Toyota Might 'Weld' Two 3.0L BMW Inline Sixes Together To Make A V12

When Toyota pulled the wrapping off the Century Coupe concept in Tokyo last fall, the automaker announced it wants to play at the very tip of the luxury market—territory long owned by Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

Now, a fresh rumor out of Japan suggests a production version of the Century Coupe could arrive with a powertrain to match: a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 with electric assistance said to produce around 800 horsepower.

The report, first published by Japanese outlet Magazine X, claims Toyota is developing a new V12 that will be paired with plug-in hybrid assistance, all-wheel drive, and an 8, or maybe 10-speed automatic transmission.

It’s unclear whether Toyota is engineering an all-new 12-cylinder from the ground up or if the automaker will dust off the blueprints for the old 5.0-liter 1GZ-FE as a starting point. The 1GZ is the only V12 engine Japan has ever produced, and it was used exclusively in the second-gen Century sedan from 1997 until 2017.

One wild rumor floating around suggests the automaker could effectively weld two 3.0-liter inline-sixes together to make a V12. That remains speculation—Toyota doesn't have its own inline-six; it uses BMW's B58 under the hood of the GR Supra.

An 800-horsepower hybrid V12 would put the Century Coupe firmly among Europe’s ultra-luxury elite. Virtually every new V12 on sale comes from a European manufacturer—Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Gordon Murray, and select Mercedes-Maybach offerings.

Toyota has already confirmed that the next-generation Century won't just be a Japan-only limousine, but will be developed with global audiences in mind. The coupe concept shown last October featured a high-riding, almost SUV-like stance wrapped in dramatic two-door coachwork.

If the model reaches the U.S., it’s expected to be sold through select Lexus dealerships, similar to the GR GT, rather than traditional Toyota stores. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but given the concept’s positioning and the rumored hardware, a sticker north of $200,000 seems likely.

Our Take:

Do it.

Toyota's newly minted CEO, Kenta Kon, has already come right out and said he "loves money" and he believes in hybrids as the path to profitability. Kon told reporters during his introductory press conference that he plans to grow Toyota's output of hybrids by 30 percent by 2028, which should translate to a 40 percent global sales increase. I don't know how many points an 800-horsepower hybrid V12 coupe will count for, at least one or two, though, right?

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