The Porsche 911 Turbo is the most popular model of its class, but that status comes with a lot of competitors looking to take it down a peg or two. From the Nissan GT-R to the Audi R8 V10, every premium sports car->ke506 in the market has its eyes set on the 911 Turbo. Now you can add the Lexus SC->ke1841 to that list.
Lexus->ke47’ European vice president Alain Uyttenhoven told Autocar that the Japanese automaker is poised to join an already populated sports car market when it launches the production version of the 2012 LF-Lc Hybrid Sports Coupé Concept. Lexus is even dusting off the "SC" name with plans to use it on the production model, bringing back the name of the 2+2 grand tourer that was in production from 1991 to 2010.
The new Lexus SC isn't going to be a continuation of the old model, but will instead be a performance-oriented sports car that will be prepared as the spiritual successor to the LFA, eventually taking the reigns from the carbon fiber-bodied supercar->ke177 as the company’s resident halo car.
The Autocar report also indicated that Lexus will prepare the SC as a front-engined sports car with rear-wheel drive. It also stands to receive a hybrid powertrain made up of a V-8 engine and an electric motor with the goal of producing upwards of 500 horsepower. What’s unclear is whether Lexus will create a new platform specifically for the SC or if it’s simply going to use a shortened version of the platform being prepared for the next-generation LS->ke436 or GS->ke439.
That’s an issue Lexus will eventually have to figure out, but what’s important is that the company is following through on its promise to build more emotional cars. Having a premium halo car like the Lexus SC in its lineup goes a long way in living up to that promise.
Autocar
Click past the jump to read more about the Lexus LF-LC.0}
There have actually been a lot of reports about the future of the Lexus SC as the company’s new halo car. But hearing it come from a person of authority such as Uyttenhoven now gives it a lot more weight.
As far as we know, the new SC will sit above the RC F coupe in the hierarchy of Lexus models. That should open up to a world of possibilities on how Lexus will prepare the SC. It could receive the LF-Lc’s carbon-fiber and aluminum construction, ensuring that it’s light enough to allow its powertrain to achieve incredible performance numbers.
In terms of design, we think the SC will be packaged with a completely new look. It’s likely that it’ll receive styling cues from the LF-Lc and the RC F, but for the most part, the SC should be able to stand on its own, ready to embrace the responsibility of inheriting the “halo status” from the LF-A.
Why it matters
When Lexus decided to end production of the LF-A supercar, it left the room open for a new halo car to come into the picture and take its place.
The first indication of Lexus’ plan to replace the LF-A came at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show when the Japanese automaker pulled the covers off of the LF-Lc Concept, which at that time was deemed as the latest evolution of Lexus’ L-finesse design language.
The LF-Lc was also prepared with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout that incorporated Lexus’ next-generation Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive system. The total output derived from his hybrid setup came up to 500 horsepower.