30 July 2001: It has to have been one of the most extended public launches of a car in Ireland, and in excess of 1,200 people went along to the Toyota Motor Centre over the weekend to see the new Lexus sports cabriolet, the SC340. So popular was the event, officially opened to an invited audience on Thursday last by Dr Tim Mahony (above), chairman of Toyota Ireland, that it was extended through today, and extra day beyond planned.

The exhibition included displays of some of the original design drawings (above) for the first Lexus sports car as well as one of the first LS400 models in ireland, also featured cutaway engine displays and a training unit used to familiarise Lexus mechanics with the complexities of the high-technology cars.

The car, which retails for £84,000, is fully sold out for this year, but orders are being taken for next year's allocation.

"The car is new ground for Toyota," Dr Mahony told IrishCar.Com. "It gives us another area to target, and brings a new aspect to the image of the marque. BB