Lexus SC 300/400

Lexus introduced the V8-powered SC 400 coupe in May 1991. The SC 300, powered by a 24-valve twin-cam in-line 6-cylinder engine, joined the lineup in August of that same year. While the creation of most cars begins with a series of sketches on paper, the designers at Calty Design Research in California began work on the Lexus SC by sculpting shapes in clay. The result is evident not only in the car's exterior shape, but in the interior as well. Restyled slightly in 1997, the SC coupes received improved power plants and transmissions in 1998. Both the I6 and V8 motors employ Lexus' Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i) which improves drivability on the 6-cylinder engine, while increasing horsepower and torque on the V8.