hey i would just like to ask if any 97 and up sc300/400 comes with this automatic shifter?

yes all 92-97 came with this type and changed in 98 and on

The 97's after that they went to the gated shifter.


Someones gonna yell at you to SEARCH first.

They used that shifter from '92-'97. Then from '98 on they put the new revised gated shifter on all SC3's and SC4's.

The dildomatic shifter we all know and hate?

Yeah. Lexus didn't get smart on that one until too late in the game. Benz had been using gated shifter years before Lexus even came out.

What possible improvement does the gated shifter give to a car, personally, i find it annoying having to move it left, down, right, down, right, left, and finally into D to get the car movin.

Eliminates the depression of the button to shift, and is to avoid accidentally putting it in the wrong gear. Alot of domestic cars easily slip into lower gears than the generic "D" if you don't pay attention to how many positions you've moved the lever.

Plus, it doesn't look like a *****.

Wow, that explanation actually makes sense. Funny thing, the other night i was leaving my friends house, and shifted into what i thought was D, when i pressed the gas it felt as if it were pulling harder, or the motor was working harder to move the car, and when i released the gas, i didnt feel the tranny shift like it usually does, and when i looked at the shifter i noticed i put it on 2. So i guess the gate shifting does have a purpose.