Originally Posted by cmk1

Sorry for butting in (SC debuted when I was a baby), but the overall development of the Z30 platform between 1986 and 1991, brought a revolutionary product. Toyota's apprehension in regards to equipment and pricing, killed the potential for both the SC (& LS400) in being technology legends.

Z30 Scale Model (1987-88)



Z30 Design Concept at Calty-1988



Z30 1:1 Design Review at Calty-1989


Z30 1:1 fiberglass 1992 Lexus SC300 Design Release-1989



1991-1994 SC


1994-1996 SC



1996-2000 SC



The Z30 (Soarer/SC300/SC400) introduced the first backup camera in a production vehicle, had an in-dash GPS navigation touch-screen and colour EMV car computer display, with television. Prior to that, cameras in passenger automobiles were just a silly concept show car gimmick. The packaging of all this equipment, proved innovative, as previous applications for large vehicles, were clunky. Parallel to this, BMW introduced the alternative ultrasonic Park Distance Control (PDC) on the E32 7-Series, and Mercedes-Benz the parking rod guides (later replaced with Parktronic in 1995). Please excuse my non-SC/Soarer examples, as they are only for comparison.

Brief Overview of Z30 Technology (1991-1996)



http://www.sportsluxurycars.com.au/v...r-Interior.jpg

Jeremy Clarkson reviews the Toyota Soarer UZZ32 Active in Old Top Gear - Lexus SC400 Coupe - YouTube

Spoiler-mounted Reverse Camera; Shown: (1991-93) (1996-2000)


Rare BMW E32 LCI with PDC sensors (1992-94)




W140 S-Class Guide Rods (1991-95)


Q45 Rear View Monitor - 2001
Infiniti Q45 Rear View Monitor - YouTube

The Japanese market slowly followed after in parking assist tech by 5-10 years. By 2000, Infiniti copied Toyota efforts in the states, by in 2001 offering this toy on the 2002 Infiniti Q45 as the RearView Monitor.

In 2003, Lexus offered it on select navigation-equipped 2004 models (RX330, LS, LX, GX). From 2005-06, American and German manufacturers started adding this as an optional feature on the GMT900 SUVs, W221 S-Class, BMW X5 (E70), etc. Today nearly all automakers offer this equipment, so it's certainly a Toyota-first the production rear view parking camera on cars. I had a photo of the backup camera screen in action, but it's gone or on another computer.

I cannot name everything, but that is just one of the many revolutionary things the first generation SC could have offered in the states, in having the technology already developed. If Lexus offered that tech by 75% in the US by 1994, the SC400 would've remained ahead of its time forever and not suffered a slump in the late '90s. By comparison, BMW's E31 8-Series, MB's C140 S-Class/CL and CLK (from '97) would be vastly inferior to the Lexus, especially with the other SC improvements being introduced in 1996 (facelift MY97), 1997 (5-spd auto MY98) and 1998 (MY99 trim changes).

Lexus NEEDS to stop trying let price stifle technological innovation and customization in their upper-end models. This is what makes outside of styling and initial appeal, the 1SC nearly unforgettable. The design that Lexus approved in 1997 for the SC430 (see below), clearly did not do wonders (even if my sister loved it, but got an '11 ISC) for them. They need to ensure they give their all without being more expensive than competitors. Just match them as best as you can on price or undercut them by a small margin.

Look at how the NX has omitted features for their American customers, such as a 360 camera. This is a result of US customers balking at pricing too easily and not embracing the cost of innovation.

Z40 SC Ideation Sketch by Sotiris Kovos-1997


2001-2005 Z40 SC430


The RC line's pricing seems indicative of this in the US, the primary Lexus market. In the UK, not so much. Not really Lexus' fault though.




Isn't quite exact, since the LF-CC was developed parallel to the RC. The LF-CC project was finished, just as the final RC exterior/interior was signed off in 2012. It's a mixture of sorts, because the LF-CC was based on the XE30 IS and further modified in 2dr form. This gives a small idea

XE30 IS Sketch-2010; LF-CC Sketch -2012


It is similar to the RC, but did not inspire it. The LF-LC (finished 11/2011) did much more for the RC. The LF-CC project started parallel or after the basic concept proposal for the RC was defined (pre-freeze, general styling). The RC has been in the cards since 2010-11, despite the official impression marketing departments give. Someone from Lexus was nice enough to answer that question for me one-on-one.



Well Top Gear "indirectly" reviewed the first generation in the early '90s and loved it. I dislike the idea of a cheap SC and expect it to be more in the style of the outgoing X150 XK. It will allegedly share closely with the 5LS (XF50?), so it will not come close to that price point. The Z40 SC failed due to lack of visible improvements and uninspired performance. It was not the price necessarily. The unrelated LFA (off-topic) if we remember, lost money anyway.

Pricing of the successor is going to be on the high-end, parallel to, if not even more than the 5LS (likely $77-80k USD). To be honest, I haven't even thought to pricing a $125-150k price tag affecting its sales. I expect in the US it will be at least $90k or so.