Lexus SC News & Information

Included as part of Motor Trend‘s Lexus GS-F rumor coverage was this Holiday Auto Magazine rendering of a possible look for the next generation SC:

This sketch manages borrows all the right elements from the existing lineup and puts together with some real potential, and the windshield-to-IS-F-air-vents is just brilliant, but I can’t imagine for one second that SC will be sporting the same grille as the current LS hybrid.

Motor Trend also elaborated on the rumor first spotted in Autocar:

The other star attraction in the upcoming Lexus lineup will be the next generation SC 600h, which is due to be unveiled in mid-2014. While the current SC is scheduled to go out of production in July of this year, the new SC coupe will resurface powered by a 5.0-liter V-8 hybrid system that drives the rear wheels. Set to lock horns with the Mercedes SL, the new luxury two-door is also expected to employ the GS’s rear-wheel torque split unit.

It’s a safe bet that the next-generation SC will be offered with the same engine options as the LS, which would naturally mean using the LS 600hL’s 5.0L hybrid system—still, I can’t believe that the next-generation SC won’t be available until 2014.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Autocar is reporting that the Lexus GS-F is on deck for 2013 and will be powered by the LFA’s V10:

Lexus engineers are working on reducing the engine’s capacity by around 200cc to 4.6 litres and power to 450bhp. The idea is to improve low-range torque, although even with the reduced power output the GS-F will become the most powerful road-going Japanese saloon ever built.

The GS-F will be fitted with Toyota’s first torque vectoring differential. Similar to the diff used on BMW’s M cars and the likes of the X6 SUV, the ‘torque split unit’ actively apportions drive between the rear wheels to aid handling. A similar system is also expected to be fitted to the new SC.

The GS F has been long rumored, and at the Detroit Auto Show, even Lexus representatives were whispering about the possibility. The timeframe seems reasonable, and it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that Toyota was working on torque vectoring technology.

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Also mentioned in the article is the next-generation SC:

The new SC will be unveiled in mid-2014, although the current car is due to finish production this July, leaving a four-year gap between the two cars. However, the next model will be a hybrid, powered by a 5.0-litre V8 and an electric motor driving the rear wheels only.

Can’t see the SC going on a four-year hiatus, even if it’s dependant on GS-F technology. That would be a long time for Lexus to go without a true sports coupe.

[Source: Autocar]

With the Lexus SC 430 in its final months of production, our attention turns to what happens next—and Top Speed is more than happy to oblige with this rendering of the next-generation SC put together by photochopper Avarvarii:

This rendering hits a lot of the right notes—the next generation SC has a lot of potential depending on how much of the LFA’s design it borrows—and I especially like the LFA front-end with a more traditional grille. The rendering gets a little dull in the side profile and the rear, but the size is right if the 3SC is moved up to truly compete with the Mercedes SL & BMW 6-Series.

(I’m also hoping for a fixed-roof coupe along with a convertible, rather than one or the other.)

[Source: Top Speed]

Here’s a fantastic article on Automobiles De Luxe praising the Lexus SC 430 and its “clean beauty”—author Gunnar Heinrich manages to capture the very thing that made the sports convertible special, no matter what its critics may say.

Read this story

Lexus has announced that the SC 430 will cease production in July, ending the nine-year run of the second generation sports coupe.

To mark the occasion, Lexus Japan will be offering a special, limited edition dubbed The Eternal Jewel, which will bring an extreme level of customization to both the interior & exterior color choices, including separate colors for the body and the roof:

There’s even more variety in the interior color choices:

Of course, The Eternal Jewel is also marked with some special badging:

The Eternal Jewel will limited to 200 units and will only be available to Japanese customers. You can find more information on Lexus Japan website.

Naturally, the question becomes: What happens next with Lexus’ sport coupe? We can definitely expect a hiatus for the model, similar to what happened in 2001 with the transition from the first-gen SC to the current SC. Rumor suggests that we might see a concept in 2011 and a production model in late 2011/early 2012.

This is strictly conjuncture, but it’s likely the delay has to do with not taking any attention away from the LFA as it builds momentum towards the first production units in early 2011—but once those units start hitting the roads, it will be a natural marketing opportunity to bring out a (relatively) affordable sports coupe that can capitalize on some of the technology and design cues from the LFA.

[Source: Lexus Japan (Translated)]

With the release of the 2010 Lexus SC 430, we’ve likely seen the end of the second generation Sports Coupe—so what’s next? Could it look something like this?

Found in a thread on Club Lexus, this unsourced Photochop shows the potential of the third-generation SC. Sure, there’s some awkward creases in the hood & side profile, and the overall look strays too close to Jaguar, but the rendering’s front-end is a very successful merging of the first & second generation SC designs. I also like the larger size and the LF-A-inspired front lights.

I’m not usually impressed by photochops, but this has all the right elements. Lexus could do worse than follow some of this rendering’s design cues.

[Source: Club Lexus]