Welcome to an Auto Express track battle, between the Lexus RC F and the BMW M4.
We will be finding out which of these super-coupes is fastest around our test track.
Performance models from Lexus are few and far between, so the arrival of the RC F is
big news.
featuring a 5.0-litre V8 and a heady 471bhp, uprated suspension and rear-wheel drive, it
certainly has all the raw ingredients to succeed.
The 425bhp M4 can't match the Lexus for outright firepower, but its 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight
six delivers more torque at lower revs.
The BMW is lighter, too.
Will that be enough to give it an advantage around a lap of our Blyton Park circuit?
Right, so first up - it's the Lexus.
It's got more power than the BMW, fractionally less torque, but that's negated by the extra
weight.
At nearly 1,800 kilos, it's nearly 200 kilos heavier than the BMW, which is a lot in this
type of car.
The Lexus has a clever box of tricks up its sleeve to try and make the car feel more agile.
In this case, an optional extra on this car, is the torque vectoring differential which
shuffles the torque between the rear wheels to try and enhance turn in - make the car
feel sharper.
You can have Track, Normal or Slalom, but in Slalom it does feel a bit aggressively
artificial, so it's best to have it in Track or Normal.
In that mode, turn in is quite good.
There's plenty of front-end grip, you get good traction on exit, but if you provoke
the car, it will slide a bit.
But overall the traction is very good on the exit of turns.
The 5.0-litre engine, well, it takes a while to build up momentum, but once it climbs above
5.000rpm, well.
it makes a great noise and really starts to punch hard.
Anyway, I think we've got some heat in the tyres so we can go for a fast lap.
Let's see what the Lexus can do.
That engine really does sound quite good.
Hard on the brakes, already you're starting to feel the Lexus's weight and through the
change of direction it's the same thing.
There's quite a lot of body movement.
It has adaptive dampers on this car so you get a firm ride on the road, but on the track
it just doesn't control body movement very well.
So braking hard for the chicane.
Again, the brakes starting to give up.
Traction - she's getting away from me a bit there but just feel that engine.
Down to third, hard on the power.
Traction is really good on the exit there.
Now be smooth through here, don't throw the car's weight around and neat and tidy and
it's starting to push into understeer and it's difficult to dial it out with the throttle.
It doesn't want to do it, it's not very sensitive in the way the BMW is.
Coming down now to the end of the lap, braking hard - again the weight obvious turning in.
Nice exit, final corner.
Lightening up at the rear but I don't think we lost too much time and over the line.
The RC F's weight and lack of low-rev torque proved to be its undoing, and in the final
reckoning, it set a relatively leisurely time of 1 minute, fourteen dead.
So, let's see how the BMW gets on.
Right, so now it's the turn of the BMW.
It's fair to say this BMW M4 has been a bit of a controversial car for BMW with its twin-turbo
straight-six it represents a radical departure from the old naturally-aspirated car.
But, like it or loathe it, there's no doubting it's effective.
It just pulls from nothing and keeps going and going.
And while the sound is a little bit synthesised, well it's loud and it's, well, proud, really.
There's no doubting it's anything other than an M car.
Now, unlike the Lexus which was fairly simple in terms of driver modes, in the BMW you've
got three damper settings, three engine settings, three steering settings and three gearbox
settings to choose from.
You could take all week choosing the best, but thankfully once you have done, there's
an M button on the steering wheel that you can programme in the best one.
So once you've got your favourite settings programmed in, well, the BMW comes alive really.
It instantly feels more agile and alert than the Lexus and, with so much power, it just
absolutely demolishes the straights.
And this car's got optional carbon-ceramic brakes as well, so, they're not the greatest
in terms of feel, but they're certainly very effective in stopping the car.
And the gearbox, the DCT gearbox, delivers nice, crisp shifts.
It's just more responsive than the Lexus' eight-speed auto and it will drift for, well,
Germany.
It's just hilarious!
So, I think we've got enough heat in the tyres now.
Let's go for a fast lap.
I think the BMW should be confident.
Here we go, right, first corner.
Instantly.
the brakes scrub off the speed, turn-in is so much sharper and the amount of grip you've
got through the front axle is amazing.
Just this fast corner, you've got to watch the rear with all that torque going through
just those two wheels and the car just wants to step out of line.
Braking for the chicane.
Stopping power is just really good.
And again, that engine, you soon get used to that sound.
It just pulls and pulls.
Just got to be so careful on the exit.
Getting a good lap time is all about patience...we're already starting to lose a bit there.
Shouldn't have lost too much hopefully.
Fast change of direction, the car just feels planted where the Lexus feels a bit wobbly.
Into the last two corners, careful, careful, steady, patience James, here we go.
And she's across the line now!
That felt like a really quick lap.
The BMW was edgy and required commitment, but the result was a quick time of 1 minute,
ten point seven.
So, it's an emphatic win for the BMW, then.
It's sharper, faster, more engaging to drive and while the turbocharged engine will divide
opinion for fans, there's no doubting its effectiveness.
It really is a powerhouse.
But, what about the Lexus then?
Well, it's not to be discounted.
It's got approachable handling, and that 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine does sound good,
and once it's revving it pulls hard.
But, ultimately, it's soft, less focused and not as fun as the BMW.
If you want to find out how the BMW M4 fared against the Audi RS5 click the link on the
left.
To see the Nissan GT-R take on the Porsche 911 Turbo click the link on the right.
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