Foreign money can't buy series! How does the "King of JDM" Toyota Century attract all beings?

To truly understand Japanese culture, there is nothing better than going directly to the top of the food chain. ......

Weddings, funerals and the potential threat of summoning jurors in court are the only reasons why I keep my suit in my closet, but it seems necessary to freshen up this day.

Everyone knows that Toyota and BMW * * * have gone to Wushan in order to rummage through each other's parts boxes in recent years, but there is still a car in Toyota's team that unswervingly sticks to the soul of China Yamato. In fact, the century is the first famous dish in the factory. 1967 was launched in the century, which was the first domestic luxury car in Japan where a big shot hired a driver to drive for them. It was named after Akio Toyoda, the founder of the company, who lived for a hundred years. So far, only for domestic sales.

The century of developing and manufacturing from scratch and not being angry and arrogant has always been the answer for Asian automobile industry to respond to the demands of successful people. It combines Japanese meticulous craftsmanship and unprecedented technology, and has brought unparalleled riding experience to those lucky enough to board its back seat since 1960 s. Because of its transcendental status, Century has simply shaped itself into the overlord of Japanese automobile industry, and it took 30 years to walk around before it was updated to the second generation. In order to avoid the death of the Millennium Road, the second century inherited the scheme of the previous generation, but the engine adopted a special 5.0-liter 48-petal V 12 (the first and only domestic 12 rear-wheel drive in Japan), and then it went to the rivers and lakes with constant changes. However, after more than half a century of debut, it finally entered the third generation.

In the Toyota underground nest in the center of Tokyo, there is a new century that other cars can't match, waiting for our audience, and the king's demeanor is just right. Century's clients include the Japanese royal family, the Prime Minister and Yakuza, the world's largest criminal organization, which is similar in nature to the Japanese mafia. Unfortunately, my social status is slightly lower than these bosses, and at best I can only rely on a suit that doesn't fit.

In order to minimize the risk of escaping from the extremely active Tokyo, we input the name of Imperial Palace, a hot spring city under Mount Fuji, into the Goolge map, so that we can have some time to explore the temperament and authentic details of this antique modern luxury car. Take the seat as an example, it is not wrapped in leather like most contemporary luxury cars on the earth, but made of wool fabric. It's a good thing that you won't burn the back of your thigh on a hot day, but it's not good that one hand slips off the cigarette butt halfway. The window is not covered with stained glass, but with lace curtains woven with crochet. You will also find extra cushions, shoehorns, magazine rack and plastic LED reading lights. In the era of Yeezy shoes and iPad, it is really easy to belittle the century and laugh at it as a nursing home in the 1960s. However, these are not nostalgic tricks that deliberately create ancient styles, but what century buyers really want.

Japan is basically an antique country, and the century represents the subtle rhythm of Japan's gradual adoption of new technologies like glaciers. Considering that domestic bullet trains extend in all directions and automation facilities are everywhere, people may think that Japan is a high-tech country. In fact, their original advantages in cutting-edge technology have been shattered by China and South Korea. So today, you can see people using old flip phones in the Japanese subway, and fax machines will be used in the office. The century just summed up these phenomena. In fact, until a few years ago, buyers could still choose a century-old cassette player!

However, adhering to the tradition under this pretext will only lead to the end of falling behind others. Considering that the price tag has reached 654.38+04 million pounds (about 654.38+02.7 million RMB), the decoration and entertainment facilities in the car of Century are relatively shabby compared with Mercedes-Benz, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. The century certainly has some amazing elements. For example, the Phoenix badge inspired by Kyoto's Kinkaku Temple is a masterpiece of Japanese craftsmen which lasted for six weeks, and the body panel was knocked to the extreme by hand. But the digital screen looks like an industrial microwave oven, and the lock core of the door lock will not automatically return. As for those switches with thick rubber, it should be no stranger to those who get drunk and drive the Prius home after a night tour. The details are not necessarily jade carvings, and the mind is endless. In short, it is not the same as the quality expected at such a price, especially considering the decoration degree of existing goods in Europe.

This cherry blossom lane is in full bloom, and its shape is like an oolong surface winding on the asphalt road on the hillside, which is just suitable for testing whether the century can keep up with the times, specifically whether the power transmission system is competent. Unfortunately, even if Japan is the richest group, it can't escape Wuzhishan, a place with strong environmental awareness. Therefore, Toyota abandoned the V 12 which has been used for many years in the century, and replaced it with a 5.0-liter V8 equipped with two motors driven by Lexus LS lithium battery, and used it as a generator as an engine. The problem is that this hybrid system is heavily biased towards electric drive, but the motor itself is not particularly strong, and the torque output is quite weak for a century-old car, so V8 is needed to help from time to time through a very shaky stepless speed change system. However, once we take a step, the century will show the beauty of that set of air suspension.

As a driver, you will soon realize that your goal is to show your driving skills in a state of mind similar to meditation, and you must cooperate with each other to avoid disturbing the guests behind you. However, when you skim the bend (or bypass more than 20 hairpin bends like us), you have to imagine it as a big ship that is not stabilized by the cable, and its body swings from side to side like a drunken gel. Although it is inappropriate to challenge the limit and fool around, it is still a very pleasant experience to pry up a front wheel of this behemoth in the corner. Although this pleasant taste is quite different from this car, this childish enthusiasm eventually leads us to expose our identity. Because the sound of tires alarmed those who were suspected to be heavy-duty soldiers, we had to go back to the foot of the mountain to make up for it.

After a bow, we are going to buy some snacks in one of Japan's 55,000 convenience stores. At the moment I entered the door, an old gentleman grabbed my arm and said, "Ah! Nice car! At the age of 7 1, he slapped his heart hard and continued: "Century! Japanese cars! What a lousy car! Later, after talking, we learned that the old man was hired to drive the century in the 1980 s. When he opened the back seat door, the old man immediately put his head in and looked around. When he carefully looked at the 1 1.6-inch screen between the seats, he kept emitting more and more high-pitched "ahhh" and "ahhh". Before walking back to his K car at a brisk pace, he bowed deeply to us and said politely, "Fine, fine, thank you." That's right. Since this car is specially designed for passengers in the back seat, of course I will enjoy this lunch in the back seat.

In order to create a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere, as long as you press the button on the hand pillow in the center of the back seat, the front seat will curl into the shape of a fetus, making room for the big boss in Japan, and western young people will not feel condescending. Different from the previous generation, the front seat in the new century no longer has a hole for the back seat passengers to stretch their legs when they are half asleep, but it still has a very convenient footrest. In order to further expand the seating space, the engineer also extended the wheelbase by 2.5 inches, and lowered the threshold height for passengers to enter and exit by 15mm, which undoubtedly helped the lady reduce the chance of skirt bottom spring.

Sitting in the back seat, the strongest feeling is the feeling of calm and happiness. Thanks to the double-layer sound insulation glass, four muffling drums and the active noise reduction technology commonly used in brand-name headphones, this car is as quiet as a muffling room. Rolls-Royce cars are so quiet that you can hear the bells ticking. Come on, the century car is quiet enough to hear the hum of the automatic headlight relay, but the noble style is a little different. In the FamilyMart parking lot where others talk about pizza, box lunch and rotten dried fish, I appeared in Toyota's elite car, feeling a bit like a representative of the Japanese sake industry with a successful career.

Seeing the vast suburbs of Japan, the chaos in the streets of Tokyo is simply frightening. In the th century, his body was almost 18 feet long, which seemed a little too big in these city streets that looked emaciated by anorexia. The driver had to concentrate on it for fear that something had gone wrong and he could not come back. I felt a dilemma in a backstreet. A Japanese professional driver who has lost his manners like me should be severely condemned, and then of course he will bow and apologize again and again. However, roaming in the bustling streets of Tokyo in the century really stands out from the crowd. Surrounded by K-cars and self-balancing three-wheeled express enthusiasts, it is like the arrogant role of a vehicle. When driven by electricity alone, the passengers in the back seat feel relaxed and happy. However, the motor cannot be independent after all. In the end, CVT and V8 have to step in and help from time to time.

As night fell, we put PP plastic plates on the kitchen window, swept the Roppongi restaurant where the end was coming, and then found our way in the crowded Shibuya and Akihabara. Shuttling back and forth in these busy streets is probably the closest thing to driving a pinball machine-the horizon is a sea of neon flashing, surrounded by the decadent sound of pinball shops and karaoke bars, and the wage earners who come out of bars to drown their sorrows are like red-faced pinballs spit out by the pinball machine. However, considering the connection between the century and the black society, it is better to sneak into the small town of Caballe in Tokyo at night.

Shinjuku is like a dessert cake in England. It tastes sweet, and the top layer is very eye-catching, but if you dig down layer by layer, you will find that you are still childlike. Between lovers' hotels, escort bars and roast chicken shops, you will find suspicious people with Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and windows as black as Mo Dou everywhere in this red light district. Although it was designed for the royal family, the aesthetics of the century undoubtedly hit the soft underbelly of evil forces. After wearing a T-shirt for a long time, it feels like a dog collar made of sandpaper all day. It's time to get off the bus, loosen your collar and take a good look at the century in the distance.

The scene of attracting passers-by with the king's demeanor in the century is really amazing. The locals who saw it respectfully stopped to pay attention to it, and they proudly recognized the craftsmanship and traditional values represented by the century, which clearly showed a glorious national pride. No wonder the century has attracted us car lovers to drool. This is a strange work full of myths. Not being able to buy it will make you want it faster. Personally, I'm glad this car is not for export.

In this increasingly globalized world, people often accuse the cultural palette of increasingly lacking unique colors. Due to people's excessive addiction to social media, different cultures are now merging and gradually moving towards the same realm without differences. The century is unique because it is not outstanding, and its characteristics are not based on what it has or can do, but on what it has and cannot do. This is also the reason why the century won the favor of buyers, which brought the cultural characteristics and traditions of Japan into full play. But the world is moving too fast, and opening a new century can only be described as a driving experience that is basically out of touch with the times, so I think it will probably struggle in the test of time like the previous two generations.

I'm afraid it won't be as stable as the first two generations in the history of automobile development, because the automobile industry is facing an unstoppable torrent of time. It is true that there is a new generation of security technology and hybrid system in the new century, but in order to face the future, there is still a need for a more significant leap in the field of science and technology. It should be noted that modern people's brains have adapted to rapid changes. Once the older generation who bought "Today's Century" died in bliss, no matter how profound their cultural history is, it is difficult for the century to convince the new generation to pass it on with its existing weight. However, if you ask whether the century is worth digging out the suit at the bottom of the box and taking a shower and changing clothes, the answer is absolutely yes.