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2006 Lexus SC 430 Road Test

Lexus Definitive Convertible Cruiser Gets an Update

Finished in Chardonnay, with the soft, wind-shaped bodywork, the new Lexus SC 430 looks like it belongs in a place like Beverly Hills, Miami or parked out front of a villa next to the Mediterranean. You know, the kind of place where you can drop the roof 365 days a year, and sunbathe in the drivers seat, while slowly cruising along the oceanside. Without even driving it, you can tell that its made for wafting down the strip, motoring relaxation surely anyone can appreciate. It makes me wonder why, like the SC, Im not there. I then realize that my coats unbuttoned and my hands are bright red, freezing from ice-laced gusts of wind while snapping photos.

I recognize the fact that winter conditions arent exactly prime for testing out a fancy luxury convertible, but when the SC 430 is factored in, the northern

A mild update for Lexus top of the line cruiser for 2006. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

states worst - which failed to make itself present during my weekend test - wouldnt have made a difference, as its cabin is guarded by a folding metal roof. The SC was the first vehicle to full-size luxury ride to move up to the ingenious technology, after such sports cars as the first-gen Merc SLK and Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 brought the retractable hardtop back into vogue. Since then, Benz and Cadillac have employed similar units on their upscale roadsters, but good ideas rarely stay exclusive. In Europe, most new convertibles, even ones based off of tiny

One moment a convertible, twenty-five seconds later, a hard-top, aluminum-roofed coupe. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

city cars feature this technology, while here in North America, the incoming VW Eos, Volvo C70 and Pontiac G6 Convertible will sport their own variations.

Made of rigid but lightweight aluminum, lined with fabric and capped off with a glass rear windscreen, the SC 430 is a true coupe when the roof is up, but also a true convertible when the roof is down, no exceptions on either end. The benefits of this system are innumerable - it makes the SC less of a target for break-ins and vandalism, plus it enables the car to be well-insulated from the elements as well as wind noise, ultimately making it as whisper-quiet

Swiveling xenon headlamps are one of the new minor changes to the SC430. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

at highway speed as any big Lexus. Roof-up, the SC 430 boasts a drag coefficiency of 0.29, one of the lowest of any convertible currently on the market. When the weathers warmer, the roof can be dropped at the push of a button, with no latches or clasps to unbuckle.
Watching the roof retract is graceful: the trunk-lid pops up on struts while the two-piece roof lifts up, crisply folds in two, then graceful sinks into the SC 430s elegant, boat-tail speedster-like rear flanks. All of this takes place in just twenty-five seconds, a time frame not significantly longer than that of traditional fabric roof convertibles.

For model year 2006, the SC 430 has been mildly

At its tail, the SC gets new LED tail lamps. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

updated, an act that should buy Lexus enough time to come up with a new range-topping sports car - our fingers are crossed for the supercar-like LF-A Concept that debuted last January in Detroit. The changes are mostly aesthetical, with a mild tweak around the front end, including a slightly larger grille with more pronounced chrome accents, adaptive xenon headlamps that have the ability to see around corners, plus restyled LED tail lamps in the rear. Like the soon to be replaced LS, the SCs soft curves are a distinct contrast to the new square-jawed L-Finesse design language Lexus is purveying now. But even after five years, the SC is still an attention-grabbing package, garnering more glances on the highway than any other car Ive had in recent times.

Out of all the tweaks

The most visible of changes, new 18-inch wheels are beautiful, but optional low profile runflat tires give it a lumpy ride. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and changes the new SC features, the biggest, and most noticeable are the new 18-inch wheels. These dark silver and gunmetal star-shaped rims look infinitely better than the Mechano-style ones that the car was originally launched on, and function to compliment the luxurious exterior as well as the rich interior color and tones.

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