Autoblog

Lexus GS coupe slated to arrive in 2013

Chris Shunk — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lexus, Luxury

The SC 430 wasn't exactly a hot ticket item, but it was the only Lexus model available with two doors until the model was discontinued in 2010. That could change for the 2014 model year, as Inside Line reports that Lexus is primed to unleash a coupe version of the all-new GS.

While Lexus hasn't officially announced that a two-door GS is forthcoming, IL points out that there are plenty of signs that point towards a performance coupe. For instance, Lexus Boss Mark Templin reportedly stated that he was interested in a sport coupe in the $60,000 to $70,000 range. Further, Lexus planning chief Karl Schlicht reportedly told Automotive News earlier in the year that the brand needed a coupe to round out its lineup of sedans and utility vehicles. Certainly not a confirmation of a sleek new coupe, but the puzzle pieces appear to be coming together.

One small glitch is that the GS sedan starts out at $46,900, which is a far cry from $60,000. The pricing difference could come in the form of a high-performance F-Sport engine or perhaps a more performance-oriented hybrid.

Chances are if Lexus does add a sporty coupe to its lineup, we're going to hear about it by the time the Los Angeles Auto Show rolls around this fall. We're more than okay with more GS variants, and a performance coupe always sounds like a good idea to us.

Lexus GS coupe slated to arrive in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus rumored to replace SC430 with 500-hp LC600h hybrid super-coupe

Noah Joseph — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Hybrid, Performance, Lexus, Rumormill, Luxury

Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hard as it may be to imagine from its dated styling, the Lexus SC430 was once considered to be a halo vehicle. Well, maybe not quite, but its folded hardtop self was enough to bring at least a few customers into showrooms. Today, that job belongs to the LFA supercar, but in between the two models there's a gulf wide enough to fill with a few hundred million gallons of crude oil. (What, too soon?) Now, we wouldn't go so far as to call the current SC a disaster, but suffice it to say it could use a replacement. Badly.

According to a new story from Motor Trend, that replacement is on the way, and looks like it could be worth the wait. Dubbed LC600h, the new two-door is reportedly slated to borrow its underpinnings from the next-generation LS flagship sedan. A folding hardtop is still expected to be part of the mix (as it has been on every convertible Lexus ever made), but don't go dismissing this as a lump of mush: According to MT, an updated version of the LS600h sedan's 5.0-liter hybrid V8 packing as much as - wait for it - 500 horsepower is slated to replace the SC's lackluster 288-horsepower 4.3-liter. What's more, it's expected to drive all four wheels. That's nearly twice as much power as the model it's slated to replace, and what we around here call "progress."

Try not to get too riled up, though, as MT's sources don't expect the LC to come along until after the next-gen LS sedan is introduced in 2014. And that's assuming the economy and the fortunes of parent company Toyota cooperate enough for it to mount an assault on Mercedes SL territory.

Gallery: 2009 Pebble Beach Edition Lexus SC430

[Source: Motor Trend]

Lexus rumored to replace SC430 with 500-hp LC600h hybrid super-coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adios! Lexus SC430 to be euthanized in July

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Lexus, Luxury

2009 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

It was rumored in January and now it's been confirmed by Automobile Magazine: Lexus will kill its slow-selling SC430 this July and it will reportedly return in 2014 packing a hybrid electric drivetrain and a new V8.

Aside from a handful of special edition models, the SC430 has soldiered on largely unchanged for the better part of a decade, and with less the 1,000 SCs sold last year and a final run of around 300 slated to be built in 2010, its demise will likely go unnoticed save a few octogenarians that pick up a new Pebble Beach Edition each summer.

According to Automobile, the next generation SC is slated to arrive sometime in 2014, packing a 5.0-liter V8 and a hybrid drivetrain that should be good for 400-500 horsepower. The Lexus SC600h - as it's tentatively dubbed - would be a fitting replacement to the SuperGT racer that's been running in the Japanese touring car series for the last several years - unless Lexus decides the LFA is a more worthy combatant.

Gallery: 2009 Pebble Beach Edition Lexus SC430

[Source: Automobile]

Adios! Lexus SC430 to be euthanized in July originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Lexus preparing soft-top SC430 successor

Noah Joseph — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Lexus, Rumormill

2009 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

While the Lexus IS C is enjoying strong early sales and the luxury Toyota marque prepares to launch a version with the 5.0-liter V8 from the IS F, the top-of-the-line SC 430 grows increasingly irrelevant and long-in-the-tooth. However, contrary to reports that surfaced this time last year - 'tis the season for convertibles, after all - Lexus is indeed planning a successor to the range-topping coupe-cabrio.

Reports indicate that, far from the IS C replacing the aging SC 430, a clean-slate successor to the big roadster is in the planning stages. Because the SC has been around so long, Toyota's designers and engineers are reportedly going back to the drawing board. What they're apparently coming up with eschews the current model's complex folding hard top - one of the first on the market after the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder and Mercedes SLK - in favor of a simpler, lighter folding soft top.

With a new SC 430, an IS F convertible and a potential LF-A roadster all in the pipeline, the forecast looks sunny for Lexus.

[Source: Car and Driver]

REPORT: Lexus preparing soft-top SC430 successor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another year, another Pebble Beach Lexus SC 430

Alex Nunez — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Lexus, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for gallery

Friday, Lexus will pull the wraps off its fifth special Pebble Beach Edition SC 430. As has been the case the last four times, the 2007 version is simply a paint and trim package, so without further ado, here are the details:

Smoky Granite Mica exterior paint
Camel & Ecru leather interior
Espresso Birdseye maple trim
Brushed chrome Pebble Beach badging
Embroidered floormats
Illuminated scuff plates
18" six-spoke chrome wheels
rear spoiler

It's limited to 360 cars, and they'll become available late this month. If you simply must know more, follow the jump for Lexus' release or check out the gallery below for additional photos of the car.

[Source: Lexus]

Gallery: 2007 Lexus SC 430 Pebble Beach Edition

Continue reading Another year, another Pebble Beach Lexus SC 430

Another year, another Pebble Beach Lexus SC 430 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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