The 2015 Lexus RC F takes some laps on the 3.6-mile loop at Monticello Motor Club.

Brand names are something like a word association game. Manufacturers go to great lengths to get potential buyers to immediately think good thoughts whenever they’re mentioned. Mercedes-Benz? Plush and luxurious. BMW? The ultimate driving machine. And Lexus?

Well, there’s nothing wrong with being reliable and offering a good value, but the Japanese maker would also like to associate the word, “passionate,” with the brand, something that’s not easy to pull off with products like the ES sedan line or the CT200h hybrid.

But you might just have to think again if you get a chance to slip behind the wheel of the new Lexus RC coupe – especially if its bears the single modifier, “F.” While that may be a failing grade for some, our first experience with the new 2015 Lexus RC F found it passing with flying colors and ready to give challenge to some of its better-known European luxury performance competitors.

For those not familiar with the RC, it’s the newest addition to the Lexus line, replacing the brand’s old IS coupe. But don’t get confused. It’s not a 2-door Lexus IS. The RC adopts a curious hybrid platform that starts out as a GS up front, a reinforced version of the old IS Convertible in its mid-section, and the new IS chassis in the rear.

The new Lexus RC F delivers 467-hp from its 5.0-lier V-8, a full 51 more than the old Lexus IS F Coupe.

Thanks to additional underfloor bracing, laser welding and other enhancements, the beefed up platform is stiffer than the sum of its components, while the coupe measures about 1.1 inches longer than the current IS, and 1.1 inches wider – though its wheelbase is 2.7 inches shorter.

The new coupe comes in a mix of flavors. For the mild of heart, there’s the competent RC, with its 306-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6. You can have some reasonable fun with this package, especially if you work your way through the gears with the paddle shifter operating its gearbox – a choice of an 8-speed automatic in rear-drive trim, or a 6-speed for the all-wheel-drive model.

A step up is the Lexus RC F Sport, which adds some exterior trim pieces, such as a revised front fascia, a sport steering system, an adaptive suspension and an active rear differential, among other things.

These two models are expected to generate the overwhelming bulk of Lexus RC sales. But from an image perspective – one Lexus hopes will rub off on the rest of the brand – there’s the RC F.

(For more on the Lexus RC family, Click Here.)

The "base" Lexus RC 350.

Like the two more mainstream models, it features a sporty coupe body that is arguably the most passionate design we’ve seen in more than a quarter century of Lexus products. Head-on, it opts for the most aggressive version yet of the brand’s signature grille, a shape that has generated a fair share of controversy. With the RC F, the grille subtly fades from “L” to “F” elements, top to bottom. The hood, meanwhile, positively bulges with power, a less-than-subtle hint of what’s rumbling just below the sheet metal.

There are also functional features, such as an active rear wing that pops up as the speedometer hits 50 mph. There are bigger air intakes below the bumper for the transmission and oil coolers. And, if you wish, you can opt for a carbon fiber roof and wing.

The RC F gets yet more body bracing, notably in the engine compartment and the rear partition. There are new Brembo brakes, 14.96-inch 6-piston monoblocks up front, with a 13.56-inch, 4-piston design in the rear.

The midrange Lexus RC 350 F Sport.

There’s an optional all-wheel-steer system that allows the rear wheels to shift by 2 degrees in either direction – they turn the same way as the front tires at low speeds, but in an opposing direction at high speeds.

There’s a standard Torsen rear differential, but we were particularly impressed by the active Torque Vectoring Differential, an optional package that uses two motors to shift power to the outer wheels to help steer the car through tight corners.

The heart of the beast is an all-new 5.0-liter V-8 making a very impressive 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque – 51 hp and 18 lb-ft more than the old IS F coupe. Lexus claims 0 to 60 times of 4.4 seconds, with the RC F expected to make 16 mpg City, 25 Highway and 19 Combined when the EPA tests are completed.

We got a chance to drive the various 2015 Lexus RC models from suburban New York up into the Catskills, and then spent the rest of the day taking the RC F out on the Monticello Motor Club track, a challenging, 3.6-mile stretch of hills, long straights and sharp curves. With nearly 450 feet of elevation changes, it’s a perfect place to push a car like the new Lexus to its limits.

(Click Here to check out the new BMW 2-Series Convertible.)

The RC's reconfigurable gauge cluster.

For those who remember the original Lexus IS F, the new coupe is a marked improvement. The styling is more impressive, the engine more competent and the overall package that much more aggressive while still surprisingly forgiven of the mistakes one can easily make coming around one of Monticello’s blind corners.

The optional TVD differential proved downright loathe to break traction unless you intentionally wanted to toss the back end out shooting into one of the track’s sharper corners.

We only had a few modest complaints under the most aggressive driving. One was that the car’s extensive package of electronic control systems continued trying to rein the throttle in coming out of those corners, whether in Normal or Sport mode. To our relief, the Sport+ setting threw off the remaining chains – even though the stability control system would kick in if you got seriously into trouble.

Sport+ had a different downside. We would occasionally seem to bounce off the rev limiter for a moment before shifts. The positive side is that the RC F would push all the way to red line and hold it. But we couldn’t help but wonder if this might cost a couple tenths per lap.

A handsome interior - though the center stack can seem a little bit chunky.

Our other concern: the brakes. After a couple full-on laps of the long Monticello course we got a lung full of brake pad pulling back into the pit. Since Lexus is expecting at least some RC F buyers to take the coupe out for some weekend racing on private courses like the Motor Club’s, we were surprised the maker doesn’t have an upgrade in its parts catalogue. Lexus Marketing Manager Brian Bolain said he expects aftermarket suppliers to step in, but we would hope Lexus would, as well.

One last observation, if not quite a complaint: we found the interior of the RC to be handsome and far more elegant than you might expect at its price point. The weak spot? The oddly chunky center stack, especially the large plastic control audio and climate control module that isn’t quite up to the rest of the cabin’s finish.

One of the more appealing features, however, is the reconfigurable gauge cluster. It will let you switch between a variety of different modes, including one where you can see precisely where the TVD differential is delivering torque, and even follow your progress while you lap a track.

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Lexus hopes the RC F will put a halo over the brand.

What may prove particularly appealing to potential buyers is the price tag. While Lexus might want you to start using the word, passionate, when describing the brand, it still wants to be thought of as a good value. And, with a starting price of $42,790 for the base RC model, we’d have to agree. The RC F, meanwhile, starts at $62,400. That’s a full $8,500 less than an Audi RS5, $1,800 under the new BMW M4, and a $1,200 discount compared to the C63 AMG Coupe.

Of course, value is a matter of perception, and lots of motorists are willing to pay extra for those European badges. Whether they will rethink the Lexus brand remains to be seen, though the Japanese maker is optimistically anticipating a very high conquest rate.

Considering how well the new RC F model, in particular, performed during our day on road and on track, we’d have to put it on our list of recommended performance coupes. It just might help change what buyers think of the Lexus brand.