The interior of the Lexus RC features a pleasing combination of sumptuous leather upholstery and soft touch surfaces.
Mark KennedyFAST FACTS
* Model: Lexus RC 350 coupe* Exterior color: Atomic Silver* Interior color: Playa* Engine: 3.6-liter, V-6* Horsepower: 306* Transmission: 8-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 28 mpg city, 19 mpg highway* Dealer: Lexus Chattanooga* Price (as tested): $51,978
In the automobile business, sportiness and luxury are often self-canceling virtues. In other words, it's hard to build a sports car than has a plush ride - or, conversely, a luxury car with a wild side.
For 2015, Lexus manages to thread the needle between sportiness and luxury with its dashing new RC 350 coupe, which is built on the popular Lexus IS sport sedan platform.
David Hickman, sales manager at Lexus Chattanooga, says the RC 350 - expected to be a niche product for Lexus - has actually been responsible for robust sales right out of the box. Hickman recently flipped us the key fob to an Atomic Silver RC 350 in F-Sport performance trim with a sticker price of $51,978, including about $9,000 in options.
There's a insanely powerful Lexus RC F model (not to be confused with the F Sport) in the pipeline that will come with a 467 horsepower V-8 for true adrenaline junkies. Meanwhile, the more sedate V-6, which produces a zero-to-60-miles-per-hour time of 5.8 seconds, will be more than sufficient for most buyers.
Garden variety RC 350s start at $42,790 and the F Sport packages adds about $3,985 worth of goodies including a menacing front bumper and grille treatment, a special 19-inch wheel package with summer tires, a high-tech instrument cluster, and an adaptive variable suspension.
Most RC 350s (like our tester) come in rear-wheel drive configuration, although all-wheel-drive is an option.
STYLING AND COMFORT
Walk up on an RC 350 and you might think it's part of the fleet from "Fast and Furious 7." It has boy-racer curves, a grille that looks like it was designed by Darth Vadar's stylist, a sumptuous leather interior and enough electronic bells and whistles to satisfy even the biggest tech fans.
From some angles the RC 350 resembles a Jaguar F-Type, not bad since the Jag has been called the most beautiful car in the world. Flared wheel wells, a sculpted hood, a swept roof line and a rounded rump give the coupe a buff profile. Our tester wears Atomic Silver paint and has Playa (cream colored) leather furnishings that are nicely complementary. It's a nice contrast to the "black hole" interiors so common today. Memo to buyers: Black leather interiors and 100-degree days in the Deep South are a punishing mix. So, remember: Be kind to your behind.
Anyone trying to rationalize the RC 350 as a "family vehicle" might want to slide their kids into the snug back seats to see if they fit. In the real world, most RC 350 buyers will no doubt use the back seat as a storage shelf for shopping bags.
Meanwhile, the bolstered front seats are so comfortable you'll feel like your body has been poured into a mold. In typical Lexus style, every knob, switch and toggle in the RC 350 feels like a precision instrument that's been futzed over endlessly to arrive at a buttery tactile quality.
The center console features a touchpad that provides access to the RC 350's multi-media and climate-control functions. Lexus says the touch pad was designed for members of the smartphone generation, who are accustomed to pinching and swiping. (I'm old enough to remember when pinching and swiping were considered character flaws.)
Lexus also offers a Enform Report mobile app that allows RC 350 owners to start the engine and unlock the doors remotely. Loan your RC 350 to a teen driver (if you dare), and the app will alert you if the kid exceeds the speed limit. Score one for the parents. An in-dash LCD display gauge cluster allows you to constantly monitor driver mode, shift position and odometer information.
Our tester included the $1,530 navigation option, parking assist ($500) and moon roof ($1,100).
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
On our recent mid-day test drive, we pointed the RC 350 toward some twisting back roads near Chickamauga Lake to see if it has the chops to keep pace with some of the other luxury sports cars we have tested there. The fact that the RC is not a convertible adds to its solid feel and sense of purpose. There are none of the distracting squeaks and rattles that often accompany a drop-top vehicle.
The RC 350's 306-horsepower, six-cylinder engine delivers power in smooth waves, and its seamless eight-speed transmission ticks through its cogs almost imperceptibly. Power arrives at the back wheels "right now," and launches the 3,894-pound car into sprint mode within a couple of heart-beats. The FC 350 carved up our test loop like a chain saw through a pine log.
The RC 350 F Sport offers a drive mode selection system that lets you dial in transmission shift points and throttle response to fit your mood. Choosing the Sport S+ mode also tightens the suspension and sharpens the steering system's responsiveness.
All it all, the RC 350 measures up nicely with the competition, which includes the BMW 4 series, Audi A5 and Infinity Q60.
BOTTOM LINE
This is the Lexus sports coupe driving enthusiasts have been waiting for. It makes a perfect pairing with that Lexus RX 350 SUV in your garage - for those days when you feel the need for speed.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.