Best build quality car is the Toyota Century?

[fdcg27]

It's too hot out today to do anything useful, so I've been laying around doing a little light-weight reading, some of which involved an article in the August Motor Trend about the Toyota Century, a car that you like I have some vague knowledge of that's rarely seen outside of Japan.
This is Toyota's state limo model, now in its third generation. Gen 2 actually had its very own dedicated V-12 not seen in any other application.
The amount of hand work the factory that builds these cars uses is amazing. The body lines and panel alignment, paint process as well as interior all involve a huge number of hand labor hours. The interior wood alone consumes fifteen hours of mostly hand labor. The author described the finished paint as beyond anything he'd ever seen on any other top-tree car.
All of this perfection is available for a mere $180K, cheap as compared to most more prestigious names with far less attention to detail in their assembly.
Good to know that Toyota still gets it in a way that the current owners of some older guard ultra luxe names don't seem to.
The Century is described as a car to be driven in and not a driver's car, although this seems unsurprising.

 

[skyactiv]

 

[Speak2Mountain]

Wait, where's the FWD? Where's the small displacement turbo? Where's the emphasis on weight saving?

 

[14Accent]

I just read this article, today. It was fascinating.

Only 7 robots are used to assemble the car. EVERYTHING else is done by hand. The doors are hung by hand, body gaps and accent lines are formed by hand, the paint uses 7 layers that's applied BY HAND. It's an absolutely amazing machine.

The previous generation used the only Toyota V12 ever made, and they never allowed it to be installed in any other vehicle line.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted by 14Accent
The previous generation used the only Toyota V12 ever made, and they never allowed it to be installed in any other vehicle line.


they DO however make it outside Japan...
Al & Woody over at the Skid Factory have been installing a twin Turbo'd one into a BJ40 Landcruiser...

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz2CNjb6s-b_Y5-mRbAzWUS_R2EZZNv5k

 

[Ws6]

Wow. Old world craftsmanship.

 

[PPWarrior]

i found out about this car a few years ago and didn't know it was getting a redesign. I was surprised by the amount of work. Certainly a car with a concept that is uniquely Japanese.

Other cars you won't find here in the U.S.A. are the Toyota Hilux-- 4 bangers that can out-tow an F350.

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted by PPWarrior
i found out about this car a few years ago and didn't know it was getting a redesign. I was surprised by the amount of work. Certainly a car with a concept that is uniquely Japanese.

Other cars you won't find here in the U.S.A. are the Toyota Hilux-- 4 bangers that can out-tow an F350.

====================================================================================
Ok, still waiting to hear if that truck has passed US safety tests yet - if not … whatever ...
I did ride in one last week - had not seen that much plastic in the Tupperware aisle ...

 

[Y_K]

That Tupperware thing is a perennial Telegraph Road champion. I haven't seen a single American truck surviving that.

 

[4WD]

Bet I have spent more time in them than you … the Kamaz drivers jerk them from the ditch like all the rest

 

[Kira]

Since it's a "state function cruiser" (my words) I was surprised at the smallness of the back seat.

Also, I saw no partition for rear seat privacy or darkening.

RockAuto for parts.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted by PPWarrior
Other cars you won't find here in the U.S.A. are the Toyota Hilux.
The Hilux is smaller than the mid-size Tacoma. If the US Government drops the 25% "Chicken Tax" we might see them again in the US. There are rumors that the auto manufacturers are considering coming back with compact pickups. They are a more suitable size and weight truck platform to use as an EV.

 

[andyd]

I prefer the passenger's to the driver's seat in the Fridge. Must be a Toyota thing. Can I get one with LHD?

 

[fdcg27]

There were at least a few LHD Gen 2 V-12s built, since Toyota made a desultory attempt to sell these things in the US and EU and it wouldn't do for Japan's senior diplomats and offshore business executives to be driven around in some cheap Caddy or Benz.
These cars are surprisingly light in weight as compared to the ultimate offerings of Western makers at just a shade over two tons.
This, combined with the current generation's hybrid powertrain should allay any concerns you might have about fuel economy.
If a Maybach is King Kong then the Century must be Godzilla.