Conventional wisdom states that if you run down the street naked, you're gonna get noticed. But ever since the advent of "Girls Gone Wild — Spring Break Edition," ($19.99 plus tax, S&H), no one notices if you're naked anymore. Unless, of course, you're topless — in the 2002 Lexus SC 430. Everyone will pay attention. You'll feel like a superstar.
Especially if you find yourself cruising down the Strip at midnight during an impromptu trip to Las Vegas one hot July night. Inching, actually, is a more accurate word, as traffic comes to a standstill, while anyone who's anybody drives or is driven to the entrance of the casino. The trick is to relax and enjoy the spectacle of the throngs of suckers — er, humanity — who will willingly part with their hard-earned money (keep on believing that the jackpot belongs to you) so that there can be facsimiles of great cities of the world right there in the middle of the Mojave Desert. There we were, surrounded by Porsches and Mercedes, but the SC 430 was all anyone noticed; gawkers were leaning out their car windows asking questions; pedestrians were stopping and staring; one fearless huckster even stepped up and brazenly asked for a ride.
We didn't comply. But we did defer to the wishes of everyone who wanted to see the top operation; after two cycles of whizzing the convertible top up and down, the light on Tropicana Drive finally turned green, and we were on our way to Paris — where we got just as much attention from the valets.
It was a common reaction. At every restaurant we patronized, our car was situated at the front of the parking lot. In automobile-crazy Los Angeles, where $100,000-plus vehicles barely raise an eyebrow, this is a singular honor. That, and dating Carson Daly.
This is, of course, totally unexpected for a Lexus. Just try to get the attention of the hottie sitting in traffic next to you while driving your ES 300. A radical departure for the normally staid manufacturer, the SC 430 has been dubbed the "jewel of Lexus," and has been penned to appeal to your emotional right-brain side. Designers drew inspiration by lolling about France's Cote d'Azur, studying the architecture, familiarizing themselves with the lifestyle and mingling with overtanned Eurotrash types with names like "Coco."
Judging by the reaction we got from various members of our staff, the SC 430's appearance certainly drew polemical responses, ranging from "awesome" to "ugly as sin," but we all agreed that this is a car that belongs in the pantheon of head-turners. A vehicle over which Robin Leach can ululate.
This is Lexus' first attempt at building a convertible. The 1992-2000 SC 300/400, built on a Toyota Supra platform, had its admirers, although they decreased alarmingly over the years as the platform aged and younger, better luxury coupes sprang up. Lexus wants to shed its image as a stodgy, sensible luxury brand and build cars that those possessing the wherewithal desire, rather than settle for. To that end, it has altered its slogan from "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" to "The Passionate Pursuit of Perfection." The SC 430, which shares its underpinnings with the GS 430 sport sedan, yet was designed from the beginning as a convertible, is a giant leap in that direction.
Sometimes, however, in reaching a goal, not all of the parts quite make it. No car company gets a car perfectly correct its first year out of the box, and the SC 430 is no exception. Although when viewed holistically, the Lexus is an utterly delectable vehicle, some aspects still caused us to scratch our heads in bafflement.
Take the completely useless rear seat, for example. No sane person would put anyone he cared about in that little well. Even my 45-pound seven-year old nephew complained that "it's too small back here." For the purposes of edification, we took a ride around the block in the back seat. Torturous. Not only did the wind whip our coiffed mop into a rat's nest, the rear seatback was too upright, and ingress/egress through the tiny opening required the finesse of a Cirque Du Soleil performer. At least we never forgot that we were riding in a Lexus; chrome Lexus emblems are mounted on the rear of the front headrests.
Even without passengers, an annoyance crept up; the middle seatbelt flapped about in the wind, even with the snap tabs holding it in place. Maybe it was intentional; we pretended that it was the sail of a 42-foot yacht, luffing in the sea breeze. The rear seat, then, is useful only for extra stowage, but don't throw your water bottle back there, because it'll fall into the footwell, and you won't be able to squeeze your hand between the seatback and the seat to reach it.
You'll need the extra space. Our test model was equipped with the run-flat tires. We're told that most consumers choose the run-flat option, if not for the peace of mind, then to have at least a bit of trunk space. Equipped with a conventional spare tire, the SC 430's trunk allows 8.8 cubic feet of space, whereas an empty trunk allows for 9.4 cubic feet. Keep in mind that this is with the top up; in topless form, don't count on taking a carry-on much larger than a Ziploc bag full of toiletries.
Ah, the tires. The SC is shod in super low-profile Bridgestone Potenza RE040 245/40ZR18s; its massive 18-inch wheels, the first for any Lexus, fill up the bulging wheelwells with Brando-like presence. Don't worry about not being able to detect a leak from these fat babies, though; the SC is equipped with a tire pressure monitor system. The rim of the handsome aluminum alloy wheels are flush with the sidewalls, however, so mind that curb — those suckers are easy to scrape and expensive to replace.
While the Z-rated rubber clings to the tarmac like an insecure girlfriend, the relative lack of air detracted from a Lexus-like, frictionless ride. Every bump produced a heart-stopping thwack, and if your commute takes you over railroad tracks, be sure to carry an extra tube of Fixodent. On tight, curvy roads, the tires made their displeasure known, but we didn't let these remonstrations stop us from enjoying the handling aspects of the vehicle.
The SC 430 rides on a double-wishbone suspension front and rear, which allowed this heavy vehicle to thread the cones of our 600-foot slalom in 6.5 seconds at 62.9 mph. At 3,840 pounds, it outweighs the GS 430 by 133 pounds and is only 115 lighter than the full-size LS 430. While Lexus touts the convertible's stiff structure, our team noted that the chassis could use a little more reinforcement, as we detected amounts of cowl shake that revealed rattles and squeaks in the cabin, even with the top down. The suspension also crashed over zits in the road, seemingly getting into its bumpstops, but again, this was exacerbated by the stiff tires. While too much vibration transmits itself to the driver through the steering wheel, the steering itself is direct and linear. The rack could be tuned to catch a hair faster to take full advantage of this rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
As with many Japanese luxo-vehicles, the powerplant doesn't feel up to its promises, perhaps as testament to its smoothness and refinement. Our impressions were substantiated at the track: The 4.3-liter VVT-i V8 engine, with an output of 300 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 revs, wasn't good for the 5.9-second 0-to-60-mph sprint as promised by Lexus, nor does its quarter-mile run of 15.1 seconds at 95 mph match up to the numbers of the GS 430 or the LS 430. It is ULEV-certified, and its 20-mpg average was impressive, given its size. The convertible's 0-to-60-mph 6.7-second run should be enough for most thrillseekers, and the exhaust note, routed through the twin pipes in the rear, emits a pleasing, decidedly deep-throated rumble. Very unlike a Lexus.
The five-speed automatic transmission lacks the seamless shift quality displayed in the LS 430; it behaved like the one in the GS 430, hesitating slightly before providing a downshift. It always landed in the right gear, mind you, it just preferred thinking about it first rather than intuitively doing it. On the other hand, switching to the power mode of the ECT (Electronically Controlled Transmission) button actually seems to make a difference, as the transmission holds revs longer in each gear for the enjoyment of spirited drivers and takes into account uphill and downhill conditions. Lexus doesn't attach an automanual tranny to its 4.3-liter powerplants, but we feel that it would be advantageous on this car.
Brakes are the glory of every Toyota/Lexus vehicle. The four-wheel discs, ventilated up front, were linear and true, stopping the car from 60 mph in a short 121 feet. A plethora of systems, such as ABS, helped along by Brake Assist (BA) that aids in activating it and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) that senses vehicle load and adjusts stopping force proportionately, added up to a perfect system that was predictable and confidence-inspiring at every stop.
We can safely surmise, however, that the average buyer of the SC 430 won't be longing to take hotlaps in it at the local racetrack. No, this Lexus is more about showing you and others the technical voodoo available for the cash. And there are few spectacles that draw as much attention as a retractable hardtop.
The top. Of course. With a press of a button, the aluminum-alloy roof rises from its dormant state to provide shelter from the vagaries of the environment, courtesy of no fewer than eight motors who stand at attention, waiting for your beck and call. It is truly a marvel, a waltz of levers and axes gliding toward their goal. Once closed, it seals tight, even though the windows are not of the foop! variety. The top could benefit from a one-touch button, though, liberating you to do other things around the cabin for those 25 seconds.
But who'd want to drive with the top up? No, this car was meant for driving on warm summer nights, to escape the tomb-like enclosure of a normal car and take notice, if forcefully, of the environment. As we left behind the garish lights of Sin City and sliced into the unbroken darkness of the desert, we saw constellations that rarely make an appearance in the filmy air of Los Angeles. We smelled the rest stops in need of a more vigilant cleaning crew. We heard — well, we heard music, gloriously rendered music from the nine speakers of the Mark Levinson system, uninterrupted for hours thanks to the SC's in-dash six-disc changer. Read our review.
Not that the occupants of the car are unduly subjected to the harsh outdoors. The Intuitive Climate Control system takes into account the angle of the sun and the speed of the vehicle to provide extra cool or warm air to the lap area when the top is down. And once the top is up, the air through the vents is filtered. The driver and passenger are cosseted from the wind thanks to the wraparound windshield, low seating positions and rear wind deflector. The high cowl, combined with necessarily thick A-pillars, creates somewhat of an obstructed view, but we're happy to report that rearward visibility with the top up is superior to that of any convertible we've driven.
The climate controls, and indeed all the controls of the center stack, are reasonably laid out and easy to use. Our test car was equipped with the supple ecru nappa leather covering the seats, door panel inserts and the console cover that reminded us how leather is supposed to look and feel. Keep in mind, however, that as with any light-colored interior, it tends to get dingy if you don't properly maintain it. And the acre of trees sacrificed for the interior is shown in the Bird's Eye Maple that graces the dash, the dual-tiered center console and the clever pop-out doors and lends an overall cohesiveness to the interior. The stereo is encased in a tactilely pleasing brushed metal face. The handsome wood and leather steering wheel tilts, telescopes and is equipped with stereo controls. While we couldn't visually detect any fault with the fit and finish, the aforementioned rattles and squeaks detracted from a serene experience that is usually the hallmark of Lexus cars.
The seats are heavily bolstered to hold you in place. While most drivers were able to find a comfortable position with the driver seat's 10-way power adjustment and articulating headrests, others complained that long stints behind the wheel produced a dull backache, even with the lumbar adjustment. We know of an owner who complained that a sciatic nerve was aggravated because of the driver seat. The heating feature allows for top-down driving in chilly weather.
Our test vehicle was equipped with the DVD-based navigation system, a feature that Lexus has down pat; not only does it compute at super speeds, its touchscreen interface is user-friendly, and its large 7-inch screen and tilt feature that adjusts so the screen's protected from the glare of the sun make it one of the best systems in all of navigation-land. Also notable is a calendar system into which you can program Poochie's birthday.
The SC is replete with such details as a doorsill plate that glows with the brand logo when the door is open. The night is illuminated by xenon headlamps; press the headlamp washer button (only with the top up) if they get dirty. Side mirrors have a reverse-tilt feature, and they are electrochromic and heated. Safety systems include traction control (TRAC) and a stability control system (VSC) that corrects understeer and oversteer. The SC is equipped with dual front airbags but where are the automatically deploying roll hoops on this premium-brand vehicle?
We're still trying to convince our bosses that conducting a super luxury convertible comparison test with the CLK 430, Jaguar XK8 and the soon-to-be-released SL500 is absolutely necessary. For now, though, in terms of sheer head-turning thrills, the Lexus SC 430 has them all beat, and we're still experiencing withdrawal symptoms of not being stared at when we drive down the road.
Especially if you find yourself cruising down the Strip at midnight during an impromptu trip to Las Vegas one hot July night. Inching, actually, is a more accurate word, as traffic comes to a standstill, while anyone who's anybody drives or is driven to the entrance of the casino. The trick is to relax and enjoy the spectacle of the throngs of suckers — er, humanity — who will willingly part with their hard-earned money (keep on believing that the jackpot belongs to you) so that there can be facsimiles of great cities of the world right there in the middle of the Mojave Desert. There we were, surrounded by Porsches and Mercedes, but the SC 430 was all anyone noticed; gawkers were leaning out their car windows asking questions; pedestrians were stopping and staring; one fearless huckster even stepped up and brazenly asked for a ride.
We didn't comply. But we did defer to the wishes of everyone who wanted to see the top operation; after two cycles of whizzing the convertible top up and down, the light on Tropicana Drive finally turned green, and we were on our way to Paris — where we got just as much attention from the valets.
It was a common reaction. At every restaurant we patronized, our car was situated at the front of the parking lot. In automobile-crazy Los Angeles, where $100,000-plus vehicles barely raise an eyebrow, this is a singular honor. That, and dating Carson Daly.
This is, of course, totally unexpected for a Lexus. Just try to get the attention of the hottie sitting in traffic next to you while driving your ES 300. A radical departure for the normally staid manufacturer, the SC 430 has been dubbed the "jewel of Lexus," and has been penned to appeal to your emotional right-brain side. Designers drew inspiration by lolling about France's Cote d'Azur, studying the architecture, familiarizing themselves with the lifestyle and mingling with overtanned Eurotrash types with names like "Coco."
Judging by the reaction we got from various members of our staff, the SC 430's appearance certainly drew polemical responses, ranging from "awesome" to "ugly as sin," but we all agreed that this is a car that belongs in the pantheon of head-turners. A vehicle over which Robin Leach can ululate.
This is Lexus' first attempt at building a convertible. The 1992-2000 SC 300/400, built on a Toyota Supra platform, had its admirers, although they decreased alarmingly over the years as the platform aged and younger, better luxury coupes sprang up. Lexus wants to shed its image as a stodgy, sensible luxury brand and build cars that those possessing the wherewithal desire, rather than settle for. To that end, it has altered its slogan from "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" to "The Passionate Pursuit of Perfection." The SC 430, which shares its underpinnings with the GS 430 sport sedan, yet was designed from the beginning as a convertible, is a giant leap in that direction.
Sometimes, however, in reaching a goal, not all of the parts quite make it. No car company gets a car perfectly correct its first year out of the box, and the SC 430 is no exception. Although when viewed holistically, the Lexus is an utterly delectable vehicle, some aspects still caused us to scratch our heads in bafflement.
Take the completely useless rear seat, for example. No sane person would put anyone he cared about in that little well. Even my 45-pound seven-year old nephew complained that "it's too small back here." For the purposes of edification, we took a ride around the block in the back seat. Torturous. Not only did the wind whip our coiffed mop into a rat's nest, the rear seatback was too upright, and ingress/egress through the tiny opening required the finesse of a Cirque Du Soleil performer. At least we never forgot that we were riding in a Lexus; chrome Lexus emblems are mounted on the rear of the front headrests.
Even without passengers, an annoyance crept up; the middle seatbelt flapped about in the wind, even with the snap tabs holding it in place. Maybe it was intentional; we pretended that it was the sail of a 42-foot yacht, luffing in the sea breeze. The rear seat, then, is useful only for extra stowage, but don't throw your water bottle back there, because it'll fall into the footwell, and you won't be able to squeeze your hand between the seatback and the seat to reach it.
You'll need the extra space. Our test model was equipped with the run-flat tires. We're told that most consumers choose the run-flat option, if not for the peace of mind, then to have at least a bit of trunk space. Equipped with a conventional spare tire, the SC 430's trunk allows 8.8 cubic feet of space, whereas an empty trunk allows for 9.4 cubic feet. Keep in mind that this is with the top up; in topless form, don't count on taking a carry-on much larger than a Ziploc bag full of toiletries.
Ah, the tires. The SC is shod in super low-profile Bridgestone Potenza RE040 245/40ZR18s; its massive 18-inch wheels, the first for any Lexus, fill up the bulging wheelwells with Brando-like presence. Don't worry about not being able to detect a leak from these fat babies, though; the SC is equipped with a tire pressure monitor system. The rim of the handsome aluminum alloy wheels are flush with the sidewalls, however, so mind that curb — those suckers are easy to scrape and expensive to replace.
While the Z-rated rubber clings to the tarmac like an insecure girlfriend, the relative lack of air detracted from a Lexus-like, frictionless ride. Every bump produced a heart-stopping thwack, and if your commute takes you over railroad tracks, be sure to carry an extra tube of Fixodent. On tight, curvy roads, the tires made their displeasure known, but we didn't let these remonstrations stop us from enjoying the handling aspects of the vehicle.
The SC 430 rides on a double-wishbone suspension front and rear, which allowed this heavy vehicle to thread the cones of our 600-foot slalom in 6.5 seconds at 62.9 mph. At 3,840 pounds, it outweighs the GS 430 by 133 pounds and is only 115 lighter than the full-size LS 430. While Lexus touts the convertible's stiff structure, our team noted that the chassis could use a little more reinforcement, as we detected amounts of cowl shake that revealed rattles and squeaks in the cabin, even with the top down. The suspension also crashed over zits in the road, seemingly getting into its bumpstops, but again, this was exacerbated by the stiff tires. While too much vibration transmits itself to the driver through the steering wheel, the steering itself is direct and linear. The rack could be tuned to catch a hair faster to take full advantage of this rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
As with many Japanese luxo-vehicles, the powerplant doesn't feel up to its promises, perhaps as testament to its smoothness and refinement. Our impressions were substantiated at the track: The 4.3-liter VVT-i V8 engine, with an output of 300 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 revs, wasn't good for the 5.9-second 0-to-60-mph sprint as promised by Lexus, nor does its quarter-mile run of 15.1 seconds at 95 mph match up to the numbers of the GS 430 or the LS 430. It is ULEV-certified, and its 20-mpg average was impressive, given its size. The convertible's 0-to-60-mph 6.7-second run should be enough for most thrillseekers, and the exhaust note, routed through the twin pipes in the rear, emits a pleasing, decidedly deep-throated rumble. Very unlike a Lexus.
The five-speed automatic transmission lacks the seamless shift quality displayed in the LS 430; it behaved like the one in the GS 430, hesitating slightly before providing a downshift. It always landed in the right gear, mind you, it just preferred thinking about it first rather than intuitively doing it. On the other hand, switching to the power mode of the ECT (Electronically Controlled Transmission) button actually seems to make a difference, as the transmission holds revs longer in each gear for the enjoyment of spirited drivers and takes into account uphill and downhill conditions. Lexus doesn't attach an automanual tranny to its 4.3-liter powerplants, but we feel that it would be advantageous on this car.
Brakes are the glory of every Toyota/Lexus vehicle. The four-wheel discs, ventilated up front, were linear and true, stopping the car from 60 mph in a short 121 feet. A plethora of systems, such as ABS, helped along by Brake Assist (BA) that aids in activating it and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) that senses vehicle load and adjusts stopping force proportionately, added up to a perfect system that was predictable and confidence-inspiring at every stop.
We can safely surmise, however, that the average buyer of the SC 430 won't be longing to take hotlaps in it at the local racetrack. No, this Lexus is more about showing you and others the technical voodoo available for the cash. And there are few spectacles that draw as much attention as a retractable hardtop.
The top. Of course. With a press of a button, the aluminum-alloy roof rises from its dormant state to provide shelter from the vagaries of the environment, courtesy of no fewer than eight motors who stand at attention, waiting for your beck and call. It is truly a marvel, a waltz of levers and axes gliding toward their goal. Once closed, it seals tight, even though the windows are not of the foop! variety. The top could benefit from a one-touch button, though, liberating you to do other things around the cabin for those 25 seconds.
But who'd want to drive with the top up? No, this car was meant for driving on warm summer nights, to escape the tomb-like enclosure of a normal car and take notice, if forcefully, of the environment. As we left behind the garish lights of Sin City and sliced into the unbroken darkness of the desert, we saw constellations that rarely make an appearance in the filmy air of Los Angeles. We smelled the rest stops in need of a more vigilant cleaning crew. We heard — well, we heard music, gloriously rendered music from the nine speakers of the Mark Levinson system, uninterrupted for hours thanks to the SC's in-dash six-disc changer. Read our review.
Not that the occupants of the car are unduly subjected to the harsh outdoors. The Intuitive Climate Control system takes into account the angle of the sun and the speed of the vehicle to provide extra cool or warm air to the lap area when the top is down. And once the top is up, the air through the vents is filtered. The driver and passenger are cosseted from the wind thanks to the wraparound windshield, low seating positions and rear wind deflector. The high cowl, combined with necessarily thick A-pillars, creates somewhat of an obstructed view, but we're happy to report that rearward visibility with the top up is superior to that of any convertible we've driven.
The climate controls, and indeed all the controls of the center stack, are reasonably laid out and easy to use. Our test car was equipped with the supple ecru nappa leather covering the seats, door panel inserts and the console cover that reminded us how leather is supposed to look and feel. Keep in mind, however, that as with any light-colored interior, it tends to get dingy if you don't properly maintain it. And the acre of trees sacrificed for the interior is shown in the Bird's Eye Maple that graces the dash, the dual-tiered center console and the clever pop-out doors and lends an overall cohesiveness to the interior. The stereo is encased in a tactilely pleasing brushed metal face. The handsome wood and leather steering wheel tilts, telescopes and is equipped with stereo controls. While we couldn't visually detect any fault with the fit and finish, the aforementioned rattles and squeaks detracted from a serene experience that is usually the hallmark of Lexus cars.
The seats are heavily bolstered to hold you in place. While most drivers were able to find a comfortable position with the driver seat's 10-way power adjustment and articulating headrests, others complained that long stints behind the wheel produced a dull backache, even with the lumbar adjustment. We know of an owner who complained that a sciatic nerve was aggravated because of the driver seat. The heating feature allows for top-down driving in chilly weather.
Our test vehicle was equipped with the DVD-based navigation system, a feature that Lexus has down pat; not only does it compute at super speeds, its touchscreen interface is user-friendly, and its large 7-inch screen and tilt feature that adjusts so the screen's protected from the glare of the sun make it one of the best systems in all of navigation-land. Also notable is a calendar system into which you can program Poochie's birthday.
The SC is replete with such details as a doorsill plate that glows with the brand logo when the door is open. The night is illuminated by xenon headlamps; press the headlamp washer button (only with the top up) if they get dirty. Side mirrors have a reverse-tilt feature, and they are electrochromic and heated. Safety systems include traction control (TRAC) and a stability control system (VSC) that corrects understeer and oversteer. The SC is equipped with dual front airbags but where are the automatically deploying roll hoops on this premium-brand vehicle?
We're still trying to convince our bosses that conducting a super luxury convertible comparison test with the CLK 430, Jaguar XK8 and the soon-to-be-released SL500 is absolutely necessary. For now, though, in terms of sheer head-turning thrills, the Lexus SC 430 has them all beat, and we're still experiencing withdrawal symptoms of not being stared at when we drive down the road.
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