During our first drive in the 2015 Lexus RC F, we deemed the 5.0-liter V-8 “just a few horses shy of sensational.” Orange County tuner Gordon Ting apparently agreed, and proceeded to do something about it, like plumb in a nitrous-oxide system to boost the 467-hp engine by roughly 100 ponies in quick bursts.
His bright blue RC F at SEMA, fitted with a stunning set of black 20-inch Yokohama wheels, thick six-piston Brembos, and tight Sparco seats inside, is a quickie response to Lexus’s own RC F GT3, which will be sold to a handful of racing teams next year with 540 factory-tuned horsepower. When the nitrous isn’t running, a performance exhaust and revised intakes deliver added response. Additional suspension tuning, courtesy of new front and rear strut-tower bars plus a coil-over lowering kit from Tein, will no doubt have the RC F riding like a proper GT3. Carbon-fiber splitters round out the decidedly low-key body mods. Inside, Ting didn’t bother hiding the nitrous tank—it’s poking through a covered shelf where the rear seatback used to be—and he plopped the coil-over setup’s adaptive-damping control box to the left of the instrument panel, wires and all. We’d hoon it.
Ting’s RC350 F Sport was is less about performance modifications—the only powertrain upgrade is a performance exhaust—than stance. Slammed low to the ground and sporting a set of burly bolt-on fender flares, it has custom Enkei 19-inch wheels, six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembo brakes, and a KW Suspension coil-over setup.
- Lexus RC F GT3: The Race-Ready Lexus Coupe
- First Drive: Burly, Bodacious 2015 Lexus RC F
- 2015 RC350 Coupe Driven: Born of Three Cars, It’s One Compelling Coupe
Another Orange County tuner, VIP Auto Salon, definitely dug deep into the color palette to come up with this neon sea-foam-green RC F. Beyond the paint, though, VIP didn’t change the exterior beyond a set of black, thin-spoked 20-inch VPS forged wheels and some subtle side skirts with new front and rear lip spoilers. Obligatory Brembo brakes, stiffer coil-overs from RSR Sports, and an upgraded air intake and exhaust round out the changes. The color continues inside with some sea-foam accent. Given how far many SEMA show cars go, this RC F is the equivalent of Alka-Seltzer: Oh, what a relief it is.
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via Agya
