We love forbidden automotive fruits. These are cars that are often limited to markets outside of the UK and will, most likely, never reach our shores. One such example is the Toyota Century, which is the company’s flagship model for its domestic market. There’s also a sportier GRMN version that’s even rarer but, as we have already reported, it does exist. And it’s brilliant.
The attached video gives us a short tour of the Century GRMN that was recently displayed at Tokyo Auto Salon. It’s a massive black saloon riding on what appears to be a set of 19- or 20-inch wheels, hiding massive performance brakes. The all-black appearance is complemented by a black mesh radiator grille and a small carbon fibre spoiler at the back.
See more about the rare Century GRMN:
Unfortunately, Toyota is not open to discussing the powertrain of the vehicle, but it is believed it features a hybridised 5.0-litre V8 under the bonnet with 376 bhp and 376 pound-feet. It is reportedly mated to a CVT gearbox and, in contrast to the regular Century which is RWD, is channelling power to all four wheels.
The two-minute clip at the top of this page also contains footage with another rare bird, the Daihatsu Copen GR. In fact, the full name of the car is Copen GR Sport Concept and – you’ve guessed it – it’s been developed with input from Toyota Gazoo Racing. It’s a tiny sporty roadster with a 0.66-litre turbo engine sending 64 bhp and 68 lb-ft of torque to the wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s easily distinguishable from a standard Copen by the sportier front fascia, large rear diffuser, and 16-inch BBS forged alloy wheels.
Awesome Copens you might like:
Needless to say, you won’t be spotting any of those two vehicles in the UK anytime soon. In fact, chances are high you will never see them unless you are in Japan – Toyota is producing just 50 examples of the Century GRMN per month, while the Copen GR is still just a concept vehicle.
Note: Regular 2018 Toyota Century featured in the gallery below.
Gallery: 2018 Toyota Century
