2002 Lexus SC 430 - First Test - Japanese Car

There's something mesmerizing about a hardtop convertible. When Ford introduced the '57 Skyliner, it was an instant hit, garnering loads of attention for offering the world's first mass-produced, electrically operated retractable metal top. It was a whiz-bang kind of innovation so emblematic of the Flash Gordon era.

Today, the concept is still attractive: a solid top for security and poor weather coziness, with the full tanning bed treatment available at the touch of a button.

Add to that the entertainment value of a retractable's geo-mechanical show itself-the whirring of electric motors and the folding bal-let of pieces andparts as they disappear into the trunk. Whatever it is, people love it.

It all certainly applies to Lexus' new-for-'02 retractable-top SC 430. Case in point: While driving our brilliant-red tester, we pulled into the drive-through lane of our favorite joint. Instead of hearing the customary "Welcome to the Burger Biggie, may I take your order?" the speaker crackled, "What kind of car is that!?" The same scenario was played out at almost every red light and fuel stop. The SC 430 turned heads and was nearly responsible for a dozen fender benders.

Conceived by Toyota's European design center, the SC 430's curvaceous lines somewhat mimic those of the Audi TT, though on a slightly larger scale. To that, the designers added a bit of French Riviera style with sweeping fender flares, a sculpted hood, and a broad brushed grille. The sculpted tail resembles a slightly widened, previous-generation Acura CL, while the glinty-eyed trapezoidal headlights are very Toyota. Overhangs are short, with the wheels pushed hard to the corners. The look is dramatic, for sure, yet nothing entirely new or original.

Lexus' engineers spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel, and their efforts paid off. Not only does the 430 have a slippery drag coefficient of 0.30, but the wind-cheating design also makes for an extra quiet cabin top up and down. With roof retracted, there's no need to raise your voice to converse with passengers nor to increase radio volume-the SC is as quiet (at XX db) as an average coupe with the windows down.

Underneath the skin, an all-aluminum 4.3L V-8 with VVT-i powers the SC 430-it's much the same unit as in the flagship LS 430 sedan. At idle, the 300-hp DOHC powerplant is silky smooth, almost to where you have to check the tachometer to be sure it's running. Introduce the accelerator to the floorboard and 325 lb-ft of torque slides you back into the cushy leather trimmed seats. Power delivery to the rear wheels is long and linear, with a throaty V-8 exhaust note that tells the world this is no ordinary ULEV-compliant Lexus. On the track, the SC 430 proved it was no slouch, pulling 0-60 mph in 6.1 sec and blasting the quarter mile at 14.5 at 98.3 mph.

The powertrain's smoothness is carried through to the electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission, one of the best we've experienced. Upshifts are smooth and precise, and manually downshifting is a dream as the tranny instantly and quickly changed gears without jolting occupants into the dash. Our staff is split on the SC's sawtooth shifter gate: Some feel it's crisp and easy to maneuver, while others expected (and prefer) a sequential auto-manual system, like BMW's Steptronic design.