Toyota’s spin-off Century brand will be putting Bentley and Rolls-Royce in its sights, and its coupe flagship is set to get a V12 powertrain.
Carscoops - via Japanese publication Mag X - reports the Century coupe will be powered by a twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 engine, assisted by a plug-in hybrid system.
While Mag X speculates Toyota could so far as to join together two of the straight-six 3.0-litre BMW engines which powered the GR Supra, the brand also has form with making its own V12s.
The second-generation Century sedan/limousine featured a bespoke 5.0-litre V12, mated to a four-speed and later a six-speed automatic transmission.
Toyota is ahead by a Century
This engine has been out of production for almost a decade however, following the arrival of the third-generation model, powered by a hybrid 5.0-litre V8, allowing it to make roughly the same power as its V12 predecessor but with lower fuel consumption.
Toyota currently utilises the hybrid V8 in the Century sedan and the Century SUV, though it has said nothing about what will be under the bonnet of the coupe.
According to the report, the Century coupe V12 will essentially be all-wheel drive with the electric motor helping to power the front wheels.
Previous images of the Century coupe show a cabin which has three seats, with just one in the front due to the removal of the passenger seat for ease of access to the rear, hinting this is a vehicle for those who enjoy being driven more than driving itself.
Century will not only usurp Lexus as Toyota’s top luxury brand, but it’ll also venture outside of Japan officially for the first time, with a global expansion on the cards.
A prospective launch date of 2027 has been reported, which would put it in the same year as the 60th anniversary of the Century brand.
