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What makes these cars exceptional?
They represent different answers to the same question: what should a Japanese luxury car do? Toyota and Nissan built formal flagships with a strong rear-seat mission. Acura, Infiniti and Lexus helped take Japanese premium cars to overseas markets. Mazda explored luxury through distinctive coupes, while Honda’s NSX put performance at the center. The selection is organized by those roles and the eras in which the cars appeared, not by a numerical ranking.
1960s: Japan’s formal flagships
Toyota Century
Toyota began developing the Century in 1963 and introduced the first generation in 1967. The company describes it as a uniquely Japanese luxury car and a chauffeur-driven flagship, a role that puts formal presence and passenger comfort ahead of a sporty image. Toyota’s Century history uses the phrase “To Be Like No Other – One of a Kind” as part of the car’s positioning.
The nameplate has since broadened beyond a single body style: Toyota’s current Century site presents both sedan and SUV forms, as well as a GRMN expression emphasizing driver enjoyment. That range illustrates how a chauffeur-oriented legacy can coexist with other interpretations of the marque.
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Nissan President
Nissan’s first-generation President debuted on October 21, 1965. It was a domestic full-size flagship with a formal rear-seat mission, an approach that makes it a useful counterpart to the Century: both represent executive luxury aimed principally at the person being driven, rather than an export-brand strategy.
The 1990 JHG50 generation extended that brief with long-wheelbase rear-seat comfort, along with advanced suspension and safety features, according to Nissan. Those details belong to that generation; they should not be read as specifications for every President.
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1970s: Mazda’s premium coupe experiment
Mazda Cosmo AP and Cosmo L
Mazda introduced the Cosmo AP in 1975 as its first premium specialty car. Rather than imitate a chauffeur-led sedan, the Cosmo brought a premium identity to a two-door coupe. Mazda reports that the AP passed Japan’s 1976 emissions regulations and sold more than 20,000 units in less than six months.
The related Cosmo L offered another expression of the line: Mazda’s history describes it as a leather-covered model with a landau roof. Together, the AP and L show that Japanese luxury could be presented as a distinctive personal car, not only as a formal executive vehicle.
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1980s: Premium brands look outward
Honda Legend and Acura Legend
Honda’s heritage account places the Legend and the arrival of Acura in the 1980s, connecting the model to the creation of a U.S.-facing luxury-brand context. The available Honda history establishes that broad role, but does not provide generation-specific specifications here, so the Legend is best understood as part of the premium-brand shift rather than as a claim about a particular model year or equipment level.
Infiniti Q45
The Infiniti Q45 rolled out in November 1989 as the new premium brand’s U.S. flagship. Nissan’s archive characterizes its design as “Japan Original”: the car used a cloisonné emblem and a grille-free front, giving it a visual identity distinct from conventional luxury-sedan cues. Its newly developed 4.5-liter DOHC V8 supplied the engineering centerpiece.
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The Q45 represents a different route to Japanese luxury than the Century and President. It was positioned as an export-market flagship for a new premium marque, rather than solely as a domestic formal sedan.
1990s: Technology and performance broaden the idea
Mazda Eunos Cosmo
Mazda dates the third-generation Eunos Cosmo to 1990. Its three-rotor rotary engine and sequential twin turbocharger made it a technically distinctive specialty car; Mazda’s history gives output figures of 280 PS and 41.0 kg-m for the engine. Those are Mazda’s stated figures, not a directly comparable ranking against the other cars here.
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- An import from Aoshima
- Kit replicates JZS147 ARISTO in catalogue specification
- Features metallic front grille, window masking seal and Aero parts
The Eunos Cosmo also brought unusually advanced in-car technology for its time, including a GPS-inclusive mobile communications system. Its combination of unusual powertrain and communications equipment shows how a luxury coupe could function as a showcase for technology as well as style.
Honda NSX
Honda calls the NSX its first supercar, placing it on the performance-led end of the Japanese luxury spectrum rather than in the chauffeur-car tradition. Honda’s heritage material also describes a later hybrid version. The available account does not establish precise generation dates or technical specifications, so the NSX’s place here is about its role as a performance halo car, not a spec-by-spec comparison.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.2020s: A final-year LS tribute
Lexus LS 500 AWD Heritage Edition
Lexus identifies the LS as the car that launched the brand. A specific recent example is the U.S.-market 2026 LS 500 AWD Heritage Edition: Lexus announced it on September 26, 2025, as a final-year tribute edition limited to 250 cars. The announced starting MSRP was $99,380, including delivery, processing and handling. That price and production limit apply only to this model-year edition in the United States, not to the LS line generally.
How the eight cars differ
| Car | Luxury role | Market context in the cited history |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Century | Chauffeur-oriented formal flagship | Japanese luxury positioning |
| Nissan President | Full-size flagship with a formal rear-seat mission | Domestic flagship |
| Mazda Cosmo AP / Cosmo L | Premium specialty coupe | Japan |
| Honda Legend / Acura Legend | Luxury halo model associated with a premium brand launch | Honda heritage connects it to Acura’s U.S. context |
| Infiniti Q45 | New premium brand’s flagship sedan | United States |
| Mazda Eunos Cosmo | Technology-rich specialty coupe | Not stated in the cited history |
| Honda NSX | Performance-led supercar | Not stated in the cited history |
| Lexus LS | Brand-launching flagship, represented here by a tribute edition | 2026 Heritage Edition details are U.S.-specific |
The comparison is about intent and historical role, not a declaration of one objectively best car. Manufacturer histories establish the launch, positioning and company-reported features described above; they do not provide a consistent dataset for ranking comfort, performance or value across eras and markets.
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