Lexus->ke47 has had a difficult time with outright performance models in years past. The LFA->ke2181 was undoubtedly a beast of a machine, but with its extreme rarity and such a huge gap between it and the next model down the lineup, it was hardly the most effective of halo cars. Then there were the old SC->ke1841 models, which started off strong (for the time), but ended up bloated, heavy and underpowered. This will never do for a company that continues to desperately try to shake off a reputation for being boring.

So it seems that Lexus has decided to revive the SC nameplate for 2017, this time as a genuinely high-performance flagship model. It is expected that it will use the new Lexus 5.0-liter V-8, possibly with a hybrid system->ke147, and produce about 500 horsepower. An F model will sit at the top of the range with a twin-turbo version of the V-8, producing 600 horsepower. The price will likely start somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000, and head well north of that for the F. That will make these the most expensive Lexus models ever (apart for the anomaly that was the LFA, of course), but that's what a flagship is.

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Why it matters

The numbers for this reborn SC certainly sound like it will be all that it is supposed to in the performance department, but when it comes to styling, many of you probably have some misgivings. The design language currently used by Lexus has been divisive to say the least, and it's difficult to imagine it translating well into the kind of restrained good looks that are usually favored for this segment. An ugly SC isn't quite a foregone conclusion, but we will be paying close attention when the car debuts in late 2016 or early 2017.

2017 Lexus SC

Find out more about the 2017 Lexus SC in our speculative review here.