When we think of Lexus, it’s hard to think of the terms “sporty” or “track-oriented,” although, the Lexus RC F Track Edition is meant to change our minds. You might be familiar with the Lexus RC F. It’s the brand’s two-door coupe that has a sultry V8 stuffed under the hood and can turn corners with a decent heft of athleticism. Well, the RC F Track Edition is the more raced-out version of it that commands a much higher price tag. But is it worth the extra money?

The Lexus RC F Track Edition is the same thing, but different

One of the main highlights of the Lexus RC F Track Edition is its exclusiveness. Lexus plans to only make 50 of them for the U.S., so only those that can afford it’s $97,000 price tag will have a fair shot at getting one. Pricing and rarity aside, the RC F Track Edition essentially just builds up the current Lexus RC F.

Just to recap, the base RC F is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 that produces 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that can be manually shifted. It’s a glorious combination that is able to propel the car to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and down a quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds. But straight-line speed isn’t what this car is about, nor is the Track Edition, which adds on some lightweight and carbon parts into the equation.

The Lexus RC F Track Edition has some adjustments

The RC F Track Edition uses the same powerplant as its less-exclusive sibling with the addition of a higher final drive for quicker acceleration. The change in gearing should drop the 0 to 60 times down to about 4.0 seconds with the aid of its new launch control system. Aside from the tighter gearing, Lexus also threw some lightness into the mix via a lightened intake manifold, lighter suspension parts, a carbon-fiber hood, and lightweight 19-inch BBS wheels. Altogether, the Track Edition is 121 pounds lighter than the RC F.

The RC F Track Edition also has a new front splitter and carbon rear wing to aid with stability and downforce at its top speed of 168 mph. To round out the whole race-ready package, the RC F Track Edition also benefits from stiffened dampers, although, the springs remain the same as the non-track RC F.

But are all of the upgrades actually worth the money?

As we stated before, the Lexus RC F Track Edition carries a price tag of $97,675 as compared to the regular RC F’s $65,775 price. Yes, that means it’s nearly $32,000 more than the normal Lexus RC F, and what it mainly gets you are some carbon fiber pieces, a little bit of a lighter car, and about a tick faster to 60 mph.

Would we consider that worth it? No, not at all. Considering that there are aftermarket parts for the Lexus RC F that can easily make it just as quick, and maybe quicker, than the Track Edition. If you happen to be able to afford a Lexus RC F Track Edition and are salivating at the thought of staring at the carbon fiber hood every day, then we suggest getting the regular and modifying it.