This SC 430 commercial featuring Andy Roddick and Christopher Fairbanks defies the usual Lexus formula of heightened drama and takes an altogether different route:

This went completely over my head, with such a strange combination of elements. A famous tennis player, a comedian, a tree frog story and a sixties era green-screen, how could these have come together in a Lexus commercial?

The poor SC 430, can’t even get a good commercial.

In what has now become an annual tradition, Lexus will be debuting a special 2008 SC 430 Pebble Beach Edition at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

With a limited run of only 360, the Pebble Beach SC 430 will have the exclusive color combination of a Smokey Granite Mica exterior and a two-tone Camel and Ecru leather interior, plus brushed chrome badging on the front fenders, illuminated scuff plates, a rear spoiler and 18-inch six-spoke chrome wheels.

Now at seven years without a redesign, the SC 430 is nearing the end of its current incarnation, with a new look expected for 2009, and it comes not a moment too soon. There are some things I like about the car, particularly the front face, but it never struck me as a suitable successor to the SC 300/400. Perhaps it should have been named the SD 430, for “Sunday Driver”.

[Source: Motor Trend]

I can’t say that the SC 430 is my favorite car in Lexus’ lineup, but Top Gear took it one step further, declaring it “the worst car on sale today”. When comparing it to the Hyundai Tiburon, it was hardly even a contest:

“Dreadful”. “Horrible”. “Charmless”. I’m honestly surprised the host didn’t drive the SC 430 off a cliff at the end.

Flickr user j0rdi has been taking some great shots at Salón del Automóvil happening right now in Barcelona. Not content to take photos of full cars, all the shots are beautifully cropped, leaving only the finer details.

One of these photos was of a Lexus SC 430, and it takes headlights to an entirely abstract level:

j0rdi’s other photos are amazing, particularly this one — Be sure to check them out.