As a motoring journalist I do a fair bit of driving and I tend to forget about enjoying the ride, as getting from point A to point B in one piece takes precedence over namby-pamby ideas such as stopping to smell the roses.
Thankfully, there are a few motoring manufacturers out there who remind us that, although we may love cars, if we’re not open to taking the occasional detour to have a little fun, we might as well stop driving.
When it comes to rushing around like the proverbial blue-arsed fly, I’m guilty as charged. So when new Lexus GM Kevin Flynn told us, at the recent launch of the Lexus SC430, that the new addition to the range was about “savouring the moment”, I cynically wondered to myself if he was stationed in sleepy Cape Town.
Turns out he lives in good old Gangster’s Paradise (aka Gauteng), where the drivers are so busy they don’t even have the time to use their indicators any more, because not only does it rob them of valuable time, it also means they either have to stop SMSing or smoking or eating and that’s just unreasonable.
Not indicating is a fantastically clever decision, because tow-truckers no longer have to resort to sabotaging traffic lights to cause accidents — constantly busy, never-courteous Gautengers are causing enough all by themselves.
Though, to be fair, I have to give credit to Eishkom as well for ensuring that no vultures are going hungry these days. And that makes me wonder if Eishkom’s big fish have relatives or friends who might own tow-trucking or panel-beating businesses. Hmm …
But I’m getting away from my point, which is this: constantly having to deal with drivers who have the average IQs of fruit flies robs one of the ability to stop and smell the roses, because it’s more than likely that someone has swerved off the road and driven over said roses to avoid the schmuck who veered into their lane without indicating.
So half-way through the launch drive, I had to make a conscious effort to slow down and take in the sights, and the clever Lexus folk made sure we were in a place that had no shortage of beautiful scenery: Knysna.
With the top down and the wind making a horrible mess of my hair, I let the sun warm my skin as I slowed down enough to taste the salt in the ocean air of Plettenberg Bay.
Of course, there are few cars as luxuriously appointed as the SC430 and with the Mark Levinson sound system enhancing the overall driving experience, it was easy to understand why Lexus is enjoying such phenomenal success in South Africa. (In the past two years, Lexus went from selling a few hundred cars a year to selling a few hundred cars a month.)
Yes, the SC430 is half-way through its life cycle, coming to South Africa three years after being launched overseas. But the technology is on par with most luxury sport coupe convertibles in this segment, so it being a slightly older model doesn’t matter that much.
Although the interior is exquisite, the SC430 doesn’t have satellite navigation or lane-changing indicators and the alloy wheels look more like modern fruit platters than sporty accessories. What the SC430 does achieve quite easily though is a classy appearance, as it looks somewhat like a Bentley from the rear.
And though it’s a 2+2-seater, it’s one of those cars where the rear seats aren’t even suitable for small children, as the front seats are usually pressed up against the bottom of the rear seats.
The drive is exceedingly comfortable and it’s not too shabby in the performance department either. A 4,3-litre V8 engine ensures a 0-100km/h sprint in 5,8s and a top speed of 250km/h. Fuel consumption is claimed to be about 11,4 litres/100km and safety is taken care of with ABS with brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and vehicle stability control — among other things.
What is nice about Lexus generally is that its vehicles usually come equipped with a high-standard specification list and the SC430 is no exception. Features such as the phenomenal sound system, adaptive front lighting system and the automatic climate control system do not cost a single cent extra.
Now you might think that when you’re forking out R762Â 000 for a car, it’s bound to have a host of cool standard features, but that’s not always the case. So, if you’re in the market for a convertible sports coupé, be sure to compare the list of standard equipment.