Toyota’s Century Coupe and Wild Lexus Minivan are Competely Out of the Left Field

It’s pretty much set in stone that Toyota is revealing a new flagship performance car – a project tied to the Lexus LFA and the Toyota 2000GT lineage. But little did anyone expect the world’s largest automaker to have two even stranger surprises waiting in the wings.

While the LFA successor remains mostly under wraps, two new models teased through a series of images reveal Toyota’s willingness to explore the unconventional. Ahead of the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Toyota has previewed a Century coupe and a six-wheeled Lexus minivan. Yes, six wheels. Strange times, but we love what Toyota’s pulling here.

A Century for the Bizarre

Since the ’60s, the Toyota Century has embodied the pinnacle of Japanese luxury – a car to be driven in like a Rolls-Royce, not one to drive yourself – which is why a two-door Century coupe feels so completely out of left field. This is a nameplate associated with discreet power and understated elegance, not something that usually shows up with sliding doors, no B-pillars, a missing rear windshield, and a swooping roofline.

The unnamed Century coupe, likely a one-off or concept, departs radically from the stately sedan and the newer SUV variant. Teaser images show dual-layer headlights and taillights, hood vents, and a large, open grille with a gold phoenix emblem. Some of the teasers even suggest a central driving position and a rectangular steering wheel.

Lexus Goes Off the Deep End with a 6×6 Minivan

Sharing the spotlight is an even more unexpected creation: a six-wheeled Lexus minivan. Billed as the Lexus LS Concept, it looks closer to a sci-fi transport pod than to anything resembling a family car, with its vertical, full-height LED daytime running lights, tall, boxy proportions, and asymmetrical sliding-door layout. It does reflect the proportion of Lexus LM sold in some countries, but it is expected to be very different.

Interestingly, this LS concept could be a Delica D:5 rival, albeit through a Lexus lens – with the 6×6 layout potentially suited to hardcore terrain or off-road use. Again, strange for something intended as a people hauler at utmost comfort, but we can’t help but admire Toyota’s decision to lean into the bizarre. The concept challenges the idea of what a luxury van can be.

The six-wheel setup, of course, is unlikely to see production, joining the ranks of eccentric three-axled vehicles like the AMG G63 6×6. Yet the fact that Lexus is experimenting with this format – and using the LS nameplate to do it – shows that Toyota’s luxury division isn’t afraid to bend expectations.

Both the Century coupe and the Lexus LS 6×6 concept will make their full debut at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show later this month. And once those covers come off, attention will shift to Toyota’s other secret project – the spiritual successor to the LFA. Expect more details to surface before the show opens on October 29.