Future
According to Car and Driver, Lexus is working on a "clean sheet" replacement for the SC and the convertible theme will be retained, with a soft top instead of the hard top setup currently being used.
In July 2008, Edmunds InsideLine had reported that Lexus had cancelled the next generation SC due to slowing sales. A company spokesman did not confirm or deny the rumors, but called the report in the possible replacement with the introduction of the Lexus LFA as "unfounded speculation." Lexus subsequently announced the production of the SC 430 model for 2009, and in 2010.
Designated LF-LC for Lexus Future-Luxury Coupe, the concept two-door vehicle premiered in January 2012 at the North American International Auto Show. The vehicle's exterior and interior styling was created by the Calty Design Research center in Newport Beach, California, which previously developed the exterior styling of the first generation Lexus SC coupe and the fourth generation Lexus GS. The LF-LC features the brand's spindle-shaped grille which debuted several months prior on the fourth generation Lexus GS.
The LF-LC features a front-engine, rear-wheel drive drivetrain layout, which incorporates a next-generation Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive system. The interior features a remote touchscreen control system linked to two liquid crystal display (LCD) screens that measure 12.3 inches (310 mm) in width. Smartphone-size touchscreens are placed on the door armrests for additional controls.
The LF-LC was produced as a design study for a driver-focused vehicle at the direction of the Lexus Center in Japan, and work began on the concept in May 2010. The exterior appearance of the LF-LC was inadvertently leaked by Road & Track magazine several weeks prior to its scheduled auto show debut, when a preview of its February 2012 issue with the LF-LC on its cover (under the headline "Stunning! New Lexus Super Coupe") was posted to YouTube.
During the North American International Auto Show, Mark Templin; the Vice President and General Manager of Toyota's Lexus Division stated the future of the LF-LC. He responded to a reporter "Would you like to see (the LF-LC) to be the next generation SC? whiched was posted to YouTube.
In a report from Autocars, Karl Schlicht, head of Lexus product planning, reportedly gave the LF-LC concept vehicle a 50/50 chance at making production in the future.
According to a report from Automotive News, the Lexus LF-LC concept is now headed for the showroom in the near future. The new sports car could be production ready within three years. It is unclear if the new coupe will wear the SC nameplate or continued on with its concept name LC. However, this new coupe would filled the gap of the discontinued SC430 and finally give Lexus a much needed Nissan GT-R or Acura NSX rival.
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