Roll Like the Yakuza in This Toyota Century on Bring a Trailer
Key takeaways
- The V-12-powered Century is a favorite in Japan's underworld.
- It's a great watch, and the vehicle spotting is a bonus for gearheads, from Ken Watanabe's Fairlady Z to a fleet of bōsōzoku motorcycle gang members.
- The engine is obviously the centerpiece of the car, a 5.0-liter V-12 that's rated at 276 horsepower, the max allowed by Japan's so-called "gentleman's agreement" among manufacturers.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
The V-12-powered Century is a favorite in Japan's underworld.
Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Japan has built only one V-12-engine production car, and this is it.The Toyota Century is a discreet and traditional sedan.Check out the super-1990s wool upholstery, lace seat covers, and side window curtains.In HBO's Tokyo Vice, a young reporter finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of underworld crime, rival yakuza gangs, and murder. It's a great watch, and the vehicle spotting is a bonus for gearheads, from Ken Watanabe's Fairlady Z to a fleet of bōsōzoku motorcycle gang members. The production even uses the cars as subtle casting: The leader of the aggressive Tozawa clan is ferried in a Mercedes-Benz; the more tradition-minded oyabun of the Chiharia-kai uses a Toyota Century.
The engine is obviously the centerpiece of the car, a 5.0-liter V-12 that's rated at 276 horsepower, the max allowed by Japan's so-called "gentleman's agreement" among manufacturers. Unlike a Nissan Skyline GT-R, it doesn't actually make much more power than the given figure. Instead, it is tuned for silken torque, with advanced-for-the-time variable valve timing, with more than 80 percent of its peak torque of 355 pound-feet available from just 1200 rpm. The transmission is a four-speed automatic.