Photo: Toyota
The most luxurious Toyota isn’t a Lexus, but the Japan-only Century series from 1967 to the present day. The latest generation – only the third in more than 50 years – also happens to be the most luxurious and high-tech.
When it went on sale in June 2018, the G60 used to retail at 19,600,000 yen or the equivalent to $180,000 at then’s exchange rates. The range-topping model is ¥60 million, but not even that kind of money can get you the exclusivity of Emperor Naruhito’s coronation ceremony Century Convertible.
The drop-top is a royal parade car, and the gala is scheduled for October 22nd with officials from 190 countries in attendance. What’s even more surprising in addition to the uniqueness of the Century Convertible is that the emperor will be driven for 4.6 kilometers (2.85 miles) in the one-off luxobarge.
Think about it for a second; Toyota invested so much manpower and money into a single vehicle that will be utilized for 30 minutes at most on October 22nd. But it’s also worthy of highlighting the Century Convertible is the first new parade car for the royal family of Japan in almost three decades.
A Rolls-Royce Corniche from 1990 was the royal family’s parade car up until Toyota stepped onto the scene, filling the role on two occasions. It’s likely that Naruhito will be seen in the Century Convertible next year as well for the 2020 Olympics, and the car should also be exhibited in Tokyo and Kyoto on special occasions.
Looking closer at the vehicle, the rear seats are a few centimeters higher than stock and the seatbacks are fixed at 25 degrees for better visibility. Instead of license plates, both bumpers are garnished with imperial seals.
Also known as the Chrysanthemum Flower Seal, the crest used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the royal family dates back to 1183. During the Meiji period, every member of the family used a different version of the seal with the exception of the emperor, whose seal had 16 petals with sixteen tips of another row of petals behind the first row.
Under the hood, it’s business as usual for the Century G60. The powertrain is a V8 hybrid that produces close to 425 horsepower, a setup we know from the previous generation of the Lexus LS in 600h flavor. This generation of the LS doesn’t feature more than six cylinders for the time being, but Lexus is expected to debut a twin-turbo V8 at some point in the near future.
The drop-top is a royal parade car, and the gala is scheduled for October 22nd with officials from 190 countries in attendance. What’s even more surprising in addition to the uniqueness of the Century Convertible is that the emperor will be driven for 4.6 kilometers (2.85 miles) in the one-off luxobarge.
Think about it for a second; Toyota invested so much manpower and money into a single vehicle that will be utilized for 30 minutes at most on October 22nd. But it’s also worthy of highlighting the Century Convertible is the first new parade car for the royal family of Japan in almost three decades.
A Rolls-Royce Corniche from 1990 was the royal family’s parade car up until Toyota stepped onto the scene, filling the role on two occasions. It’s likely that Naruhito will be seen in the Century Convertible next year as well for the 2020 Olympics, and the car should also be exhibited in Tokyo and Kyoto on special occasions.
Looking closer at the vehicle, the rear seats are a few centimeters higher than stock and the seatbacks are fixed at 25 degrees for better visibility. Instead of license plates, both bumpers are garnished with imperial seals.
Also known as the Chrysanthemum Flower Seal, the crest used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the royal family dates back to 1183. During the Meiji period, every member of the family used a different version of the seal with the exception of the emperor, whose seal had 16 petals with sixteen tips of another row of petals behind the first row.
Under the hood, it’s business as usual for the Century G60. The powertrain is a V8 hybrid that produces close to 425 horsepower, a setup we know from the previous generation of the Lexus LS in 600h flavor. This generation of the LS doesn’t feature more than six cylinders for the time being, but Lexus is expected to debut a twin-turbo V8 at some point in the near future.
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