作为目前国外最火最受欢迎的记者Chris Harris日前在Piston Heads发表了自己在美国试驾RC F的评测文章(原址:http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=30817#.VBGmgK8EAFw.twitter)，同时作为现款M3 F80的车主，也分享了自己对于M3/M4的体验对比, 整篇文章依旧充满了CH惯有的幽默，犀利的风格，至于是否符合你的口味这个就仁者见仁智者见智了。以下是原文+翻译，由于时间能力有限，翻译的比较仓促也未经校验，故未逐词逐句详细翻译(部分地方为概括)，如有漏翻错翻等情况请各位大侠轻喷。

There is no finertheatre in the automotive world than a passionate Japanese engineer attemptingto explain the inner working of his latest creation. Kazutoshi Mizuno, father of the modern GT-R, once gave avirtuoso performance to a few gawping hacks on his fast car philosophy, whichas far as I could tell went against pretty much every accepted tenet of modernphysics. But I left the room a believer.Well, Japanese engineers are designfundamentalists. They are pure perfectionists, and I love listening to them -Lexus"s Yukihiko Yaguchi was no different. His message was less evangelical butsaturated with pride at a career which began on the original LS400. Hisaudience was struggling to concentrate as the bizarre acronyms flowed - thesmall Brit contingent had been delayed on their way into New York. So, asYaguchi-san began his sermon on the origins of the new Lexus RC F, Steve Sutcliffe waswrestling with his overnight bag on his lap as Jethro Bovingdon and myselfseemed to be unable to focus on the ten-foot Plasma screens - and I couldn"t besure Chris Chilton had actually found the meeting room. But that"s not unusual.We were shagged, and accordingly had the attention spans of horny goldfish.

在汽车领域可能没有一个更好的地方能像坐在日本工程师旁，倾听他们对自己最新的杰作的娓娓道来。记得曾今水野和敏（GT-R 之父）在一堂课上向听众讲解他的超跑哲学，在我看来他讲的完全与我所知的现代物理定律背道而驰，但是至少讲解结束时，我还是相信了这一切。日本工程师毫不演示他们对设计的极致追求，他们实际是完美主义者， Lexus"s Yukihiko Yaguchi也是其中之一，当然我也很喜欢听他们讲这些东西。 Yukihiko君的讲话虽然少了一些"传道"的意味，但言语片刻，那份对在lexus工作经历(从LS400研发开始)的自豪感仍显露无遗。一小部分英国同行记者因为旅程延误没有按时到达纽约，所以当Yaguchi君对RC F起源的演讲开始时，SteveSutcliffe(AutoCar记者) 和 JethroBovingdon(EVO 记者)正抱着自己的旅行包昏昏欲睡，事实上我也完全没办法集中精神观看屏幕上的展示，我也不确定 Chris Chilton(Car Mag记者) 是否也已经找到了会议室，长途旅行已经让我们身心疲惫，完全无法集中注意力。

To the point

Mercifully,the presentation was short - Japanese tech briefings can last days, which isfine if you"re in the mood but brutal if you"ve been awake for 23 hours. Itstruck me as I watched my friends and colleagues pretending to earnestly takenotes, just as I was doing, that this whole fanfare was potentially pointless -and through no fault of Lexus. The reason I"d reached that conclusion thenbegan to seem a little disturbing, saddening, even. Because here was Lexusflying us to the US, giving us the wonderful Monticello Circuit to play with,here was Yaguchi-san bearing his heart about the development of the RC F andthe typical fastidiousness displayed by a Japanese high-performance brand, andyet all anyone would ever want to know about the car was if it was better than a BMW M4.

That"s it. All thatpassion, all that engineering - titanium intake and exhaust valves, the abilityto switch between Otto and Atkinson cycles, and so much besides distilled downinto one simple barometer of success. Is it as good as a certain BMW?

不幸中的万幸，演讲时间并不太长，实际他们本来可以讲上足足一整天，对于那些有兴致的人来说还行，对我们这些23个小时没有睡觉的英国记者来说就太过残忍。当我看到我的某些同行正俨然一副认真做着笔记的样子的时候，我有点被小小的打击了一下，虽然我以前也经常这么干，但事实上我觉得这类讲解毫无意义可言，当然这并不是lexus的错。不过随之想想Lexus热情的邀请我们不远***来到美国，还让我们在这么棒的Monticello赛道爽个够，还有什么可抱怨的。并且RC F是Yaguchi君在内的所有人员倾注心血打造的产品，他向我们展示了日本人那一丝不苟的精神(如果是让你再爽一把LaF或者P1，估计你比谁都有精神)。然而我们大家最想了解的还是RCF到底是什么样的水平，能否于M4一争高下。这样充满激情以先进工程学打造的产品(钛合金进排气阀，奥拓+阿特金瑟循环切换)能否真正媲美BMW ？ 

Inescapable truth

A sad situation,when you think about it. But, in the modern consumer age, an unavoidable oneand one peddled by people like me. I mean, does it really matter if the RC F isbetter or worse than an M4? So long as it"s a great car that people want toown, should the comparison matter?

No doubt my pangs ofsympathy were brought about by a quick peek at the spec sheet as we"d walked into the room. Here"s Lexus attempting to elbow its way into the M4"s marketplacewith a coupe that will not seat four adults in any comfort and that weighs1,840kg but offers 392lb ft of torque at a high 4,800rpm. Forget peak poweroutputs and claimed performance times, we all know that if you want to know howpunchy something will be on your everyday grind, run some arithmetic on thetorque-to-weight ratio, then see where the peak torque arrives. I"ll do it foryou this time. M4: 405lb ft, 1,850rpm, 1,537kg. RC F: 392lb ft, 4,800rpm,1,840kg

To channel the greatR Burgundy - this new Lexus is badly under-gunned. Which in a class that hasquietly become a repository for small German muscle cars, is something of aworry.

在当今的消费时代，不可避免的会拿一件东西和另外一件进行比较，但认真想想，这样与M4一较高低的比较真的有意义吗？如果RCF真的是一辆伟大值得拥有的车，这样的比较视乎也无关紧要。当我在步入会议室时我扫了扫RC F的规格参数表，毫无疑问，当我看到这个时，心里的怜悯之情不禁油然而生，RC F一部lexus试图用来挤进M4所在级别的豪华Coupe车型市场的重要车型，重量达到了1840公斤，同时能在4800转提供392lb ft 530牛米最大扭矩。但是抛开470+的最大马力来说，对比M4的推重比，峰值扭矩，以及峰值扭矩的转速，我真的有点担心，缺少足够火力的RC F会不会成为同级德国对手的杯中酒。

All mouth

No matter that forthose of you - make that us - who appreciate the styling. Who see the strandsof LFA DNA and a shape which is more complicated than anything European in theclass. Yes, Lexus appears intent on delivering a vehicle whose entire frontal areais an intake grille, but the rear haunches are spectacular, as is the way a fewsteps either side of a the square-on rear reveal different shapes andprotrusions. The stacked exhausts? Not for me, ta.

The specification isa mixture of the sublime and the baffling - actually, it"s almost all appealingbut spoiled by the spectre of that kerb weight figure. The powertrain is IS F,plus quite a bit more. Capacity is now 5.0 litres, power is 478hp at 7,100rpmand you already know the torque figure. It runs the same eight-speed automaticgearbox as the old saloon. It"s two-wheel drive only with a Torsen diff asstandard with the option of a torque vectoring differential.

We trundled fromWestchester to Monticello in Normal mode and, having written that, I now needto tell you about the modes. All cars in this class simply have to have"modes". I hate them. The RC F has four modes, Normal, Eco, Sport and SportPlus. Each offers a different variation of throttle response, electronicchassis system intervention and dashboard layout. Eco is actually the mostradical, because it"s here that the combustion cycle is altered for increasedfuel economy. Throttle response is wound right back too.

对于那些欣赏RC F的造型和复杂线条，又或是看重与LFA基因联系的人来说，请忽略我刚才所提到的。前脸的巨大进气格栅, 尾部两侧的腰线也呈现出更加突出和与众不同的形状，双边上下排列的排气出口(对我来说并不感冒)，这就是lexus想要极力呈现给大家的特色之处。参数方面，大部分参数可以说得到了升华，但同样1840公斤的体重也让人感到不解，这让其他方面足够出色的数据大打折扣。动力总成来讲完全来源于IS F并得到了相当程度的提高，5.0升V8发动机能在7100转产生478马力的动力，以及刚刚提到的扭矩。变速箱还是IS F那台8速波箱，只提供后轮驱动，标配托森限滑差速器，再此基础上可选装电控主动扭力分配的TVD，我选用Normal驾驶模式从 Westchester到Monticello，首先不得不说我很讨厌目前很多同类车型配备的驾驶选择模式，RC F能在Normal, Eco, Sport, Sport Plus 4种模式间切换，随之带来的是包括油门响应，电子系统的介入甚至仪表盘显示样式的变化。在Eco模式下，这样的变化尤为明显，因为这时发动机切换到了阿特金森循环以提高燃油经济性，油门的响应也同时被禁锢起来。

Chop chop

I hate judging ridecomfort and chassis subtleties in the US for a European audience because theconditions are so different - in the States, you tend to either drive onperfectly smooth surfaces, or completely broken ones. And over the latter itwon"t come as a surprise to learn that the RC F crashes about.

On the smooth stuffit"s firm, but controlled. I"d say it was more supple than an RS4, but less sothan an M4 in its Comfort damper setting. But I"d want to drive them all in theUK to be certain. The transmission is easy in traffic and slushes neatly betweeneight ratios. Seven of those are performance related, the eighth is a trueoverdrive. The steering is notable for its clever weighting and I think if Iback-to-backed it with a new M4 on the same road, I might prefer this aspect ofthe RC F to the BMW. But I haven"t, so I can"t make that call yet.

I simply love thecabin - in many ways it represents what I want from a fast Lexus, and that issimply a statement of Japanese style. that doesn"t conform. to the German classnorm. The centre console rises above thigh height, there are numerous decks andnooks and baffling shapes that meet to create a very, very special feel. Themetal surround to the analogue clock is delicious.

But why go to allthis effort, then design some special front seats and not allow them to droplow enough? Yep, you sit too high in this car, and that"s a big minus-point forme 

我并不喜欢通过在美国的路面的驾驶经验来判定这车的地盘是否足够舒适性以及敏捷性，因为美国的路就只有2各极端，要么很好，要么很烂，尤其是后者。在路况较好的路面，地盘感觉很硬，但是控制的还是不错可以说比

RS4还是要好些，不过比起M4在舒适模式下就差那么一些。但是我还是需要在英国的路上试过之后才能得出准确的结论。变速箱在车多时候表现的也很轻松自如，档位之间的切换也很顺滑灵巧。前7各档位的齿比能更好的服务于性能需要，而第8各档位则用来超速时使用。适度的重量让转向手感变的尤其值得称道，我认为如果和M4在同一路面对比，我可能会更倾向于RCF的调教，但没有正式对比前，这个结论为时尚早。我很喜欢驾驶舱给人的感觉，拥有于德系车风格迥异的日本风格的同时提供了几乎我想要从一辆Lexus高性能跑车中得到的一切，所有的东西都让人感觉十分的特别，尤其是中控台那金属边框包裹的时钟让人垂涎欲滴。但是，下了这么多功夫在各处的设计上，为什么偏偏在座椅设置上无法调节到足够低的位置，在性能跑车上如此高的坐姿，简直是大大的减分。

Track and field

After a two hourstrundling through New York state we arrived at the quite excellent Monticellocircuit. This is a private member"s track, run just like a golf course and thefull lap is so good you just know Herr Tilke had nothing to do with its design.

There was much talkabout the RC F"s track abilities in Mr Yaguchis"s preamble the night before,but it takes just two turns to realise those words were probably unwise. The RCF is a heavy car that struggles to cloak its mass. In terms of direction changes,turn-in and brakes, the new M4 runs rings around it.

The engine is, inisolation, quite joyous - screaming to 7,300rpm with a more sophisticated howlthan an AMG. But if ever you wanted proof that the new bi-turbo generation ofGermans have moved the game on, try the RC F on a track. Even with a claimed 392lbft, it seems strangely flat exiting second gear corners, and at no point doesthe car feel anything like as quick as the BMW. The outgoing C63 507 woulddisappear in a straight line too. Lexus claims 4.4 to 60mph and a little shy of170mph, which should be more than enough, but you really have to work to makeit feel that quick.

Doesmotive force matter in this class? Not fractions of seconds, no. But the RC Fis a good deal slower than those two, and I suspect the RS4 is a mite quickertoo. Most importantly, given the 4,800rpm torque peak, this is a ￡60,000 hot coupe which could easily be handed some manners by an M235i. And I"m notsure that"s the way things should be. 

连续2个小时的缓慢穿过纽约后，终于来到了向往已久的Monticello赛道，这是一条仅供私人会员使用的赛道。Yaguchis君一直不断向我们强调RC F的赛道性能，但是2个弯后我们意识到他的结论可能有些"打脸了"，RC F感觉十分笨重，在变向，过弯，刹车等方面新M4都显然胜过RC F。单独来说说发动机，令人相当愉悦，咆哮的转速直奔7300转的红线，听起来也比AMG更加精致。当然德国竞争对手采用的新一代双涡轮发动机技术提供的强大扭矩已经把这场竞赛游戏推向了另一个层面。例如在赛道上，RC F虽然拥有并不算弱的530牛米的峰值扭矩，但是在以2档过弯的时候，却完全的平淡无奇，没有任何的一点能让你感觉的到他和M4一样的快。而即将谢幕的C63 507 在直线上估计能让RC F连灰都吃不到。lexus官方宣称的4.4百公里成绩以及170mph极速成绩听起来应该足够了，但是这样的数值并没有切实的反映在感官体验上。话说回来到底动力在这个级别是不是真正的至关重要，我的答案是，0点几秒的加速差距也许不重要，但是RCF给人的感觉却是比M4 C63慢很多，事实上我估计RS4都能快他不少，这样差距可能就不是轻易能淡化了的吧。最重要的一点是，RC F的峰值扭矩不仅小于对手，而且需要在4800转这种相对较高的转速产生，扭矩的劣势让这辆价值6万磅的性能Coupe实际在很多性能指标只能与M235看齐，我真的不确定这是不是RC F应有的表现。

Hope yet

The RC F doesn"tleave the game at that though. Yes, it felt too big and heavy on a verychallenging track, even with the clever, optional torque vectoring differentialworking hard, and running sticky Michelin Super Sports, but then it"s a streetcar, so does that really matter?

On the road you haveto rev it to make it move, but the reward is sublime noise, a crisp gearshiftfrom the steering wheel paddles (which felt a little cheap to me) and what anAutocar road test in 1977 would have called "good road manners". I left it incomfort mode, and found that the best balance of response and, er, comfort.

Look, it"s just avery pleasant place to be. It ain"t no M4, but then it"ll be sold in tinynumbers, is arguably a much more appealing object, and for those who couldn"tcare less about long powerslides, lap times and beating M235is at the lights, Ithink it might prove to be a great car. There"s also a suspicion that it wouldreveal further layers of character over time, in the way an M4 might not.

BMW can rest easy,and Lexus has probably arrived at a 2014 party in 2008 clothes, but the RC Fstill has something about it. And it"s not German, which for some people willbe enough on its own. 

RC F并没有离开这场竞争，是的,纵然有新的TVD加身，以及抓地力极强的米其林Super Sports轮胎辅助，但是在赛道上他还是依旧显得那么笨重，但是问题在于对于一辆定位街车的Coupe这些是否重要。在路上驾驶RCF为了得到更好的加速效果，必须尽可能的提高转速来获得最佳扭矩，当然回馈给你的是逐渐高亢的声浪，方向盘后方换挡拨片感觉手感很脆，给我一种廉价感的感觉，这种感觉如果以1977年的AutoCar评测标准来说还能说的过去。我一直将车辆保持在舒适模式下，这也许是我认为机械回馈和‘舒适性’之间最好的平衡。RC F终究不是M4，但是考虑到它小众的销量，以及争论性的外观，对于那些不太在意长距离漂移，赛道，以及能否在红绿等起步时战胜M235I(高端黑啊)的人来说，我认为他或许能够证明他是一辆伟大的车型，同时随着时间推移，他或许会展示更多更深层面的独特之处给大家，而这不大可能发生在M4身上。我想在这次试驾以后，BMW实际可以高枕无忧了，因为我不确认lexus是否把本应属于2008年的产品拿到6年后的2014来发布(AutoCar也在评测中也有相似的疑问Designed for last decade)，但是RC F仍然有他存在的价值，那就是他是一辆纯种‘日本车’，对于那些对德国车嗤之以鼻的日系粉丝买家来说这本身就已经足够了。