For decades, the Century has stood as the most luxurious car ever engineered in Japan. Mainly sold domestically to government officials and members of the business elite, it had been a sedan since its debut in 1967. But things began to shift in 2023, when Toyota decided to branch out with an SUV. At the ongoing Japan Mobility Show, the Century returns with a sleeker body style: a coupe.
Mind you, this is not a Toyota. It’s a Century, full stop. Now established as a standalone brand positioned at the very top of Toyota’s hierarchy, Century distances itself from its parent company. It also sits well above Lexus, aiming to take on the likes of Rolls-Royce. Much like BMW’s ultra-luxury sub-brand, the newly founded marque strives to deliver a fully bespoke, “One of One” experience.
Signaling that separation is an extravagant car that, curiously, doesn’t even have a name. It’s also unclear whether we’re looking at a concept or a production model, though it appears to be somewhere in between. The lavish coupe borrows the SUV’s dual-headlight design, but that’s where the similarities largely end. It’s an imposingly large machine that feels like Japan’s answer to the Rolls-Royce Spectre.
While Rolls-Royce’s coupe is fully electric, the Century’s hood vents suggest the presence of a combustion engine. For reference, the sedan uses a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8, while the SUV employs a plug-in hybrid V-6. Don’t get your hopes up for the return of the V-12, which Toyota offered only on the second-generation Century sedan from 1997 to 2017.
Photo by: Toyota
The standalone Century coupe features a four-seat layout with a yoke-style steering “wheel” and a refreshingly compact, smartphone-like infotainment screen. A central ridge bisects both the front and rear seats, while the lack of B-pillars eases access to the rear. Interestingly, the car has an asymmetrical door configuration reminiscent of the quirky Hyundai Veloster with two sliding doors on the passenger side (left) and just one on the driver’s side (right).
There’s plenty to admire about the fastback-shaped Century, though the absence of a rear window is perhaps less endearing. Then again, it’s still a show car and won’t reach production in this exact form. The final version will likely tone things down with conventional doors, mirrors, and B-pillars.
Toyota remains tight-lipped about when the car will go on sale, but makes it abundantly clear that the Century represents the absolute pinnacle of Japanese luxury.
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Source: Toyota
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