There are a few things in life that are inevitable: death, taxes, and new styling designs on cars. It’s hard to argue that change is always good; sometimes changes made to certain existing styles on cars are questionable. The over abundance of European vehicles within the luxury market goes without dispute; however the sight of Japanese luxury styling is always a nice fresh breath of air. When Lexus decided to restyle the SC series chassis, the introduction of a convertible hardtop coupe brought the new release of the SC430 to the center of attention of Japanese luxury enthusiasts worldwide. Gone was the longer wheelbase of the previous series, and introduced was the shorter and sportier version of the SC breed.
From the factory, the 4.3L V8 power plant located underneath the curvaceous hood of the SC430 boasts 300 horsepower with 325 ft lbs of torque. For most owners this is ample power for a luxurious cruiser, but for Gilbert Winstead of Southern California, those numbers just weren’t sufficient. Desiring the adrenaline rush of back numbing acceleration, Winstead researched his limited options to product the result he yearned for from his SC430. Ultimately realizing he would have to source out experts within the Lexus name, Winstead, turned to the folks at Luxury Motorworks for their assistance. Luxury Motorworks prides themselves in specializing with all vehicles baring the Lexus nametag. Mostly dealing with custom electronics that we’ll get into later, Luxury Motorworks took on the task of customizing a supercharger kit to fulfill Winstead’s gut wrenching, torque-ful desires.
Utilizing an ATI Procharger C-2 edition supercharger, the masterminds at Luxury Motorworks began piecing together the formula for an SC430 like none other. Trying to keep the luxury of the SC430 intact, the engine bay pieces were carefully chosen and modified to flow with the rest of the package. Luxury Motorworks went with mandrel bent 6061 aluminum that had been bead-rolled and Jet-Hot treated for the custom intake piping. Several pieces from the engine bay were unbolted to receive an eye-popping polishing job in and out, including the custom mounted HKS Super Sequential blow off valve. As the ignition key is turned and the Denso spark plugs ignite, the unmistakable surge of a supercharger chimes in the ears. There are clearly no secrets here that this SC430 is far from Uncle Joe’s, even when sitting idle at a stop light. With the addition of the supercharger, a custom intercooler enhanced with dual SPAL 5.2″ intercooler fans were implemented into the Luxury Motorworks package. After all, reliability is extremely important in any high horsepower setup, mind a luxurious vehicle such as this one.
Force inducing the 4.3L brought a whole new sound to the car just at idle. Throwing the car into drive and stomping on the throttle, amidst the excessive amounts of torque pinning driver and passenger into the leather seats, the deep rumble of the Blitz Realize TT exhaust system fills in the cabin. But to truly enjoy the SC430, the removal of the hard top is a necessity. Once again, the clever minds of Luxury Motorworks had their hands involved with this task. With a simple flick of a switch and one smooth motion, the trunk is opened and ready to accept the hard top roof that slides off with ease – if this isn’t luxury, I don’t know what is. Enjoying the convertible aspect of the supercharged SC430 is further supplemented in this package with aggressive handling capabilities and matching brake components.
Keeping with Japanese experts for the suspension components, Winstead installed a set of TEIN CS coilovers on all four corners. Their unmistakable green shade easily catches the eye, but the hands are what enjoy each of these components working together to bring life to the steering wheel. With dampening and height adjustability available to this supercharged SC430, it is ultimately able to achieve an ideal height while maintaining the smooth ride of a luxury convertible coupe.
Accelerating with plenty more horsepower and torque than its factory counterpart, Winstead focused his attention in obtaining a fitting brake upgrade for the SC430. The Brembo Gran Turismo silver metallic big brake kit was decided on, and the fronts of the convertible became adorned with the looks and performance of a 355mm cross-drilled 2 piece rotor. The rear brakes are not far behind on the install chart; however Goodridge stainless steel brake lines and ceramic brake pads have already found their way home. Working as a polar opposite to the sheer back pinning acceleration thrill the SC430 produces, the Brembo Gran Turismo brake components brings the car to a back breaking halt, giving the possibility of reacquainting the driver with the steering wheel.
The restyling of the Lexus SC430 brought on many changes from its previous generation. Not only was the wheel base shortened and the convertible hard top was added, the body changes made it more fitting for an aggressive set of wheels and tires. In Japan, the company Wald has developed a reputation like none other for classy styling on Japanese luxury vehicles. Jonari Corp. has begun the importing of Wald products, and Winstead went the route of beautifying his SC430 with Wald styling. The front spoiler, side skirts and rear lip was match painted and installed professionally, giving the already curvaceous SC430 even more rounded lines. The front and side skirts easily flow into the rear of the car, where a Wald lip spoiler sits atop the smooth trunk, completing the package. While viewing the rear of the car, it’s hard to notice how attractive and fitting the Blitz exhaust system is to the rest of the chassis. Shining brilliantly in a high polished finish, the rounded tips flow with the natural body lines in a curved fashion.
Protecting such a beautiful vehicle in harsh traffic conditions is no easy task. An AeroTect clear protection kit was custom cut and installed onto this SC430. Seamlessly blending in to the stock body of the car, the clear AeroTect now offers proper protection from the annoying rock chips on the front bumper and Wald front lip. In addition, the unique headlights of the SC430 received an AeroTect protective coating as well. At this point it may seem difficult to find a fitting set of wheels to complete the entire package, but Wald was one step ahead.
Accenting their entire body kit and designing a wheel fitting for a luxurious Japanese vehicle, Wald developed the D23 wheel with a unique yet stylish five spoke design. With a 19×9 setup in the front and a wider 19×10 pair in the rear, the imported wheels were wrapped with Bridgestone bred tires in the Pole Position S-03 series. These Bridgestone tires are as high quality as the rest of the parts on the car, making it a match made in heaven with the Wald wheels. Offering the best in grip, traction and overall performance, the Pole Position tires were mounted in a 245/35/19 and 275/30/19 series.
So it’s easy to say in this particular scenario that change is indeed good. Building off the new SC430 convertible hardtop platform, Winstead was able to accent the rounded body of the SC430 with Wald styling and wheels. Forcing an abundance of air through the 4.3L motor, Luxury Motorworks put icing on the entire performance with a custom supercharger kit. With back pinning acceleration teamed with non-hesitant braking performance, this SC430 has been converted to a whole new luxury package.
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