Lexus may be best-known for its luxury-forward sedans and crossovers (and some upscale, off-road-ready SUVs), but it's also drawn plenty of praise for its performance-forward cars — two-doors and four-doors alike that offer a delightful blend of comfort and genuine dynamic merit. For 2025, however, the luxury manufacturer is losing one of those angels: the RC coupe lineup is riding off into the sunset.
After a decade on the market, both the RC and RC F will be leaving production at the end of the 2025 model year. Before they go, however, Lexus is dangling a last chance in front of its historically loyal customer base in the form of a special edition RC F. The regular RC will see a few minor changes for its final model year — but it seems Lexus wanted to send the RC F out with a bang, as this new variant will be the only RC F offered for 2025.
The last RC F, known as the Mono Spec Special Edition, uses the same template as the coupes that came before it, with powered coming from a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 making 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. This all works in tandem with adaptive suspension, six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembo brakes, and a massaged differential that should reduce drivetrain lash, according to Lexus.
This particular RC F makes itself stand out in the visual department: it packs exterior touches like a carbon fiber roof, side rocker panels, front spoiler and rear diffuser, 19-inch BBS wheels, and an active rear wing, with paint choices of Incognito, Radiant Red, Sonic Iridium, and Ultra White.
Inside the RC F Mono Spec Special Edition, you'll find a custom black-and-red leather outfit with Ultrasuede trim all around. Carbon fiber is a key facet of the interior design, just as it is outside: a "Final Edition" emblem jas crafted out of the rigid material and placed on the front console.
By the numbers, the RC F Mono Spec Special Edition is reasonably quick. The sprint to 60 mph comes in 4.2 seconds, while the RC F hits its Vmax at 168 mph. Still, at $94,000, that's a tough sell, when you consider a competitively optioned BMW M4 starts at $84,195. Suffice it to say, it seems unlikely that the buyers of this retirement run of coupes will be anything but Lexus devotees.
Lexus will continue to offer the RC 300 and RC 350 in both rear and all-wheel-drive configurations through the rest of the model year. (In a product planning move that feels very 2002, Lexus still offers the non-F RC lineup with two different but similarly-powerful engines: a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-four and a 3.5-liter V-6. Also, Lexus made sure to tell us that the orange brake calipers on RWD variants of the RC 350 F Sport have been switched to red for this last year, so there's that.
With a price range of $46,445 to $55,720, the V-8-less RC lineup is a reasonably priced coupe option for someone who takes the touring part of grand touring seriously. It's not a performance machine, ultimately, but its smooth lines and smoother power delivery are the kind of comforting driving dynamics that we'll miss. Lexus has yet to provide us with details on just how many units of each RC version will be produced, but we suspect you won't end up in a bidding war.
Looking to purchase a car? Find your match on the MSN Autos Marketplace 2025-01-16T17:26:19Z