I Just Bought A $20,000 Japanese Rolls-Royce - The V12 Toyota Century
The 2004 Toyota Century V12 ($28,000 CAD, ~$22,000 USD converted) is special for many reasons. It has the only V12 in a series production car from Japan, and has some of the best paint on any car ever - seven layers of it! Also, up until recently the V12 Century was only ever driven outside of Japan by high-ranking diplomats and ambassadors.
But for James this car is now even more special. He has purchased it from Eclection Auto in Vaughan and is currently using it as a companion to his own beloved Miata. It has quiet and comfortable wool trimmed seats, a buttery smooth ride that could make even a certain British manufacturer blush, and loads of early 2000’s Japanese tech. But let’s see what made James fall in love with this Toyota Century and hear what Thomas has to say about the purchase. We hope you enjoy the episode. Thanks for watching! SUBSCRIBE!
A huge thank you to Eclection Auto (www.eclectionauto.com) for their help in making this happen
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Post-production by Karston Chong and Thomas Holland
Sound by Harrison Dickson and Karston Chong
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#ToyotaCentury #V12 #JDM
License tag suggestion: "IMPORTED" as a double meaning for James.
I think 7 LETTERS IS MAX atleast here in the states
Love it mate.
Might I suggest NOTMIATA
@@richgenix 8 in ontario but that’s probably taken by some dude with a beat jdm shitbox.
@@ericlucci2829 wow man I really register my car in Canada then😳 here we are limited to just 7
The best part of this is you can tell how happy Thomas is for James. True friends show enthusiasm when their friend is happy.
Spot on! Well said Sir, well said 👏
they re brothers
@@leoguidalevich2828 Thomas Holland and James Engelsman. Brothers from another mother maybe but not brother brothers lol.
True friends? What are those?
Fully agree
Ever since seeing this review of the Toyota Century, I've been obsessed with this car. You guys perfectly showcased the elegance of this car. The luxuriousness of it, while it is still being subtle in many ways. This video made me want a Century of my own. I didn't have a driving license however, but this car combined with this review was the reason to finally get one. And so the journey began... I started taking driving lessons in the summer of 2023. Passed the exam first-try in December. Next step, finding a seller. This car is not sold where I live, and thus had to look in Japan for one. And so, since passing for the license, I have been looking at and bidding on auctions in Japan daily. Last weekend I finally won a bid at one of the Japanese auctions, and a Century is now being shipped to the EU! The Century I bought is very similarly specced as the one in this review. Black exterior. Wool interior. Fender wing mirrors. Shifter on the steering column. Even the granny lace curtains are included. I'm very very excited to have it delivered soon and to use it as a daily. Thanks Throttle House for this review and exposing me to this beautiful car (and making me get a driving license) 🔥
how much did u get it for?
@@abhinavk996 The Century was only €4.000, (¥645.000 JPY) but there are more costs on top of that. €3k for shipping. 21% of tax once it arrives in my country. And on top of the car price, shipping and tax, another 10% import tax for buying something from outside the EU. I hired a middleman who helped me bid on these auctions, organised the shipping and will help me with the paperwork for €1k. In total a little over €10k.
Congrats bro! 🎉👏🏻
Is it hard to find a good one? And for how much?
Yes How Much did you pay?
I legit couldn't care less about cars. I don't know why I clicked on it or decided to scroll to the middle of the video. But the guy who bought the car is so proud of it and so happy with it, it's almost infectious. It's nice seeing people have a childlike hapiness for something they got.
James! a stunning car, you can get a plug in replacement for a lexus and it will translate all of the navigation and let you add region appropriate maps (and radio). You'll keep all functionality but be able to read it. My mate did it on his, and it changed the game
This needs more likes so he sees it
What’s the average mpg?
@@Gaudine what's your mom's average mpg?
@@Gaudine 12 or something idk. That's what my LS400 gets, i can imagine this would be similar
@@TheCinderDude this is the biggest problem with it unfortunately apart from it being very long.
The Toyota Century is a dream car of mine. I'm so jealous. (Also if you could somehow squeeze Supra XXL onto the numberplate that would be hilarious)
My parents had an old Toyota Crown when I was a kid. Loved that car. It got t-boned though.
@@paulklp8262 lol
I actually want one. I like its simplicity and it is definitely very reliable too.
Me too, but they are pretty rare here in the Netherlands. The ones i have seen recently are massively overbid. 17k was the highest bid.
ya i enjoy the old cars with that good seat smell.
Ofcourse it's reliable. It's a Toyota!
@@tolloromassi99Rust or collision will claim it well before that powertrain will go out.
@@aquifer9480rust? Not if you have a garage. As for collision? That's non- preventable. But still fixable.
This is so cool. Feels so fitting for James to have such a beautiful and unique car. Truly for a collector/car-enthusiast!
License Plate - “IM JAMES” Absolutely fantastic content as usual! Having just bought a new WRX, I now feel like I’ve made a mistake and should have went with a luxury Toyota from the early 2000s, haha.
Hahahaha that's a good one very fitting with that car lol
damn i just posted &IMJAMES 😂 you beat me to it
The 2022 drive alright. Not sold on the rear valence yet.
This is the way. IMJAMES is the only logical answer.
This is the way.
Plate suggestion: “N IM JAMES”
Pretty good one 💀💀
ive seen many car videos on youtube, but this is hands down the best one... i think your genuine joy and amazement made it
Funny, I felt the same way about my LS430 the first time I drove it. It now has 170K miles on it and is still absolutely silent and the rear window shade still works. It is also an amazing car.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that James has absolutely impeccable taste, but goddamn, this is the grail! I'm finding the next ticket out to Canada!!!
Why come to Canada? Trust me I live by these guys and you don't want to move to Canada. It's commie-fornia 2.0 with worse weather and rusted out cars.
Next video: why you can't afford a toyota century
V12MAGIC OR CROWNRYL
I wouldnt if I were you. James is great, but Trudeau is absolutely not.
I SO hope this car gets a dedicated video. I want to know how this thing happened.
Fun fact: The V12 in this car “1GZ-FE” is the same one which was used by Legendary tuner Kazuhiko Nagata aka Smokey Nagata in his V12 supra but in that it got the “Top Secret” (his tuning shop) treatment and it got fitted with twin HKS GT2540 turbos and two HKS ECUs (because technology wasn’t that advanced at that time and single ECU wasn’t enough to perform that many inputs and outputs) with in house custom made pistons and other engine parts built by “Top Secret” itself specifically for that car and all of this treatment turned that engine from making modest 280 hp to staggering 839HP and 1010NM of torque (it may not sound much now but these were numbers were unprecedented in that era) and he fitted this engine into his Supra and flew to Nardo, Italy at the famous Nardo ring test track to do a top speed run and he managed to 224mph. Thank you for reading all the way down :), like this so more and more people can know about this fact.
he basically took the century's engine and tuning it up
Dope
the 1GZ-FE is basically just two 2J engine glued together to become a V12
We can all google it too !!
@@corollabzr But since 2JZ is a 6 cylinder engine, it has good low end torque but lacked at the top end of the rev range, that’s where 12 cylinders play a crucial role providing that top end punch, Many question why he opted a V12 and tuned it to 930hp with the added NOS when he could have tuned a 2JZ to 1500hp, the above reply is the answer to that!
That wool is just something else...actually not much of a fan of leather seats myself, fine for steering wheel, gear stick etc. though. You really need someone to be able to help you maintain this car on a regular basis though, trying to keep it clean and keep it in condition that is fitting for such a vehicle.
I actually kinda like the older luxury cars imstead of the super modern leather and wood adorned tech machines and yeah the non leather seats in the century are really appealing but leather is hard and slippery to me. The century has all the hidden creature comforts of a luxury vehicle without trying to go above and beyond like a rolls royce to stand out.
@@crowofjudgement8810 Yea being a man of relatively low means recently owned a 98 Daihatsu Charade but it had the velour trim, soft feeling vinyl on the inside of the doors, the 1.5L motor where the torque peak was reached at 3600rpm so it could get up a nearby hill in 3rd and even increase speed while even my present far more modern car cannot, weighed about 900kg or thereabouts as well. If it wasn't such a cash pit probably would have held on (spent about $1000 getting the engine fixed at one point as it is).
Saw one in Dallas over the summer for the first time ever and lost my mind. Such a cool car!
JDMROLLS - for the plate, of course
MR DOILY
JDM100 (as in JDM Century)
Yup, you win
You beat me to it!
HAIL SAGN (Sagan) 🌎
Toyota Century’s fail safe is amazing. Even if one bank of the V12 dies, it can still run with the other V bank. A chauffeur-driven car for VIP is not allowed to get stuck.
Sounds like the most reliable luxury limousine. I guess being rich doesn't necessarily mean they aren't practical.
My 1988 bmw 750 v12 was like that too 2 fuel pump 2 ecm engine coioukd run as a straight six if one side was at fault
I doubt one bank on a century would ever fail under normal circumstances. Probably designed to work this way in case it was shot at from the side or something lol
@@maxvista endless money pit
@@maxvista they don’t make cars like that anymore
Really love to see such a fascinating voyage into Toyota most premium epic car. Didn't know even such a gem existed and hovering around for dignitories. The craftmanship and attention to details is on next level. Thanks TH
I already knew basically everything this video told me concerning this vehicle, yet I was entertained every step of the way, I enjoy your program greatly.
I watched a special on the Toyota Century once and one of the reasons for the wool interior is that it is silent when you move over it and move around versus leather which makes noise. Plus the softness and longevity of the wool was superior to leather wearing out. Cool car!
I've seen toyota centurys with leather but I'm assuming that isn't as common
@@spearo5103 the reason behind the wool interior in japan because of the weather and seasons, that's why the most of the most japanse versions of the century are from wool, because leather can lose its quality in those seasons and weather in japan.
The wool seats are cool. Actually, I've had a Japanese made Toyota with velour seats, and they were way more comfortable than the leather seats.
I have seen many German imports, such as the W140 Mercedes S Class and JDM Lexus models with a velour interior. The reason for this is due to the hot and humid summer months as well as the cold winter weather. It is far more comfortable to sit on velour or wool rather than leather.
I also heard the smell of leather is sometimes considered as unpleasant in Japan. Makes sense with the humidity.
I was a Toyota mechanic for six years from '69 to '75. There is an untold story about the Century that Toyota will probably not admit to, but a little bit of research digs it out. You probably aren't going to believe it, but the Century was an afterthought. Here is the story. Toyota initially entered the American market in the mid-fifties with the Crown sedan in California. Sales were tepid and by the early sixties Toyota was looking for a way to break into the north American market in a bigger way. Their dilemma was how to do so without incurring a huge amount of debt. That's when they began casting around for an American car company to partner with. From Toyota's point of view, partnering with a large American car company where there was already a dealer network in place, instead of purchasing millions of dollars of real estate and building thousands of dealerships, was the best of both worlds. Around the same time that Toyota was looking for a way to break into the American market, the principals of the Studebaker Corporation in Hamilton, Ontario were struggling to keep Studebaker afloat. They'd shut down production in South Bend, Indiana, in California and at all overseas plants, but knew that if they didn't find a solution within two or three years, they would be facing bankruptcy. That's when they hit upon the idea of pairing with one of the Japanese manufacturers who were trying to break into the American market. They flirted with Nissan for a bit but then settled on wooing Toyota and in the '63/'64 timeframe entered into talks with representatives from Toyota. Toyota was interested in a ready-made sales network and Studebaker was interested in the idea of maybe selling a re-badged Toyota under the Studebaker name while keeping the Studebaker plant in Hamilton going. The problem was, Toyota's cars being sold in the US, though they were Toyota's largest model, the Crown, were too small and were so underpowered that the team from Studebaker felt that they'd probably flop. After all, Toyota had been selling the Crown on the American market in limited numbers in California since the mid-fifties and sales had been underwhelming - Studebaker needed a shot in the arm, not an anchor. Talks stalled. Toyota, not wanting to lose the chance at that ready-made network of dealers, decided to try and salvage the deal by producing a car that American buyers would look more favorably upon. They based their new model on the existing Crown model but with modifications. They'd already dumped the stodgy old Crown 4-door body, that had resembled a mid-fifties Dodge, and had debuted a new Crown body style. The new Crown was more squared off and its lines somewhat resembled the Studebaker Lark. To make that model more desirable for American buyers, Toyota decided to widen the Crown model by six inches. This provided more interior room, so the car more comfortably fit the average American body size. Knowing that the 4-cylinder engine powering their Crowns already being sold in America was not powerful enough for most American buyers, and that V8 engines were the default standard for power in America, Toyota decided to power the new model with an entirely new engine, a hemi V8 (Japan's first V8). The new model was christened the Crown Eight. While Toyota went about designing the new engine, tooling up for its production, and setting up a separate production line at a remote facility in order to build a test run of the new model. The mucky-mucks at Studebaker continued casting around for new business partners. At one point, they were talking to representatives from Nissan when the Nissan reps learned they'd previously tried to woo Toyota, their biggest rival in Japan. At that point, the Nissan folks refused to meet with the Stude folks. Back in Japan, Toyota didn't want to have to commit to full scale production of the new model if a partnership with an American firm wasn't successful. If a partnership did work out, they were ready to add a proper production line at the existing Crown plant and begin producing the Crown Eight in large numbers. After about a year of frenetic activity, Toyota managed to debut a test run of the new Crown Eight in Japan and began selling it domestically. As 1966 rolled around, Studebaker's execs found the company hanging on by a thread. The Lark, which by then was the only model they still manufactured, hadn't been selling that well and they'd had to resort to using Chevrolet V8 engines as a way to save cost on production. Worse, they were facing a rebellion - they'd passed on the idea of partnering with a Japanese firm to their dealer network and a lot of dealers had balked and said they'd close their doors before they'd take on Japanese cars. Memories of WWII were still strong in the minds of many in the US and Canada. Despite this, a deal with Toyota was finally inked out and a final meeting was set at a hotel in Toronto to sign the papers. The two top execs at Studebaker arrived at the hotel the night before the meet. While having drinks together that night, one of the two expressed misgivings about the deal before he went up to his room. In the morning that exec said he couldn't go through with it and he left the hotel. The other Studebaker exec was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he went ahead and signed with Toyota they might end up facing a dealer rebellion. If he didn't, and they couldn't find another way to save the company, Studebaker would have to cease operations and thousands of workers at the Hamilton plant would lose their livelihoods. By and by, he made up his mind that Studebaker would have to take its chances and try again to find another way to save the company. He walked out of the hotel less than thirty minutes prior to the time set for the meeting. Shortly thereafter, after over a hundred years of constant vehicle production - horse-drawn wagons, electric vehicles, and then gas-powered cars and trucks - Studebaker closed its doors for the last time. Toyota found itself holding the bag with an entirely new model and engine. The investment in designing and tooling up for production of the Crown Eight's V8 engine had been significant - they weren't willing to throw all that effort away. Toyota had been toying with the idea of vying for the Imperial car fleet. Now that they had a larger, more powerful engine, the time seemed right to produce a new larger luxury sedan with which to compete with Nissan, who'd been providing cars for the royal fleet for decades. They began designing and new model, the Century, to be powered with that new V8 engine, and built a limited run for the upcoming competition. When the next selection process was set for the royal fleet, the Toyota Century, with its very smooth and quiet little hemi, won handily. Since 1967, the Century has remained the choice of the royal fleet. That same year, after less than 4,000 total units had been produced, the Crown Eight ceased production. Today, Crown Eights are extremely rare; and, if one finds one for sale, it will cost a pretty penny. Among car folks, the story of how Packard got royally screwed when it bought Studebaker, and how trying to keep Studebaker afloat eventually resulted in Packard's demise, is legend. However, not much has ever been said about Toyota's near miss with Studebaker in the sixties. One has to wonder - if Toyota had been successful at buying Studebaker, would Toyota have eventually experienced the same fate as Packard, or would Toyota have been able to pull Studebaker out of the hole it had dug itself, and would Studebaker have survived? Toyota probably learned a lesson that day about how to deal with north Americans. Instead of trying to deal with one single manufacturer, they went about breaking into the north American market another way - they sought out individual dealers from all other marques who were interested in taking on, as a sideline, an additional, smaller and less expensive brand. This enabled Toyota to quietly feel out the American market, develop additional models targeted at this market, and grow to the point where, by 1975 Toyota had overtaken VW for the largest number of imports sold per year in the US. The rest is history.
I wish I wasn’t too lazy to read all of that. I’m sure it was very informative too. Thanks for the effort.👍
A summary would be good for the comments section
Quick summary of the comment: Toyota wanted to enter the American market, and they didn’t want to be in so much debt. So it tried to make a deal with a manufacturer that wasn’t doing well at the time. And created a V8 engine for a modified version of their sedan called the Crown, which came to be known as the Crown Eight. But this car also failed and they didn’t make many so it’s very rare. But they reused the new V8 with a new luxury car to rival Nissan which is of course the Century. And from about ‘68, the Century would be the new standard imperial car.
Mike ohandLey sir it was pleasure and joy to read your comment absolutely delighted by this anecdote, salute to you sir god bless you ,,🙏🙏😀😀👌👌😍
@@georgecarlinn6288 - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't get a whole lot of compliments on my stories. It seems that younger folks these days have a problem reading anything longer than about two paragraphs. I don't know whether it's due to shorter attention spans or Twitter conditioning.
Just came across this channel. Love his enthusiasm about the car. Stuff like this is what it's about. Not just skyline gtrs and supras
this review shows your genuine passion about cars. well done guys
This car is a dream 1. v12 2. JDM 3. Sedan 4. A taste of luxury
more than a taste of luxury. It’s an entire feast
A taste? I’d say more like a buffet!
A full course meal of Luxury*
And why does 2. make it better? It just makes it worse, steering wheel on the wrong side and a hassle to register. If japanese manufacturers would’ve released their „better“ cars internationally, there would be no need to import those cars.. Drooling over the general abbreviation „jdm“ is just plain stupid and feeding japanese nationalism.
@@rolux4853 unless your left handed, I don’t know why you would prefer driving on the left side of your car lol
This was an infinitely more interesting choice than really any other car available, EV or not. Well done!!
There is nothing interesting about an EV lol
@@ProdicalMan Exactly. A lawn mower would be better and has more personality n superior handling ; D
EV'S are just boring emotionless cars for people wanting to drive a tablet
Camparing THIS to evs....
@@ProdicalMan the only people I've seen say this are those ones that have never driven one at 160.
I wanted one of these already, now I want one more! Beautiful, elegant, and above all reliable. Amazing car.
Congratulations James! I watch all your videos, drop like and go but this one made me stop and drop comments too, to congratulate you!! Well done !!!
19:37 Fun fact: those wing mirrors comes in handy when driving through the many narrow streets of Japan as they are situated far ahead and within the vehicle's width for the driver to be able to see the sides of the car, a normal side mirror would have been scraped as it protrudes out. Incidentally, such wing mirrors can also be found on all Japanese taxis.
Nice add Dave.
I remember many of the older Japanese cars had blanking trim pieces, where the wing mirrors used to be fitted. Replaced by door-mounted mirrors for their Australian variants. Narrow streets don't feature alot here.
Awesome, thanks.
Yes, in some countries, they determined that the forward mounted mirrors presented a hazard to pedestrians. That is another reason for the alternate mounting location.
And the Japanese taxis have self-closing doors controlled by the driver. Best quirk ever
I really love how this just feels like somebody sharing their excitement and interest for his new car with a friend, because that's exaclty what it is :)
100%
You guys are the best car reviewers ever! So much fun to watch! Thank you!
当時の日本車の頂点とも言うべき車
その通り!
This V12 engine uses two sets of ECU to individually control the 6 in-line cylinders on each side, so that when there is a problem with one side, the other side can still drive the vehicle. The quality is very reliable.
Clearly made for emperors and people of importance. What you just said makes it harder to cripple the car in case of an attempted assassination etc.
It was quite common from the V12's of the era, Mercedes-Benz and BMW had the same setups in their V12, 1 ECU per bank as seen in the 750i, 850i, S500 W140
So it is a twin inline 6 engine car
@@arnavraj8948 that's what any V12 fundamentally is
@@bzilla1090 Ferrari too.
You can just see how happy James is with his car throughout the video - he's literally grinning most of the time :) Very happy for you, James!
Canadians are so nice. It’s really sweet to see how James is into his new toy
You two are the best car reviewers on KZhead. Great work
I’m a Honda guy, and I also love Lexus But I gotta admit the Toyota Century has always been a car I really wanted, as well as the VW Phaeton
I love the Phaeton too. I really wish it had been a hit
Honda legend is an amazing car.
VW doesn’t belong in that conversation.
@@dayron6637 I’d do unspeakable things for a w12 phaeton
@@kilovwdude6457 you'd have to do unspeakable things to maintain it.
I've wanted a Century for a long time now, maybe one day. The V12 in this car (1GZGE) is actually two 1JZGE engines stuck together at the crank, it has an ecu for each bank and will run as a six cylinder if it detects a fault. To say this engine is strong is an understatement, it's also very buildable, just ask Top Secret as they used a twin turbo setup on a 1GZ in their insane Supra. Then there's the rest of the car, from the 7 layers of hand polished paint, the chrome and stainless trim, to the hand carved emblems, the Century is the absolute pinnacle of engineering and craftsmanship.... and I'm super jealous that you have one
Less bore 5.0
Awesome video guys and a awesome car. Congrats your your great purchase. My concern is that replacement parts might be very hard to come by and perhaps cost a few Miata’s 😊
Great video, I am subscribing for more. I had heard of the century, and knew it was a V12. Didn't realise it was so luxurious.
"Despite all the sports car temptations that come with our job, he's driven the same Miata for 5 years." I felt that.
The right car is hard to find. I bought a new '85 RX7 right before my son was born and gave it to him when he turned 18.
@@TooLooze He's still driving it?
@@4our6ixkwvmz No, he got rear ended after having it for 5 years. But I have a 1998 Camry, 1995 XJS-C and a 2008 BMW 535xi , the last of the manual transmissions for the larger Beemers. They've all been quite reliable, even the Jaguar.
@@TooLooze Ahh man that must've been heartbreaking. What does he drive now? That collection sounds very cool is the Xi an N54?
@@4our6ixkwvmz yeah, it's the N54; it's been trouble free. Son rides a kawasaki and has a mazda 3.
This is definitely one of my favorite Throttle House videos yet. You guys have given the Century the respect it deserves. And James, you definitely have the best car out there. Second to none.
I also love the huge smiles on y'alls faces when riding in the car!!
I would say second to only the LFA, which really says something
The way James enjoyed making this video literally made me smile the entire video
There is something wonderful about knowing you own a car that was built by hand by men who are the best in the world at what they do. And that car is their proudest, most sincere work. It’s a work of art, and thus is timeless.
This is a monumental moment for James and Throttle House. I'm so happy for you both and all your successes!! This is an iconic vehicle fit for such an iconic voice of car journalism.
Mad respect for the build quality overkill for this car! Prices are definitely gonna rise after this video.
Shhhh 😅
Yeah, they may have wrecked the dream of cheap super luxury travel for everyone else!
I mean, its in mint condition and I can hear creeks and rattles through the arm rest and center console... The design is bulky, like in 80s bulky and the steering wheel column is hard plastic... Compare it to something like a Phaeton from that same year and this century is nothing more than an outdated relic...
@@AI-qd4vb it’s still a Toyota, its conservative but it’ll last a lot longer than it’s VW counterpart.
I didn't know something that I would like this. Thank you for introducing this. And now, I have to do research on this.
Last December i was in Tokyo for four days because i was looking at several AE86s. A friend of mine is Japanese and the guy he bought his 86 from knew a guy who had 5 sitting in a lot. I was picked up and driven to the airport and the other way around i a Century. I always kinda knew that it existed, but fell completely in love over it while i was driven through Tokyo in it. At the end of the trip, i had the same driver with the same car, the guy was delighted i loved his car. When i was in the plane home, i started looking for a century right away. It had to be light blue tho, the car i was driven in was this colour, and i think it suits the car very well. And it is something different than the black, i saw a black one at the hotel as well, its a beautiful colour, but i prefer the light blue.We actually had a light blue for sale here in Germany around that time, but when i inquired for the car it was already sold. So i asked my friend in Japan to look for one and he found mine. 1997 model year, light blue with dark blue wool seats, little bit less than 120.000km on it, one owner. He wanted to stay anonymous, but i was told that he was an older gentleman, who was only selling because he has another one and he got a new third gen Century. The cars are currently on there way to the Netherlands, cant wait to pick them up. I was a little bit worried about servicing my future Century, even got laughed at for asking ath the Toyota dealership, where my parents bought they're Mirais. But i found a smaller dealer who knows hot to service the car, they have another customer with a Century as well.
Not gonna lie, I was expecting the paint to be good from the get go but I just drop my jaw when that reflection shot hit. The paint is beyond flawless, it’s almost disgusting that you pay only 28k CAD for that quality
It's 7 layers and each layer is wet sanded by hand to remove orange peel etc. The paint on these is absolutely stunning when taken care of
And he only pays 28 grand for that kind of quality which is mesmerizing. I still can’t wrap my head around how little money he needs to pay for the century. James probably could make more money from that car by selling it’s parts. Man that car is mint
@@janson2911 bro, they are $10-15k in Japan 😅 and that's for a 6 speed. I'm importing on into Australia at the moment and it's $18k landed/complied and registered.
Plus its basically 20 years old paint!!
@@RideTheTrack That paint is better kept that 1 year old cars parked on the street.
I remember seeing the Century for the first time during my visit to Tokyo, the car's got such presence even with such a simple design. It's a simple 3-box shape but every Century I saw had the cleanest silver trim, the deepest blacks, and all the proportions and subtle curves just worked really well. It really looked like either a Japanese official or a mob boss would've come out of one of these because it's so stately and imposing. I've always wanted one ever since! Sadly in my country they tax cars based on displacement and it would be far too expensive to import one over here. Would've loved to have a Century to call my own. Hope you enjoy your road trip in the car boys!
Which country is that ?
Come on! It's a typical Japanese design i.e. a copy of a contemporary Mercedes but with rather indecisive lines and too much chrome and wheels that look like cheap plastic hub caps. That's why I love it. Of course it will be beautifully built if a bit rot-prone.
@@103ii I think india, because we also do have taxes based on displacement.
@@T80990 I'm from Malaysia actually! Not too far off though, both our countries tax a lot on cars. Do you have to pay an annual road tax for your car too? Because we have to do that here
@@techpassion4126 I don’t have a car but I do know there’s a 100% import tax for all cars that are imported, so a car which is 30K in the US and was imported to India would cost 60K
Thank you for your enthusiasm towards a true motoring experience
I NEED THIS CAR IN MY LIFE. Great video!
The happiness in this video is contagious. Thanks, James and Thomas! I'll keep rewatching.
🎖
Same.
Lived in Japan and used these quite often - lovely ride. Pity more manufacturers don’t use wool seats.
Toyota Crowns are fairly common and look similar, although they are a definite step down.
I lived in Japan also and was the driver for a hotel in Tokyo. I always liked this car and would see them around town. I had a Toyota Crown myself.
I HATE leather seats!!!! I prefer a jersey/Alcantara mix.
@@deplorabledave1048 Alcantara, get a lexus 😁
@notfiveo moths don't like the climate of a car's interior.
That's my dream car right there! I daily drive an '05 Lexus LS430 which is about the closest we got stateside, and I love that thing
love my 04 ls430
Bravo James, &Thomas. You guys are the coolest.
Love it. Definitely want to check one out now. Thanks for sharing.
hey zollotech. out of everyone i know, i never expected to see you here. a pleasant surprise to be fair!
Hey Zollo, nice to see you here. Great taste in channels.
what the phone guy doin here?
Japanese cars that have been in constant fraud for 35 years are not reliable. ecu, tires, safety bars in door, airbags, crash tests, tests and other parts... it's really serious.
Congratulations on the new car 💥 enjoy it's pretty sweet, guessing that this will be reliable as well 👍
hi vinay bhai
@@valinsondacosta6709 hello
I guess it'll be reliable. It's a Toyota afterall 😊
It will probably be reliable, like a V12
@@rp9674 repair costs 😼
This is a gorgeous car ! I’ve driven Toyotas for many years . Never had a problem ❤
Legit made your case and some. I have seen it before on TV but never with that much background, or in depth feature review. Really cool. Truly a rare find and very unique vehicle. AND it will run for almost ever. #ToyotaLife
James was so proud when he said “well done”.
20k for Japan's most luxurious car that happens to be a Toyota, and it only has about 27k miles on it. There is no greater bargain.
Seriously my god
Just need to check for blood spill marks in the trunk. JayLeno found one in 1 gen century they show off
Yap
Better get one now if you want em. I imagine this will be one of those cars that will shoot up in value overnight once people realise what it is.
Camry and Corolla money... for a Japanese RR.
Well Done James !!!! Absolutely love this !!!
There is a guy down here in Portland Oregon that owns one of these. He has a great little used car lot and he just imported one of these. There is only a few of these in the United States. It’s absolutely an epic show of engineering by the Japanese I just love everything they do when it comes to cars ! Great video Guys !
Always believed the older Toyota Century's were underrated, especially with the amazing V12, amazing to see you guys own one now!
“THE GENT” meaning for both the car and James Absolutely an amazing buy and what a timepiece! We love the car James and we are so excited to hear about your ownership overtime 🙌🙌
This is what the BMW Rolls-Royce tries to be, but it fails miserably. The wing mirrors are a great idea. When I was a kid my Grandfather had a 61 Pontiac Laurentian with a Canadian Tire rear view mirror on the left fender. He put it there for the same reason you noted. The mirror was always in his peripheral vision for increased safety. That may well be the first, and likely only, Japanese car I truly would like to own. Spectacular!
I just saw this in Mississauga Ontario and had no idea what it was but I couldn't stop looking at it. Thanks KZhead for somehow knowing to recommend this video to me.
So surprised to see Toyota Century in your channel. I’m proud of it as a Japanese person. And believe it or not, Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota owns GRMN Century, a sport edition!
That V12 engine is so underated.
Having worked for Lexus since 2004 to present, I knew of the elite Toyota models. The two of you brought this presentation to life. The Century is absolutely beautiful and I wish you many many years of smooth driving. Quick note, the wood is all from the same tree so the grain / pattern matches in Lexus. I assume the Century is of this mindset as well.
Thank you!! A little question. What are your thoughts on the LC500
@@jhondalton130 Working with other dealerships in our group including MB, BMW, Audi and Acura, the LC craftsmanship and looks are absolutely stunning. It's also by far the most comfortable coupe I have had the pleasure of driving. The LC had one primary focus, a luxury coupe that would become a timeless favorite. Mission accomplished. (Reliable, safe, V8 sounds amazing, safety stuff, all a bonus)
@@gtslarka what about the LX600, it went in the opposite direction in looks to the 570
@@sk-pp8uj body lines are similar but drastically more power and much needed tech updates and safety system updates. I still feel the size of it puts it at a disadvantage to those who need more space or seating capacity with a usable trunk. In the states we have the all new Sequoia which is this platform and if it had some Lexus treatment I think it would sell. But LX600 is a force all by itself. Our dealerships have enough preorders to last us about two plus years.
@@gtslarka so you do recommend it
I appreciate James’ car choices. The best of both worlds
I have sworn to myself "this year is the year I buy a Century" for years. Immense secondhand excitement for James, what a fantastic pick. Huge congrats.
Although I live in Tokyo, I don’t see them that often but when I do I just stop and appreciate the car. You can just tell it is a quality vehicle.
Is it true that its a yakuza car from Shinjuku? ^^
@@UzumakiNagato Yes.
@@godslayer1415 Nice :D
@@UzumakiNagato It is a car used by wealthy people with a driver. In many cases, company presidents and some Yakuza. But, many high ranking Yakuza aren’t as flashy as you think and tend to blend in with regular people. In the case of Yakuza, you just have to know what to look for.
@@KojiStowe I've been in Tokyo since the bubble. These cars were a lot more common back in the late '80s. (Yep, I'm one of those old white guys you sometimes see stumbling around town.)
Had an old man '91 Chrysler New Yorker. So plush. Deeply quilted barcalounger seats, absolutely huge back seats. Literally over a foot of knee room. Always wished I could of have had a driver for that thing. Total chauffeur car actually. Funny stuff. Loved that gramp pa mobile
Undoubtedly the Funnest video you guys have ever done!! Love it.
4:54 Thomas’s😂 dramatic gasp is spectacular we need more
I fell in love with this car just from this video. All of a sudden,I want this and nothing else. We chase more and more options, leather, screens, features, but this. This is simple, pure luxury. It’s so clear with its intent and it’s insanely well-built. Truly a hidden gem in the automotive world.
True, many are falling with the tech stuff and touch screen everywhere. Which is not good in my sight it should be buttons because they aren’t good and make looks smudgy. Cars like Toyota century are made just something else. Really love those seats and quite amazed how quite it for it’s time
Leather is noisy both in terms of creaks and how it reflects sound. Leather is also cold in winter and hot in summer. It's not an upgrade.
Did you get it
Does anyone else come back every few weeks to rewatch this video? Just me?
14:34 the center sun visor was done by i think audi in 2001 on their D2 A8, lovely car and as always... astounding and clever vid... keep 'em coming....!
I love how much you both love and geek out about this obscure Japanese luxury car. Kinda makes me want to experience this car myself.
For 20.000$, this is such a steal. Nice for you, my man, you're lucky to own that beauty
What must be really great about this car is that it is far more reliable than a Rolls! It may be costly to fix when it breaks, but if it’s anything like my old 4Runner, it won’t break much. If I lived in SoCal (where rust wouldn’t get it in 5 years), I’d definitely consider owning one!
The smile on James' face @16:40 tells the whole story. I'm glad there are people like me in the world who just love cars.
This is epic. Toyota stands as my favorite Japanese company. From the V10 LFA , Toyota hilux to this v12 sedan to the 2jz Supra. The Land cruiser, Lexus ISF, Lexus IS300, LC500 v8 the new Corolla GR and Yaris GR… I can go on and go. Best Japanese company.
Pre much ends right there😂😂
@@stefanfreestylez mr2,soarer,4Runner,Celica,2000 GT,Camry,Yaris GR,Corolla GR and much more. And this is just Toyota not Lexus.
@@stefanfreestylez lol you wish.
We have similar tastes except for tilted wheels lol.
@@stefanfreestylez Toyota chaser turbo ? The M5 of Japan The Toyota aristo Twin turbo ? The rally legend celica GT4 ? The new Yaris GR and Corolla GR ? Don’t be a Toyota hater… it’s not a good look.
I had a 2004 Lexus RX300 and it had some similar buttons and Navi settings and graphics. Lovely. Miss it so much!!!
Wool is the perfect material for both summer and winter. Gratz James, super cool car
I’m proud of James for coming out of his EV fever dream. I was really into the Ionic 5 for about a week too.
Plate: I’MJAMES
Ioniq*
Still wish I could get a 1 gen roaster or a model Y performance
This car is the very reason why I like Japanese cars. Especially JDM market cars. There's always that extra bit of care, that extra special feature, that 'surprise factor' when other people sit in it, rhat gives you that feeling of being more satisfied with your car each time you drive it ❤️
Saw one of these in Florida. You can really immediately see the craftsmanship
What a gorgeous car…..great video. I’m late to the party on this video….but GOOFBALL might have been a good plate…or LuxLoon. Do we get a followup video? MY GOSH…the headlights are STILL perfect! 😮
Extended mirrors allow the security services (driver and possible passenger) to see any threats coming close to the rear doors. The special "Phoenix" rising small storage compartment is for a pistol for the security person. The V-12 is even so that the armour on the door panels lets it respond like a V-6; makes it corner a little heavy, though. Super very cool car, and I now need one
I can't imagine the licensing requirements for using a pistol professionally in Japan.
@@JohnSmith-wx9wj Probably government agents
Hey Mr. Murphy which compartment re you talking about here. could you please specify?
@@JohnSmith-wx9wj I imagine it's quite a lot. But Japan's version of secret service (IRO/Naichō) certainly has people who can carry.
@@perditohominis1889 the center console compartment with the Phoenix logo on it. I've no idea if there are more compartments on active use models, or anything beyond just that.
I have to say that I’m very impressed! Imagine if everything was build with this much thought and purpose!
All of Toyota/Lexus flagships are like this. I have an LS460 and it is amazing. The LS400 was probably more legendary for the time though.
I own an LX570, and the quality of everything is fantastic. It's a bargain for the money you pay because of all the Quality-Durability-Reliability tests they put on these vehicles.
I've been very interested in these things since Doug DeMuro reviewed one but this video really drives the point home.
I lived in Japan and loved these cars. There are a number of Toyotas that are amazing.
As a 90 LS400 owner I approve this and appreciate how special that car really is.
Congrats on such a beautiful car
This is grand seiko of a car.
@@wetnez1 haha more like the Seiko Laurel. Grand Seiko is a Lexus, everyone expects it to be exquisite. The Laurel was and is pretty much unknown but has the same finish AND DONE IN PRECIOUS METALS: kzhead.info/sun/qKWip7mtmYNmaY0/bejne.html
I love to say that Century is so subtle about everything, you can see this on the road and it will blend with another W124, but when you get inside, you will find a palace. I love how everything even don't attract attention like rolls royce. Perfect rich introvert car's. Plus, it's Toyota.
When they were about to talk about the LFA but their camera man came into frame 🤣
Sound engineer*
LFA is the camera man’s dream car… so he was a bit pissed 🤣
I love things like this which are made with the highest level mentality. Not just overly expensive for the sake of being flashy, but the idea of having the best possible quality for your money.
Im so happy for these two! They ve come a long way and they are only at the begining! Congratulations for your new car Mr. James