Toyota Century GRMN, Copen GR Featured In Walkaround Video

We love forbidden automotive fruits. These are cars that are often limited to markets outside North America and will, most likely, never reach U.S. shores. One such example is the Toyota Century, which is the company's flagship model for its domestic market. There's also a GRMN sportier version that's even rarer but, as we have already reported, it does exist. And it's awesome.

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 sedan 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 fiber spoiler at the back.

Unfortunately, Toyota is not open to discussing the powertrain of the vehicle, but it is believed it features a hybridized 5.0-liter V8 under the hood with 376 horsepower (280 kilowatts) and 376 pound-feet (510 Newton-meters). It is reportedly mated to a CVT gearbox and, in contrast to the regular Century which is RWD, is channeling 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-liter turbo engine sending 64 hp (48 kW) and 68 lb-ft (92 Nm) 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.

Needless to say, you won't be spotting any of those two vehicles in America anytime soon. In fact, chances are high you will never see them even outside North America, 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.