we only managed to sample it for a couple of laps of the Monticello circuit, where in comparison to the RC F V8 it understandably felt a little loose and vague.

Having said that, the RC did its job on road and track without fuss. And in that classic Lexus way, did it quietly too.

There are other Lexus signatures in RCs; a beautifully stitched together interior using fine materials. The front seats are really comfortable and supportive, the instrument panel informative and individual. The switchgear stepping down the centre stack including the electrostatic temp controls are recognisably Lexus, as is the deep console dividing the driver and his companion. The new touch-pad system (that replaces a mouse) works well, but will take time to adjust to.

But passengers taller than small children will never adjust to the RC's rear seat. It is simply too squished back there. Obviously Lexus hired the Porsche bloke who packages the rear seats for the 911 to come over and help with the RC. At least they're split/folding, which means the compact 366-litre boot becomes much more generous.

Undoubtedly one of the RC's greatest strengths is it exterior. It's fussier, edgier and more dramatic than its European rivals. If they are Bauhaus then it is more bordello, more colourful, more extravagant and more suggestive.

The driving reality is calmer and more rational than that. But hey, it's hard to go from shy and retiring to the life of the party all in one go.

Lexus RC 350 pricing and specifications:
Price: $65,000-$100,000 (estimated)
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol
Output: 233kW/378Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.4L/100km
CO2: 224g/km
Safety rating: N/A