Toyota is said to be working on a new twin-turbocharged V12 engine, with unconfirmed reports suggesting it will be for the upcoming ultra-luxury Century Coupe.
The company’s CEO Akio Toyoda unveiled the Century Concept at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show – with the vehicle rumored to be the CEO’s personal passion project – but details of the vehicle’s powertrain have yet to be officially announced.
Citing company sources, Japanese publication Magazine X claims Toyota is working on a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 with hybrid assistance that will deliver an estimated total power of 600kW, with the Century created to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
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“Japan as a nation seems to have lost some of its energy and dynamism and our presence in the world…If (founder) Kiichiro and (original Century engineer, Kenya) Nakamura could see Japan today, what would they say?” Toyoda-san asked at the unveiling of the Century Concept.
“I suspect they would say nothing and instead go straight into action… I believe we need the century now more than ever.”
While the previous generation Century sedan was powered by a V12, the current Century sedan uses a hybrid V8, while the mechanically unrelated Century SUV gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 3.5-liter V6 engine.
It is believed that the Lexus LFA supercar was fitted with a V10 engine to ensure a V12 was reserved for the Century – which ranks above all others in Toyota’s model hierarchy, including Lexus.
The rumor arose after Toyota announced it was developing a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder – with the expectation that the engine would be used across Gazoo Racing’s high-performance range.
The Japanese automotive giant also unveiled the GR GT sports car in December 2025, powered by an all-new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with hybrid technology.
In the days that followed, Toyota Australia executives admitted they were considering introducing the Century brand into Australia, with sales and service potentially becoming the responsibility of the local Lexus dealer network.
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