Toyota’s bold new future

Century Coupe Concept

“Tradition will naturally follow. Let’s create a new kind of luxury car unlike anything before. The Achilles’ heel of today’s luxury cars is that nothing innovative can be done.”

- - - - Keiichi Nakamura, First ever Toyota Chief Engineer

At the unveiling of the Century Coupe Concept, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda reiterated these words to the guests present, perhaps as a challenge to themselves as well as the establishment, and as a promise to the world, on what to expect from a name that is surrounded by mystery, awe and splendor.

The brand, as a whole was conceived to fulfill and exemplify one thing, and one thing only: The pride of Japan.

The Century Coupe Concept is the first of the Century’s modern interpretation of unparalleled luxury. It seats 3 people, the third being the chauffeur, with the passenger on the driver’s opposite rear side getting the proverbial acres of lounging space. The doors are unique, sliding forward and back with the B-pillar removed to free up space and allow for easy entry and exit, and with it, maximum drama and impact. It also happens to have 60 layers of orange paint. Yes, sixty. No details were given on powertrain but we assume it will be electrified in some form. Perhaps a twin-turbo V8 hybrid to give it a truly regal air? Or follow in the footsteps of one of its key rivals, the Rolls-Royce Specter and be a fully-electric luxury crossover coupe for the new age.

With a 1 of 1 mindset, the Century aims to squarely challenge Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the longstanding purveyors of ultimate luxury. The Toyota secret? The Japanese takumi craftsmanship that borders on obsession in the search for perfection, presenting its very own unique interpretation of the pinnacle of luxury, fit for an Emperor. The Japanese have their own way of expressing luxury and the Century way is not just in decadent opulence, but in space, freedom and oneness with its surrounding. It seeks peace within and without.

Suddenly, the rarefied segment of bespoke ultra-luxury vehicles is so much more interesting and all the more exciting.

Lexus LS Concept and LS Coupe Concept

The LS Concept is a new interpretation of what luxury is all about. While others define luxury as pedigree and heritage, some focus the latest cutting edge technology, while a few will argue that it is power to put oneself ahead and above that is true luxury.

Today, Lexus says luxury is all about space, the freedom of movement and the ability to do what it is that you want do, on your own terms. Thus the new LS is born: previously understood to stand for Luxury Sedan, the LS now stands for Luxury Space.

To embody the LS ethos, Lexus presented two concepts at this year’s Japan Mobility Show 2025: the LS and LS Coupe. The LS is a six-wheeler van that seats 4 occupants in elegant space, refinement and comfort. Additionally, your driver and front occupant are seated ahead of the cabin. All doors open and close automatically, feature a very clean exterior and of course the two large front wheels dictating direction and four smaller wheels at the back, presumably to give better safety, traction, stability and refinement.

The LS concept has slotted side screens on the exterior that manage the amount of light that enters the cabin. The second row seats can spin around to face people in the third row. When it’s time to go, the seats can return to facing forward.

Lexus’ unique yoke-like steering wheel is located between the driver and a curved digital display. You’ll notice large buttons on the dashboard, too.

No other details give , but it hints to be a fully electric vehicle.

The LS Coupe concept on the other hand is the sportier, self-driven flagship model.

The sedan has been fighting a losing battle to SUV’s and crossovers so Lexus has decided enough is enough and will build a flagship SUV that carries the luxurious tradition of the sedan in a platform that has gained universal popularity.

The LS Coupe concept has suicide opening coach doors, with driver and front passenger seat differing in style: the driver’s seat is more supportive for performance driving while the passenger seat is more comfortable and less body-hugging. The rear bench offers oodles of space, and the rear passengers get their own infotainment LCD screen controls mounted on the backs of the front seats.

The front and rear lights evoke the design language as well as a virtual rendition of the brand’s spindle grill. Overall, the design is sharp and edgy, pushing the boundaries of Lexus’ luxurious space concept and breaking away from the long-standing and traditional mold of luxury established by Western brands, thus exemplifying Lexus’ uniquely Japanese DNA.

Are you ready for Lexus’ future interpretation of luxury?

Toyota Corolla Concept

The last car on this roundup is a concept that bears the name of perhaps one of, if not the most popular car in the world: the Corolla

From taxi to touring car and all things in between, the Corolla has done practically everything. But the Corolla has never been a cutting edge style maven. Thankfully, the latest Corolla Concept changes all of that and hopefully points towards the direction the brand will take. Its styling is rakish, similar to a wedge. It strikes a very powerful, and some say polarizing design statement, something Corollas have never done in the past. And with over 50 Million examples sold, going from staid to stand-out is a monumental paradigm shift.

It is futuristic and it brings about the excitement reserved for boy racers looking for their next project car, to junior executives looking for a stylish car to make their mark at the office carpark. It’s universally cool and best embodies Toyota’s mobility for all thrust in its line-up, offering a car that will be well-liked and admired, as have previous iterations of this model have.