2015 Lexus RC F Overview

The market is filled with new luxury performance coupes as of lately and it's only getting filled with more automakers. Even take a look at some of the new Hyundai's and even Hondas for example. They've really stepped up their game with the whole luxury sport look and may even compete with upper class luxury cars like, BMW, Mercedes and Lexus in the upcoming years.

When Lexus created the new RC F, their goal was to be able to compete with some of the top luxury sporty performance coupes, ie: BMW M3, Audi RS5 and Mercedes-Benz C63, etc. And Lexus sure did a good job. Although the class has been dominated by the German automakers for years, the RC F has gone over the limits of some of these cars.

One of the aspects about the 2015 RC F that we find most interesting is that this cars chassis is actually 3 cars put together. That's right, this Frankenstein car's front end up to the A-pillar is from the Lexus GS, between the A-pillar and C-pillar is from the Lexus IS C (convertible) and from the C-pillar back is from the Lexus IS. With all of that going on, the RC F is actually 200 lbs. heavier than the IS F. Part of that is because a lot of bracing was added to the chassis to help stiffen it up. Not to mention the RC F is a little over an inch longer and wider than the IS. The RC F sits 1.6 inches lower the IS and wheelbase was shortened by a little over an inch which takes away from the interior space for the rear passengers. Oh and the sloping roofline doesn't help with passenger head room either.

The RC F power plant is a 467 horsepower 5.0 liter V8. It's pretty much a retuned and revamped version of the IS F's engine. So how did Lexus squeeze the extra 51 horsepower out of the previous IS F engine that we thought was tapped out? Well, to start things off, the ECU was re-flashed, titanium valves were added along with a lighter crankshaft, bigger throttle body and injectors were also added and the redline was extended to 7300.

Since this is Lexus's hot rod, performance coupe, we would expect it to act better on track than any other car they've created. Sadly, to our disappointment, the new RC F is comparable to IS F on track. Although it may be newer and have more power, keep in mind that the coupe is significantly heavier than the IS F. 0-60 in about 4.4 seconds is impressive, no doubt, but we would expect a little more from Lexus. One of the that the RC F has that other cars in their line has is a performance package for $5,500 more. This package will get you a carbon fiber roof, a rear spoiler and a torque-vectoring differential. This dif. is very effective on the track and is actually fully capable of switching 100% of the power to either side of the vehicle.

An 8 speed automatic transmission with an option for manual shifting is what's mounted to the hefty motor. An electronic system is what enhances the engine note inside the cabin (we've seen this in plenty of other cars lately). 19" forged BBS wheels and grippy summer tires come standard on the RC F. 15" rotors give make it so this heavy coupe comes to complete stop rather easily. And of course there are 3 driver modes for this car which change up the way the rear dif. works as well as the steering weight.

With that being said, the RC F is a very promising car. All Lexus cars produced by the F Team come out excellent. But in the $60,000 price range, keep your options open as there are many great vehicles in that area.

Our Pick For The Top Drift Cars

Drifting! Drifting is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that often the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right or vice versa, also known as opposite lock or counter-steering. - Wikipedia

The last few years, drifting has blown up and has become one of the most popular motorsports in history. It started in Japan and has expanded worldwide. Every so often, international drift events are held with professional drivers that slide their cars around a closed course and put on a loud and rather smokey show for spectators. No doubt it takes very precise skill to maneuver these high powered, fully built, drift machines in such a fashion around the track, but what cars would professional drivers suggest are the "best" cars for drifting?

In all honesty, it's all personal preference and driving style. Technically any car can be drifted, but some may be better than others. Here's a list that we created of the cars we think are best for drifting.

1. Nissan S Cassis (Silvia, S13, S14, S15)
Claimed as one of the easiest cars to drift, this Nissan has many variations of appearances and motor types.  All years of this car is known for its capability to slide around corners. These cars are usually picked up for a cheap price and have huge aftermarket which is a big plus. They are typically known as a beginners car but that doesn't put a restriction on the amount of fun you'll have.

2. Mazda RX7
This fun little rotary powered car can be a blast for drifting; both the FD and earlier model FC will do. The turbo model of RX7 provides a driving experience that no other car can come close too. It's high revving motor screams and the rear end breaks loose pretty easily. The downside is that we hear maintenance on these thing can be a pain because not a lot of people know much about rotary powered cars. These are also hard to come by, especially the FD model, but look close to best on track.

3. Mustang
Preferably the fox body and the newer models are good for drifting. A sturdy chassis and an ample supply of power can slide these heavy beasts around the track. People didn't think that American built cars were any good at drifting until the Mustang proved them wrong. At a relatively cheap price with enough power stock to get you sideways, the Mustang makes an ideal drift car.

4. Corolla
Now you might be thinking, "Wait what?! A Corolla??" Yes, that's right. To be specific, we're talking about the AE86. This is the car that started the drifting craze. The father of drifting, Keiichi Tsuchiya has made this car legendary in the drifting scene, as it was the one he started out with. The AE86 may be a bit under powered, but it will teach you the basics. This model of Corolla is hard to come by for a decent price now a days, but if you do get one, hold on to it.

5. BMW 3 Series
The early 3 Series BMW make prime cars for drifting because of their low price range and reliable motors. Typically the straight 6 engines produce enough power to let the rear end slide around with ease, but a large aftermarket support is also available in case you want the extra power. BMW frames also tend to be more more stiff than Japanese frames which are able to flex slightly.

6. Soarer/SC
It may be heavy, but it packs a powerful punch. With either options of a straight 6 or V8, this Toyota built coupe with a rather long wheel base, is easy to slide. One thing about these cars is that the majority of them have automatic transmissions. Although people say they can drift just fine as an automatic, most people do a manual transmission swap.

7. Nissan 350Z
This sport tuned coupe was built for motorsports. It's track tuned suspension and 3.5 liter V6 won't let you down. It takes very little modification to make this car perfect for drifting. And with this model getting older, these cars are getting easier and easier to afford.

#STICKYRIDE Corolla

We're sure some of you have seen this Toyota Corolla on the internet or on social media somewhere. No doubt it's a bad ass ride and we give mad props to the owner for all the time spent and hard work spent to come up with the final execution.

The cool thing about this build is that, Nukung, the owner had this car handed down to him from his family members. What once used to be his families taxi cab transporting countless people around the cities of Thailand is now his pride and joy. With custom made lip kits, fender flares and even a custom rear diffuser, his AE101 Corolla is one of a kind. Nukung has actually went through various versions of different lips and wheel set ups before he finally chose how it sits now.

Nakung's car has been featured many times from various websites, magazines, blogs and all over social media. But, as you can see, theres a darn good reason for that. We really appreciate that this car is so unique. It's not often you see this platform built with such an elegant, yet aggressive look to it. When people think of built Corollas, they think of the AE86 sliding around corners in the mountains in Japan or a drift event. They would probably never think of a stanced out ex-taxi cab rolling through the streets of Thailand.

Engine:
20v 4age blacktop
M/T 5speed
TRD clutch kit
Custom muffler 2.5”

Suspension:
Dc2 hubs
Project mu Brake pads
Cusco shocks strut
Cusco GTSPEC Front Lower Engine Tie Brace
Toyota levin brake calipers
5 lugs swap
Adepter 5/114 2.5”
Adepter 5/114 1.5”
Nankang tire 205/45/17
Enkei NT03 17” 9.5” offset +15

Interior/electronics:
Bucket seat recaro spg
Sabelt belt 4 points
6 point roll bar
Tiger interior design
Miracle cross bar
D.I.Y steering wheel
Apexi rsm
Espec steering column

Exterior:
Green effect color
Spoiler design by UDS fiber custom
Diffuser design by UDS fiber custom
Body part design by UDS fiber custom
Fender-flares design by UDS fiber custom
Front lip design by UDS fiber custom

We would love to hear from you. What are your thoughts about this feature and what would you like to see?

Nissan IDx The New Z?

It was about a year ago when Nissan unveiled one hell of a concept car to the public during the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. This car resembled some of Nissan's iconic cars during both the 60's and 70's like the Datsun 510, Laurel and Skyline. While the new concept named the IDx Freeflow sparked great attention among older drivers, it also caught the attention of the younger audience as well by releasing the Nismo version of the car, named IDx Nismo.

What's interesting about the new IDx is that Nissan had chosen more experienced and previous Nissan owners to give their feedback about the concept, but was designed and constructed by a young team that were used to playing driving video games and simulators like Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo. This may explain the futuristic look of the car as it resembles something that came out of a video game. No doubt the IDx looks awesome and will attract both young and old drivers alike. But what if Nissan Decided to replace the 370Z with the IDx?

That's what Nissan chief designer, Shiro Nakamura at the Paris Auto Show stated might happen. He claims that there is only room for 2 sports cars in Nissan's line up and the GT-R is not going anywhere anytime soon. The only other rear wheel drive sports car Nissan has, is the 370Z which Nakamura says has been getting rather expensive and is now "more than affordable".

The new generation of sports car that Nissan produces needs to be a leaner, lighter and more affordable than the previous Z. Nissan has greatly taken into consideration the popularity of the FRS/BRZ/GT86 and wants to be able to compete with it by introducing their light, RWD coupe. The overlying problem that Nissan faces is that the Z has been around for nearly 50 years and needs to somehow combine that with the new possible IDx. We're very curious to see what Nissan has in store for their new sports car as their previous ones have been nothing but great!

2015 Super R Civic

Yeah, thats right! The new 2015 honda Civic Type R was described as the "Super R" by Honda engineer Suhiro Hassi. Although Honda hasn't released the final look of the car, we do know some of the specs and we have an idea what the new Type R will look like based off the last concept that was on display at the 2014 Paris auto show. Besides some fancy vinyls and a new, shiny blue paint job, the Civic resembles the same model as the older concept that was revealed at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

So what exactly makes this Civic Type R a Super R? Well let's review the information we have on this monster. To start things off, the hot hatch is powered by a turbo 2.0 liter engine that's supposedly pushing out around 320 horsepower. Redline is set at 7,000 rpm and of course Honda's famous VTEC (variable valve timing) technology will be included as well as a six speed manual transmission. But one thing that is interesting about this model is that it will include a "+R" button. This is the very first model to have the button, and when it is pressed, the car will squeeze out its full race car potential by adjusting certain suspension components, steering and engine torque mapping.

Now you may be thinking, how is this little front wheel drive car going to handle all that power? Well Honda has developed a new Steering Axis system where they have combined a set up involving two kingpin like supports along with a combination of other mechanical aspects.

Although no specific performance specs have been released to the public, Honda promises that the new Civic Type R will be faster than any Type R model ever made, that includes the Accord, Integra and even NSX (NSX-R). Honda also boasts that their goal for the Civic is to be the fastest FWD car from the factory on the Nurburgring.

As you can tell, the Type R is built for racers and hard core enthusiasts. Sadly the US will not see this model of the civic any time soon, but it will be launching early next year in Europe.