CC for IS range confirmed but SC to soldier on

Lexus' luxo-convertible SC 430 is set to soldier on beyond the end of the decade, but a four-place IS-based coupe-cabriolet will be Down Under by August next year. That's the latest open air model news from Toyota's luxury affiliate.

Launched in 2001, the V8-engined SC is likely to remain on the manifest until the 2011 model year, says Lexus insiders.

Though the LF-A (more here) could potentially have spawned a replacement, the scope (and performance) of the two-seater has evolved to be more supercar than boulevardier. The limited production volume of the LF-A (perhaps as few as 500 units per year, say insiders) and the price expected to be asked for the car should it go into production also put it out of the frame.

Currently, Lexus sells just a handful of SCs each month, however, Lexus dealers will have a new higher volume open car to push Down Under in time for the 2009-10 spring and summer selling season.

Now confirmed for Australia is the folding hardtop two-door version of the IS 250.

"There's lots of talk about the potential models that might come our way, but you have to build your business on what's confirmed and locked in. We reckon the IS coupe-cabrio will be a very strong entrant into the Australian marketplace for us," Lexus Australia boss John Roca told the Carsales Network.

"We've seen some of the artist's impressions floating around and frankly the car looks quite different," Roca told the Carsales Network.

"The car's confirmed for Australia, but there's a long way to go before we can talk about pricing or specification details," he said.

According to Roca, Lexus has ambitious targets for the car -- an annual volume of between 600-800 units.

"That sort of volume would give us segment leadership," Roca said. "The sales will be incremental. There will be some substitution -- we expect some of the top spec IS sedan numbers to soften."

According to Roca, Lexus Australia would like to echo the sedan in terms of model line-up -- Sports, Sports Luxury and Premium.

"The reality is we may not have that option. If we are limited to a single model, the most likely variant is a Sports Luxury," he said.

As is the case with the IS sedan, the Australian market's alignment with European model/spec will likely stop any larger-engined version coming Down Under. Right now, Lexus is debating whether to even build a '350' version, though it seems unlikely the US market won't be looking for just such a variant.

With seating for four, the IS CC [Ed: our designation, not Lexus'] will be aimed for square at BMW's 325i coupe and the new-generation Benz CLK softtop and coupe. It will likely demand a considerable premium over its four-door stablemate, however.

"The cheapest 3 Series coupe-cabriolet is just under the $100,000 mark. We don't expect our coupe cabriolet to be much different in terms of pricing," Roca said.

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