Lexus LX570 vs Lexus RC F

What's the difference?

When you look at a Lexus LX, you see a distinct resemblance to a Toyota LandCruiser. That’s understandable given that, fundamentally, the Lexus LX is a comprehensively gussied-up Toyota LandCruiser.

Built to put the luxury brand into the large SUV game, and taking advantage of Toyota's huge product portfolio, it's clear that this is not for chucking down the side of a mountain (although it can absolutely do that if asked, as long as you're on good terms with your local paint shop).

Lexus is - or more accurately, LX buyers are - very clear about how folks use the LX: it’s a city car. So it's got all the sophisticated city looks, with skirts and bling and big shiny alloy wheels. Whether there's a point to all that is irrelevant - there are clearly people, like you, who want a posh LandCruiser.

Ford’s growling Mustang GT isn’t the only rear-wheel drive performance coupe powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine on the Australian new car market.

Pfft! Those things are everywhere. If you’re willing to literally double-down and spend twice the pony car’s circa $65K asking price, the Lexus RC F comes into range; the Japanese luxury brand’s take on a two-door, four-seat, muscle car.

Rather than wrestling with the blue oval, it’s a challenger to the German ‘Big Three’, pitching its deep-breathing, high-revving atmo power against shove-in-back, low-down, turbo-torque.  

We spent a week behind the wheel to see how this mature, but recently updated machine, measures up in 2020.