All rights reserved. This engine was the same model as that found in the UCF30 Lexus LS. [23] The resulting convertible of 1998 received character lines similar to the region's yachts, in contrast with traditional waveform lines. [25], The SC 430 featured a retractable aluminium hardtop, all-leather interior with brushed-aluminum accents, navigation screen with folding wood panel, and 18-inch aluminium wheels. Tommy Parry has been racing and writing about racing cars for the past seven years. [25] The convertible received a ULEV emissions certification rating. [2] Even with the SC's long production cycle, only minor exterior changes were made. [25] The development team was led by chief engineer Yasushi Nakagawa from 1996 to 2000. The vehicle's exterior and interior styling was created by the Calty Design Research center in Newport Beach, California, which previously developed the exterior styling of the first-generation Lexus SC coupe. [38], Production of the second-generation SC ended in July 2010 after nine years of production, but Lexus was still using them in the Super GT until the 2013 season ended.[39]. Designated LF-LC for Lexus Future-Luxury Coupe, the concept two-door vehicle premiered in January 2012 at the North American International Auto Show. That snail spits its pressurized air through a Hypertune intake manifold and a Bosch throttle body. Sales of the automatic transmission SC 300 and SC 400 models formed the vast majority of models purchased. [25], At its launch, the SC 430 was marketed as the "jewel of Lexus", and as the marque's first convertible, was intended as a more ostentatious addition to the Lexus lineup. A coupe would complement the successful Lexus flagship model, the V8-powered, rear-wheel drive LS 400 sedan. Video: Drifty E92 M3 Hounds McLaren 720S At Auto Club, The Perfect Two-Post Lift For Garages With “Low” Ceiling, Strapping Your Race Car Or Hot Rod To A Trailer Just Got, Get The PerTronix Wiring Products You Need In Your, IDIDIT Performance’s New Steering Hubs Offer Easy Wheel, Kirk Myhre: Stellar Helmet Painting For The Budget-Minded, Lingenfelter-Powered Z06 Dominates With Eliminator, Joe McGuigan’s Oversteering Scion FR-S Blends Speed and, The Spec Miata Master: Multi-Time National Champion — Jim, Road Racing Renaissance: Three Oval-Trackers Choose Lefts AND, We Join Ford v Ferrari Movie Crew, Stunt Drivers At Daytona Rolex, Mike Trenkle’s Wide-Body Mustang: A Fox-Body Pushed To, High-Performance Racing Fasteners: How ARP Fasteners Are, Coach’s Corner: Wheel-To-Wheel Racing — When To Make The, Great Racing Documentaries To Binge Watch During, SEMA 2019: Taylor Vertex Offers New Ignition, Re-introducing The Yokohama ADVAN A052 Extreme Performance, SEMA 2019: Titan Fuel Tanks For Long-Haul Race Car Tow, PRI 2019: FIC’s New 1440cc With USCAR Plug/Injector Size, PRI 2019: QA1 Mod Series Mustang Shock And Firmer Valve, PRI 2019: Sway-A-Way Porsche 930 28-Spline Street And Race, Compared to earlier footage full of oversteery moments, 1,200 horsepower for faster tracks like Twin Ring Motegi, https://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/, Video: Drifty E92 M3 Hounds McLaren 720S At Auto Club Speedway, The Perfect Two-Post Lift For Garages With “Low” Ceiling Height, Video: Nik Romano Blitzes Through The Pack In A SuperSpec Miata, OPTIMA Batteries Invites You to the Hi-Performance Expo at COTA, Camber: What Is It And How Can It Make You Faster, The Strength Difference Between Cast, Flow Formed and Forged Wheels, The Pros And Cons Of A Sequential Gearbox, A Contemporary Take On A Classic — The SOHC Coventry Climax Engine.

With the replacement of the five-speed unit those models also got a new differential with a final drive of 3.27 improving both fuel economy and top speed. The SC 430 features a hardtop convertible design and a V8 engine. 2 driver André Lotterer driving the Open Interface TOM's SC to victory at the opening round at Suzuka giving the SC 430 its first victory on its debut race. Actually, this motor has been detuned slightly for this particular run. [35] The SC 430 was sold in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia; unlike its predecessor, the SC 430 was officially imported to the British Isles;[36] the old SC 400 had been a popular personal grey import. These engines were coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission on both the SC 300 and SC 400 models. [6][9] The production design concept by Lui was approved at the beginning of 1989, resulting in Lui being sent back to Japan for 4 months to assist in completion of the production design. [2] The LC replaced the SC lineup in 2017. [48] Juichi Wakisaka and Andre Lotterer also won the GT500 class championship during the same year. [22] The car was scheduled to go on sale in the second quarter of the following year.

The SC 300 was equipped with a 3.0 L inline 6 2JZ-GE. By the end of the decade, North American SC sales began dwindling due to the lack of significant design updates since the car's introduction and marketplace changes that led to loss of interest in coupes. The SC was the sole coupé in the Lexus lineup until the arrival of the IS C.[1] According to Lexus, the SC designation stands for Sport Coupe. In 1996, the SC 400's 1UZ-FE engine design was upgraded to 260 hp (194 kW) from 250 hp (186 kW).