The new 2015 Lexus RC350 climbs into an increasingly hot bed of voluptuously artistic sport coupes including the BMW 4-Series, the coming Infiniti Q60, and the Cadillac ATS. In terms of design it takes license to be even more bold and risque than the IS sedan from which it hatched.
Truly however, the the RC is built from several Lexus ancestors that include not only the IS sedan, but the GS chassis platform and the IS Convertible. Thus its proportions are all its own, its foot print unique, and its style one of a kind.
The fastback roofline flows back into a subtle duck-bill rear spoiler, while up front a wider mouth seemingly stretched in Photoshop adds a more aggressive look. All of its forms are complex and say origami in ways that even the paper folding art itself never explored.
The F-Sport gets a unique grille from the standard RC350 that I think is the better of the two offered. It also gets larger 19” wheels with 40 series summer tires that give it a more muscular look than the based grade RC350
I can only say that every time I look at this car in a different light, I see something new. It has angles, gills, whiskers and forms that shouldn’t all work together at all. But somehow, they do.
Inside are some very supportive, sexy looking and comfortable F Sport seats which are both heated and ventilated. The rich Rioja Red NuLuxe surfaces are a dead ringer for leather, though at this price it I think it should be the real thing.
The RC gets the latest generation Lexus infotainment control touch-pad, a replacement for a puck that I have long held to be one of the best in the business. While the new touch sensitive pad operates the same way with tactile feedback, its over-sensitivity takes away while driving. I prefer the puck.
Like the IS350 F Sport the digital TFT instrument cluster is a gem. It offers all sorts of customization and that sliding center ring from the LF A is just too much fun. It would be even nicer if it stayed there when you turn the car off and return later.
Back seat space is really, well for packages, groceries or small humans when helping rescue people from a disaster or something. Trunk space is however still as generous as you would expect in the IS sedans.
The engine is the now venerable 3.5 liter high-output V6 which offers up 306 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque here. In the rear-wheel drive coupe it comes with an eight-speed automatic. If you option all-wheel drive you drop down to a six-speed auto. No manual is offered.
The RC 350 F Sport is rated by the EPA at 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. In our testing we saw an observed 21 mpg combined which was largely impacted by a heavy balance of mountain flogging.
Regardless of the steering system you choose, the chassis of the RC350 is in my opinion one of the top choices available in this class at the moment. It has a sharp feel and the predictability you want in a sport coupe, the solidness you pay for here, and in the F Sport some dynamic adjustments.
With the console mounted knob you can click up to Sport + which activates the electronically adjustable dampers to stiffen up its reflexes. Changes you can really feel, you also get heavier steering, a more responsive throttle, and quicker shifting from that automatic transmission.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given the 2015 Lexus RC350 a Top Safety Pick + rating. It performed with a good rating on all of their crash test metrics including the small-overlap front crash. It also offers crash prevention systems as an option.
