The personal luxury coupe used to be a big deal. Having a smooth, luxurious and stylish car was a status symbol that let other road users know you craved the finer things in life. Unfortunately, this segment of car isn’t as popular as it once was and therefore doesn’t hold the same amount of clout. You know what I say to that? Rubbish! I love big luxurious coupes like the BMW 850 and Mercedes CL, but those German offerings are a lot rarer than the second gen Toyota Soarer/Lexus SC. As a resuIt, I give the car less attention – then I saw this one at the Koka Department Car Show. Suddenly, I couldn’t get away from it. I must say, this car was a pleasant surprise and easily one of the best in show.
The Soarer did not leave the factory like this. For one thing, it’s too low to the ground. There’s no way Toyota would risk the lawsuits, but when you have the car to yourself, you can do whatever you like with the stance. And boy does it work. May not be great for potholes but it’s great when you’re trying to make a statement. That’s not all though. The aftermarket body kit adds extra volume to the existing sheetmetal, which in turn helps the car look lower again. Take the body kit off and you will lose the effect. Adding bigger front and rear bumpers that flare out around the edges make this big JDM coupe shine because it doesn’t mess with the original linework. It’s the best type of body modification.
The colour of this car definitely reminds me of red wine because it’s a rather deep colour with subtle highlights to tell you it’s not a flat red or purple. It’s somewhere in the middle. Very rarely do you see a car painted like this but on a big luxury coupe with soft, clean lines, it’s such a fitting choice because it looks mature and classy. The metallic finish of the paint helps bring out the elegance of the big Soarer in a way that few finishes can, raising the quality of the build considerably. I did not see this coming at all and it made me think – we don’t see cars like this anymore. I spent several minutes talking to Kyle about it as I looked at this stunning car from the angle below. It’s delightful.
Wheel choice on a car like this is very important because it can make or break the whole build. Thankfully, the wheel choice here is on point and the sizing is judged properly with a solid amount of tyre thickness. They are BBS RSs – one of the most recogniseable mesh wheels ever produced. It doesn’t draw your attention away from the sheetmetal, which really allows you to enjoy the car as a full package deal. I’ve seen plenty of clean cars ruined by poor wheel choices, so seeing this gives me great satisfaction.
Taking off the badges helps to clean things up, but it does leave you wondering whether or not it’s a Toyota or a Lexus. In any case, this a car that respects the original designer’s vision whilst building upon it’s glorious foundations. It takes a lot for me to be truly wowed by something so the fact this car caused me to pause for as long as it did speaks volumes. This is exactly the sort of thing I love to see when soo much of the world feels monotonous and boring. This is a reminder that we don’t have to go with the grain or suffer in silence.
