2006 Lexus SC 430 Road Test

Lexus' definitive convertible cruiser gets an update

Finished in Chardonnay, with the soft, wind-shaped bodywork, the

A mild update for Lexus' top of the line cruiser for 2006. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

new Lexus SC 430 looks like it belongs in a place like Beverly Hills, Miami or parked out front of a villa next to the Mediterranean. You know, the kind of place where you can drop the roof 365 days a year, and sunbathe in the driver's seat, while slowly cruising along the oceanside. Without even driving it, you can tell that it's made for wafting down the strip, motoring relaxation surely anyone can appreciate. It makes me wonder why, like the SC, I'm not there. I then realize that my coat's unbuttoned and my hands are bright red, freezing from ice-laced gusts of wind while snapping photos, and that I'm late for an appointment in Hamilton of all places.

I recognize the fact that winter conditions aren't exactly prime for testing out a fancy luxury convertible, but when the SC 430 is factored in, Canada's worst - which failed to make itself present during my weekend test - wouldn't have made a difference, as its cabin is guarded by a folding metal roof. The SC was the first vehicle to full-size luxury ride to move up to the ingenious technology, after such sports cars as the first-gen Merc SLK and Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 brought the retractable hardtop back into vogue. Since then, Benz and Cadillac have employed similar units on their upscale roadsters, but good ideas rarely stay exclusive. In Europe, most new convertibles, even ones based off of tiny city cars feature this technology, while here in North America, the incoming VW Eos, Volvo C70 and Pontiac G6 Convertible will sport their own variations.

Made of rigid but lightweight aluminum, lined with fabric and capped off with a

One moment a convertible, twenty-five seconds later, a hard-top, aluminum-roofed coupe. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

glass rear windscreen, the SC 430 is a true coupe when the roof is up, but also a true convertible when the roof is down, no exceptions on either end. The benefits of this system are innumerable - it makes the SC less of a target for break-ins and vandalism, plus it enables the car to be well-insulated from the elements as well as wind noise, ultimately making it as whisper-quiet at highway speed as any big Lexus. Roof-up, the SC 430 boasts a drag coefficiency of 0.29, one of the lowest of any convertible currently on the market. When the weather's warmer, the roof can be dropped at the push of a button, with no latches or clasps to unbuckle.