LEXUS, TOYOTA'S tuxury car division, has been selling cars in Canada for less than a year, yet their first offering, the LS 400 sedan, has already won critical acclaim from journalists and in- dustry experts. The sedan won the 199! Car of the Year Award pres- ented by the Automobile Journal- ists Association of Canada. J.D. Power & Associates, a prominent U.S. automotive research firm, rated the LS 400 the most trouble-free new car for the past two years in its U.S. Initial Quali- ty Survey. (U.S. Lexus’ were sold a year earlier than in Canada.) Whethee or not vou like, ar can afford a Lexus, you have to ad- mire the company for getting it right the first time in a com- petitive marketplace occupied by Lexus SC 400 New coupe builds on success of predecessor such prestigious and longstanding Names as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. lighter. Its fluid, rounded shape was designed at Toyota's California 46 There is a sense of deja-vi with the SC 400, its sleek lines are reminiscent of the Ferraris and Jaguars of the early ‘60's. 99 On the heels of the LS 400 sedan comes the SC 400, a owo- door, four-seater, rear-wheel-drive coupe based on the sedan. The SC 400 is 14 centimetres shorter than the sedan and 68 = kilograms Photo submitted THE LEXUS SC 400 coupe is based on the award-winning LS 400 sedan. Toyota designers created a rough full-scale version {above) which they passed on to the engineering side to arrive at the final form. design studios, and it's difficult to find a 90-degree angle anywhere on this car. The SC 400 is par- dcularly striking from the front. Its iow, rounded nose features specially-desizned headlamps that fie flush with the body's cur- vature. There is a sense of deja-vu with the SC 400, its sleek fines reminiscent of Ferraris and Jaguars of the early "60s. The SC400 has the same silky- smooth 250-horsepower 4.00 litre V8 engine and electranically-con- trotted four-speed automatic Price as tested $54,000 Type two-door, four passenger sports coupe Layout ltongtitudinal front engine/rear-wheel-drive Engine 3969 cc V8, four overhead cams, 32 valves, electronic fuel in- jection Horsepower 250 @ $600 rpm transmission as the sedan (no manual transmission is available). The engine is incredibly quiet, vibration-free and effortless in its operation except under hard ac- celeration when it lets out a sporty roar. The coupe’s transmission has been geared for faster acceler- ation. The SC 400 will whisk fram 0 to 100 km/h in about seven se- conds and has a reputed top speed of 240 kine h, One of the most ameozing things about this V8 engine is that it achieves reasonably good fuel economy, 13.2) Htres per 100 Kilometres in the city and 9.4 litres per lOO) kilometres in highway driving, Pretty good for a car weighing 1,635 kilograms. Standard safety features on the SC 400 include @ driver's side air- bag, four-wheel disc brakes with an ABS anti-lock brake system, and traction control (to) prevent the rear wheels from spinning under acceleration), For high speed touring, die SC 4000 has performance-rated Goodyear Eagle CISD 225/55VR 16-inch ra- dials mounted on big 16-inch Friday, July 19, 1991 — North Shore News - 35 as ‘ Photo submitted Greg Wilson TEST DRIVE aluminum alloy wheels, The interior has everything but the kitchen sink. Leather covers the seats, door panels, console, steering wheel, shift lever and parking brake lever, Bird's eve See Coupe'’s page 36 Torque 260 Ibs-f @ 4400 rpm Transmission clectronically-con- trolled four speed automatic with overdrive Tires 228/55 VRE6 steel belted radials Curb weight 1635 k2/3604 Ibs Wheelbase 2690 mnv/ 105.9 in. Length 4860 mm/191.3 in. Width 1790 mm/70.5 in. Height 1335 min/32.5 in, Trunk space 263 179.3 cu.ft. Fuel economy City 13.2 1./100 kin, 21 mpe: pty Basic: 4 yr1s/80,000 kms Powertrain/Major Components: 6 yrs/110,000 kms