Lexus RC300 vs Porsche 718

What's the difference?

Still a rock-solid option in the (admittedly not massive) premium-coupe space, the Lexus RC looks and feels like a quality product. The 2018 update has addressed any safety shortcomings, even if the interior technology still feels a touch behind the times.

But an out-and-out performance car this ain't. Even in cars fitted with the big V8 engine, the RC behaves more like an effortless grand tourer than it does a performance coupe. But if we're being really honest with each other, that only serves to make it much easier to live with.

If this is to be the end of the 718 as we know it, then it is an end to be remembered. Porsche has produced something special in the Spyder RS, a sports car that can compete with the 911 on any stretch of road - which is something so few cars can claim. The focus on performance has driven the entire concept of the car, but all the elements work in harmony, with form and function coming together.

Yes, yes - eye of the beholder and all that business. But for mine, the RC looks terrific. We cycled through two models, the RC350 and the performance-focused F Sport, and both cut a fine and athletic figure on the road.

Front on, the pincered grille dominates the view, sweeping back into bonnet, and stretching to the lowest corners of the front end, while a flared-lip body kit runs the length of the body. Special mention also goes to the cat-claw swipes that live behind the rear wheels.

The regular RC models make do with twin exhaust tips, while the F Sport range scores quad pipes, separated by a slinky rear diffuser, and the rear spoiler is an integrated lip that forms part of the boot. Cooler still, the Carbon Edition adds lightweight elements, like a carbon-fibre roof panel and an active rear wing - with about 6.6kg shaved off the kerb weight.

Climb inside, and you'll find a quality - if slightly dated interior - with soft leather seats, carbon-effect trim elements and a new, 10.3-inch screen in the centre of the dash.

As you can see from our interior photos, though, some elements do now feel a little behind the times. The door panels feel harder than I'd like, almost as if a thin-piece of leather has been stretched over hard plastic, and the control unit in the middle of the cabin is awash with hard black plastic, and the knobs mounted on it feel a touch cheap and non-premium, too.

As the pinnacle of not only the current 718 range, but potentially the entire combustion engine era of the Boxster, Porsche has pulled out all the stops for the Spyder RS.

This includes major changes to the design, but none are purely for aesthetic reasons and instead are driven by the search for performance; and the fact they make the 718 look tougher, meaner and more purposeful than ever before is just a bonus.

It’s a comprehensive redesign that starts at the bumper with a new front lip spoiler to enhance downforce. Then there’s a pair of NACA ducts on the lightweight bonnet to improve brake cooling without compromising aerodynamic drag. The lightweight front fenders include wheel arch vents to stop any potential for front-end lift at high speeds.

And the fenders aren’t the only component that’s gone on a diet, there’s a lighter exhaust, lighter wheels, lighter bonnet, lighter roof, lighter door panels and even lighter carpets on the inside. All up, the Spyder RS tips the scales at 1400kg, which is 40kg lighter than a standard 718 Boxster.

If it’s still not light enough, you can opt for the optional 'Weissach Package' (which was fitted to our test car), which brings even lighter 20-inch forged magnesium wheels and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic for a range of parts including the front luggage compartment, rollover bars and ducktail spoiler on the Gurney flap – plus some cosmetic enhancements.

And we still haven’t even touched on the biggest design change yet - the rear half of the car. Starting with the roof, which Porsche actually calls a ‘sunshield’ and ‘weather guard’ because it’s a stripped down version of what the brand usually uses, to save weight and let the glorious engine noise into the cabin uninterrupted.

But it’s also necessary because the entire rear engine cover has been redesigned to accommodate the larger engine that Porsche has installed in the Spyder RS, a 4.0-litre six-cylinder instead of the usual turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engines.

While the Spyder RS looks great with the roof/sunshield on or off, frankly the removal process is much too complicated and requires repeated viewings of a YouTube tutorial to still get it wrong.

While owners will (likely) eventually get the hang of it, it will always be a clunky and awkward process and that’s just the price of being so focused on performance, which you can accept or not.

Inside that ethos of performance over practicality continues, with sports seats, an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and even the previously mentioned lightweight carpet floor mats.

It’s a purposeful, rather than luxurious, cabin, but that perfectly suits the nature of the Spyder RS. Our test drive included several long stretches behind the wheel and at no stage did it feel uncomfortable or impractical, despite its stripped-down design.

Now look, if you see a future filled with trips to Bunnings or ferrying the troops to soccer training, the RC is not for you. It's a two-door, four-seat coupe - and those two rear seats couldn't be less helpful for adult-sized humans if they'd been painted on.

Its dimensions measure 4695mm in length, 1840mm in width and 1395mm in height, but most of that space is focused on the front-seat riders, where your surrounds feel sporty-snug, but not claustrophobic.

Up front, that cursed mousepad control system is still in full flight, but the screen it controls is now bigger. There are two cupholders to be shared between front-seat folks, as well as the usual compliment of USB and 'aux' connections. And even a CD player, for that matter.

Climb into the back, which is no easy task in and of itself, and you'll find the space cramped for anyone but kids. But while it's tiny, it's clever. Deep cut-outs in the rear of the front seats mean more room for your legs. Headroom, however, is a problem, and my (I'm 176cm) head was touching the roof.

There are two cupholders, at least, but - surprisingly - little in the way of entertainment connections. You will find an ISOFIX attachment point in both of the rear seats.

The boot opens to reveal a fixed 423 litres of space, which is handy enough for weekends away. Predictably, though, extra practical accessories are fairly limited - you can forget optional roof racks.

One area where the 718 range is starting to show its age quite dramatically is the in-car technology. While Porsche’s native system is relatively user-friendly, the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in any capacity is deeply out-dated; and was frustrating for this Android using reviewer.

Given the age of the current 718 platform, and the impending arrival of the new model, it’s understandable that the multimedia system didn’t get an overhaul, but for a $350K car it does feel a bit behind the times.

In practical terms the Spyder RS is a bit of a struggle if you plan to go away with it. We managed to get a small suitcase and backpack in the under bonnet storage, but that was at capacity. While the addition of the larger engine removes any meaningful rear storage space.

The bad news is, the Spyder RS costs just over $200,000 more than the entry-level 718 Boxster, which is not a small sum of money. The good news is, for that $200K, Porsche has overhauled the 718 from nose-to-tail and enhanced it in nearly every aspect.

There’s a raft of mechanical changes that we’ll get to later on, to help justify the $334,200, plus on-road costs, asking price, but from a specification perspective there are some notable inclusions. 

For starters it comes with the 'Porsche Communication Management' (PCM) multimedia system, which includes in-built navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a 110-watt sound system.

But Australian delivered cars get an even higher level of standard equipment than other countries, with LED headlights including 'Porsche Dynamic Light System' (PDLS), cruise control, digital radio, rear 'ParkAssist' with reversing camera, 'Light Design Package', tyre fit set and windscreen with grey top tint, plus a no-cost optional Bose Surround Sound System all included.

It may be $200K more than 718 but compared to a 911, it actually makes a pretty compelling value argument. A 911 Cabriolet Carrera S starts at $342,700 (plus on-road costs), making that Spyder RS $8500 cheaper and a genuine alternative to its ‘big brother’.

Then, when you compare it against similar mid-engine European sports cars, such as the Maserati MC20 (from $510,000) or McLaren Artura (from $477,310) the Porsche looks like a bargain; relatively speaking, of course.

The more you spend, the more you get. Spring for the 300, and you'll find a 2.0-litre turbo engine nestled under the bonnet, good for 180kW at 5800rpm and 350Nm at 1650rpm. It pairs with an eight-speed automatic, and shuffles power to the rear wheels.

Step up to the 350-badged cars and your engine specs improve accordingly. You'll now find a 3.5-litre V6 motor providing the horsepower, good for 232kW at 6400rpm and 380Nm at 4800rpm. The gearbox (eight-speed auto) remains the same, and the power is still sent to the rear axle.

The pick of the power bunch, though, is the 5.0-litre V8 engine nestled in the RC F cars. It'll fire 351kW at 7100rpm and 530Nm at 4800rpm toward the rear wheels - more than enough to shift the 1820kg (tare) weight. It's paired with an eight-speed automatic, or what the Lexus spec sheet refers to as a "Sports Automatic".

There is no AWD or manual transmission option anywhere in the range, and for specific oil type etc, consult your owner's manual.

The key stat for the engine is the cylinder count. Gone are the four cylinders and instead it’s a return to Porsche’s iconic flat-six.

Specifically, the same 4.0-litre six that Porsche uses in its 911 GT3, which is a lot of engine to squeeze into the middle of this lightened sports convertible.

In order to keep the 718 in its place (beneath the 911), Porsche has slightly detuned the engine, so it makes 368kW/450Nm (compared to 375kW/460Nm in the 911 GT3), but the German brand has never worried about a kilowatt contest and instead prefers to focus on driveability and the other elements that make a drive great.

To that end the combination of air-intakes next to the headrests and the lightweight stainless steel exhaust (which gets titanium tips on the Weissach Package) helps the Spyder RS sound like a Carrera Cup racing car when you really wind it up to its 9000rpm redline.

Not that the performance isn’t spectacular, though, with Porsche claiming it takes the Spyder RS just 3.4 seconds to run 0-100km/h, only 10.9 seconds to get from 0-200km/h and will hit a top speed of 308km/h.

The engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission (or PDK in Porsche-speak) that the company claims has “short-ratios”, but with peak power not hitting until 8400rpm and peak torque from 6750rpm, you don’t have to rush the ratio changes.

Let's start from the top, shall we? There is a price to pay for power, and the V8-powered Lexus arrives with its claimed 10.9L/100km on the combined cycle. That's quite a lot, and it's a number that will surely only worsen if you drive the RC F the way that you really should drive it.

Things improve with the 3.5-litre capacity engine, recording 9.1L/100km on the same cycle, while the 2.0-litre engine will return 7.3L/100km.

There is no diesel engine anywhere in the range, and the fuel-tank capacity across the board is 66 litres, with 95RON fuel required.

Porsche says the 4.0-litre engine in the Spyder RS uses 13.0L/100km, which is a big number for what is a relatively small car. But that engine is highly-tuned and built for performance not efficiency, so it’s something owners will need to accept.

Our test drive included some long highway stretches, as well as some spirited driving and urban commuting, so a good mix across all conditions, and we saw consistent returns around the 15-16L/100km range.

It has a 64-litre tank, which means a theoretical driving range of around 490km, assuming you can hit the official claim.

Having now spent a fair chunk of time behind the wheel of the V6 and V8-powered cars, we're ready to make a pretty bold claim: the six-cylinder engine is - and there's no other way to put it - simply more fun.

Shocking, I know, but there it is. There's effortless power on offer in the RC F models, of course, but it's the way that power is delivered that makes it feel like more of a loping grand tourer than a fire-breathing performance coupe.

For one, both the power and exhaust notes arrive in stages. So if you're gentle with the throttle - like you almost always are in the CBD or suburbs - it wafts around in near silence, the engine feeling anaesthetised, and like it's only using a tiny proportion of its available oomph.

The V6 engine just feels sportier. It's still not super emotional, but I think it reacts to inputs quicker.

Leave your foot buried, however, and the character transforms, the exhaust booming into life and that big V8 finally unlocking its prodigious power. With the adaptive dampers (no air suspension) set to the sportiest setting, it sits flat in corners, with nary a roll through the body. And while there isn't an intimate connection with the road below, nor masses of feedback through the steering, it does acquit itself well on the bends.

But... the V6 engine just feels sportier. It's still not super emotional, but I think it reacts to inputs quicker, and comes alive a little lower in the rev range than the big V8. It doesn't really matter if you're in Normal, Sport or Sport+, it just feels more vibrant. Hell, you can even get the traction light flashing if you're particularly silly with the accelerator.

And as such, it's our pick of the bunch. Sure, it can't match the outright performance of the V8, nor the speed of its 0-100km/h acceleration time, but it puts a bigger smile on your face in normal, day-to-day driving. And let's face it, that'll be 90 per cent of the time you spend behind the wheel.

I’m only giving it a nine out of 10 because perfection is hard for any car to achieve, but the 718 Spyder RS goes as close as any car I’ve driven. This is a masterpiece of modern sports car design, pushing the 718 closer to the 911 than ever before, which is something Porsche has clearly tried to avoid so as to not tarnish the image of its flagship.

But with the 911’s 4.0-litre flat-six in the middle of the 718, plus its more compact dimensions, the lightweight nature of the Spyder RS and the raft of chassis and handling enhancements, this really does leave you questioning ‘do I really need a 911?’

The steering is fantastically direct, the chassis responds to every input with precision and feedback and the braking is strong and consistent. Which helps because that engine is so good it launches you with ferocity and a glorious noise (as good as anything on the market today) whenever you squeeze down on the accelerator.

The highest praise I can give the Spyder RS is not that it was a dream to drive on winding, challenging roads, but that it was just as enjoyable on a trip to the shops or cruising down the freeway. Any drive in this car is a genuine pleasure.

This is another area where the 718 is showing its vintage, with very little in the way of active safety features. There’s the required stability control, as well as airbags for driver and passenger, plus the previously mentioned reversing camera. But that’s it, there’s no autonomous emergency braking, no lane-keeping assist or even adaptive cruise control.

While that may sound shocking to some, there’s never a moment where you feel unsafe in the 718. It feels incredibly stable and responsive on the road, as the onus falls back upon the driver to pay attention and make smart choices.

There’s no ANCAP rating for the 718, or any Porsche, so it is a question of putting your faith into Porsche’s in-house safety measures.

The RC range is covered by a four-year/100,000km warranty, with service intervals pegged at 12 months/15000km. There is no capped-price servicing program on offer, but Lexus will guarantee you a loan car every time your vehicle is in the shop, and will even come to your house or workplace to collect - and drop-off - your car.

For any owner-reported reliability problems, keep and eye on our Lexus ownership page.

It’s difficult to give the Spyder RS a clear score here because Porsche is cagey on the details. The public dealer websites indicate annual oil maintenance is required, with additional servicing every two years or 15,000km. 

How much that will cost is unclear, as despite the rest of the 718 range having publicly available prices, there were no such details for the Spyder RS (or even its Cayman sibling, the GT4 RS).

For reference, the 'standard' 718 requires oil maintenance ($895) for the first annual service and an inspection ($1500) the year after. Those costs continue to alternate annually out to eight years/120,000km.