At last October’s Japan Mobility Show, Toyota unveiled a glimpse of its ambitions for a more elevated luxury brand. The Toyota Century Coupe concept was a one-off creation designed to signal the direction Toyota was considering, rather than preview a production-ready vehicle. That was evident in details like the solid rear panel in place of a traditional window. Now, a newly shared Instagram rendering (embedded below) imagines how the Century Coupe could look if it were developed for showroom floors—and it paints a compelling picture.
Less SUV in the Century Coupe
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Digital artist Nikita Chuicko, known as Kelsonik, has reworked the Century Coupe concept into a vision of a production-ready model. More importantly, his take abandons the idea of blending coupe styling with SUV proportions, instead committing to a true luxury coupe.
The revisions are subtle yet significant. The car sits noticeably lower, giving it a more elegant stance, while the oversized wheels and tires now properly fill the wheel arches, eliminating the awkward, fist-sized gaps seen on the original concept.
Part of that transformation comes from the lower ride height, but just as much from the removal of the gloss-black wheel-arch moldings found on the concept. That shiny trim made the car look awkwardly tall, almost as if it were standing on tiptoes.
Kelsonik has also slimmed down the Toyota Century Coupe oversized side sills. On the original concept, those massive sills pushed the doors inward and exaggerated the car’s bulk. Eliminating that feature not only improves the exterior proportions, but would also free up additional interior space in this imagined production version.
Toyota Century Coupe concept originally featured an SUV-like front end, complete with a silver lower trim piece meant to mimic a skid plate. In Kelsonik’s production-style reinterpretation, that element is gone, replaced by a sportier design with two prominent air vents.
The rear sees equally notable changes. A proper rear windshield replaces the concept’s solid panel, while the floating-look rear pillar is replaced with a smooth, full body-color panel, giving the back a cleaner, more elegant appearance.
Surprisingly, Kelsonik left the rear skid plate intact. While the reasoning isn’t clear, it appears less jarring back there than the original front skid plate would have been.
Perhaps the most striking change is the paint. The Toyota Century Coupe concept’s 60-layer orange finish has been replaced with a simple, elegant silver. It’s easy to imagine this more subdued hue appealing to actual buyers, unlike the bold orange of the original concept.
Look Out, Rolls. Toyota Is Coming
Reimagined in this way, the Toyota Century Coupe could become Toyota’s most luxurious offering yet, positioning it as a worthy rival to the now-discontinued Rolls-Royce Wraith—or even the current Spectre. While the Spectre is fully electric, this Century would likely remain a traditional combustion model, offering a different kind of grand touring experience.
It maintains the same commanding presence as a Rolls-Royce coupe. The rendering also suggests the car would feature traditional coach-style doors, replacing the sliding doors seen on the original concept.
Toyota aims to take the Century brand global. As Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda explained at the show, “We want to cultivate [Century] as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan – the pride of Japan – out into the world.” A production version resembling this rendering could certainly help achieve that vision.
Of course, a production Century is still far more likely to take the form of a traditional SUV. But that doesn’t mean we can’t dream.
