Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda is an unashamed automobile fanatic, and being the boss of the world’s greatest automobile producer has its perks.
One such benefit is having his personal assortment of vehicles primarily based on present manufacturing fashions, however with sufficient efficiency tweaks to make them much more fascinating.
Amongst his many autos is the Toyota Century GRMN SUV prototype, unveiled final 12 months after the nameplate pivoted from its conventional luxurious sedan roots to make a brand new further high-riding mannequin.
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Century GRMN Prototype
Chatting with present Toyota Century house owners, Toyoda-san mentioned he needs “to make a GRMN that many individuals from world wide can journey”, with potential plans to promote it in Japan and China.
Not like the usual Century, which is focused at extra conventional luxurious SUV prospects, the GRMN model options in depth carbon fibre exterior trim and black 22-inch wheels, giving it an much more aggressive stance.
Sadly, not a lot is understood in regards to the specifics of Toyoda-san’s Century GRMN, although the mannequin’s normal specs present a style of what may be anticipated.
The Century SUV is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 which is paired with two electrical motors – one for the entrance and rear axles, respectively – to provide as much as 303kW, driving all 4 wheels via a repeatedly variable transmission.
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Common Century (left) with the GRMN prototype
It’s unlikely the older Century Sedan would lend its hybrid V8 to the GRMN, as the 2 fashions are on utterly totally different platforms.
As with different hardcore GRMN variants such because the upcoming Supra GRMN, it’s anticipated the Century would obtain a lift to additional improve its outputs, in addition to enhancements to its suspension to enhance dealing with.
Till Toyota places the Century GRMN into manufacturing correct, we are able to solely guess about what it’ll characteristic, although it’s extremely unlikely we’ll see it within the model’s Australian showrooms because the nameplate has by no means been formally offered right here.
That hasn’t stopped third-party importers from bringing in earlier generations of Century, with the preferred selection being the V12-powered model from the late Nineteen Nineties via to the mid 2010s.
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