Lexus RC F Final Edition Or LC 500: Which Last V8 Lexus Is The Better Buy?
Lexus is mainly known for their luxury cruisers that cosset you as you drive. They also offer brand prestige that BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi offer, just at a slightly reduced price and on a more reliable index from a maintenance perspective. While they’re no stranger to offering lazy V8’s in a lot of their products, over the past 20 years they have really put their foot forward into the sport sedan and coupe realm with their “F” brand representative of the Fuji Speedway in Japan.
Over the past ten years or so, Lexus has been providing sports car enthusiasts with really great two-door coupes. The Lexus LC500, the more luxury cruiser of the two and the Lexus RC F, the more brash, bold and boisterous of the two. The Lexus RC F (and the RC in general), was discontinued for the 2025 year and has been on sale since 2015. The LC 500, on the other hand, has had a shorter lifespan, with it only being on sale since 2018, and being discontinued in 2026. Which one should you focus more on and which one is for you? Let’s find out.
Same 5.0-Liter V8, Two Very Different Personalities
If you didn’t know, Lexus uses their number monikers like 300, 350, and 500 for the displacement of their engines. Therefore, the Lexus LC 500 is named as such because of its gorgeous-sounding 5.0-liter V8 engine. Truthfully, the LC looks like it should have a V or W-12 engine in it with its sleek lines and low-slung roof. Meanwhile, the RC F definitely looks like it should have the meanest V8 you’ve ever seen. The RC has more of a prowler-like stance that will pounce at the smallest inclination of prey, aka a corner or downhill slalom.
Both the Lexus RC F and Lexus LC 500 employ the use of a high-revving, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine that has the internal code 2UR-GSE. It has the ability to rev to 7,300 RPM, which is pretty impressive, but still not BMW M5 level or the like. Funny enough, the Lexus RC F has one substantive horsepower over the Lexus LC 500’s with 472 versus 471. On the torque side of things, the LC makes more at 398 pound-feet compared to the RC F’s 395 pound-feet. Tomato, tomahtoe, they’re both powerful in their own right.
Why The Same Engine Feels Completely Different In Each Car
Even though they have the same engine, they are still very different vehicles from the perspective of other components. The RC F Final Edition comes with an F-tuned adaptive variable suspension, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, 19-inch BBS wheels with six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembo brakes. It’s then powered through the rear wheels and has an eight-speed automatic transmission. The LC 500, on the other hand, offers similar dynamic handling with the dynamic handling package, but also offers a smoother and comfortable ride when needed thanks to the 10-speed automatic transmission and active rear steering.
Pricing And The Used Market
These are luxury, sport coupes. They’re not going to be cheap no matter how you splice them. They are also not going to be cheap because they have Final Edition written all over them and offer naturally aspirated V8s that are making a resurgence in the used market as well as the new market. Just look at the all-new Porsche Mission S. The powertrain has not been confirmed, but rumors speculate it’s a flat-plane crank V8. What has been confirmed is the fact that it’s not an EV.
Difference In Pricing For Last Bow Models
To take it back to the Lexus’ at hand, these are still relatively new, so don’t expect the pricing to be spectacular from a deal standpoint. The original MSRP for the RC F Final Edition was $93,725 in 2025. According to Kelley Blue Book, it’s now valued at $88,300 for the final edition. Not that it’s that much more expensive, the Lexus LC 500 has a final year starting MSRP of $103,400. The LC is only offered in the 500 variant for the final year and no longer carries the hybrid V6 variant.
Are Either Of These Even Practical?
Truthfully, if you’re buying a luxury coupe for practicality and utilitarianism, then you’re buying the wrong car, full stop. However, you could make an argument for either to be considered a daily driving machine. Which one you choose depends on what your threshold of comfort is and which one you may or may not fit the best. Lexus is known for making plush, longstanding cabins that offer a good mix of sport nature (no matter the model) and luxury offerings.
Interior, Comfort Or Lack Thereof
The RC F Final Edition dons a mostly black suede-style interior with red accents and harkens back to a more 2010s feeling on the inside, reminiscent of the IS’ second facelift. The Lexus LC has a more spacious cabin interior and a more bespoke gorgeous feel. The coupe has 5.4 cubic feet of storage while the convertible has between 3.4 and 4.7 cubic feet of storage depending. The RC is the more practical of the two with 10.4 cubic feet of storage in the trunk and 60/40 split folding rear seats. If the trunk isn’t enough space, then you can put more cargo in the back seats because surely there aren’t passengers fitting back there.
Which Coupe Is Better For Daily Driving?
That all depends on you and your threshold for comfort. On paper, it’s pretty plain to see that the Lexus LC 500 is the clear winner with it being the more grand touring vehicle of the two. It’s also going to be slightly more budget-friendly from a daily driving perspective, because the RC F Final Edition will don much more expensive tires and brakes that’ll need replacing more often than not. The Dynamic Driving package does end up giving the LC 500 a more aggressive suspension setup, but the RC F Final Edition sticks firm, literally, with a dedicated sport-tuned suspension that will inevitably be unforgiving.
Which Lexus V8 Coupe Is The Better Buy?
Not to sound redundant, but that all depends on you and what your needs are. Truly there’s no difference in power output except for a few numbers here and there. The real difference is going to be in the 0 to 60 times, with the LC 500 achieving 60 MPH in 4.4 seconds. The RC F Final Edition shaves off ~0.3 seconds. That alone is a clear indication of what your priorities should be.
That plus what you’ll actually be doing with it. Do you plan on taking it on road trips? Will you be tracking it? If the answer is road trips, you may consider the RC F Final Edition. Even though it has a more unforgiving suspension, it still has way more cargo space than the LC could even dream of. If it’s for the want to turn heads without spending $500,000+ and still wanting the raw power of the V8, then LC is for you.
Sources: Lexus, KBB, Car and Driver
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