Tattoo Gak Dadi: Lexus Sc430 Pebble Beach Edition 2004

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In Japan, the related third-generation Toyota Soarer, with which the first generation SC originally shared body design and multiple components, featured a separate line-up of vehicle configurations and different powertrains. The fourth generation Soarer sport coupe, largely identical to the SC 430, was superseded by its Lexus counterpart in Japan when the Lexus marque débuted there in 2005. The SC was the sole coupé in the Lexus lineup until the arrival of the IS C. According to Lexus, the SC designation stands for Sport Coupe.

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition (2004) - Rear Angle

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition (2004) - Rear Angle
In the early 1990s, following the début of Lexus, automotive press reports indicated a forthcoming mid-size Lexus coupé to compete with the luxury coupés of other marques like Mercedes-Benz SL, Acura Legend coupe and Infiniti M30 coupe. At that point, Toyota had no genuine luxury coupés in its model range. A coupe would complement the successful Lexus flagship model, the V8-powered, rear-wheel drive LS 400 sedan. The coupé was going to be targeted towards the American market, and the development effort for its exterior design was handed over to the Calty Design Research center in California.

2005 Pebble Beach Edition

The American Calty design team took a different approach to designing the car, using plaster molding shapes to design the body, and working three-dimensionally instead of the traditional 2-D sketch approach. As described by design chiefs Denis Campbell and Erwin Lui, the result was a car that was based on "emotion and feeling" rather than linear aesthetics. The resulting design possessed almost no straight edges, and produced a drag coefficient of Cd 0.31. According to automotive journalist Bill Russ, the SC design was considered influential among automotive designs of the time.

Club Lexus

The SC 400 débuted on June 1, 1991 in the United States as a 1992 model. The SC 400's 4.0 L V8 1UZ-FE, the same engine as used in the LS 400, was reported to have cost over US$400,000,000 in research and development. The SC 400 was honored as the Motor Trend Import Car of the Year for 1992. It also made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1992 through 1998.

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition (2004) - Side

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach

In July 1992, the SC 300, a smaller engined version of the SC 400, premiered in the United States. The SC 300 was equipped with a 3.0 L inline 6 2JZ-GE. Lexus' traction control system, TRAC, was offered as an option.

Lexus Sc Interior - Pebble

2009 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach
The first generation SC lasted in production until July 7, 2000, over nine years, quite long compared to the other cars of the 1990s. Even with the SC's long production cycle, only minor exterior changes were made. New tail lighting and a modified spoiler design was part of the mid-cycle vehicle refresh. A front grille was added in 1997, along with a redesigned front bumper, side skirts and rocker panels. The SC 400 produced 250 hp (186 kW)/260 lb·ft (353 N·m) from 1992–1995. The original 1991–1997 engines for the 2JZ-GE-powered SC 300 were rated at 225 hp (168 kW)/210 lb·ft (285 N·m). The output of the SC 300 was five horsepower more than the equivalent engine used in the Toyota Supra.

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach

In 1996, the SC 400's 1UZ-FE engine design was upgraded to 260 hp (194 kW) from 250 hp (186 kW). These engines were coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission on both the SC 300 and SC 400 models. A 5-speed manual transmission was only offered on the SC 300 from its debut until 1997. In 1997 (1998 model year), both the SC 300 and 400 were upgraded with VVT-i and thus the ratings were raised to 290 hp (216 kW)/300 lb·ft (407 N·m) of torque for the SC 400 and 225 hp (168 kW)/220 lb·ft (298 N·m) of torque for the SC 300. Tests conducted on the new engines showed an acceleration for the SC 400 for years 1992–1995 of 0–60 mph in 6.9 seconds, years 1996–1997 in 6.7 seconds, and years 1998-2000 in 6.3 seconds. For the SC 300 an acceleration 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds with the 5 speed manual and 7.2 seconds with the 4 speed automatic for all years. This 1997 upgrade included the replacement of the four-speed automatic on the SC 400 to a five-speed unit. Sales of the automatic transmission SC 300 and SC 400 models formed the majority of models purchased. The Lexus SC 400 was never officially sold in the British Isles, but many examples found their way across the Atlantic as personal imports. The first generation SC coupes were assembled at Toyota's Higashifuji Technical Center in Motomatchi, Japan.