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Forget A8s and S-Classes, it’s the new Toyota Century https://www.topgear.com/car-news/tokyo-motor-show/forget-a8s-and-s-classes-its-new-toyota-century Toyota’s noble limo gets 100 per cent wool and a writing table for 2018 This month’s Tokyo motor show will show off all manner of spooky AI technology and futuristic mobility pods. But it will also debut this, the brand-new Toyota Century. Yes, brand new. But don’t go thinking this is some kind of mawkishly retro remake. Much like a Land Rover Defender or Caterham Seven, this is simply what Centurys always look like. It’s longer than the car it replaces, with the extra length in the wheelbase. There’s also more height to the rear quarters to further increase the luxury. And there’s some glorious design-speak to back up its subtle rejig over the previous Century. “While maintaining elegance in a horizontal foundational posture, the underbody, which dips slightly rearward, combined with the ascending rear cabin, secures the rear seat space and creates a supple movement when viewed from the side.” Don’t tell us the images above don’t have you thinking the same. While rival limos like Audi A8s and Merc S-Classes cover everything in leather to make you feel suitably ensconced in the back, the Century is far more dignified. Its seats are “100 per cent wool”. You can still spec leather, but why have leather when you can have wool? There are lots of sops to luxury you’ll be familiar with – massaging seats, 20-speaker stereo, many air con controls for rear passengers – but there’s also a writing table. How we’d love to craft TopGear.com from one of those. The same goes for the Century’s powertrain. It’s a hybrid – as is fashionable – but the electric motor pairs up with a 5.0-litre V8 rather than anything boring and downsized. The whole caboodle of anti-crash tech and blind-spot warnings are all on board, but the latter is presumably necessary when the net curtains are drawn in the back. If you can’t tell, we’re quite smitten. We’ll have a closer look at this – and all the other fancy stuff – at the Tokyo show in a couple of weeks. Reserve us a Toyota Century writing table now…