A Car for All Seasons

Photos Marish Mackowiak A convertible for a frosty Japanese winter? The Toyota Soarer's (Lexus SC430)folding hardtop makes it perfect any time of year. Marish Mackowiak goes topless.

At passing glance you notice some similarity between Toyota's new luxury convertible and an open-top model from a certain German manufacturer, especially since it shares a comparable folding hardtop. However, a closer inspection reveals a quite different vehicle. While the minimalist Mercedes SLK may have pioneered the folding roof, Toyota has extended the concept to create what is essentially a luxury car equipped with every extra. The styling of the Soarer is likely to polarize enthusiasts. Like many other Japanese prestige models, it pays tribute to European vehicles without exactly following their recognizably classic lines. Once again, the longer you look, the more distinctive the Soarer appears. The rear offers what is perhaps the Soarer's most unique angle, full-length shoulders gracefully tapering down to a sleek tail. A bold nose features a grill reminiscent of the Celsior, while multilens headlights add a contemporary, high-tech touch. A slightly bulbous middle combines with imposing 18-inch alloy wheels to give the Soarer a sure-footed, athletic stance, also helping to make the car seem smaller than its actual size.

Flip your lid Like the SLK, the folding roof rises effortlessly out of the trunk in 25 seconds—a winning concept that all soft-top makers should follow. When the sleekly rounded roof is up, a light, airy interior provides few clues that this is anything other than a fixed-roof coupe, while maintaining decent headroom. It won't be long before all convertibles are built this way. The trunk lid is a novelty, too, opening from the front when dealing with the roof but lifting up conventionally when used to store luggage. Although luggage space is restricted with the hardtop stored, optional run-flat tires increase this by eliminating the need for a spare.

Hidden extras Inside, “bird's-eye” maple veneer and acres of creamy leather upholstery create an opulent ambiance. Even the steering wheel is partly veneered. Quality black moldings cap the upper part of the cabin. It's a complex décor mix that integrates well without seeming particularly overstated. The CD/MD sound system features a useful six-disc CD player, eliminating the need to re-stock a trunk-mounted stacker. To assuage security-conscious owners' paranoia when parking topless, the optional Mark Levinson stereo and navigation/TV system are covered with their own wood-faced covers. The cover for the “Electro-Multivision” screen slides shut automatically when the keys are removed. For secure storage, the large center console bin is divided, with a lockable inner compartment. Three black-faced dial instruments are reminiscent of the sporty Mercs, but a foot-operated parking brake makes the Soarer seem more like a luxury car. The Soarer name has been tastefully emblazoned everywhere, although the significance of the similarly omnipresent winged lion emblem is a little less clear. An appropriate driving position is assured, with heated electric seats and a tiller that is adjustable using a unique joystick control on the steering column. When the keys are removed, the steering wheel automatically moves out of the way for easier entry and exit. Cruise control and TV/navigation functions can also be operated using steering wheel-mounted switches. The seat position can be preset for two drivers. Predictably enough for this type of coupe, the luxurious rear seats are only for children, emergency passengers or a gourmet picnic basket.

Power lode For motorists concerned about power, the Soarer provides plenty of high-revving punch, especially once this rather heavy car is given a chance to gather momentum. The heart of the vehicle is a muscle-bound, EFI, 32-valve, 4.3 liter V8, featuring VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence). It puts out 300hp/206kw of power at 5,600rpm and a chunky 325lb-ft/430N-m of torque at 3,400rpm through a five-speed Super ECT (Electronically Controlled Transmission). Like so many cars these days, the Soarer can be driven around sedately most of the time, but put your foot down and the engine starts to sound much more urgent, all the way to a 6,100rpm redline. Nevertheless, the power comes in a seductive surge rather than as an immediate shove in the back. All that grunt comes at a price, however, since you'll only travel 8.5km for every liter of gasoline consumed. Packed with power but laden with an unimaginable array of heavy amenities, the Soarer typifies the dilemma of whether to categorize such a car as a sports machine or pure luxury model. Toyota calls it a “high-class personal car.” Motoring journalists sometimes mock heavy luxury coupes with sporting pretensions as being “bound for the boulevard.” The Soarer would likewise be easy to categorize as a laid-back lux bus (after all, no manual transmission option is offered), except that its substantial power is backed up by competent flat handling. As with the tractable engine, the double wishbone/coil spring suspension only reveals its potential when the Soarer is hustled quickly through corners or when bumps are registered with an assertive thump. In the same way that clever styling disguises its size, there's no indication while driving the Soarer that this is actually quite a large car. Discs all round, ventilated up front, do the stopping. With prices starting at ¥6,000,000, the Soarer is an expensive product from a car maker that specializes in economy models. It's even pricey when compared with Mercedes' SLK, until you realize that this is a larger car with a bigger engine, more comparable with Benz's ¥13,000,000 SL grade. Viewed from that perspective, this car for affluent couples or extravagant lovers of luxury obviously delivers a lot for the price.