Lexus SC430

Lexus showcased its new sports convertible, the SC 430, at the Paris Motor Show in 2000, and the car entered production in March of the following year. Power was provided by a 4.3 L 3UZ-FE V8 engine with variable valve timing (VVT-i) mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. This engine was the same model as that found in the UCF30 Lexus LS. The SC 430's V8 could produce 288 hp (214.76 kW) and 430 Nm (317 lb ft) of torque, allowing the coupe to go from 0-60 in 6.2 seconds.

In contrast with the previous generation model, the redesigned Lexus SC was intended as a convertible from its inception.Lexus designers from Europe and Japan worked together to create the convertible's sleek, streamlined design. Led by chief engineer Yasushi Nakagawa, designers traveled to the Cote d'Azur to develop the vehicle's exterior shape, and studied the region's architecture, lifestyle, and harbors. The resulting convertible received character lines similar to the region's yachts, in contrast with traditional waveform lines.The vehicle's side profile, the product of extensive wind tunnel testing, was intended to channel air around the passenger compartment at high speed during top-down driving.