Driving Toyota Century Like The Emperor

Driving Toyota Century Like The Emperor - Japan's only V12 engine sedan has been built for decades – one a day, by just four mechanics. Those call it the best car in the world. What makes the Toyota Century so extraordinary that even Japan's emperor can be chauffeured in it? An opulently glazed architectural space? No. Adorable nostalgic brick buildings? No. A world of experience? Well, that depends on what experience is expected. Those who stood on coffee wreaths in the overheated apartment of the big aunt should find the reception and office tract of the Toyota Motor East Japan plant an experience.

The Toyota Century Sensation

The industrial complex stands in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, an hour and a half's drive southeast of Tokyo, and covers an area of 268,000 square meters. Sober industrial buildings, no pompous entryway, rather sparse 70s ambience, the conference room laid out with dangerously patterned carpet eagerly awaiting detachment in the shade of dark-wood furniture.

The First Generation of The Toyota Century Was Launched In 1967

So here, as hardworking as proud workers assemble the Toyota Century, the best car in the world – they say. The sedan moves with its five-liter twelve-cylinder engine and the, well, quite conservative design in another time, no, it also uses it for itself. The first generation with the Phoenix as its trademark was launched in 1967. And barely 30 years passed than Toyota pulled the cloth from the second generation – which is still being built almost unchanged to this day. "Of course we make changes, every two to three years," said Masato Tanabe, the Century's chief developer. 

What were the last model care measures? The introduction of a rear-view camera and a digital TV receiver. Why also make design changes that need to be explained awkwardly because you don't see them at first glance? flat.

And downsizing? A V12 is the ultimate when it comes to the best running culture and gentle development of strength, insists Tanabe, and he's right. This means that the Century must consist of a group that has just rediscovered driving pleasure for itself, developed affordable sports coupes such as the GT86, designs a new vehicle architecture that focuses on reducing the hip point, and, together with BMW, Another sports car works. In the rear of the 5.27-meter-long saloon, on the other hand, the handlebars of large corporations and the emperor personally take a seat, albeit in a more special century. Only very rarely do privations get into the wheel, some doctors and lawyers indulge in the pleasure.

You pay almost 92,000 euros for the largely high-tech pleasure – a fully equipped Lexus LS comes more expensive, but does not offer the special comfort experience. It starts with the Century already with the entry into the fund. Feller and the fluffy expansion resources merge into each other without a heel, the upright body shape saves the passenger unnecessary bows.

The Bride Was to Blame

By the way, Japanese brides served as a benchmark in the Japanese's first noble limousine, the Crown RS 10 of 1955, whose lush traditional headdress was to remain where it was. Sounds somehow more amiable than the dry Adenauer dar-den-hat-keeping number that gave the Mercedes 300 the status of chancellor limousine, right?

So it's easy to get right on the back ... Stop – single left seat. Are the legs tired of representing, governing or referring? No problem, just stretch out, because part of the backrest of the passenger seat can be pushed forward as a pass. The 280 hp engine is already running, imperceptibly, which does not change anything significantly in the journey, sometimes it is suttering, when it comes to effort it mumbles, after all, just under 2.1 tons want to be moved.

By the way, four people worked on this, meticulously documented each suit torque of the most important bolted joints and probably opened a bottle of the best sake if they hit exactly the target point. After the wedding of the body and powertrain, one of them checks the vibrations of the cardan shaft, lifts the drive wheels on the lower cross-steering drivers, allows the engine to rotate with 2,800/. A computer checks the vibrations, if necessary requires the application of a balancing weight – of one gram.

Fresh Grey And Smart Blue

The seven layers of paint have long since been applied to the body, the top layer of paint has been applied and polished three times, one after the other. The variety in the colour chart ranges from a fresh grey to a smart dark blue to the timeless black. white? Not provided, nor did other extravagances.

For this, however, a chrome bumper is part of the series circumference, on the surface of which about one and a half hours is penciled. "Of course, we are thinking about a more modern successor. But I'm sure our customers wouldn't appreciate a fully animated cockpit, for example, "Tanabe explains. Not bad, because even after the first meters it is clear what the customers appreciate: The big nothing. No poltering, no bumping, no noises, no excessive agility claim. Instead: Calm. The inflatable 225/60-16 tire alone subtly illustrates the orientation of the century, the delicate design of the rims also – there are certainly personnel who take care of their care.

So the Toyota Century, within sight of Mount Fuji, is plowing over country roads massaging the seat, the eternal yesterday gene slumbering in each of us is delighted with the sight of the cassette drive in the, tja, infotainment system. The driver, on the other hand, looks into a letterbox slot, which provides him with the essential information, partly analogue, partly digital. And yes, the eternal digital clock, scourge of all Toyota models for decades, also illuminates this interior with its forest master green numerals.

Ha! Now, yes now it must have happened, the automatic transmission just changed from level five to four, the bow lifts with due dignity, the upper body of the occupants sinks into the upholstery. Under powered, it really does not seem, but perhaps it is also due to the meek Japanese environment that the sedan seems to accelerate powerfully.

For safety reasons, the developers gave him their own control unit and fuel pump for each cylinder bench, so that the failures are ensured, if the technology failed the service in a pudiblike manner. But this never happens, assures Tanabe, and does not add without pride that around 8,000 of the 9,649 Century produced so far continue to roll on Japan's roads.

One Toyota Century Dealer Per Prefecture

Most, about 70 percent of them, but in and around Tokyo, which is why several retailers take over sales and maintenance there. Otherwise, only one per prefecture will take care of it. Before a Toyota Century is delivered, however, it must complete a standardized test drive on a factory track. Images on a lushly stocked Devotional wand at the plant illustrate that, on one you can see the limousine fully staffed with engineers.

Conclusion

They all wear funny helmets reminiscent of the eggshell hat of the cartoon chick Calimero, and seem very seriously focused on their work. This seems quirky, as much of the Century – probably only – from a European point of view, and thus fits the old-fashioned ambiance of the work. Would a customer never want to attend the production of their Century? Chief developer Tanabe shakes his head without understanding.

Bagikan Artikel ini