Sorry to hear your bad experiences. Must have been very poorly maintained. In the used market, I see people really cheaping out on parts and maintenance of the RCF. They buy it fully understanding it is a high performance car, but want to treat like a normal Lexus or Toyota. RCFs in general are some of the most reliable and high quality cars Lexus has ever made. Mine has had zero problems in 8+ years.
Thanks for watching! Glad yours is living up to the Lexus reputation. The strange thing was that the old RCF had a full main dealer history. So in theory, money had been spent on it. I’m chalking it up to bad luck.
These are rare, left field and actually appealing to drive.. I agree, its nice not to follow the crowd. I must admit I've looked more than once at an ISF, again very subtle but a brute in a suit!
The ISF is a very interesting proposition. I looked at one a while ago, a pre facelift car with a Haywood & Scott exhaust. It sounded fabulous and the auto gearbox was impressively good given the age of the car. I can see why the interior was criticised at the time because it lacks the German cars soft touch plastics etc, but they seem to hold up much better than the equivalent M3. The ride is certainly very firm but easily sorted with some Tein coil overs. The engine is very very impressive and for me seems to sit between the torque light, high revving M3 and brute that is the C63. The main issue is that there are not many on the market and they’re quite expensive for what is an old car now.
Really sucks to see what you’re going through. If F cars are not taken of then you will absolutely have a hard time because parts are VERY expensive especially carbon parts. The brakes are an easy change but will still squeak because these are high temp big brake from Brembo as OEM and they need to be hot. Someone didn’t want to live the Lexus life the right way, maintenance is EVERYTHING. The 2UR-GSE is best and most complex V8s around. I’d love to see you get the car on the ring.
Appreciated! The weird thing was that the old car has a full Lexus service history, so maintenance wasn’t skipped as far as I can tell. Just bad luck I guess? I’ll can’t wait to get the shiny new (to me) RCF car to the Nürgburging this year.
@ ya, take your time on mods, but change that exhaust and put it on springs or coils asap, how it should of came from factory, too bad u got unlucky the first time, this car is the definition of reliable lol
@@codenamegrimlock yeah fair price (though whatever I sold it for was going to be a heft loss regardless). As far as I am aware it’s treated it’s new owner better.
Collect my Feb 18 RCF next Monday - very excited even if your last bid did make me nervous. Currently have a 2020 RC300h which I bought as a sensible car - it is lovely, so comfortable, stylish, feels solid and high quality but I went sensible too soon hence the move to the F. Fingers crossed it’ll be more reliable than my nightmare old Merc E400 (which promoted the move to Lexus!)
Sorry to hear the bad experience man, but it was a 10 year old car and how many miles was the last RC F ? Also the service history ? That’s the determining factor for me.
Thanks! All second hand cars have issues, and I was prepared for some but not the amount/size of issues in a short timeframe. The white one had 67k on the clock and it had full Lexus service history & was sold by a Lexus main dealer so it felt like a safe bet.
Soooooooo, let me get this straight; you bought a USED car which is a PERFORMANCE model and are surprised that it may have been abused to the point of it having issues ?🤔😆😂 The vid's title (and the phasing in the beginning of the video) makes it seem as if you are giving the brand and car model a second chance after disappointing you; which is all very click-bait since we ALL know it was NOT an issue with the car's design or Lexus' build quality. So, the long&short of it all ---> seller/dealer tried to pawn off a busted car on you, but in the end, you got a working replacement in a better color.
Remember this was a used Lexus with full Lexus service history and sold by a Lexus dealer. My expectations is that a car sold under those circumstances should not catastrophically break down inside of 12 days. It wasn’t a cheap car (£25k/$30k) or from a back street dealer, it’s also a Lexus which I hold to a high standard. The experience/battle with the dealer did damage my opinion of the brand/car, but I’m glad there was a positive outcome that avoided lawyers.
@@Project40Cars Hummm, that does change things a bit,,,,,,,,,,, but even then it sounds more like the dealership is the problem,,,,, not the brand or model (but yeah, the dealership does have Lexus' name on it).
Agreed it was an isolated incident. But even when I raised it to Lexus HQ they weren’t interested in assisting a resolution which I found surprising. I’ve had multiple Lexus products before, this was the first time I’ve been let down in one.
I agree with everyone else, sorry you had to go through that madness. However...the Ultrasonic Blue is soooo much cooler than the white one. (I may be a tad biased. 😀) The RCF, like any Lexus with the V8, can easily do 'double duty'. You can drive with spirit and serenely commute to the office later. It's very Jekyll & Hyde in that respect... In reference to tires, please for the love of God, do not get Lexus' version of the Bridgestones. (S001) Those things are terrible and I switched to the PS4S' after 7K miles on my IS500. Between the LC500 and the RCF, I would choose the RCF. I have driven them both a few times and the RCF is a bit more practical and nimble. Plus if you're a serious track guy, which you seem to be, it is better suited as you laid out. Looks and sound-wise, the LC500 wins. I personally chose the IS500 because it splits the two. I am not a track--day guy, but I do mountain runs a lot. The IS500 is more nimble on its feet than the other two, more practical, and is a better overall GT car. Which fits what I'm personally looking for, a smooth ride....fast. 🙂 NOTE: Except for the E92/93 M3; I'm with you, Beemers do not speak to me either. Looking forward to more, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching! I’d love to try the IS500 but I don’t think it was available in the U.K. I’ve since replaced the tyres with some lovely Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres, they are night & day different. I assume the IS500 is lighter? One thing I’m considering is a brake upgrade to have lighter discs & wheels to save some mass.
@@Project40Cars I want the Pilot Sport 5 Summers really bad, but my OEM wheels are too skinny. 😞 Someday they will be available for wheels under 275. I think lighter wheels and brakes are the way to go, out of the box the RCF is about 5-10lbs. heavier than the IS500. Probably the extra bracing from the IS Convertible, making up the middle portion of the RC's body.
It's been a bit too icy locally for Sport + at the moment, it's "better" in that mode but still not a game changer. I'm hoping it comes together on track, as that's where I'm really excited to take the RCF.
@@Project40Cars when i drive this car sporty, i never have it in automatic, slap the gearstick to manual and sport+, and its really impressive fast for a torque converter
Glad to see you got it sorted with a compromise. Great to have a car that you can put your trust into. On the last video we suspected the coolant leak was the valley plate gasket, but actually it turned out to be the head gasket? Wow, that's a job. Will be looking forward to the Nurburgring trip. Watched Misha drive a LC500 out there on his channel. Cheers
Hey Marshall, me too! It was a big surprise for both myself & the dealer. I’m very glad to put it all behind me and I’m really happy with the new car. I’m excited to get it on to the ring in later in the year. 🎉
@@Project40Cars i traded in an m4 for an rcf and while the m4(f82 generation) was much quicker, it sounds like a john deer tractor and as these cars age it has lots of typical bmw issues, cranks hub failure, leaky intercoolers, oil leaks. the RCF is just so uncommon even here in the states and i like that exclusivity.
@@Project40Carsthe S55 is a very effective engine, but the sound is awful especially on pre-OPF cars which are just loud. Not tuneful at all, just loud. As a BMW fanboy, they’re very capable of making a turbocharged straight six sound good. Shane they cocked up the M engine.
Sorry to hear your bad experiences. Must have been very poorly maintained. In the used market, I see people really cheaping out on parts and maintenance of the RCF. They buy it fully understanding it is a high performance car, but want to treat like a normal Lexus or Toyota. RCFs in general are some of the most reliable and high quality cars Lexus has ever made. Mine has had zero problems in 8+ years.
Thanks for watching! Glad yours is living up to the Lexus reputation. The strange thing was that the old RCF had a full main dealer history. So in theory, money had been spent on it.
I’m chalking it up to bad luck.
These are rare, left field and actually appealing to drive.. I agree, its nice not to follow the crowd. I must admit I've looked more than once at an ISF, again very subtle but a brute in a suit!
It’s a great combo, the ISF is a little too firm riding for daily driving.
The ISF is a very interesting proposition. I looked at one a while ago, a pre facelift car with a Haywood & Scott exhaust. It sounded fabulous and the auto gearbox was impressively good given the age of the car. I can see why the interior was criticised at the time because it lacks the German cars soft touch plastics etc, but they seem to hold up much better than the equivalent M3. The ride is certainly very firm but easily sorted with some Tein coil overs. The engine is very very impressive and for me seems to sit between the torque light, high revving M3 and brute that is the C63. The main issue is that there are not many on the market and they’re quite expensive for what is an old car now.
The ISF really is stubbornly holding on to its price. Paying £16-20k is a bit of a challenge imo.
Really sucks to see what you’re going through. If F cars are not taken of then you will absolutely have a hard time because parts are VERY expensive especially carbon parts. The brakes are an easy change but will still squeak because these are high temp big brake from Brembo as OEM and they need to be hot. Someone didn’t want to live the Lexus life the right way, maintenance is EVERYTHING. The 2UR-GSE is best and most complex V8s around. I’d love to see you get the car on the ring.
Appreciated! The weird thing was that the old car has a full Lexus service history, so maintenance wasn’t skipped as far as I can tell. Just bad luck I guess?
I’ll can’t wait to get the shiny new (to me) RCF car to the Nürgburging this year.
We got the same spec! Love this car, 5 years not one issue, I floor it, drift it, one of the best sub 100k cars edit: omg yes too the ring!!
That’s great to hear 🎉 I can’t wait to get it on track. Gonna be awesome. Have you modified yours?
@ ya, take your time on mods, but change that exhaust and put it on springs or coils asap, how it should of came from factory, too bad u got unlucky the first time, this car is the definition of reliable lol
Looks like a good outcome. A ball ache, but they’ve sorted it (of a sort).
Yup so far the replacement car hasn’t put a foot (or should that be tyre?) wrong.
Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful V8 friendship.
@ fingers crossed. The last one was a real shame and I guess even Lexus are capable of churning out the odd lemon.
Yup things happen, can’t say I was impressed with the overall experience. But that’s in the past now!
Have you sold your Cayenne?
I did, it was sold back in April
@ no way! Did it go for the right money?
@@codenamegrimlock yeah fair price (though whatever I sold it for was going to be a heft loss regardless). As far as I am aware it’s treated it’s new owner better.
Collect my Feb 18 RCF next Monday - very excited even if your last bid did make me nervous. Currently have a 2020 RC300h which I bought as a sensible car - it is lovely, so comfortable, stylish, feels solid and high quality but I went sensible too soon hence the move to the F. Fingers crossed it’ll be more reliable than my nightmare old Merc E400 (which promoted the move to Lexus!)
I’m sure you’ll have much better luck than I did!
Does that rcf not have carbon fiber trim ?
No, the replacement RCF seems to be lacking carbon bits. I don’t think it would be too hard to source alternatives.
Brethren that car was neglected from prior owner aint no way you def in the minority with issues of that magnitude. Lemons do happen.
What’s weird is that it had full Lexus main dealer service history. But I agree lemons do happen.
Sorry to hear the bad experience man, but it was a 10 year old car and how many miles was the last RC F ? Also the service history ? That’s the determining factor for me.
Thanks! All second hand cars have issues, and I was prepared for some but not the amount/size of issues in a short timeframe.
The white one had 67k on the clock and it had full Lexus service history & was sold by a Lexus main dealer so it felt like a safe bet.
Soooooooo, let me get this straight; you bought a USED car which is a PERFORMANCE model and are surprised that it may have been abused to the point of it having issues ?🤔😆😂
The vid's title (and the phasing in the beginning of the video) makes it seem as if you are giving the brand and car model a second chance after disappointing you; which is all very click-bait since we ALL know it was NOT an issue with the car's design or Lexus' build quality.
So, the long&short of it all ---> seller/dealer tried to pawn off a busted car on you, but in the end, you got a working replacement in a better color.
Remember this was a used Lexus with full Lexus service history and sold by a Lexus dealer. My expectations is that a car sold under those circumstances should not catastrophically break down inside of 12 days.
It wasn’t a cheap car (£25k/$30k) or from a back street dealer, it’s also a Lexus which I hold to a high standard.
The experience/battle with the dealer did damage my opinion of the brand/car, but I’m glad there was a positive outcome that avoided lawyers.
@@Project40Cars Hummm, that does change things a bit,,,,,,,,,,, but even then it sounds more like the dealership is the problem,,,,, not the brand or model (but yeah, the dealership does have Lexus' name on it).
Agreed it was an isolated incident. But even when I raised it to Lexus HQ they weren’t interested in assisting a resolution which I found surprising.
I’ve had multiple Lexus products before, this was the first time I’ve been let down in one.
Shame to dampen your RCF experience, but I think asking for a refund and getting another was the right thing to do 😁
I’m happy with the outcome, the process was stressful but still love the RCF 🎉
I agree with everyone else, sorry you had to go through that madness. However...the Ultrasonic Blue is soooo much cooler than the white one. (I may be a tad biased. 😀) The RCF, like any Lexus with the V8, can easily do 'double duty'. You can drive with spirit and serenely commute to the office later. It's very Jekyll & Hyde in that respect... In reference to tires, please for the love of God, do not get Lexus' version of the Bridgestones. (S001) Those things are terrible and I switched to the PS4S' after 7K miles on my IS500. Between the LC500 and the RCF, I would choose the RCF. I have driven them both a few times and the RCF is a bit more practical and nimble. Plus if you're a serious track guy, which you seem to be, it is better suited as you laid out. Looks and sound-wise, the LC500 wins. I personally chose the IS500 because it splits the two. I am not a track--day guy, but I do mountain runs a lot. The IS500 is more nimble on its feet than the other two, more practical, and is a better overall GT car. Which fits what I'm personally looking for, a smooth ride....fast. 🙂 NOTE: Except for the E92/93 M3; I'm with you, Beemers do not speak to me either. Looking forward to more, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching! I’d love to try the IS500 but I don’t think it was available in the U.K. I’ve since replaced the tyres with some lovely Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres, they are night & day different.
I assume the IS500 is lighter? One thing I’m considering is a brake upgrade to have lighter discs & wheels to save some mass.
@@Project40Cars I want the Pilot Sport 5 Summers really bad, but my OEM wheels are too skinny. 😞 Someday they will be available for wheels under 275. I think lighter wheels and brakes are the way to go, out of the box the RCF is about 5-10lbs. heavier than the IS500. Probably the extra bracing from the IS Convertible, making up the middle portion of the RC's body.
@ agreed, it’s not a crazy heavy car but a little adjustment couldn’t hurt.
sport + and the paddle shifters then let me know what you think of that old gearbox!
It's been a bit too icy locally for Sport + at the moment, it's "better" in that mode but still not a game changer. I'm hoping it comes together on track, as that's where I'm really excited to take the RCF.
@@Project40Cars when i drive this car sporty, i never have it in automatic, slap the gearstick to manual and sport+, and its really impressive fast for a torque converter
Glad to see you got it sorted with a compromise. Great to have a car that you can put your trust into. On the last video we suspected the coolant leak was the valley plate gasket, but actually it turned out to be the head gasket? Wow, that's a job.
Will be looking forward to the Nurburgring trip. Watched Misha drive a LC500 out there on his channel. Cheers
Hey Marshall, me too! It was a big surprise for both myself & the dealer. I’m very glad to put it all behind me and I’m really happy with the new car. I’m excited to get it on to the ring in later in the year. 🎉
I want a 2019 and up rcf so bad. It's ticks all the boxes I want in my next car.
I think the adaptive dampers would be a very nice upgrade. Go for it!
Did you buy it from a Lexus dealer?
I did indeed, that’s what was so frustrating.
I'd much rather get a mustang a slap supercharger on it
I’ve not had a Mustang since my old fox body 5.0. It was made from biscuit tins but it did make a good noise.
m3/m4s are mustangs for rich kids.....at least here in the states.
I need to drive an m3, though the 3.0 twin turbo would likely feel like a step down experience wise.
@@Project40Cars i traded in an m4 for an rcf and while the m4(f82 generation) was much quicker, it sounds like a john deer tractor and as these cars age it has lots of typical bmw issues, cranks hub failure, leaky intercoolers, oil leaks. the RCF is just so uncommon even here in the states and i like that exclusivity.
Reliability was a reason I decided against the c63/m3 etc. Hoping that my replacement RCF is better than the first.
Have you modified yours?
@@Project40Carsthe S55 is a very effective engine, but the sound is awful especially on pre-OPF cars which are just loud. Not tuneful at all, just loud. As a BMW fanboy, they’re very capable of making a turbocharged straight six sound good. Shane they cocked up the M engine.
@ drop in filter and a new set of michilin super sports. Gotta do pads and rotors in the spring. Doing a borla axle back and thats it.