Lexus SC: 2nd Generation

Toyota has responded to an Edmunds article that suggested the Lexus SC will be discontinued:

Mike Michels, the corporate manager of External Communications for Toyota Motor Sales USA, has told AutomotiveWorld.com that reports by a US-based automotive website which claim the Lexus SC and Toyota Avalon will not be replaced due to slow sales are "unfounded speculation".

"We [TMS] do not comment on future product plans or timetables, for obvious competitive reasons," Michels states, stating that Inside Line did not contact the OEM's US division's media department before publishing its story.

Not really a denial, not really a confirmation, which makes me feel the news may be true. If that's the case, I doubt the company is very happy to have someone leaking out business details.

[Source: Automotive World]

According to Edmund's Inside Line, the next generation Lexus SC has been cancelled:

Toyota had been developing a successor to the SC, based on the same rear-wheel-drive platform as the LF-A. Originally slated for production in early 2009, the next-generation SC was pushed back to mid-2011 and now has been canceled, according to Toyota insiders.

Of course, this is speculative and unconfirmed. Even should the rumor turn out correct, it can only be one half of the story, because there's no way Lexus pulls out of the coupe/convertible market entirely. More likely, this is a temporary hiatus, which also happened in 2001 between the phasing out of the first-gen SC and the SC 430.

My current theory is this: The SC will be be shelved during the 2009 model year, which will be offset by the introduction of the IS coupe/convertible. Then, when 2010 hits, the LF-A will be released as the SC, and will be offered in a sub-$100,000 variation. This seems to be hinted at by Edmunds, and looks to me to be the most likely scenario.

More than anything, I can't picture Lexus letting the SC name die.

It's with much amusement that I bring this video of a Lexus SC 430 fleet performing a synchronized convertible roof switch:

Judging from the characters above the cars, I'd say this is from Japan, and it looks to be close to 20 SCs in the formation.

Just remember, fanaticism has many faces.

Update: Found another video:

William Stern, the in-house photographer for Sevas, has posted up some shots of a custom Lexus SC 430 on Flickr:

The custom work, including some subtle fender vents and not-so-subtle LED side-step lighting, was done by Cartel Customs in Miami. There's quite a collection of photos in William's Flickr stream, be sure to check them out for more detail.

Update: Here's the very same car in a video, posted to Youtube:

The next part of my Lexus Body Kit Series is up, this time for the SC 430.

For a car closing in on seven years of production, and a purported sports coupe at that, there's surprisingly few body kits to choose from, and the kits that are available are low in options, with most consisting of a front spoiler, side step and rear spoiler.

With that said, there are some rather nice kits out there, I was particularly impressed with the T's Project version:

This SC 430 commercial featuring Andy Roddick and Christopher Fairbanks defies the usual Lexus formula of heightened drama and takes an altogether different route:

This went completely over my head, with such a strange combination of elements. A famous tennis player, a comedian, a tree frog story and a sixties era green-screen, how could these have come together in a Lexus commercial?

The poor SC 430, can't even get a good commercial.