Lexus SC

1991–2000

In the early 1990s,[5] following the début of Lexus, automotive press reports indicated a forthcoming Full-size Lexus coupé to compete with other luxury GT coupés of other marques, including the Mercedes-Benz CL, Acura Legend coupe and later the Acura CL, Eunos Cosmo, Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado, Lincoln Mark VIII, Jaguar XJS, Bentley Continental, Maserati Shamal/Ghibli, Ferrari 456 and BMW 8 Series coupe. At that point, Toyota's luxury coupé was the Soarer. A coupe would complement the successful Lexus flagship model, the V8-powered, rear-wheel drive LS 400 sedan.[5] The coupé would target the American market, and the development effort for its exterior design was given to the Calty Design Research center in California in 1987.[5]

The American Calty design team took an unusual approach to designing the car,[6] using plaster molding shapes to study body forms,[5] and working in three rather than two dimensions.[5] As described by design chiefs Denis Campbell and Erwin Lui,[5] the result was a car that was based on "emotion and feeling" rather than linear aesthetics. The resulting design possessed few straight edges and produced a drag coefficient of .[5][7] The production design concept by Lui was approved at the beginning of 1989, and Lui was sent back to Japan for four months to assist in completion of the production design.[8] According to automotive journalist Bill Russ, the SC design was considered influential among automotive designs of the time.[9] A distinctive feature was the articulating door hinges: when the doors opened, the hinges moved out and forward, allowing easier entry and exit in tight spaces.

Production of the Soarer started in April 1991 at the Motomachi plant in Toyota, Aichi,[2] with the Lexus SC produced alongside the Soarer at a second Higashi Fuji plant at Susono, Shizuoka.[3] Motomachi-sourced cars lasted until April 1997.[2] The Lexus SC platform was used to develop Toyota's next generation Supra, both vehicles were manufactured in the same plant.[10] From 1990-1996 the previously installed TEMS active suspension system was replaced with Toyota Active Control Suspension as an optional upgrade.

The SC 400 débuted on 1 June 1991 in the United States as a 1992 model. The SC 400's 4.0 L V8 1UZ-FE, the same engine as used in the LS 400, was reported to have cost over US$400,000,000 in research and development.[11] The engine sits behind the front axles, which makes it a front mid engine rear wheel drive vehicle. The SC 400 was honored as the Motor Trend Import Car of the Year for 1992. It also made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list from 1992 through 1996.

In July 1992, the SC 300, a smaller-engined version of the SC 400, premiered in the United States. The SC 300 was equipped with a 3.0 L inline 6 2JZ-GE.[12] Lexus' traction control system, TRAC, was offered as an option.[12]

The first-generation SC lasted in production until 7 July 2000, over nine years,[13] with only minor exterior changes, including revised tail lighting and a modified spoiler as part of the mid-cycle refresh. A front grille was added in 1996, along with a redesigned front bumper, side skirts and rocker panels. The SC 400 produced 250 hp/260 lbft from 1991 to 1995.[14] The original 1991–1997 engines for the 2JZ-GE-powered SC 300 were rated at 225 hp/210 lbft. The output of the SC 300 was 5 horsepower more than the equivalent engine used in the Toyota Supra.[15]

In 1996, the SC 400's 1UZ-FE engine design was upgraded to 260 hp from 250 hp. These engines were coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission on both the SC 300 and SC 400 models. A 5-speed manual transmission was only offered on the SC 300 from its debut until 1997.

By the end of the decade, North American SC sales began dwindling due to the lack of significant design updates since the car's introduction and marketplace changes that led to loss of interest in coupes.

In 1997 (1998 model year), both the SC 300 and 400 were upgraded with VVT-i and thus the ratings were raised to 290 hp/300 lbft of torque for the SC 400 and 225 hp/220 lbft of torque for the SC 300. Tests conducted on the new engines showed an acceleration for the SC 400 for years 1992–1995 of 0–60 mph in 6.9 seconds, years 1996–1997 in 6.7 seconds, and years 1998–2000 in 6.1 seconds. For the SC 300 an acceleration 0–60 mph in 6.8 seconds with the 5-speed manual and 7.2 seconds with the 4-speed automatic for all years.[16] This 1997 upgrade included the replacement of the four-speed automatic on the SC 400 to a five-speed unit. With the replacement of the five-speed unit those models also got a new differential with a final drive of 3.27 improving both fuel economy and top speed.

Sales of the automatic transmission SC 300 and SC 400 models formed the vast majority of models purchased.[17] The Lexus SC 400 was never officially sold in the British Isles, but many examples found their way across the Atlantic as personal imports.[18]

2001–2005

At the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus displayed its Sport Coupe concept, a V8-powered convertible, signifying its plans for a replacement for the first-generation SC 300/400.[13] The production version of its new sports coupe-convertible, the SC 430, debuted at the New York Auto Show in April 2000.[22] The car was scheduled to go on sale in the second quarter of the following year.[23] Power was provided by a 4.3 L 3UZ-FE V8 engine with variable valve timing (VVT-i) mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. This engine was the same model as that found in the UCF30 Lexus LS. The SC 430's V8 could produce 288 hp (215 kW) and 430 Nm of torque, allowing the coupe to go from 0–60 mph in 6.2 seconds.[24]

In contrast with the previous generation model, the redesigned Lexus SC was intended as a convertible from its inception.[25] The development team was led by chief engineer Yasushi Nakagawa from 1996 to 2000. Lexus designers from Europe and Japan worked together to create a streamlined design. A design theme was chosen in 1997 developed by Sotiris Kovos, who in return was named chief designer. Led by Kovos, designers travelled to the Côte d'Azur to develop the vehicle's exterior shape, and studied the region's architecture, lifestyle, and harbors.[23] The resulting convertible of 1998 received character lines similar to the region's yachts, in contrast with traditional waveform lines. The vehicle's side profile, the product of extensive wind tunnel testing, was intended to channel air around the passenger compartment at high speed during top-down driving. Design patents were filed in Japan, at the Japan Patent Office on 14 June 1999 under patent number 1095312.

The SC 430 chassis featured a double-wishbone setup for both the front and rear wheels.[25] The vehicle platform shared elements with the GS 430 sport sedan, including variable-assist power rack-and-pinion steering.[26] Safety systems ranged from traction control to vehicle stability control.[25] The convertible received a ULEV emissions certification rating.[25]

The SC 430 featured a retractable aluminium hardtop, all-leather interior with brushed-aluminum accents, navigation screen with folding wood panel, and 18-inch aluminium wheels.[26] Chrome Lexus emblems were mounted on the back of the front seat headrests.[25] The coupe has four seat belts and could technically seat four, but rear-seat space is limited.[27] The hardtop fully retracts in 25 seconds.[25] Standard luxury features include Burl Walnut or Bird's Eye Maple wood trim, a Mark Levinson premium sound system, DVD-based navigation system, and headlamp washers. For additional trunk space, as an option the SC 430 could be equipped with run-flat tires.[25]

At its launch, the SC 430 was marketed as the "jewel of Lexus", and as the marque's first convertible, was intended as a more ostentatious addition to the Lexus lineup.[25] Reviewers from Car and Driver magazine praised the SC 430 for 2002 as "an unqualified success", calling it "comfortable, fast, smooth, and quiet" with "all of the virtues expected in a patrician roadster."[28]

In 2003, for the 2004 model year, Lexus unveiled the Lexus SC "Pebble Beach Edition", a limited-production model of the SC for the US market. The special edition SC featured a unique exterior and interior colour combination which changed each model year. This edition was offered for model years 2004 to 2009 and was limited to a small number of units each year (see table below for counts). Each Lexus SC Pebble Beach edition coupe exhibited: unique colours (changed each year), special badging (featuring the "Lone Cypress" logo) on the front fenders, centre console, and floor mats. In 2005, for the 2006 model year, a rear spoiler and spider alloy wheels was also included.[29][30]

In 2004 and 2005, J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Survey awarded the SC 430 as the highest ranked premium luxury vehicle.[31][32] Kelley Blue Book gave the SC 430 its Best to Hold Value Award in 2002.[33] In June 2004, a custom-designed Carolina Herrera SC 430 was shown at the Madrid Motor Show.[34] The special edition SC 430 CH used a 'Testa di Moro' body color, with matching interior leather and carpeting, along with designer logos on the wheels and door sills.[35] A line of accessories was also developed for the vehicle.

In 2012, Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May chose the Lexus SC 430 as the worst car ever built in their film The Worst Car in the History of the World. They criticized its handling, ride and style, with May calling the ride "absolutely diabolical", and stated that a big manufacturer should have known better.

2006–2010

In 2005 for the 2006 model year, the SC 430 was updated, with changes that included redesigned alloy wheels and the introduction of Bluetooth capability. In late 2005, the SC 430 premiered along with the Lexus marque in Japan; it was manufactured at the Kanji (Kanto Jidosha) assembly site in Japan.[36] The SC 430 was sold in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia; unlike its predecessor, the SC 430 was officially imported to the British Isles;[37] the old SC 400 had been a popular personal grey import.[18]

In 2010, a final special edition model for Japan, the SC 430 Eternal Jewel edition, was produced, limited to 200 units.[38] The 2010 model was the last automobile from any major manufacturer in the United States to ship with a cassette tape deck.[39]

Production of the second-generation SC ended in July 2010 after nine years of production, but Lexus was still using them in the Super GT until the 2013 season ended.[40]