Author |
Message |
Warren Moore
Goo Roo Victoria JZA80 Supra
Posts: 1381 Reg: 01-2010
| I remember seeing a thread or link regarding one of a very few brand new Soarer or SC400 that was sold in Australia back in the 90's for over $150k. Does anyone have the article or link? |
Tom Richards
Goo Roo nsw V8
Posts: 1590 Reg: 08-2005
| http://soarercentral.com/sc-forum/messages/282/302304.html may be another one also |
Vincent Chan
TryHard nsw v8
Posts: 312 Reg: 12-2010
| Not sure if anyone actually imported any brand new Soarer into Oz but I know a few Lexus dealers did import some good low mileage used Soarers in pristine condition into Australia and sold them through local Lexus dealerships as pre loved vehicles. They came with the Lexus dealership log books, service records and manuals. They were all badged as Lexus SC400 but the manufacturer's complaince plate had Toyota on it and stamped as private imports. |
Warren Moore
Goo Roo Victoria JZA80 Supra
Posts: 1382 Reg: 01-2010
| Vincent, I'm not talking about a import. I remember reading back in the early 90's there were a few soarers sold in Australia that were not imports, they were sold brand new from either a Toyota or Lexus dealership (not sure which) for around $160k-$180k. I'm 90% sure they were SC400's being sold at a Lexus dealership |
James Buchan
Goo Roo Vic vvt-i turbo
Posts: 1703 Reg: 10-2008
| Warren, they'd have had to have been left hand drive if they were brand new SC400's as these were only sold in the States. Pretty sure they would have just been a Lexus Badged Soarer. |
Mike Beck
Goo Roo New Zealand BMW E36 Coupe 1UZFE V8 340i
Posts: 5747 Reg: 11-2005
| Yeah, would have been a little dealer trick. |
Boris Siljanoski
Goo Roo Western Australia LS400 + Soarer.
Posts: 2050 Reg: 11-2007
| If SC400's were Indeed sold in Australia then we'd see heaps of Aftermarket parts catalogs listing the SC400 in their books but we only get heaps of parts support for LS400 and less so for SC400. Would be as easy as having a look at the radio buttons to see if they are Japanese, look for Toyota logo on the Engine Bay and you will always find they are Toyotas not Lexus as otherwise they would not have a Digital Dash. |
Scott Vim
DieHard Vic Soarer (1uz) Chaser (1jz)
Posts: 687 Reg: 12-2010
| They never came out here. All of them are jap imports some have Lexus badges on them. |
Joshua Rao
Goo Roo WA TT (for sale $5.2k), 97 Blk UZZ31, 97 JZZ30 vvti turbo white manual, 96 vvti turbo manual, Legnum VR4, MR2 sw20, Alfa 156
Posts: 3283 Reg: 09-2006
| I heard that Lexus brought 3 or so actual Lexus sc's LHD over to test the waters however that all fell into the sewer with the early 90s recession. But I have never seen them! |
Scott Vim
DieHard Vic Soarer (1uz) Chaser (1jz)
Posts: 688 Reg: 12-2010
| Why not just bring the rhd version in? I think this is just myth. |
Allan Langford
DieHard Vic UZZ31
Posts: 990 Reg: 05-2010
| if toyota had of had any here they would've been crushed once evaluation was finished or sent back |
Warren Moore
Goo Roo Victoria JZA80 Supra
Posts: 1384 Reg: 01-2010
| Yeah then it was most likely a V8 Soarer. I'm 100% there was at least one brand new Soarer sold in Aus back in the 90's, it sold for around $140k from memory. There was an article posted on here years ago about it |
Dave Rose
Goo Roo wa UZZ31 / ML320 CDI
Posts: 2323 Reg: 03-2007
| Yes Warren,you are right think there might have been three bought in , i will try and find the article |
Joshua Rao
Goo Roo WA TT (for sale $5.2k), 97 Blk UZZ31, 97 JZZ30 vvti turbo white manual, 96 vvti turbo manual, Legnum VR4, MR2 sw20, Alfa 156
Posts: 3285 Reg: 09-2006
| I am so sure. C'mon gooroos find some evidence. Ali? The crushing thing or sent back thing would make sense as I've searched far and wide and never seen the LHD sc in Aust. Wasn't the article in an early hpi issue? |
Tom Richards
Goo Roo nsw V8
Posts: 1593 Reg: 08-2005
| my thoughts are a CEO of LEXUS in australia had a soarer rebadged in japan to LEXUS and sent to Australia as a new car with LEXUS books etc. |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo North Island JZZ31
Posts: 6871 Reg: 10-2005
| I remember reading somewhere that a hand full of Soarers were brought into New Zealand brand new for filming of adverts, then sold off to the local market after filming was completed. No idea how true it is, but there is definitely a Soarer advert that was filmed in NZ, as I've seen it. |
Mark Donovan
DieHard Auckland V8 Limited
Posts: 851 Reg: 07-2005
| ^ Correct - alot of the ads were filmed in NZ, especially around Queenstown, Glenorchy, Tekapo. Some of the original Soarer brochures have shots with the Auckland Museum in the background too. |