There has been a stylish luxury coupe in the Lexus lineup ever since the Toyota luxury division began more than a decade ago. But the SC430 is the first with a top that goes down.
The distinctive styling of this lovely Lexus guarantees lots of stares, and the occasional glare, from those appreciative of its handsome contours or envious of its driver. Top up, it’s a snug little hardtop with a long but nicely proportioned rear aspect. Top down, it’s a sporty cruiser looking for some fun.
SC430 is a limited-production car for Lexus, with just 12,000 being made this year and 10,000 planned for subsequent years. That guarantees exclusivity but so does the $58,000-plus base price.
There’s some Audi TT and a little bit of Mercedes-Benz in the sculpted body design, though SC430 manages to carve its own niche in the ever-broadening ranks of two-seater sports cars.
Oh, did I say two-seater? Actually, the SC430 has a leather-trimmed back “seat,” laughably provided with head rests and seat belts, as if two legless, emaciated beings might fit back there.
The roadster’s signature feature is a foldaway roof similar in style and execution to those on Mercedes’ sports cars: the compact SLK and mighty SL roadster. On the Lexus, it lowers in a graceful ensemble of whirring motors and folding panels, the trunk opening rearward, then closing over the stowed roof. The top takes up most of the trunk, though with the roof up, there is decent room for baggage.
Though small and sporty-looking, the SC430 is really a high-end luxury craft that emphasizes personal comfort and sedate cruising. SC430’s placid ride and light steering feel very much like Lexus sedans, competent and inoffensive, seeming to take the middle road between slick and stodgy. SC is saved from being a flat-out poseur by its roaring V-8 and quirky attitude. This car may be a softy, but it succeeds as a driving toy.
The engine is the same 4.3-liter, 300-horsepower V-8 found in the performance-oriented GS430 and the high-end LS430 sedan, which is the only Lexus more expensive than the SC430. The brawny engine whips the little SC to 60 mph in less than six seconds, according to Lexus’ figures. The small V-8 is a bit light on torque at lower RPMs but pulls like a husky as the revs climb.
Still, SC430 has a laid-back attitude. It’s a car that inspires sunset drives on quiet roads rather than race-track shenanigans. The only transmission is a smooth five-speed automatic that does not include a manual-shift feature, as do many other sporty cars.
The interior is quite lush, with its high-end features, thickly padded seats, bird’s-eye wood trim and fabulous stereo. A pair of superfluous but attractive wood covers close over the stereo controls and GPS navigation screen.
At its base price, the SC400 comes loaded with luxury, performance and technological features, including a nine-speaker Mark Levinson stereo-CD that adjusts its volume when the top is lowered or raised; a tire monitoring system that warns you if a tire is low on air (but it doesn’t say which); an electronic braking system that varies for each wheel depending on traction; Vehicle Skid Control, traction control, anti-lock brakes and brake assist, all of which help drivers stay on course, start smoothly and stop quickly; and side glass that repels water in a rainstorm (not that we’ve seen many of those lately).
A big plus that draws people to the SC430 is the reputation for quality and reliability that Lexus shares with Toyota. The SC feels carefully constructed, solid as a vault.
To rank the SC430 among the roadster clan: The engine power may be right up there, but all-round performance pales in relation to some of the fine driving machines in this class, including Mercedes SLK320, Porsche Boxster S, Honda S2000, BMW M3, and, of course, Chevrolet Corvette.
SC430 is really more akin to the retro Ford Thunderbird or even Jaguar XK-8, all attractive luxury cruisers built for styling and profiling. And those twilight cruises.
