Toyota’s Idea Of A New Lexus Flagship Is A Six-Wheeled Minivan Concept

Toyota is making some big moves for this year’s Japan Mobility Show, happening later this month. In a YouTube livestream earlier today, the company showed off not one, but four new concept cars it plans to display on the show floor. The most fascinating among them is a six-wheeled minivan concept curiously branded as a Lexus LS (a car that has, historically, always been a sedan).

The rest of the concepts are pretty interesting, too. There’s a Corolla concept that looks nearly production-ready, and an adorable Daihatsu called the Midget X, a modernized version of the original Midget from the late 1950s. There’s also a Century badged coupe with a set of doors that look to slide forward, which I absolutely love.

Toyota hasn’t released many details on these cars, but there’s still a bunch of stuff worth talking about. Let’s get into it.

The New Lexus LS

Toyota hinted at the end of the Lexus LS sedan in North America last month with the release of a Heritage edition to say goodbye to the current model. The company hasn’t announced any plans to replace the car, which, on its debut in 1989, revolutionized the segment with its refinement, affordability, and reliability—sad, but not terribly surprising, given the lack of demand for big sedans.

But Toyota’s not ready to give up the nameplate just yet. Instead, it’s following buyers to where they are. And buyers are increasingly preferring to be driven around in big, spacious minivans rather than low-slung sedans. The luxury minivan industry is as big as it’s ever been in Asia, so it feels correct that the LS evolves into an even more luxurious thing designed to fit wealthy businessmen’s desires.

Lexus already makes such a minivan, the extremely cool LM. This concept is likely several rungs more luxurious and well-appointed. It looks even more spacious inside, thanks to a longer body supported by that extra set of wheels out back. I can only see the van’s profile in teaser images, but there seems to be some giant LED running lights hugging the bumper up front. The silhouette, weirdly, reminds me a lot of another six-wheeled van concept released last year called the Xpeng AeroHT Land Aircraft Carrier. Instead of using its rear space to carry people, it stores a gigantic six-rotor electric drone capable of carrying two people:

Like I said earlier, there’s no word on any specs or production intent for the Lexus LS van, though I’m sure there’s a market for this type of car (perhaps not for America, but definitely for places like China). Whether it’ll keep the glowing wheels or that third axle is anyone’s guess (my guess, if you’re wondering, is that it won’t).

A Different Kind Of Century

If riding in the back of a minivan doesn’t sound like your idea of luxury, then this Century concept certainly might. The Toyota subbrand, known for building some of the most comfortable SUVs and sedans on the planet, has never sold a two-door vehicle before. It was only two years ago when it sold anything other than a giant sedan, introducing an SUV to its still-small lineup in 2023.

Unlike the Lexus LS concept, this Century concept doesn’t seem to have a name. The only branding here is the Century nameplate and some “One of One” text. Whether that means it’ll stay a concept or be sold to a lucky client isn’t clear. But one thing is clear: The doors are cool as hell.

Like the Century SUV, this coupe concept has sliding doors for easier ingress and egress. Except instead of sliding back, they appear to slide forward. I don’t think there’s any real benefit to this aside from aesthetics, but I don’t care. More cars should have forward-sliding doors.

The fascias are reminiscent of the Century SUV, with quad-stacked lights front and rear. Some of this car, like the flat sides, vertical trim pieces, and missing rear window, sort of give me Polestar vibes (that’s not a bad thing; Polestar makes some achingly beautiful cars).

While that Lexus LS concept is almost certainly electric, I’m not so sure the same can be said about this Century coupe. There’s a normal-looking grille and two openings on the hood that look to be for airflow, suggesting there might be an engine under that snout. The preview clip shown in the video above also started off with an animation of the engine inside the original Century, again suggesting internal combustion might somehow be involved here. This is all just speculation right now, of course.

Finally, Corolla News

The Toyota Corolla is a great car, but it’s also an old car. The current Corolla has been on sale since 2018, which means a replacement could soon be on the way. The sharp fascia, thin A pillars, and huge wheels on this concept shown in the video above give concept vibes, but the car’s overall proportions and real side mirrors hint at some production intent. It’s fair to assume the 13th-gen Corolla might look at least a little like this car.

What’s most interesting about this concept isn’t the design, but rather the charging door on the front left fender. Toyota’s never sold a plug-in hybrid or full-electric version of the Corolla before, so seeing a charging port here suggests it might introduce an electrified powertrain with the new model beyond the current car’s standard hybrid offering.

Whatever Toyota has in store for its most important small car won’t stay a secret for long. The next-gen Corolla is expected to debut sometime early next year, meaning it’ll only be a few months until that port’s intentions are fully known.

The Daihatsu Midget Returns

Daihatsu, another subbrand of Toyota, sold a three-wheeler called the Midget starting in 1957. Designed to carry stuff in its pickup-like bed, the single seater was essentially a more practical motorcycle, able to squeeze through Tokyo’s tight streets, making it useful for delivery people trying to get places where normal trucks couldn’t.

The original Midget ended production in 1972, but Daihatsu revived the nameplate for a similar vehicle in 1996, with production lasting until 2001. That one had four wheels instead of three, but still managed to maintain a certain level of charm.

Now, Daihatsu has another Midget. This one, called the Midget X, is a concept that shares a few design cues from the second-gen Midget, like the round headlights and cab-forward passenger cell. The front-mounted spare tire is gone, in favor of a smoother, more modern look. There are also cameras for side mirrors and exposed wheels up front with fender-mounted headlights.

It’s unclear if this Midget will remain a concept or go into production, but the advertisement above shows the car in several different configurations, including one with a pickup bed and another as a make-shift coffee stand. There’s even a scene that shows a trio of Midgets kitted out as track cars on a grid, about to go racing.

What About Toyota’s New Supercar?

Many believed that Toyota would unveil its long-awaited replacement for the LFA today, given previews of the car teased by the company online. But that didn’t happen. Thankfully, the Toyota faithful won’t have to wait much longer, at least according to Carbuzz:

Despite a few teasers getting our hopes up, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda confirmed today, as part of a broader series of announcements including a Century Coupe and a new Corolla concept, that the GR GT will be unveiled at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon.

“Due to certain circumstances, the stall could not able to be opened; the actual event will be at Auto Salon next January,” said Toyoda during the live broadcast. He also confirmed that the change in signage at Fuji Speedway was confirmation that the new car was coming, referred to as the GR GT.

The world has been waiting 13 years, since the LFA went out of production, for this moment. So another three months won’t hurt.

Top graphic image: Toyota