By the early years of the twenty-first century, Lexus no longer was a spring chicken in the sport-coupe arena. Its original sport coupes, the six-cylinder SC 300 and the V-8-powered SC 400, were new for 1992 and remained in production through the 2000 model year. In spring 2001, the sleek pair was replaced by the dramatically different 2002 SC 430. For the new car, Lexus changed up the SC's recipe, leaving a V-8 convertible with a retractable hardtop as the only offering. By now it has veered into Cheap Wheels territory. The Lexus SC 430 was created in the company's European design center and was inspired by the "sights and styles of the French Riviera." Whether or not the designers saw a certain high-profile German car of the era plying the south of France is unknown. In particular the arched roofline that appeared when the top was up made the SC 430 look somewhat like a plus-size version of the ueber-stylish Audi TT. Underneath the SC 430 there was a rear-drive chassis specifically designed as the strong foundation necessary for a solid convertible body structure. The greasy bits included front and rear double-wishbone independent suspension, and SC 430 was the first Lexus to wear 18-inch wheels. The powertrain was borrowed from the brand's LS 430 and GS 430 sedans of the day. The engine was an all-aluminum dohc 4.3-liter V-8 rated at 300 bhp and it mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Lexus estimated a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.9 seconds.
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