Is the Lexus RC-F more powerful than the new BMW M4 coupe? Yes. Well, maybe. Probably. Is it lighter than the M4 coupe? Lexus didn't say. Is it at least as quick as a classic 427 Shelby Cobra? Lexus didn't say, but they did imply.
The Lexus press conference debuting the RC-F Coupe wasn't just slim when it came to details. It was totally devoid of them. No official specs, no nothing. But we are hearing it will have "at least 450 horsepower" and "at least 383 pound feet of torque," which are impressive numbers.
But the speaker did tell a story of how he became indoctrinated into the car world — he was a kid growing up in Detroit and his dad came home one summer evening in a 427 c.i. Shelby Cobra and took him for a ride.
But the speaker gave one key statistic:
0-100-0: 14.5 seconds.
Right there up on the big display, plain and clear so everyone could see it. They lingered on it, and brought it up later through the reveal. There's no way that Lexus would give off that figure without the implication that their new performance coupe either matches or beats that figure.
So if I were you, I would bet that the RC-F Coupe is at least as fast as an old Shelby Cobra. As for an M4, that's still an unknown.
Photo Credits: Raphael Orlove