We head out to Mt. Pisgah and Buford Park almost religiously on summer evenings right after supper. There’s the summit to climb via numerous trails, or the vast open space and rivers on both sides. When it gets hot, I have my semi-secret swimming hole to cool off in. Last night we hiked a good seven miles or so.
And ‘Lil Man is still going strong, even as he approaches his eleventh birthday. As long as it’s not hot out, he’s still good for eight or ten miles. It’s how we all stay in shape despite our years.
On a beautiful early summer day recently, we found ourselves admiring this fine Lexus 400SC there, and ‘Lil Man was not in the mood to move. They make a rather nice pairing, actually.
Someone’s taking good car of their pet car. I have very happy memories ripping through the Santa Cruz Mountains in one that a dear friend owned for a number of years. It was the best car she ever had, she’s often said. I had my son Ted along on that drive; he must have been about six or so, and it left an indelible impression on him. Maybe a bit too much so.
The SC (and its companion Toyota Soarer) were styled in California, at Toyota’s Calty studios. The stylists took a different approach, working only in 3D with plaster and other materials, eschewing drawings altogether. The result was a car that was based on “emotion and feeling” rather than linear aesthetics. The body had almost no straight edges, and produced a drag coefficient of a very low Cd=0.31
Its 4.0 L V8, shared with the LS400, sat behind the front axle center line. The SC made it into car and Driver’s Ten Best List from 1992 through 1996. The chassis of the SC was used as the basis for the next generation Supra. There was also an SC300, with the Supra’s inline six.
This was the spectacular sunset as we headed back down the mountain last night. We didn’t get back to the car until about 9:45, but there was still some light on the horizon. Summer is here.
Those SC’s are one of my favorite designs of the 90’s. So clean and well proportioned. I believe the 6 cylinder SC300 could be had with a 5-speed, which could be a lot of fun, albeit sold in very small numbers.
What replaced this SC was…not so nice to look at.
3L2 Renaissance red is a great color; you could find it on these from 1995 on, the 1993-1998 Supra, and 1994-1999 Celicas. It is a unique shade that is both darker than a usual solid red while also maintaining a vivid appearance. Single stage base, no clearcoat. The only color on the SC I find to be more appealing is the 1995-only 752 Baltic blue metallic, a very deep cobalt.
Very handsome indeed. The Lexus pulls off the gold highlights look better than most. ‘Lil Man just needs a chain collar and he would be quite the baller.
Very handsome indeed. The Lexus pulls off the gold highlights look better than most. Lil’ Man just needs a gold collar for the perfect match.
Cool dog, you say Lexus I say Toyota and these are quite sought after among the JDM crowd and they are getting scarce in the wild, they have aged out of the regular common used import category.
Having met Lil’ Man in person, I can verify that he is indeed a Nice Doggy.
Love the first photo; it’s great that you, Stephanie and Lil’ Man can get so much exercise!
Our sunsets in central VA are currently occurring at 8:40 pm, so darkness isn’t complete until over an hour later.
Looks a great car and sunset – you live in a great area.
Has the SC been lowered or is it just the wheels?
The suspension appears stock. Those oversized aftermarket wheels are the main reason it appears lowered. The springs have likely lost some compression support over the years.