Very few outside of Japan might be familiar with the Toyota Century, a full-size saloon that has functioned as the automaker's signature vehicle in its home country, with the emperor, prime minister, and other influential people all using one.
Company chairman Akio Toyoda seems to have felt that the name and mission were not as well defined as they should be, and as a result, the Japanese company separated the Century moniker from the Toyota brand and established it as its own entity. One that would sit above the likes of Lexus as Toyota’s ultra-luxury spin-off.
Century aims to offer a fully bespoke, "One of One" experience to its customers, and what better way to do it than unveiling a sultry new coupe model to take on premium competitors such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley? Debuting at the Japan Mobility Show earlier this week, the new concept attracted a lot of attention for being unlike anything Toyota has done before.
The Coupe prototype is a high-riding grand tourer with a long snout, doors that slide open rather than swing, and a fastback roofline – a classic high-line design characteristic. Its grille features a phoenix logo, there are distinctive twin headlamps, but the most noticeable feature by far is the beautiful metallic orange paint, which, apparently, was sprayed in 60 layers.
Inside, the cabin is decked out in luxurious, handcrafted materials. The minimal driver's cockpit sports a yoke-style steering wheel, a streamlined screen layout, and futuristic mood lighting.
Behind the right-hand driver is a single rear seat. The left rear seat, on the other hand, is somewhat different; the designers have removed the traditional front passenger seat, giving the passenger lots of space to stretch out in first-class aircraft style. The seat can even be swiveled outward toward the door opening to make access easier.
Also interesting are the doors: the front door glides forward and the rear door slides backward – very similar to opposing minivan doors. This results in a big pillar-free gateway, providing unrestricted access.
Unfortunately, technical specifications are virtually non-existent at this time. The coupe will likely come with an internal combustion engine, though exactly which one is unknown – the current Century sedan is powered by a 5.0-liter V8, while the Century SUV is equipped with a hybrid-assisted 3.5-liter V6.
The actual launch date for the Century brand has yet to be announced. In terms of pricing, if Century follows in the footsteps of its two main British competitors, it might start at more than US$200,000, which is roughly the price of the current Bentley Continental GT.
Toyota executives have indicated that Century will focus solely on Japan – at least, at first. They do, however, suggest that if the new brand succeeds in its native market, the carmaker may consider expanding to China and possibly even the United States.
For now, the decision to position Century above Lexus will give it more freedom to create and innovate without the added burden of carrying Toyota's luxury offerings alone. A big win in my eyes.
Source: Toyota
