The Lexus RC F has a lot going for it, but there was one thing that really bugged me

Since Lexus came on the scene 25 years ago, the Japanese luxury brand has crafted a sterling reputation for producing refined yet relatively docile cars.

Unfortunately, this means that Lexus has a boring image, although no shortage of repeat customers.

The Lexus RC F is supposed to change that. Our test car, painted in a tone called "ultrasonic blue mica," is the most aggressive and exciting Lexus since the short-lived LFA supercar and the ISF sports sedan, which was retired a few years back.

It has a 5.0-liter V8 that bellows intoxicatingly. It looks aggressive, even menacing. It's simply unlike any other car Lexus produces these days.

Outside

First, the outside. Lexus has been carrying on an inexplicable love affair with large front grilles. The brand's latest generation of cars has taken the company's "spindle" design to new levels of excess. The RC F is no exception. It's a polarizing feature, but for me, it works here.

Why? Because, for Lexus, cars such as the RC F are all about peacocking. The big grille might look out of place on a vehicle like as the RX crossover, here the objective is to go over the top. So that gaping spindle makes sense.

The rest of the bodywork is angular and dynamic. There are enough creases, curves, and gills to confuse military radar. This is a car that doesn't have much patience with flat surfaces.

Tucked below the rear bumper are the quad exhausts that serve as a signature element for Lexus "F" performance lineup (it's the brand's equivalent of BMW's "M" division). There's also a retractable spoiler that activates at 50 mph. Because why not? An active spoiler is de rigeur these days for cars in this category.

The RC F is far from what you would call "classically beautiful" – think Jaguar F-Type or an Aston Martin Vanquish – but it does make you look twice. By that criteria, it's a success, although its gets there via slightly unconventional means.

Inside

Now the inside. Lexus' interior designers were far less adventurous than their exterior counterparts — and we're completely cool with that. The RC line shares much of its interior with the Lexus IS sedan, which Business Insider reviewed last year. We loved the way the interior looked then, and we like it even more here.

The RC F's interior quality is textbook Lexus — although if your last Lexus was an easygoing sedan, some of the options might be bit jarring. The red leather seats, for example (our test car's were a more subdued tan). Regardless, they're baby-bottom soft and offer great lateral support when driving aggressively. The carbon fiber accents successfully add an extra hint of sportiness without becoming overblown or gaudy.

Although, the dash was a bit more plasticky than I would have liked to see in a $73,000 sports coupe, the petrochemical-derived interior trim doesn't diminish the luxurious aura of the car.

And the RC F's 835-watt, 17- speaker Mark Levinson sound system is fantastic, the best I've ever experienced in a car.