Lexus SC: 2nd Generation News & Information

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]

The second generation Lexus SC 430 will live for another year—Lexus USA has confirmed that the convertible coupe will be produced for a ninth year with some minor changes:

• New 18-Inch Six-Spoke Wheels (shown above)
• iPod/USB Connectivity
• 6th Generation HDD-based navigation with Voice Control, Lexus Enform and Bluetooth connectivity
• New side mirrors with integrated puddle lamps
• The Mark Levinson Premium Audio System is now standard
• A new color, Costa Azul Mica (shown above), will replace Tigereye Mica

After a nine year production run, it’s more about what comes next, but the 2G SC has aged well—I still love the interior:

(Also, for the final year, the price gets bumped to $67,505, an increase of $700.)

Update: The 2010 SC 430 will not be equipped with the new Lexus Enform system.

[Source: Lexus]

Toyota has responded to an Edmunds article that suggested the Lexus SC will be discontinued:

Mike Michels, the corporate manager of External Communications for Toyota Motor Sales USA, has told AutomotiveWorld.com that reports by a US-based automotive website which claim the Lexus SC and Toyota Avalon will not be replaced due to slow sales are “unfounded speculation”.

“We [TMS] do not comment on future product plans or timetables, for obvious competitive reasons,” Michels states, stating that Inside Line did not contact the OEM’s US division’s media department before publishing its story.

Not really a denial, not really a confirmation, which makes me feel the news may be true. If that’s the case, I doubt the company is very happy to have someone leaking out business details.

[Source: Automotive World]