The Transfăgărășan pass across the Făgăraș Mountains in Romania is widely known as Ceaușescu’s Folly and is often deemed one of the best driving roads in Europe, the perfect place to take a Lexus RC F Carbon it would seem. That is exactly what Polish journalist Michał Sztorc of PremiumMoto did when he took the Solar Flare-coloured RC F around the 56-mile pass earlier this year.
Scroll down to read what Michał had to say about the car and to see more stunning images.
“The long 1,600km road trip from Poland to the Transfăgărășan wasn’t as challenging as it may seem, mostly because the Lexus RC F Carbon was a perfect companion. On highways and demanding Romanian B-roads the Japanese gran tourer was excellent – comfortable and economical.”
“You can believe it or not, but the 5-litre V8 in the (quite heavy) RC-F on the road, with smooth driving at a speed of 100-120 km / h, consumed less than 9 l / 100 km. We managed to get down to 7.5 l/100 km. And there are no eco-badges here, only that with a small load the V8 works in the Atkinson cycle, as in the case of Lexus hybrid models. Either way, it’s much easier (and more fun) to achieve 25 l/100 km .”
“And what about comfort? Well, the seats are truly amazing. Maybe they don’t look that way at first but on our way to the Transfăgărășan we spent almost 14 hours behind the wheel and they offered fantastic support. We get such seats in the RC F as standard. They are fantastic. Seriously. Not only do they look like a work of modern art, but they are amazingly comfortable. And we spent a lot of hours in them. For an additional 11,000, the seats will be covered with natural leather of higher quality (semi-aniline) and will be equipped with heating and ventilation.”
“The well-judged suspension also did a great job of smoothing over the harsh Romanian roads. Despite running on large 19-inch rims, the RC F’s chassis was supple enough to be relaxing yet provided sufficient stability in hard, quick turns and during direction changes. Yes, the RC F was as subtle and undemanding as a luxury saloon.”
“But then we reached our destination – one of the most demanding roads in Europe. And here our Lexus showed the other side of its personality. Performance from the naturally aspirated V8 was phenomenal, and with the torque vectoring differential, clever electronics and very well-balanced steering, the car came together as one great package on these twisty mountain roads.”
“No matter how skilled you are as a driver, the Lexus RC F Carbon made this journey even more fun. And the sound echoing off the rocky mountain walls was… just fantastic.”
“How would I sum up the RC F? Relaxing and comfortable when you need it to be but also aggressive and entertaining when you want.”
See more: Click this link for Michał‘s original post on PremiumMoto
If you fancy a trip a little further afield than Europe, then click here to read about when Beyond magazine took an RC F Carbon on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway in America.
All information is correct at the time of publishing.
