Sales of the Lexus SC have dipped considerably for the Japanese luxury brand, with only 1,230 SC 430s finding a home in the U.S. in the first six months of the year, down more than 40% from levels just one year ago. The current generation has been in production since 2001 and is starting to show its age up against a number of newcomers in the luxury coupe and convertible markets.

While Toyota was originally planning to launch a replacement for the car sometime next year, inside sources have revealed to Edmunds that those plans were subsequently pushed back to mid-2011 and now, in fact, have been canceled.

The new car was meant to be based on the same RWD platform as the upcoming LFA supercar due next year.

According to the source, the Lexus SC is not the only car Toyota is planning to axe. Executives are reportedly mulling whether to drop the next-generation Avalon and replace it with a long-wheelbase Camry instead. The stretched Camry is being considered for North America as well as the Middle-East and China, but it won’t arrive until 2011 at the earliest if given the green light.