New Toyota Century REVEALED – it’s a Toyota ‘Rolls-Royce Phantom’

A new Toyota Century has been revealed for the first time in a generation as Toyota renews their hand-built limousine for the 21st century.

You’d be forgiven for not having heard of the Toyota Century, but it’s a very rare hand-crafted Toyota limousine first built to celebrate Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda’s 100th birthday in 1967. And it hasn’t been properly updated for the last 21 years.

But now there’s a new Toyota Century – the closest Toyota comes to taking on Rolls-Royce – for wealthy Japanese to fly the flag and let the world know they’d rather be driven than drive.

Under the bonnet of the new Century sits a 5.0 litre hybrid powertrain (nothing else would be appropriate for a new Toyota, even a Toyota limousine) with 425bhp to play with. It won’t make the Century quick, but it will be capable.

There’s proper modern safety stuff too, with Toyota’s Safety Sense doing nannying, lots of soundproofing, rear occupant goodies like leg massage and infotainment, wood trim, raised ceiling design and a touchpad to control infotainment, Air Con and the rear curtains.

Toyota are only aiming to sell around 50 Centurys a month in Japan, with a prices starting at £135,000.