You're probably wondering how in the world we can claim a Toyota is more luxurious than a purpose-built Mercedes-Benz S-Class. We can't blame you either, as the Toyota in question isn't sold anywhere outside its home country of Japan. Those in the know may realize what we're on about, so we'll quit beating around the proverbial bush and cut to the chase.The car in question is the Toyota Century, the Japanese automotive giant's flagship sedan. The Century nameplate has been around for nearly 60 years now, having got its start mid-way through the 1966 model year. Since then, the Century has maintained its top-of-the-line status, aided in that endeavor by only the highest of the high-class purchasing and maintaining Centurys. These include Japan's highest-ranking government officials and even the Emperor. That's all well and good, but how is it more elegant than an S-Class? Read on, and we'll dissect just what exactly makes the Toyota Century so impressive. Multiple Centurys Arrived Within A Few Decades 2018 Toyota Century front black 3/4 Toyota Century Fast Facts Introduced for the 1967 model year Currently in its third generation Shares its bones with the now-discontinued Lexus LS 600h L If there were just one car to sum up high-end Japanese culture, the Toyota Century would be the perfect one for the job. It oozes Shigeru, or luxury in English, better than any other car produced by the country. Because of this, and because Toyota knows just how important the Century is to Japan, the Century embodies and blends each and every form of Japanese artistic and stylistic expression into its long, sleek sedan body, inside and out. First-Gen Century (1967–1997) Mytho88 via Wikipedia Back in the 1960s, Toyota saw fit to commemorate their founder, Sakichi Toyoda's birth in 1867. They gave their luxurious new creation the name "Century" to mark his 100th birthday, a touching sentiment. Toyota knew this car needed to be unmatched in several areas, including build quality, styling, and smoothness. It was, after all, a commemorative piece, and needed to reflect Toyota's dedication to heritage. So, the first generation Toyota Century was born, a car that would quickly cement its place in Japanese automotive culture, and the country's culture as a whole. Second-Gen Century (1997–2017) Mytho88 via WikipediaToyota doesn't mess with the Century's look often. In fact, Toyota is so cautious when it comes to redesigning the Century, it waited 30 years to revamp the model, meaning the Century's first generation lasted those 30 years, from 1967 to 1997. The reason for keeping the Century so modest-looking and unchanged is its purpose of denoting conservative success. In other words, it's a way to show off your wealth without looking like you want to. When the second generation Century came about, Toyota didn't change much of its overall look and feel. It was merely updated to match the times, with minor alterations to its styling and feel. However, one area where the Century changed most was in its power plant. It now featured a 5.0-liter V12, the first - and only - V12 ever fitted to a production car by the Japanese automaker. It was as silky as could be, those 12 cylinders working in harmony to balance themselves out and create an engine that was more akin to a pillow than an internal combustion device. This Is What Makes The Toyota Century So Luxurious ToyotaThe Toyota Century isn't just a big-bodied sedan with a prestigious name and a stately Japanese backstory, there's quite a lot of careful detail that goes into its design and production, even today. For one thing, each and every Toyota Century is hand-made at Toyota's Toyota City Motomachi plant, and each person who works on the Century during its build process is hand-picked by Toyota's top brass based on the level of mastery of their specific skill set.Let's touch on the Century's exterior. As we mentioned before, the Century is completely hand-made. Its exterior build process follows five steps; stamping, body, painting, assembly, and inspection. Several pairs of eyes check over the Century in progress, with checks and balances built into every step of the process. Reportedly, the finish on the Century is so smooth and defect-free, that it can be used as a mirror in the right light.Toyota-Century-2018-1280-9aa162bcd3a71f06b53b03d780ac403bc8Inside the Century, things are as painstakingly built as on the outside. As shown in the pictures above, the Century uses quite a few different materials to make up its restrained, traditional cabin. A few interesting materials used in the Century's interior are things like rice paper headliner and wool cloth upholstery. It even has real granite built into its entry steps. It's important to bear in mind, the Century is meant to be most enjoyed from the back seat, as the car is mainly purchased by those who prefer to be chauffered about town in the backseat, rather than drive themselves, so the interior of the Century needs to be nothing short of impeccable.It's said the Century has the best build quality of any car made today, and it makes sense as to why. It's also no surprise that it's known in Japan as "The Best Car in the World." The Century Needs Some Oomph, Too ToyotaWhen you're carting around 5,225 pounds of pure Japanese luxury, you need a properly powerful engine to get the job done. Toyota knows this all too well, and has tasked the reliable 5.0-liter 2UR-FSE hybrid V8 with the job. The V8 is well-known for its smoothness and low-end torque. Low-end torque is good in a luxury car, as it's meant to waft about effortlessly, without the occupants even realizing it. Toyota decided to avoid turbocharged V6 engines due to the V8's smoothness and quiet operation.The 5.0-liter V8 employs some other modern engine tech such as Toyota's VVT-i variable valve timing, which helps keep fuel consumption down under normal operation and helps increase power output under wide-open throttle (WOT). The engine also features magnesium-alloy valve covers to help keep the engine's weight down. It also employs aluminum ally cylinder heads to help achieve its weight-loss goal, as well.The Century uses a lightly modified E-CVT-type transmission to transfer its power from the engine to its all-wheel drive drivetrain. The Century Is Extremely Exclusive ToyotaToyota knows the age-old saying "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing", and that's reflected in how it goes about selling the Toyota Century to prospective buyers. The Century needs to be purchased at special Toyota dealers called Toyota Stores, and there are only a couple throughout the entirety of Japan. Not only that, it's also only offered in Japan, meaning those of us outside the country's confines will have to do without its sumptuous Shigeru. In essence, it's no surprise the Century costs roughly $180,000 brand-new. If anything, that may seem to be on the cheaper side once you learn just how much effort goes into producing one. The Next Iteration Of The Century Is A Massive Departure From Tradition Toyota In 2023, Toyota revealed the latest iteration of the Century and the first SUV to wear the nameplate. This newcomer followed market changes that have seen SUVs become so prevalent that even Ferrari and Rolls-Royce have added crossovers to their lineup. The Century SUV never replaced the sedan; it became a second model in the Century lineup, which has now officially been spun off as a Rolls-Royce-rivaling ultra-luxury brand.But the body style wasn't the only major departure from tradition for the Century SUV. It was also the first time a Century was based on a front-wheel-drive platform and the first time a Century was powered by anything with less than eight cylinders.Under the hulking bodywork of this Rolls-Royce Cullinan rival, the Century shares the same modular TNGA-K platform as a slew of more common Toyotas: Toyota Camry Toyota RAV4 Toyota Crown Signia Toyota Highlander Lexus RX Toyota Century SUV Front ViewIts engine also isn't completely unique, as the 3.5-liter plug-in hybrid 2GR-FXS is shared with the Lexus RX 450h, Toyota Highlander, and Lexus TX 550h+. The Century is the most powerful iteration of this powertrain, sporting 406 hp, but the commonality of components with other mainstream Toyotas stands at odds with everything the Century has come to represent. Sure, it's incredibly luxurious, inside and out, and Toyota will let Century buyers spec their SUVs in remarkable detail, even making room for GRMN models and showcasing a Century with a sliding door at the reveal. We've no doubt that from the back seat, the experience will be every bit as luxurious as the Century badge promises, but we have to wonder whether the nameplate has lost some of its exclusivity being so closely linked to other Toyotas.
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