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The Auto Extremist he is, although he praises the RC-F for breaking from traditionally tepid Lexus design and product planning...
Check out the rest of his summations on the 2014 NAIAS, its quite a good read. A kaleidoscope of the pretty good, the really bad and the just plain ugly. Plus a special Bunny Rabbit Express to Nowhere thrown in for good measure. Welcome to The Land of Overpromise and Underdeliver, otherwise known as the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.Memo to Infiniti: Sit Down, Shut Up. And Take Notes. Juxtaposed hard up against the Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge was the 2015 Lexus RC F Lexus performance coupe. With 450+ horsepower from its 5.0-liter, 32-valve V8 and more than 383 lb.-ft. torque, a Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD) and a newly calibrated eight-speed Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission with paddle shifters, the sheer presence of this new F model from Lexus made the Infiniti look amateurish by comparison. As in not even close. Yeah, coupes do usually look better, but that’s no excuse. Executed with a taut restraint that most Japanese designs lack, the Lexus RC F flat embarrassed its direct competitor at Infiniti. And deservedly so, I might add. I’m beginning to think Lexus just may pull off this transformation into becoming a purveyor of spirited high-performance machines. And this after 25 years of selling bland-tastic somnolence. Who knew?