Everything To Know About Japan's Only V12 Car: The Toyota Century
The U.S. is no stranger to being left out of the cool kids' club when it comes to awesome JDM car models. Of course, when you bring this topic up the first thing folks want to talk about are things like the Skyline or the all-wheel-drive hot hatch, the Nissan Pulsar GTi-R. Outside of the performance world, though, there are a ton of cool cars from various manufacturers that we didn't initially get and are now becoming legal to import. One of the most outstanding examples is the second-generation Toyota Century; the only Toyota ever to come with a V12 engine.
If you have any aspirations to own a V12-powered car but are hesitant to do so because of the potential maintenance costs (a BMW 750iL, for example), this is your best bet! It's a high-end luxury car from the era when Toyota spent over $1 Billion developing the Lexus LS400 to be the best car ever built. Undoubtedly, the Centruy has some tech carryover. Let's dive into all the details on Toyota's only V12 car, the luxury stable that is the second-gen (or G50 as it was known internally) Toyota Century.
Engineering luxury perfection
Much like the LS400, Toyota spared no expense when it came to attention to detail on the G50 Toyota Century. Perhaps the best example of this attention to detail is the interior wood paneling. Many of the pieces were made from the same piece of wood so as not to interrupt the grain patterns. In addition, it has a crystal glass dashboard clock, Jacquard woolen fabric, and "the finest leather" for the seats.
Outstanding features of the G50 Toyota Century include heated and vibrating rear seats, an auto seat slider that moves the front seat forward when a rear door is opened to provide ample room for VIP passengers to enter, rear door sensors that detect a partially closed door and automatically close them, and even a GPS voice navigation system. Sure, that may all seem like standard issue in today's world, but it's worth keeping in mind that this car first came to market in 1997.
While the interior luxury features are nothing to scoff at, the real show is on the mechanical side of things. Let's take a look at that V12 engine, the transmission, and its cloud-like suspension.
The Devil's in the details
The 1GZ-FE 5.0-liter V12 BEAMS (Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism system) under the hood of the Century is, in its own right, a luxurious feat of engineering. It has what Toyota calls "slant-squish: combustion chambers and an intelligent variable valve timing system to stabilize combustion. In addition, the engine block and oil pan are intentionally built with extreme rigidity, and moving components are precisely engineered to make this engine's operation dead silent. With up to 299 horsepower, it offers plenty of acceleration despite the car's large footprint and hefty curb weight.
The engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission that Toyota developed to shift as smoothly as possible to provide the most luxurious and comfortable passenger experience possible. It even has special programming to limit the amount of necessary gear changes when going up or downhill to keep things smooth.
Finally, the "sky hook" suspension system is fully electronic with continuously active damping. It reacts to changes in road conditions and the car's speed to ensure the ride quality remains comfortable and consistent in any environment.
Safe and efficient, at least, by V12 standards
As one might expect, this V12-powered beast isn't the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the road. Despite its curb weight north of 4,000 pounds, it still manages to see around 17 miles per gallon combined.
In terms of safety, there are some outstanding features in the Toyota Century that are both impressive for the time and now. For example, each bank of the V12 engine has its own ECU, independently controlled throttle body, air cleaner, surge tank, and sensors. So, in an emergency situation, the car can be driven on just six cylinders.
It has six airbags and Toyota even set its sights on U.S. standards for head injury safety, despite the vehicle never being sold in the U.S. It has an impact-sensing door lock release system so as not to trap passengers inside in the event of a crash.
Finally, it has advanced anti-lock braking and traction control to keep the car on the road in the worst conditions. It even has a smart electronic throttle control system that precisely regulates throttle output based on traction. It even has a dedicated driving mode for snow.
The G50 Toyota Century's production continued through the 2005 model year. When its successor, the G51 Toyota Century came out, it did so with a V8 power plant. So, the G50 remains the one and only V12-powered Toyota in the company's history. Moreover, it's the only V12 engine production car ever to come from Japan.