Our fascination for the Toyota Century runs deep, especially if we’re talking about the second generation. It was the company’s first and last car to come from the factory with a majestic V12 engine. The JDM-only sedan has been serving as the quintessential flagship since 1967 when the first-gen model was launched. This Mk2 arrived 30 years later and it too had an extended life cycle that lasted until 2018 when the current model was introduced.
As you have probably figured out by now, this isn’t an ordinary second-generation Century. Unveiled at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon, the extra-long sedan was modified by students from the Nihon Automobile Technical College. If the institution’s name rings a bell, that’s because the jacked-up, four-door Suzuki Jimny we recently talked about was also conceived by NATS students. The not-so-little-anymore off-roader was also showcased at TAS in Japan.
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Ok, so what exactly is the story behind the Century? The students wanted to infuse the American lowrider look by installing a hydraulic suspension along with stretching the body. Team leader Ruka Kurasaki told Japanese Nostalgic Car the school agreed to let his team add “only” 1,000 millimeters (39.3 inches) between the axles. However, they basically went behind the school’s back and decided to stretch the wheelbase by 1,400 mm (55.1 in).
The end result is a Toyota Century stretching at a stately 6,654 mm (262 in). To put that number into perspective, the longest car currently in production is the Rolls-Royce Phantom LWB at “only” 5,980 mm (235.5 in). The group of eight students had only 120 days to complete the build and a fairly small budget of nearly $9,000.
Unfortunately, they lacked the necessary funds to give the Century a face transplant by adopting the headlights, grille, and bumper from the current-generation model. The students did have enough money for a leather-lined, two-tone interior with a full bar and a pair of sunroofs borrowed from the defunct Honda Airwave wagon. Speaking of which, the burgundy shade is also sourced from another Honda, a CR-V, and combined with striking metal-flake gold accents. Oh, the roof is covered in leather as well.
Riding on 15-inch wire-spoke wheels with a fifth wheel at the back, the imposing Toyota Century won the title for best sedan at this year’s TAS.