Toyota crowns its range with the Century brand
- The Century limousine represented the pinnacle of the Toyota brand for several decades. The first generation of the model, equipped with a 3.0-liter V8 engine (later a 4.0-liter from 1982), was launched in 1967 and replaced thirty years later, in 1997, by a second generation with a 5.0-liter V12 engine. The first two generations were 5.27 meters long. They were (and still are today) the longest Japanese cars. The third generation was launched twenty years later in 2017. It marked the return of the V8 engine, replacing the V12, but this time enlarged to 5.0 liters and assisted by an electric motor, boosting power to 425 hp (317 kW) from the previous 295 hp (220 kW). The model's length was increased to 5.34 m.
- In 2023, a Toyota Century SUV equipped with a 3.5-liter plug-in hybrid V6 producing 406 hp (303 kW) was introduced, joining the limousine lineup. In 2025, at the Tokyo Motor Show, renamed JMS 2025, Toyota announced that Century would become an independent brand within the Japanese group, positioned above Lexus and thus in the ultra-luxury segment, with its primary targets being Rolls-Royce (which sells over 5,000 cars per year) and Bentley (which sells over 10,000 cars per year). Until then, Toyota Century production had never reached 1,000 units per year, instead hovering around 200-300 units annually. Century unveiled a coupe concept car at JMS 2025 that will give rise to the brand's third model, probably next year, much more expensive than a Lexus model.