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The iconic Mk 4 Supra is the perfect JDM weapon; be it stock or modified.
Toyota is pretty well established in the automotive world. Just look around the street you are on and chances are you will see at least one Toyota.
Before you jump to conclusions and think about daily, commuter Toyotas allow yourself a moment of retrospection and look back to Toyota's role in the '90s JDM vehicles. Lower displacement, turbocharged vehicles, stanced wheel set-ups and extraordinary maneuverability, the JDM cars of the '90s were incredibly fun sports cars. But let's be honest as soon as the word JDM appeared in this article chances are you were probably thinking of icons like the R34 Skyline, Mk 4 Supra or the Mazda RX7, and with the foreshadowing of Toyota in this article, you know what is coming.
Arguably the most famous, best 'boosty boi' to ever come out of Japan, the Toyota Mk 4 A80 Supra. Pardon the tongue-in-cheek description, but there is truly a lot to love about the A80 Supra.
Let's not waste any more time or mince more words, let's dive into what makes the Toyota A80 Supra so revered, seeing what it would cost to buy one today.
What makes a sports car legendary? 9/10 times it is the engine and in this case, that holds true.
The 4th generation of Toyota Supra came with two different engine choices but the best and most well-known option is the 2JZ-GTE. The difference between the two engines, 2JZ-GTE and 2JZ-GE, is the letter "T" and while it does not seem like much, that "T" signifies the addition of two turbochargers to the 2JZ engine. Just while we are on the value of different letters, the "G" signifies that it is the performance variant and the "E" signifies that it features electronic fuel injection.
The 2JZ-GTE is a 3.0-Liter twin-turbocharged inline-six engine that creates 320 hp and 315 lb-ft in the American variant while being restricted to 275 hp in the domestic Japanese variant. While these are not mind-blowing numbers by the modern standard, do remember that the Supra's performance was consciously restricted due to Japan's Gentleman's Agreement. The Gentleman's Agreement was basically an informal agreement between the Japan Automobile Manufacturer’s Association and Japanese car manufacturers to limit horsepower to 280 to reduce motor vehicle accidents and fatalities.
But even with the restriction in place, calling the stock Supra slow is far from the truth. The clever powertrain of the Supra led to a 0-60 mph acceleration of just 4.6 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 14.1 seconds, which is really impressive considering we are still in 1997.
So what is it about the engine that makes it so special, even after decades of technological and manufacturing advances?
Simply put, it is insanely well-thought-out and a really strong engine. No, not strong as in high horsepower but strong as in the engine itself is able to accommodate an increased level of boost in its factory form. The engine block itself is made from cast iron and has a forged steel crankshaft, meaning that the factory engine is able to make significantly more power just by modifying the level of boost. Furthermore, significant modifications can see these beasts pump out 1,000 hp or even more.
RELATED: From Luxury Beginnings, To A Tuner's Best Friend: The Legacy Of Toyota's 2JZ Engine
As already alluded to, the possibility for aftermarket enhancement is actually insane.
Since the car features a pretty healthy performance from factory and two turbos, a simple aftermarket boost controller can create impressive power gains. But before the naturally aspirated purists complain of turbo-lag, let's briefly touch on the genius behind the Supra's twin-turbo setup. These turbos are actually run in series, not parallel, meaning that the first turbo is engaged before the exhaust gasses enter the second, resulting in significantly reduced turbo lag and amazing low-end response.
Since the actual engine block of the Supra is such a strong and reliable starting point, the aftermarket support available for these beasts is simply huge. There are aftermarket options for almost everything, be it engine and drive terrain upgrades, transmissions or even widebody kits and aesthetic customization options.
RELATED: Modifying And Tweaking JDM Classics: In The Garage With The Awesome MK IV Toyota Supra
With only good things to say about this Japanese giant, you probably want to get one. So how much does one of these cost today?
These vehicles have become really popular in the last decade or so and if we are honest, Paul Walker's feature of a modified Supra in Fast and Furious probably promoted Supras even further. Consequently, the prices have increased significantly recently and while the good news is that you won't be paying $550,000 like someone did for the Fast and Furious Supra, the bad news is you are probably going to be paying at least $80,000 for a 1997 2JZ-GTE equipped A80 Toyota Supra.
Like with most used cars, pricing will obviously depend on mileage and degree of originality/presence of modifications, but some well-kept and/or well-modified examples will fetch over $100,000.
Samuel is a law student, guitarist, and car enthusiast based in Melbourne, Australia. His favorite cars are classic muscle cars from the '60s and '70s, and he is growing an interest in JDM cars.