The Toyota coupe marketed internationally as the Lexus SC was the Toyota Soarer.
Toyota introduced the Soarer in Japan in 1981 as a personal-luxury grand tourer, positioned above ordinary Toyota coupes. It became a showcase for advanced equipment, including digital instrumentation, electronic controls and, later, sophisticated navigation and climate systems. The model competed with Japanese luxury coupes such as the Nissan Leopard and Mazda Cosmo.
The connection with Lexus began with the third-generation Z30 Soarer, launched in Japan in 1991. Its closely related international version appeared as the Lexus SC 300 and SC 400, initially in the United States. The cars shared their basic body and engineering, although Japanese Soarers could differ in engines, trim and equipment. This is why “Lexus SC” is not a separate unrelated Toyota coupe, but the export-market identity of the Soarer line.
The fourth-generation Z40 was sold in Japan as the Soarer and elsewhere as the Lexus SC 430. When Lexus launched in Japan in 2005, Toyota retired the Soarer name there, ending production under that badge.