![]() ![]() A common way to measure the drag of the vehicle is through the drag area. There are many different ways to reduce the drag of a vehicle. Reducing the drag coefficient in an automobile improves the performance of the vehicle as it pertains to speed and fuel efficiency. Aerodynamic drag increases with the square of speed therefore it becomes critically important at higher speeds. When automobile companies design a new vehicle they take into consideration the automobile drag coefficient in addition to the other performance characteristics. The drag coefficient of an automobile measures the way the automobile passes through the surrounding air. ![]() Drag is a force that acts parallel to and in the same direction as the airflow. The drag coefficient is a common measure in automotive design as it pertains to aerodynamics. It brings character and stonking V8 performance to an otherwise conservative Lexus range and, while its appeal against its proven rivals will hinge on price – Lexus Oz warns it will carry a hefty premium over the old $130,000 IS F – the RC F proves an exciting Lexus is no longer an oxymoron.Edmund Rumpler's 1921 Tropfenwagen was the first series-produced aerodynamically designed automobile, before the Chrysler Airflow and the Tatra 77. It’s not perfect, then, but like the IS F before it, the RC F offers a real alternative to its proven German rivals. And while an intuitive remote touch interface replaces Lexus’s old, clumsy mouse-operated infotainment system, the RC misses out on new technology found in the coming NX, such as remote phone charging and an electric park brake (RC owners have to make do with a dated foot brake). The cabin feels premium and solidly screwed together, but its conventional layout is somehow disappointing given the RC F’s vivid exterior styling. Inside, F-specific bucket seats hug the driver, while Lexus’s reputation for quality is evident. The gearbox is seamless and unobtrusive around town, yet sharp enough when you point the RC F at a track, even though it’s not as fast or intuitive as a dual-clutch. It’s quick, too, hustling the RC F’s not inconsiderable 1800kg from 0-100km/h in 4.4sec. It’s an old-school donk with none of the M4’s futuristic urgency or low-down punch, but that only adds to its character. It barks on start-up and, while lacking torque down low, get it above 2500rpm and it pulls sweetly and cleanly all the way to the 7300rpm cut-out. It might be old, but the big, snarling V8 is a highlight. Translate this to the road and the result is the most engaging, best handling Lexus since the LFA. Nearly all (70 percent) of the RC F’s adaptive suspension is new compared to the standard RC, it’s even more rigid thanks to additional bracing, and a limited-slip diff is standard (a torque vectoring electronic rear diff is optional). It rides on its own version of Lexus’s modular rear-drive platform, taking its nose from the GS, its centre from the IS convertible and its rear from the IS sedan. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying it has presence.ĭon’t dismiss the RC F as simply a door-two IS, though. ![]() In a world of conservative, muscular rivals, the aggressively sharp RC F is a polarising breath of fresh air. Chief engineer Yaguchi insists they are still too slow and jerky, so Lexus instead opted to mate the RC F exclusively to its ageing, yet smooth-shifting eight-speed torque-converter auto.īut if the drivetrain is nothing new, the same can’t be said of the RC F’s styling. ![]() Under low loads, the big bent-eight is the first engine in the world to slide seamlessly from the normal Otto cycle into the Atkinson cycle – a mode previously only available to hybrids – for a 12-14 percent boost in economy. It’s officially the most powerful V8 Lexus has ever built, but there are brains behind the brawn. Where the Germans utilise new, high-tech, turbocharged engines, the RC F uses the same Yamaha-tuned 5.0-litre V8 as the old IS F, tweaked to produce 351kW and 530Nm. Lexus’s approach, though, couldn’t be more different. This hard-core, V8-powered RC F changes all that.Įager to shirk its conservative, fuddy-duddy image (even Lexus calls itself a “safe brand”) the RC F not only replaces the iconic, now-defunct LFA as the company’s halo model, but boasts track-honed credentials that put it firmly in the crosshairs of the new BMW M4 and upcoming Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and Audi RS5. THE words ‘exciting’ and ‘Lexus’ usually sit together as comfortably as ‘Israel’ and ‘Palestine’. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |