RE: You know you want to... Lexus SC430

[Insight]

Interesting article...ok it's not Shakespeare but then again I've never actually read one of his books and I did read this.

[russy01]

These cars are marmite.

However the colour makes a massive difference, this one is Mesa red (best colour by far, parents have a IS in the same colour)

For pure Cruising it cannot be beaten its just so smooth, plenty of performance, every toy you can imagine and a brilliant sound system. Finally it just wont break, this has been back and forth from the alps like a yoyo and has never skipped a beat.

Id definitly recommend, however id imagine if anything does go wrong (roof, engine or gearbox) it would cost a fortune. Also the older ones run on runflats, these arent great as we all know, but the newer version (6 speed) is on proper rubber.

Also i wouldnt mind adding, i think the SL being discussed looks square and dated.

I personally think it looks pretty good with the roof down.

Edited by russy01 on Wednesday 15th December 15:06

[tonym911]

BigBen said:

kambites said:

tonym911 said:

kambites said:

I thought that era of Mercedes were stupendously over-engineered. The rot set in later, didn't it?

98 to 03 is generally regarded as the avoid at all costs era

I thought it was more a question of "Models introduced between 98 and 03", rather than "cars built between 98 and 03" though.

This....

Sorry I may have been referring specifically to the rust problems which I think were at their worst in this five-year spell, until M-B brought in its new galvanising regime in '03.

[Squabbler]

The Crack Fox said:

I'd rather one of these, thankyouplease...

My god this is beautiful (started to search classifieds)

[agxster]

A lex said:

The Silver one in the advert is being sold by a place called Target Cars, based in Eindhoven, NL.

Avoid like the plague.

.....

God knows what they are doing there as they have some serious machinery in the place - but its just incredibly, incredibly dodgy!

Seen their ads before and I always wondered why they sell GB cars in Holland. Seemed a bit dodgy!

[BigBen]

tonym911 said:

BigBen said:

kambites said:

tonym911 said:

kambites said:

I thought that era of Mercedes were stupendously over-engineered. The rot set in later, didn't it?

98 to 03 is generally regarded as the avoid at all costs era

I thought it was more a question of "Models introduced between 98 and 03", rather than "cars built between 98 and 03" though.

This....

Sorry I may have been referring specifically to the rust problems which I think were at their worst in this five-year spell, until M-B brought in its new galvanising regime in '03.

I am not still not sure that they stopped rust proofing cars that were in production before these dates and started again afterwards. The models introduced thing applies as far as I can tell.

[rottie102]

russy01 said:

These cars are marmite.

However the colour makes a massive difference, this one is Mesa red (best colour by far, parents have a IS in the same colour)

For pure Cruising it cannot be beaten its just so smooth, plenty of performance, every toy you can imagine and a brilliant sound system. Finally it just wont break, this has been back and forth from the alps like a yoyo and has never skipped a beat.

Id definitly recommend, however id imagine if anything does go wrong (roof, engine or gearbox) it would cost a fortune. Also the older ones run on runflats, these arent great as we all know, but the newer version (6 speed) is on proper rubber.

Also i wouldnt mind adding, i think the SL being discussed looks square and dated.

I personally think it looks pretty good with the roof down.

Edited by russy01 on Wednesday 15th December 15:06

The other ones are not too easy on the eyes but this one is a stunner! What a great colour/wheel/trim combo.
It looks like a baby Continental GT

Edited by rottie102 on Wednesday 15th December 15:22

[EDLT]

How can so much hate be piled on to a car that had optional gold-plated badges?

[anonymous-user]

EDLT said:

How can so much hate be piled on to a car that had optional gold-plated badges?

Ah another great American invention the 'Gold Package'

[CampDavid]

FishFace said:

Is Jewish Racing Gold as racist as it sounds?

No. It only offends people who don't actually know what they're offended by.

[roger.daltrey]

I've been considering an SC430 for nearly two years now. Loaded with kit, super tough and definately the marmite of the car world.

Been waiting for the price to come down to £10k or thereabouts, so it will be looked at by SWMBO as a daily runabout.

Anyone know what they're like in wet/snowy conditions ?

Big fat low-profiles implies they will be poor - but if someone on here makes it to the alps and back regularly then....

There is a cambelt change due at 100k or 10 years which will work out costly, and that electric aerial is sure to break down ??

Any other SC owners going to chip in on this one ?

[angusc43]

To me that is one of the most monstrously ugly cars ever built.

It's a shame as the V8 gubbins are no doubt great.

As other poster point out the previous Soarer is a much more attractive proposition. Or an SL.

[nsmith1180]

I think we are all being unduly harsh here. OK, its not to your tastes, but Im guessing a Brest Cancer special Micra CC isnt either. Different strokes/folks etc.

I first encountered these in 2006, when I started working for Suzuki, we had one on the forecourt. It wasn't a bad car, it wasn't a great one either. (It was however a hell of a lot better than the other used cars we had on the site! Jimny/Vitara/03 Swift Sky anyone??

I have always liked Lexus of that particular vintage, I think the IS of the same era is a stunning car, looks current even now, despite being replaced by a model which has since been facelifted. But I think the point of the article was not that the car is a looker and see what you can get for next to nothing.

It was pointing out, in this here PH Open Season, what you can get for relitively little hard earned. Ok so you are getting looks that only a mother could truly love, but you are also getting V8, folding hard top, acres and acres of cow skin, a fair few trees on your concience. You also get a car which isn't particularly common, that does have a little something different and the Lexus aftersales experience.

Thats the killer here, because no matter how old your Lexus or if you bought it new, Approved Used or from the start up drug dealer on the street corner who is numebr 57 on the log book, Lexus will treat you the same as the man that turned up and paid cash for the LF-A. Lexus understand what it takes to build a luxury brand and they wont tollerate dealers fking about with it.

[Hairspray]

I'm ashamed to say I have a bit of a thing for these, especially the facelifts in a good colour (like the red one above). Wheels and colour really make a difference.

I wouldn't mind one as a cruiser to bomb around in, but would find it hard to justify it over one of the gorgeous (if slightly older) SL's above or an early XK8, which I think was the supposed competition? They might go the way of badly black out, chromed dealer-mobiles, but its not exactly worse than the OC dentist image they have now!

[mr_spock]

Captain Cadillac said:

"Jewish Racing gold?"

WTF?

That joke is wearing a bit thin. Will we get "Christian beige" or "Atheist White"?

The car is a bit nothing for me, it seems like a covertible for old people who don't like cars. Or convertibles.

Edited by mr_spock on Wednesday 15th December 16:24

[TonyHetherington]

Wow - surprising reaction to the story!

I must say, the SC430 is one of those cars that I simply can't understand why I want it - but I do. It won't handle well, it looks fairly ugly, it's not quick in absolute terms, but I just so so so want one!

[Gizmo!]

CampDavid said:

FishFace said:

Is Jewish Racing Gold as racist as it sounds?

No. It only offends people who don't actually know what they're offended by.

BAN PAEDIATRICIANS!

PS: I'd love an old SL. Preferably a 600 in black, for V12-goodness.

[angusc43]

Oddly enough I saw one driving by just the other day in Hamilton Terrace (aka Billionaires' Row) in St John's Wood. It was driven by a lady of a certain age with orange skin and a bad perm.

Target market bullseye.

[Tycho]

The Crack Fox said:

"You know you want to" ?! No, I bloody don't !

Perceived reliability and low purchase price are the only things going for these, they're ugly, vulgar, nasty inside, wobbly to drive and have an image perfect for the Golf Course.

I'd rather one of these, thankyouplease...

^^^This. Why would you want one of those Lexii (?)when you can get a good looking/desirable SL?

[Denorth]

russy01 said:

These cars are marmite.

However the colour makes a massive difference, this one is Mesa red (best colour by far, parents have a IS in the same colour)

...

I personally think it looks pretty good with the roof down.

Edited by russy01 on Wednesday 15th December 15:06

sweet colour