At the Tokyo Motor Show today, Toyota unveiled the Century Coupe concept. Toyota uses the flashy showcase car to signal to the world that it wants to fight Rolls-Royce and Bentley, two of the world’s most exclusive car brands. Its innovative idea is one step closer to Toyota’s recent announcement that it wants to make Century its main brand, even more important than Lexus. In Japan, driving a century ago was long seen as a sign of grandeur and wealth. But until now, most people around the world didn’t know what Toyota’s last brand was. Today, the automaker showed off the cutting-edge Century Coupe concept and said it wants to compete in the ultra-luxury car market, especially against Rolls-Royce and Bentley. We saw the model in person at the Tokyo car show, and it made an impression, even though we don’t know much about Century’s big idea. It’s bigger than a Rolls-Royce Spectre or a Bentley Continental GT, and it has big wheels. It’s said to have 60 layers, and the red paint on it shines like a diamond. We got a better look at Century’s unique quad-pod front and rear lights when Toyota said earlier this month that it wants to make Century a separate brand and put it above Lexus. There are also pictures of the inside, and Toyota says it has the same amount of rear-seat space as the more expensive Century SUV. Toyota says that each Century Coupe is handmade and can be changed to order, just like its main competitors. This fits with the company’s new slogan, “One-of-one.” A chauffeur is needed because the idea can only be accessed by unlocking the sliding side doors. This is where the VIP experience starts. Even though we haven’t come up with a plan yet, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda’s speech today made us believe that the company is serious about creating something unique. “Century is not just another brand within Toyota Motor Corporation,” I asked him. “We aim to develop it into a brand that shares Japan’s spirit and pride with the world.” Will Century make a car that looks like the idea? It’s still unclear whether Toyota plans to sell future Century models in other countries. It needs to make more of them available if it wants to compete with the world’s biggest automakers. In any case, we support Toyota’s important efforts.
