Toyota Century Coupe Teases a Challenger for Jaguar and Rolls-Royce

We’re about two weeks out from the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, and if it’s anything like the last event, we can expect plenty of exciting new reveals. Toyota shared in a livestream on Monday afternoon in Japan that it’ll be bringing several concepts to the show—one for each of its brands—including a six-wheeled Lexus minivan, a futuristic-looking Corolla, and a high-riding two-door wearing the Century badge. It’s the last one that has us most excited, both because it looks great and because of what it represents for Toyota’s most exclusive nameplate, which has now seemingly been spun off into its own distinct brand.

Of all the cars Toyota showed off Monday, this nameless Century coupe appears to be the closest to reality, and the most fully formed. The profile resembles a cross between a Toyota Crown and a Jaguar Type 00, except much shorter. Though it appears to be a two-plus-two, each door is composed of a pair of panels that split in half, suicide style, to offer better ingress to the rear seats.

Every teaser image Toyota’s shared thus far is obscured in some fashion, but it’s clear that this coupe has a long hood, with a front-end design evolved from the Century SUV and its rectangular motif. The grille in particular is intricate, with a repeating hexagonal grid pattern that gradually expands from top to bottom. Coupled with the metallic orange paint—another bold departure from the Century of old—the grille catches light in a striking way.

In another similarity to the controversial Jag, there doesn’t appear to be a rear window; instead, it’s just a sheet of orange that carries from the roof to the rear deck. Also, take note of the vents in the hood, which hint at the presence of an internal combustion engine. Here’s hoping it’s a V12, in true Century tradition.

As for that curious Lexus van, we know even less about it. During the livestream, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda referred to the vehicle as the evolution of what “LS” has meant to Lexus historically; rather than a “Luxury Sedan,” this new concept is a “Luxury Space.” Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries explained that with four smaller wheels in the rear, the arches are closer to the van’s floor, and that has a profound effect on increasing interior room for passengers. While such a vehicle obviously isn’t close to production yet, Toyoda made it clear that the company is seriously exploring the idea, and this is much more than a design study.

One long-awaited vehicle that unfortunately won’t be present at JMS, we now know, is Toyota’s new supercar that made a surprise appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed back in July. Toyoda didn’t clarify whether it’ll be badged a GR or Lexus product, but whatever it is, the panel advised fans to look forward to the Tokyo Auto Salon in January for news on the flagship. That makes sense from a marketing perspective; it’d probably steal the show from all these other concepts.

As it happens, The Drive will be on the ground at JMS at the end of the month, so look forward to our coverage. It seems there will be plenty to talk about, and we can’t wait.

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