Lexus SC430: An exersize in compromising driving sensation in favor of luxury

Here’s a Lexus SC430 I spotted in the North Loop about a week ago.  It’s a model year somewhere between 2001-2005, and even though the “SC” in the model designation stands for Sport Coupe, it is not actually a coupe in terms of being a 2-door automobile with a fixed roof… but it’s close.  The roof on this car is actually a retractable hardtop that folds back.  The “430” part of the name probably has something to do with the 4.3L V8 that sits under the hood of this front-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicle.  That set up provided drivers with 300 HP and 325 lb ft of torque in 2004.  This car represents the 2nd to last generation of the SC series by Lexus, with the last model year available for sale in the US being a 2010.

You might notice how rounded out the body of this vehicle is, and that’s not just for looks, but is functional design that’s supposed to channel air around the passenger compartment to make for a quieter and less windy ride when the top is down.  Lexus makes kind of a big deal out of how quiet and smooth their cars are, so emphasis on this type of thing isn’t surprising.  Then again, what’s the point of putting the top down if not to have the wind whip through your hair?  As for the smooth ride part, why not just buy a big ol’ sedan (at the time this car was new, one could get the LS430 sedan by Lexus for about the same price as this retractable hardtop).  Something sporty shouldn’t leave its driver numbed to the road surface they’re driving over, if you ask me.  A sporty coupe or convertible is about the driving experience rather than the ride, and a big part of that is feedback from the car and the surface of the road. 

A car like the SC430 isn’t really aimed at folks who love taking part in the driving experience so much as it’s for people who like being seen and noticed while driving something that not too many people can afford.  Back in 2004 when this car was brand new, it would have taken a $60,000-$65,000 bite out of one’s wallet.

This is the type of car that can lull you to sleep with its comfort and glide.  That may sound nice, but when you’ve dropped the top and are ready to cruise, you should be exhilarated and energized, or at the very least, enthusiastic.  Lexus is good at designing comfort, but has perhaps gone too far with this; essentially telling their drivers “No, no, you just sit there and look pretty while occasionally steering or applying the gas or brakes.  We’ll handle the driving.”    Sure, it’s a nice ride: quiet even with the top down, and smooth as butter, but it’s for the type of people who call for roadside assistance when they have a flat instead of just handling it themselves… which may also have something to do with the fact that this car doesn’t even come with a spare tire -space saver or otherwise.  Lexus knows their buyer demographics pretty well. 

Buyers could choose an option to get run-flat tires on the car, and that’s how Lexus justified not including a spare.  With that roof retracted, trunk space becomes limited, and having to stash a tire back there would get to be a bit too compromising.  Besides, if I was trying to sell these cars, I’d do just about anything I could to distract potential buyers from those ugly rims.  Lexus did replace these with better looking ones in the next and final generation of this car.  Just look at those rims; all chunky and lacking in grace.  They look like somebody just grabbed some serving platters and slapped them on the wheels.    

Think about it.  Have you ever seen a DIY tuned up SC430?  I haven’t.  It’s not the type of car that people who don’t mind getting their hands dirty will buy.  Granted, it would seem blasphemous to mount some huge rear wing on this car, or a fart-pipe exhaust tip, but a lack of taste never seemed to be a deterrent to customizers and tuners in the past.  So, let’s sum this up.  The 2004 (or so) Lexus SC430:  A pretty work of design that takes the fun out of functional by offering an anesthetized driving feel wrapped up in a luxury package.  It’s a car for riders, not drivers.