dseag2

Okay everyone. Am I the only one who wanted an SC300/400 so bad I could taste it when they were first introduced but couldn't afford one? I later bought a 1999 SC300 in the early 2002 and found that it was so outdated in terms of technology that only the beauty of the car made it appealing.

I'm hoping for the second coming of the SC (maybe the LF-CC?) now that I am in a better position to buy one.

Anyone else always long for the SC300/400?

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

LF-LC is def going to be a six digit car. Sky's the limit, I can't wait to see that beauty. LF-LC was so well received.

pbm317

LF-CC became the RC, so as Hoovey noted, the SC successor is probably something closer to a production LF-LC

UDel

I liked them, thought of getting one when I was young but they were still too expensive, I really wanted a Supra Turbo, I wanted the 2nd Gen GS400/430 much more though when I first read about it and saw it, it fit my needs much better which is why I got one.

I really hope the SC successor will offer a somewhat more affordable version down the line priced in the mid to high 60's and they don't make the mistake they made with the last SC430 by pricing it too high and changing what kind of car it was too much which resulted in low sales.

Hopefully the next SC won't be crowned " Worst Car In The History Of The World" by TOP GEAR like the last one was

T0ked

iTrader: (2)

One of the first cars I really lusted over. I was thrilled when my dad bought a new SC3 in 1993. He let me start driving it in 95 when I was in college. I bought it from him for $1k a couple years later when he bought an S-class for himself. I held on to it until last winter when I finally sold it. Yeah the tech was severely dated and it got lower mpg than my FJ Cruiser, but it was such solid car for 20 years. I'll be in the market for a large coupe again soon and when the new SC comes out, I'll be cross shopping it with the S-Coupe.

Carmaker1

Sorry for butting in (SC debuted when I was a baby), but the overall development of the Z30 platform between 1986 and 1991, brought a revolutionary product. Toyota's apprehension in regards to equipment and pricing, killed the potential for both the SC (& LS400) in being technology legends.

Z30 Scale Model (1987-88)



Z30 Design Concept at Calty-1988



Z30 1:1 Design Review at Calty-1989


Z30 1:1 fiberglass 1992 Lexus SC300 Design Release-1989



1991-1994 SC


1994-1996 SC



1996-2000 SC



The Z30 (Soarer/SC300/SC400) introduced the first backup camera in a production vehicle, had an in-dash GPS navigation touch-screen and colour EMV car computer display, with television. Prior to that, cameras in passenger automobiles were just a silly concept show car gimmick. The packaging of all this equipment, proved innovative, as previous applications for large vehicles, were clunky. Parallel to this, BMW introduced the alternative ultrasonic Park Distance Control (PDC) on the E32 7-Series, and Mercedes-Benz the parking rod guides (later replaced with Parktronic in 1995). Please excuse my non-SC/Soarer examples, as they are only for comparison.

Brief Overview of Z30 Technology (1991-1996)



http://www.sportsluxurycars.com.au/v...r-Interior.jpg


Spoiler-mounted Reverse Camera; Shown: (1991-93) (1996-2000)


Rare BMW E32 LCI with PDC sensors (1992-94)




W140 S-Class Guide Rods (1991-95)


Q45 Rear View Monitor - 2001

The Japanese market slowly followed after in parking assist tech by 5-10 years. By 2000, Infiniti copied Toyota efforts in the states, by in 2001 offering this toy on the 2002 Infiniti Q45 as the RearView Monitor.

In 2003, Lexus offered it on select navigation-equipped 2004 models (RX330, LS, LX, GX). From 2005-06, American and German manufacturers started adding this as an optional feature on the GMT900 SUVs, W221 S-Class, BMW X5 (E70), etc. Today nearly all automakers offer this equipment, so it's certainly a Toyota-first the production rear view parking camera on cars. I had a photo of the backup camera screen in action, but it's gone or on another computer.

I cannot name everything, but that is just one of the many revolutionary things the first generation SC could have offered in the states, in having the technology already developed. If Lexus offered that tech by 75% in the US by 1994, the SC400 would've remained ahead of its time forever and not suffered a slump in the late '90s. By comparison, BMW's E31 8-Series, MB's C140 S-Class/CL and CLK (from '97) would be vastly inferior to the Lexus, especially with the other SC improvements being introduced in 1996 (facelift MY97), 1997 (5-spd auto MY98) and 1998 (MY99 trim changes).

Lexus NEEDS to stop trying let price stifle technological innovation and customization in their upper-end models. This is what makes outside of styling and initial appeal, the 1SC nearly unforgettable. The design that Lexus approved in 1997 for the SC430 (see below), clearly did not do wonders (even if my sister loved it, but got an '11 ISC) for them. They need to ensure they give their all without being more expensive than competitors. Just match them as best as you can on price or undercut them by a small margin.

Look at how the NX has omitted features for their American customers, such as a 360 camera. This is a result of US customers balking at pricing too easily and not embracing the cost of innovation.

Z40 SC Ideation Sketch by Sotiris Kovos-1997


2001-2005 Z40 SC430


The RC line's pricing seems indicative of this in the US, the primary Lexus market. In the UK, not so much. Not really Lexus' fault though.


Isn't quite exact, since the LF-CC was developed parallel to the RC. The LF-CC project was finished, just as the final RC exterior/interior was signed off in 2012. It's a mixture of sorts, because the LF-CC was based on the XE30 IS and further modified in 2dr form. This gives a small idea

XE30 IS Sketch-2010; LF-CC Sketch -2012


It is similar to the RC, but did not inspire it. The LF-LC (finished 11/2011) did much more for the RC. The LF-CC project started parallel or after the basic concept proposal for the RC was defined (pre-freeze, general styling). The RC has been in the cards since 2010-11, despite the official impression marketing departments give. Someone from Lexus was nice enough to answer that question for me one-on-one.

Well Top Gear "indirectly" reviewed the first generation in the early '90s and loved it. I dislike the idea of a cheap SC and expect it to be more in the style of the outgoing X150 XK. It will allegedly share closely with the 5LS (XF50?), so it will not come close to that price point. The Z40 SC failed due to lack of visible improvements and uninspired performance. It was not the price necessarily. The unrelated LFA (off-topic) if we remember, lost money anyway.

Pricing of the successor is going to be on the high-end, parallel to, if not even more than the 5LS (likely $77-80k USD). To be honest, I haven't even thought to pricing a $125-150k price tag affecting its sales. I expect in the US it will be at least $90k or so.

SC300Es

Back in 2002, I was ready for a new-used car. I happened to see a 1998 GS400 and figured I can deal with a car like that. Then, somehow that turned into an SC. I bought my 98 SC300 in 2002 with 55,000 miles. Then came the dog, and the kids and we needed an SUV. SC went in the garage. Earlier this year I shipped it to my niece in Orange County, CA with 75,000 miles on the clock. Other than the stupid hesitation on accelaration, not a single issue.

I miss that car. It had a certain charm to it. My mother-in-law used to say it drove smooth as butter..

Ed

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I was a baby when the car came out and I didn't actually see one until 2006 but I'd give anything to go back in time to buy a brand new Garnet Pearl Soarer in 1991. If I were rich I would probably buy a new Soarer/SC in different colors for every year they were in production.

The first time I saw the car it blew me away. I wanted it more than anything and eventually saved up to buy one in 2009. I used to day dream at work and at school about getting an SC.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

22 years after they came out, I'm still trying to buy one. There's one local to me I can't get out of my head as I've seen this car around since 2003 and it was the first one I ever saw. It needs work, and I need to be practical, but there's still a possibility of me ending up buying it.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

I remember a friend getting one in probably 1993, it was like a spaceship to me at the time.

I've always liked them, especially loved the commercial when the 1st gen SC was headed towards the end of its run with a SC out on the open road and a camera spun 360 around the exterior while it was rolling with a message "one more time around"

yowps3

In Australia we have the grey market Soarer imported from Japan.

And I can tell you the Limited UZZ32 Soarer is still ahead of its time LOL

GISguy

I was a toddler at the time, so I can't say I was cognizant of anything aside from my toys...but when my parents first got an ES300, I remember peering through the cloth/cardboard-bound brochure Lexus had included and seeing the SC. I was in Kindergarden at the time.

Aron9000

I bought one 2 years ago, 1992 SC300 with the 5 speed. I could care less about all the techno-crap, as the car was pretty darn advanced for 1992 IMO, but yet it doesn't suffer from some of the expensive horrors that came on German cars a few years later. I'm talking about such wonderful Mercedes innovations as biodegradable wiring harnesses, ABC active suspension, air suspension, cheap plastic water pumps and radiators found on BMW's. Mechanically the SC is a masterpiece, everything was overbuilt and designed to last.

And as far as the in the dash navigation tech goes, I'm glad it didn't come with that. The graphics on the touch screen usually lag about 3-5 years behind the latest Ipad, laptop, whatever, so I'm glad I'm not stuck with a stupid windows 3.1 display in my dash.


Really my only gripe is that Toyota never brought over the models with the 1JZ-GTE(that's a 2.5 inline six twin turbo) to the United States.

Kaydee

I think I was way too young and too poor to even consider the SC when it was new.

T0ked

iTrader: (2)

I was referring it got outdated compared to current times. My SC3 didn't even have the mpg or outside temp sensor that the last 1st gens got. But after 22 years, it got annoying when even the camry has Bluetooth and aux in. The original 2JZ had a distributor! Granted it was fun playing around with timing and such. And because the car eschewed glitzy tech and what it had was so over engineered that it lasted so long. 22 years is long for any car, especially to run without any major issues. It never left me stranded anywhere and never broke down. Regular scheduled maintenance was all it needed.

I remember the commercial of a garage door opening, the voice-over stating, the kids moved out, now is your turn, turn and a red SC pulls out of a the garage and barrels down a country road with autumn leaves blown behind in a rooster tail. Loved that commercial.

In 93, the SC3 my father purchased, fully loaded, was priced at $41k out the door. I still remember the window sticker. That was a lot of money back then.