Toyota is hunting Rolls-Royce and Bentley with this wild new Century Coupe

When Toyota teased a strange new orange coupe with a “one of one” message, we presumed the company was cooking up a one-off, unique showcar to celebrate the company’s luxury Century sub-brand.

Erm, no. In fact, Toyota has instructed Century to leave behind its roots as the dignified runabout of Tokyo’s executive businessmen, and start a fight with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. And this is the first punch.

It’s a ruddy great coupe, with a raised ride height. Kinda like the Bentley EXP 15 concept which we saw and, um, didn’t like a few months ago. Similar to the Bentley, the Century is designed to be driven by the owner or chauffeured – hence the single driver’s seat. Maximum legroom on the passenger side. Meanwhile, the rear passenger seat appears to swivel outwards with the giant electric door.

Photography: Toby Thyer/manufacturer

The existing Century saloon runs a V8 hybrid engine, though the car began life back in 1967 with V12 power. There’s no word on what platform Century would plop this car, what engine it might use, or if that big grille and long bonnet is a red (orange?) herring and the Century will in fact be fully electric, like a sort of Rolls-Royce Spectre crossover.

Boss Akio Toyoda personally unveiled the car at the 2025 Tokyo Mobility show. “I believe now more than ever, we need the Century.

“The name is said to represent the hundredth anniversary of the Meiji era, and of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, the Toyota Group’s founder. For me, it is about creating the next one hundred years.”

In homage to that heritage the Century will major on Japanese craftsmanship – the wood, the woven textiles, the glass inside will all nod to unique Japanese traditions rather than copying the dense woods and knurled switchgear of the British ultra-deluxe brands.

Announcing Century as a standalone brand, Akio Toyoda emphasised that Century did not have such a clearly defined place in the past but now stands as “Top of the Top, One of One". And there’s more.

Because some of you will be thinking ‘hang on, Toyota already has a luxury division. It’s called Lexus’. And Toyota says – and we’re paraphrasing here – something along the lines of ‘yep, good call, but we want to do different stuff with Lexus'.

Stuff like the six-wheeled LS concept, and hopefully an LFA successor. Perhaps by making Century more bougie, Lexus can get more of a sense of humour. Watch this space.