Lexus SC: 2nd Generation

Although it ends production this month, the Lexus SC 430 is the platform for a new Lexus-sponsored drifting program:

Built by A’PEXi USA & VIP Auto Salon and driven by Ryuji Miki, the Lexus SC430 Drift debuted last month at a Formula D event in Wall, NJ, and will be competing throughout this racing season. For the latest info, you can follow the team on Twitter or Facebook.

(If you have an Xbox 360 & Forza 3, you can also download this car.)

[Via: Club Lexus]

Missed this story last week, but Lexus took the top three spots in Round 3 of the 2010 Super GT series — from Road & Track:

The GT500 class winner was the pole-starting MJ Kraft SC430 driven by Hiroaki Ishiura and Kazuya Oshima, who never lost the lead throughout the race. Joining them on the podium were two other SC430s, meaning the top three placers went to the Lexus race car.

Finishing 2nd was last years’ champion, the PETRONAS TOM’S SC430, and in 3rd place was the ENEOS SC430. It was a perfect race result for the Toyota camp in front of an excited crowd of 53,100 spectators at their home track, Fuji Speedway.

Amazing accomplishment, congrats to all the teams!

[Source: Road & Track]

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]

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)]