GTP Cool Wall: 2001-2005 Lexus SC430

2001-2005 Lexus SC430

  • Total voters
    125
  • Poll closed .
White & Nerdy

White & Nerdy

4,209
United States
Wasilla, AK
2001-2005 Lexus SC430 nominated by Wiegert

2001-lexus-sc430.jpg


Stats:
Production: 2001-2005 (models up to 2010 were not included in the nomination)
Style: 2-convertible
Engine: 3UZ-FE 262 ci/4,292 cc naturally aspirated DOHC V8 (rated 288 HP & 317 lb-ft)
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Layout: Front-engine, Rear-drive​

2006-2010 models had a six-speed automatic.

Anyway, I'm calling this one Uncool or Seriously Uncool.
 
Gone for seriously uncool on this one, which I don't often do, for a few reasons.

One, it's ugly. Age hasn't made it any uglier, but it's certainly made it blander.

Two, it's more or less the definition of a retirement cruiser. I don't begrudge the older generation wanting something comfortable to waft around in as they sun their bald spots, but that sure as heck doesn't make it cool.

Three, when it isn't a retirement cruiser it strikes me as the sort of car one of the brats on My Super Sweet 16 might be given, tied up in a ribbon, for their birthday present, if their parents decided a 3-Series convertible was too sporty.
 
Down the with some of the most uncool cars ever. It's just dull.
 
Seriously Uncool. An ugly, boring machine someone would buy when they have a healthy pension by the time they're 65.
 
Seriously uncool. I've always found them hideously ugly, with an interior that, in some colours, shows how to make wood trim vomit inducing.

Also, this seems the perfect reason to post this:
Charlie Brooker on "My Sweet 16"
(some bad language in the clip)

The relevant part is at 1:27, but it's all good.
 
I actually knew a car guy who drove one of these. It was his dad's but he liked it for the V8 (because V8's are powerful, man!) and folding roof.

He also ended up understeering his Fiesta into a tree, but that's a different story.

Seriously Uncool.
 
Last edited:
Zenith
I actually knew a car guy who drive one of these. It was his dad's but he liked it for the V8 (because V8's are powerful, man!) and folding roof.

He also ended up understeering his Fiesta into a tree, but that's a different story.

Seriously Uncool.
Click to expand...

Well that escalated quickly...


I voted uncool though I should have done SU, my reason the predecessor was a car that for it's time seemed to out do the looks of it age and last well into the 90s, hell it looked better dated than this. Also the original SC300 and 400 had great engines (not the 430 doesn't) and class. These cars on nearly on par with and owned in a similar manner that some BMW convertibles are, where the husband and wife are both the type you'd see at the country club playing tennis and being pompous and then driving around in this hot mess thinking the world belongs to them.

Let's just say Lexus have come a massive way from this dull ugly mess of a car, and I don't care about the Motorsports lineage I'm sure some would be fan on here might bring up if I didn't cut them off before given a chance.
 
Uncool. I feel like it actually looks a fair bit better with the roof down, but it still looks like (probably because it is) a lard-arse, and the chrome does it absolutely no favours.
 
This is one of those cars that conspicuously captures the design cues of a time period, embodying the frumpy blobby-ness that marked the turn of the millenium. On top of that, it's an overweight slushbox convertible with no admirable character. Easy vote of Seriously Uncool.
 
homeforsummer
Three, when it isn't a retirement cruiser it strikes me as the sort of car one of the brats on My Super Sweet 16 might be given, tied up in a ribbon, for their birthday present, if their parents decided a 3-Series convertible was too sporty.
Click to expand...
GTP_Ingram
Also, this seems the perfect reason to post this:
Click to expand...
I'm either a genius or I'd somehow watched that clip before and it was stored in my subconscious...
 
homeforsummer
I'm either a genius or I'd somehow watched that clip before and it was stored in my subconscious...
Click to expand...

Ha! I didn't see you'd said that, for some reason I didn't read the last paragraph of your post (I haven't had much sleep.) Basically echoes my sentiments exactly, though.
 
They chose this as the Supra successor in Super GT...Still didn't stop it winning 3 titles mind.
But this is the road car and it is utter. Utter. Tripe. How did it keep going for 9 years?

Seriously uncool and some.
 
homeforsummer
Three, when it isn't a retirement cruiser it strikes me as the sort of car one of the brats on My Super Sweet 16 might be given, tied up in a ribbon, for their birthday present, if their parents decided a 3-Series convertible was too sporty.
Click to expand...
208178d1303784828-10-000-paint-job-pink-sdc12940.jpg
 
I've actually always quite liked the styling of this, unlike most folks. It's a little hairdressery in a series 1 TT kind of way but at the time I liked its differentness. Voted a meh though as it's let down by being a total sheep in (relatively benign) wolf's clothing. Performance, handling etc. seems to define the word "average".
 
One of the ugliest cars I've seen on the road. If it just had a 140 hp 4 cylinder it would be seriously seriously uncool. However the RWD and DOHC 8 cyl drag its rating up to high uncool (almost meh), stopped abruptly there by its ugliness.
 
I'm surprised some people had the temerity to vote a mere "uncool" (people who voted "cool" are excused, they are exercising their right to object)... there can be no middle ground! :lol:

This is the ultimate example of how all the power, luxury and technical sophistication in the world do not a cool car make.
 
:lol:


Lexus couldn't have done a better job destroying the appeal of the SC if they based it on the Camry Solara.

C-ZETA
They chose this as the Supra successor in Super GT...Still didn't stop it winning 3 titles mind.
Click to expand...
By that point the series had devolved into silhouette nonsense, so it was a successful race car about the same way that the 1979 Ford Thunderbird was.
 
Last edited:
Seriously Uncool. Ugly and driven almost exclusively by mid life crisis-ers. Literally yesterday coming home from school had some old guy with a girl half his age next to him try and race me, but I quickly changed his mind :lol:

Did I mention it's ugly?
 
40 years from now this car is going to be kind of like the Pacer.

Serisouly uncool now, because bland, dull, BORING, etc, but maybe that will change in time.
 
Top Gear voting it the worst car in the history of the world didn't do much to dent its already poor reputation, though I still think it was undeserved considering what else is out there. Plus it was hardly the worst looking car ever. A fat lump of a Toyota for sure, but a rather inoffensive design. Plain uncool.

niky
I'm surprised some people had the temerity to vote a mere "uncool" (people who voted "cool" are excused, they are exercising their right to object)... there can be no middle ground! :lol:
Click to expand...

The real anarchists voted "meh".
 
Last edited:
I drove one of these and it was great in the highway, I was impressed with the torque, the interior was very quiet for a convertible and the ride was sliky smooth. On terms of coolness though, it's VERY uncool.
 

Latest Posts

Back