While walking through the business and shopping districts of Tokyo, a rare but not too uncommon sight is this – the Toyota Century. Notice anything?
What about from this angle?
Still nothing? Well, yeah. That’s the point. It’s the Toyota Century, and it was designed to move rich people without drawing attention.
Make no mistake, the Century is the pinnacle of Japanese automotive luxury. It’s positioned above many Lexus models in terms of price (About US$100,000).
The engine? Toyota’s FIRST and ONLY V12. It’s possibly the only front-engine Japanese car with a V12 engine on sale.
The interior? Usually covered in wool instead of leather because the squeaks and groans of leather are too noisy.
The Century is now in its 4th generation, and Toyota have given it a restrained makeover.
We seriously wonder if this approach can be transferred to other types of cars. Could we see more retro-minimalist premium hatchbacks or sportscars? We certainly hope so.
