Lexus builds only one version of the SC 430 ($58,455). It's loaded with sophisticated safety and performance hardware, then laced with luxurious appointments in leather, wood and chrome. Included is a Mark Levinson audio system with nine custom speakers designed to deliver full-bodied audiophile sound whether the top is up or down.
The sole engine, a four-cam 4.3-liter aluminum V8, produces 300 horsepower and mates to a five-speed automatic transmission with intuitive electronic controls.
Optional equipment is limited to three high-tech items: The Lexus Navigation System ($2,000) triangulates by satellites and coordinates with a DVD-powered data base to plot the vehicle's earthly position and display it on a dash-mounted video screen. Run-flat tires ($400) eliminate the need for hauling a spare tire and thus increase space in the trunk, and a thin spoiler ($440) added to the tail further reduces the car's already slick aerodynamic rating from a 0.31 coefficient of drag to 0.30.
Standard safety equipment includes frontal and side-impact airbags for front seats, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control (TRAC), vehicle skid control (VSC), even a tire pressure warning system (TPWS).