My first post:
My mother went to the Lexus dealer to get her tires replaced on her 2001 RX300. Surprisingly, Lexus has fantastic prices on tires. Alignment was $195 though lol. I go with her to take the loaner back (CT200h, surprisingly awesome car). Anyway, my mother is talking to her favorite salesperson that sold her the car. They know each other and she always chats with him whenever she's there. Meanwhile, I see an RC-F on the showroom floor and start drooling. LOOK AT THESE SEATS.
Amazing steering wheel, suede armrests and gauge cover, floor mounted gas pedal, and such comfortable yet sporty seats. The perfect blend of daily comfort and amazing hold on your entire body.
So I approach the salesman that I had never met, and we start chatting. I mention I drive an MR2 Spyder and his eyes light up. He tells me a story of how he bought an MR2 Spyder from a customer, who sold his 2000 for $9k to him.... with 6700 original miles. Then he took me to the top floor of the garage with one of the Lexus technicians. So the technician has a black 2001 and this salesman has a black 2000. The 2000 is PRISTINE. Perfect paint, perfect leather interior, 100% stock. We talk for quite a bit about mods, he even gives me his business card and asks me to come back with my Spyder Monday so he can see it and we can talk. Awesome guy.
I ask to test drive the RC-F, knowing that it's incredibly unlikely I can do so. It's a limited production car, it's over $75k, and I'm a 21 year old guy in a tiny cheap sports car. The guy says yes and immediately goes to get the car to my surprise. My heart is racing. A 467HP V8 that revs to 7000 RPM...
I wait a good 15 minutes for him to bring the car out. He finally comes out with a GORGEOUS gray RC-F. He explains to me that he had to unwrap the entire interior because it was coated in plastics, he believes I'm the first person to ever drive it. Holy shit. He also explains it came with the performance package. This includes a carbon fiber roof, carbon fiber pop up rear wing, and a torque vectoring differential. Then he says it's company policy that the salesman takes the car out of the lot, and they prefer to actually follow it with such an expensive car. So he drives it down the road into an empty parking lot across the street. Starts turning in as tight a circle as possible and hits the gas. Tires start squealing and THE TURNING RADIUS IS SO TIGHT. It might be tighter than my MR2! He gets out and lets me sit down.
First thing I do is put it into Sport+ mode. The tach immediately changes color and the redline goes up by something like 500 RPM. That sweet 7000 RPM redline is open to me. Traction control stays ON. My mother is in the rear seat. The guy tells me where to go, to a twisty road with a small police presence.
He's encouraging me to flog it.
We get there and I let the engine breathe. All the power is in the mid and top end with this engine, so you have to rev it out. Oh my lord that exhaust note. It's orgasmic. floor it and it pins you into the seat. The seats, oh my god. And that floor mounted gas pedal is just... so right. I'm weaving through traffic uphill through this twisty road. My mother is letting out yelps. The guy is laughing. Then I notice a cop on a motorcycle drive right by me. I look down and I'm doing.... a little over the limit. Luckily the cop ignores me, and I'm incredibly thankful for that. I've been doing turns at pretty high speeds and the car didn't feel even close to its limit. So much grip I can't even. The rest of the way I drive sensibly, and suddenly this monster of a car feels like a luxury car. Even in sport+ the ride is soft and smooth, exudes luxury. The seats that held me so firmly now softly hug me and keep my back straight so comfortably. The exhaust dies down and is quiet as the automatic shifts at 2000 RPM through its 8 gears. It's truly a luxury car. I floor it a few more times, the traction control and torque vectoring don't even let the tires squeal.
I park the car and marvel at its beauty. The salesman has a huge smile on his face, as do I. My mother is scared but thrilled. My chest feels light. It was truly an experience to push such a car. I'm a fairly conservative driver, but holy shit do I love this car... and damn did I uncharacteristically drive hard.
My mother managed to snap this. Look at the (frameless!!) rearview mirror and you'll see my feelings on the car.
I'm so thankful I was given this chance. It was an incredible experience like no other... and I'm thrilled. Surprisingly, my Spyder does NOT feel inadequate after this! I took it to the same road and pushed it.. sure it's not fast, but it still handles like a beast. Plus it's so raw and loud and sharp and twitchy, the Lexus is luxury and I prefer a raw driving experience. Still, I dream of someday owning such a car.