Lexus SC 430 rakish sportser works as a coupe or convertible
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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JULIAN, Calif. -- Toss it to the left, then to the right, then left again around tight kinks of the Sunrise Highway -- which traces the spine of California's Vallecito Mountains east of San Diego -- and the stunning new drop-top sports car from Lexus of Japan hunkers hard through each successive curve.
Its squatty stance sets up a flat-footed posture in the manner of a classic sports car with all of the right components aboard: A stiff chassis with elongated wheelbase, short overhangs in front and back, good weight distribution with the engine up front and all torque applied to the back wheels, independent suspension at all corners plus fast rack and pinion steering.
And there's a big engine aboard.
The aluminum quad-cam V8 displaces 4.3 liters and produces 300 hp at 5600 rpm and as much as 325 lb.-ft. of torque at 3400 rpm. That's good enough to propel the machine from zero to 60 mph in less than six seconds and on to the quarter-mile post in 14.4 seconds. Top speed, if you dare, hits 156 mph.
Dubbed the SC 430, this new sportster sheds all aspects of the Lexus SC 400 coupe that it replaces and instead presents a fresh design that works as either a watertight hardtop coupe or breezy convertible.
With its top raised, the coupe reveals an arching profile that looks energetic up front but retro in the rear with its roly-poly rump vaguely resembling some vintage car like Porsche's 356 Speedster.
With its hardtop dropped, the convertible version appears fluid and fast like a modern racy roadster.
It's a daring design influenced by the elongated wheelbase, squatty stance and sensuous skin stretched tightly around exaggerated wheelwells. It's also a dramatic, head-turning statement that seems quite different from the quiet styling of a Lexus sedan.
The prow glimmers with chrome from the unusual shapes of headlamps and a trapezoidal grille stacked above the body-colored air dam. Two hard lines in the sloping hood cut into inboard corners of headlamps to thrust the grille forward as well as define sharp shoulders that flare over front wheelwells.
Fluid lines of the low hood follow the keen rake of windshield pillars across an arched roof to thin curls of back pillars that jab into the bubble form of a rear deck.
The roof, fashioned from lightweight aluminum in two panels, has a fixed glass window in back. Panels hinge together and fold into the trunk through mechanical means governed by a toggle switch on the console. With the top tucked below deck, the car converts to that roadster format and shows a tall beltline.
With the big V8 translating 300 hp to rear wheels in classic arrangement, the SC 430 captures the essence of an aggressive two-seat roadster. However, it also raises the roadster image to a new level because Lexus lined it with high-tech hardware for safety and performance, as well as elaborate electronic displays and lavish (even for Lexus) appointments.
Slip inside and you'll sit on a leather-clad bucket in an elegant cockpit streaked with glossy hardwoods.
Two front bucket seats flank a console housing the shift gate of an automatic transmission and a storage bin with the lid fashioned as a padded armrest. In back, form-fitting indentions in a bench-style seat add two spaces with integrated headrests and three-point safety belts for occasional riders.
Driver faces a steering wheel with telescoping and tilting adjustments plus toggles to access the cruise control system. Ahead in the instrument panel are three chrome-ringed binnacles containing round analog gauges that display sharp white-on-black graphics and vivid red needles.
Controls for windows and door locks mount on the driver's armrest of the door to the left. To the right over the center console, modules house the audio and climate systems, plus a video screen for an available navigation system. The automatic climate system has a separate LED display indicating temperature readouts and air flow, with independent controls for both left and right sides of the cabin. This intelligent system includes temperature sensors sprinkled through the cabin and special vents that deploy when the roof is removed to automatically compensate for a hot sun cooking the cockpit.
The standard audio package comes from the Mark Levinson company, which designs top-quality systems. A 240-watt amplifier combines with nine speakers, a cassette deck and six-disc CD changer mounted in the dash. Amazingly, it maintains rich audio resolution even when you're flying down a freeway with the top down.
Spend time in the SC 430 -- as we did with a day of driving that included curvy mountain courses, flat and fast stretches through the desert, and an easy cruise along the Pacific Coast through beach communities near San Diego -- and you too will realize that the vehicle will reveal multiple personalities and effect different attitudes.
With its lid raised and soothing music drifting around the leather-lined cockpit, the SC 430 epitomizes the insulated Lexus mode of refined motoring supported by electronic wizardry and effortless controls.
With the top concealed in the trunk and warm sunshine filling the cabin, you can put the pedal to the floor and zip up to illicit speed. Despite the fancy appointments, the car has aggressive traits that only become apparent when you push it through a wiggly route or run flat out on straights.
All muscle channels through an automatic five-speed transmission with three programmable shift modes (normal, sport and winter). With its C-shaped shifter gate, the driver can fling the stick through all forward gears for selective control that approximates a manual.
This car also has an impressive array of electronic controls to keep the wheels tracking in a straight line. Anti-lock brakes connect to traction and vehicle control systems that check tire slippage both ahead and laterally.
The 18-inch alloy wheels are the largest ever produced by Lexus, and they mate with low-profile Dunlop performance tires fitted to a tire pressure warning system.
As an ultimate personal luxury car, Lexus constructs only a single version of the SC 430. It's priced at $58,900 but loaded with special gear.
The optional equipment is limited three sophisticated items. A navigation system for $2,000 triangulates by satellites and coordinates with a DVD-powered database to plot the car's earthly position and display it on a dash-mounted video screen. A narrow spoiler for $440 mounted on the tail pares the vehicle's already slick aerodynamic rating. And run-flat tires at $400 eliminate the need for a spare tire while also boosting trunk space.
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| 2002 LEXUS SC430 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Luxury coupe/convertible
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| Model Options: |
Luxury coupe/convertible
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| Wheelbase: |
103.1 inches
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| Overall Length: |
177.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.3-liter V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/5
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| Drive: |
Rear
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/EBD/
BA/TRAC/VSC
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
18/23 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 58,900 to $ 61,840 |
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