![]() ![]() They are just the thing to make you feel like an emperor, even when you're just on the way to get takeout sushi.Power is delivered right from the 1400 RPM mark up to the 3400 RPM mark. ![]() And if those tremors remain Japan-market only, don't forget to check those overseas auctions for any second-generation V-12 Centurys coming up for sale- there's one on Bring a Trailer right now, although the auction ends September 6. Whatever the case, the expansion of the Century range after nearly 60 years of staying the course is, like Emperor Naruhito himself, an indication that some traditions are going to be shaken up. Lexus does have the Grand Highlander–based TX on the way, but perhaps there's some room at the top for a flagship Toyota crossover without the L badge on the front. Toyota bringing the Crown sedan to North America was an interesting move, and the crossover market is a safer bet. What's perhaps more interesting is the possibility of a Century on this side of the Pacific. Given the Century's use as a chaffeured livery car, hybridization is likely, and it's possible that Toyota will be able to disguise any commoner roots with lashings of handbuilt quality. That means a transverse-mounted engine with front-wheel-drive architecture, a hard sell in the luxury segment. The rumor among Japanese publications is that this new Century will ride on the same platform as the Toyota Grand Highlander, a variant of which also underpins that Alphard minivan. Rolls-Royce Droptail Is a Custom Two-Seat Roadsterĭetails on this new Century SUV have not leaked out ahead of the September 6 reveal (because of the time zone, it's just after midnight in the U.S.), but camouflaged prototypes have already been spotted by Japanese magazine Car-Moby.Japan's New Emperor Gets a One-Off Toyota Century.Akio Toyoda did have a GR version made, with less-reserved sporty tweaks, but that was more the exception that proves the rule. No flashy Maybach or Bentley, the Century embraces a subtlety not seen much in the luxury market these days. ![]() Sinking into the rich wool upholstery of a Century-it breathes better than leather in the humid Tokyo summer, and doesn't squeak either-is a different kind of luxury. Needless to say, the waiting list stretches to years. ![]() As such, it feels a little less special, but there's still a handcrafted quality to the car, one that limits production to just 50 vehicles per month, and Japan-only availability. The current generation of Century is now a 5.0-liter V-8 hybrid with a powertrain shared with the Lexus LS600h. Imagine the imperious wafting of a Rolls-Royce, with engineering from the people behind the Mk IV Supra Turbo, and assembled by trained takumi who hand-chamfer the body panels by feel alone. importable, and they are wonderful to drive. Introduced in 1997, early models of these are now U.S. The second-generation Century resembled its ancestor closely but dropped the bubble-economy Toyota engineering mic by being Japan's only production V-12 car, ever. The most recent teaser image features the white-gloved hand of a chauffeur about to open the door of a crossover that bears the polished, squared-off styling of the current Century sedan. It was initially hinted at in a projected silhouette at the launch of the Toyota Alphard minivan by Toyota chief branding officer Simon Humphries, and now the arrival of a Century SUV seems a sure thing. Now that tradition seems destined to change as Toyota readies an additional model in the flagship ultimate luxury vehicle category. Handbuilt, luxurious yet incredibly reserved, just three generations of Century limousine have existed since 1967. Specifically, that of a Toyota Century, long the automotive equivalent of Japan's Imperial household.
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