#2jz-gte

[hockeymilf]

2JZ-GTE swapped CE

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

OMG I'm such a dumbass I knew you did one on the GR Yaris before too, and I love her ALSO, but I actually meant the GR Supra 😳🫣 (slip of the tongue)

Gotcha.

Since I managed to take some two weeks to answer this (got distracted both by real life obligations and other posts that were meant to be very quick to make. Meant to.) y'all may have forgotten, but our dear friend of the blog had asked for opinions on the GR Yaris, hinting to its controversial status. Turns out the GR Supra is what that request, and thus that hint, was actually about - so let's talk about the car and the controversy that engulfs it.

In 1993, Toyota launched the fourth generation of its rear wheel drive sportscar (well, arguably a bit of a Grand Tourer, i.e. something more oriented to cruising than a sportscar) the Supra - which was born a quarter century earlier as a more upmarket, six cylinder version of the Celica, graduating from Celica Supra to its own dignified name with the third generation I talked about that one time I forgot to check what blog I was reblogging with.

But this time, things would be different. Most notably because the inline six the Mk4 Supra came out with was an absolute MONSTER.

Remember how I talked about the GT-R's RB26 engine being one of the greatest, most coveted production engines to ever come out of Japan? Well, the 2JZ-GTE is the other.

It was larger at 3 liters, no less powerful, and to reduce turbocharger lag it used two of them sequentially: first air goes in the smaller, more responsive turbo, then gradually some of it gets sent to the bigger turbo to make it start spinning, then when it gets going the two are finally used in conjunction. (Imagine the big turbo as a hung husband that takes a while to get it up and the small turbo as an eager stepson ready to take over until the hung one can join in for a spitroast. Or something. I don't watch porn with real people, but from what I gather the plots seem to resemble how sequential turbos work.) It even at one point got Variable Valve Timing, i.e. the ability to vary the time in which the valves open depending on engine speed, which allows to optimize tuning for performance and efficiency! (Cool thing to go over in detail if y'all want me to.) And also, the kind of things that engine is able to take make me wish I hadn't used up my porn analogy quota.

See, to chop off eons of nuance, an engine is just a big block of metal with a lot of bits attached, and the two main measures of an engine's potential are the slope of the line in the Bits Fiddled With / Power Output graph and how far up (It's up, right? The second axis you specify is the vertical one, right?) you can take it before the block becomes the weakest link - with another important point being when you need to start messing with internals, i.e. the components inside the engine, e.g. pistons (the things the boom pushes down), camshaft (the thing the pistons spin) and connecting rods (you can guess).

So for instance, just to make the point that an engine can be beloved without having much overall tuning potential, in one of Toyota's most beloved engines, the 4A-GE four cylinder illustrated above (yes, the one from that white and black car in all the eurobeat videos), some pin the block's limit as low as 250hp. The 2JZ, tho? It can take 800hp without even messing with the internals, and once you get your grubby hands on those you can keep pushing the line to some 2000hp. That is two Bugattis. That is 40 times my car. That is well above the power level where "tires that will at any point grip" and "tires that are in any way road legal" stop intersecting.

I am not in the slightest exaggerating when I say that this and the Skyline GT-R are widely regarded as the top of Japan's 20th century automotive production. The Messi & Ronaldo of the Japanese Domestic Market. It is absolutely no coincidence this was the hero car in The Fast And The Furious.

And then in 2002, as all things, its production ended, and given the abysmal sales and catastrophic recession, Toyota decided that would be that.

And then, years later, The Teasening began.

I want to stress, almost half of my conscious life (I choose to believe the stretch from birth to kindergarten is just run-up) the world was in some state of getting teased with talk of a new Supra. The trademark on the name was renewed in 2010. In 2014 they dropped the FT-1 concept, and of course that became speculation about what the production version would look like.

Because come the fuck on, it's not gonna look like that.

Or was it?

Only five entire years and much more teasing later would we officially get an answer, when after seventeen years, the Toyota GR Supra (and for those wondering what GR means, y'all should've clicked the Yaris link >:C) hit the streets.

You know what, good enough.

Good enough to earn itself a sea of words of praise, Jason Cammisa's "The most punch-above-its-weight sportscar ever made" just some among them.

It did have its share of problems at the start, like its power being 335hp and not 382, a lack of manual transmission, and the inability to spec it with a less powerful 4 cylinder engine - well, I don't know who considered that last one a problem, but Toyota's updates solved that one too.

The Supra has a much bigger problem than those though, one no little update can solve. That red car in the background.

See, the new Supra is actually a joint venture with BMW, who made a new model of its Z4 roadster out of the platform. And unlike with the other joint-venture sportscar Toyota sells, people are big mad about that. Why?

See, the interior is engulfed in BMW switchgear and the drivetrain is all BMW (the manual gearbox took until this year to come out because BMW did not have one for that engine so Toyota had to modify another BMW transmission to fit), giving people the impression that this was less of a joint venture and more of a BMW project that Toyota tacked its design on top of, which is a problem whether true or not.

See, a range-topping sportscar is supposed to represent what the brand is capable of - having it done by someone else (or so the criticism goes) is a bit like performing Hallelujah in playback.

Actually, a better musical analogy: You know "I'm back bitch" singles? When a humongous artist drops a new record with a humongous lead single about absolutely nothing but reaffirming they're the biggest fucking deal in the universe? Without Me, Bad, Gimme More, so on. Well, think of SexyBack - one of the most monumental phenomenons of its decade, most incontrovertibly proving Justin Timberlake sat atop the goddamn world. Now, imagine if, after all the years that went by between that record and the next, when he finally came out with Suit And Tie all the verses were Jay-Z. Going from a humongous statement about having the power to reach the top of the game and stay there to having to get absolutely carried by what in this logic is essentially a competitor. Basically, that's the critics' complaint: the supra went from 2JZ to too much Jay-Z.

And therein lies the other problem of the Supra: the Supra.

See, any time you evaluate something, you do so relative to its context - and when you give it a nameplate, you make that context include where else that nameplate has been. An undeserved name may not just be stupid, but even outright kill the car in some's eyes, see the case of the Dodge Dart, or get me to talk about the Ford Capri prototype recently spotted if you want to find out what I'm like when I lose my cool. (I'd liken this phenomenon to undeserved Grammies but I already used my music analogy quota too.) So the Toyota Supra does not just need to be good, it needs to deserve the name. And some argue it doesn't. But why? This thing is no less powerful, no slower, hell it's not even any bigger or heavier and we've gone over how rare that is these days! So is it the lack of backseats and a targa version? No, no one gives a crap about those. It's something deeper.

Sometimes, the problem with a revival is people base their expectation not on what the original was like in the context of its time but what it's like in the context of today (for example, I've heard people call the latest GT-R "too computerized, too assisted, far from the pure driving experience of its predecessors", when its predecessors had some of the most technologically advanced driving assists of their time and could only be called "pure" and "analog" by comparison with cars decades newer). But of course, that'll only be some people - so if what the original car looks like to modern eyes and what the original car represented at its time are two different enough concepts, any revival will receive some criticism for not being one of the two.

But for the Supra, this compounds with another problem: the original Supra (as in the previous generation, since no one gives a crap about the first three), to modern eyes, looks like a thousand-horsepower flame-spitting beast, because that's what all Supras have been turned into, and that's why you know of Supras in the first place (it sure isn't because people bought it!), and that, consciously or not, exacerbates the problem of misplaced expectations to a level akin to hearing an NBA player is about to have a brother and expecting the baby to be a 6'4" three-shooter.

But I wasn't asked about the controversies, I was asked about my take. And my take is: no realistic expectation of what a Supra would look like today was disappointed - at least not by where the car stands today. Well, unless the expectation involved backseats.

"But it was made by BMW" and so? This is a new Supra, and a good one - what does it matter how it got here? Especially when this is an upgrade over the Z4 in every way - looks way better, drives better, and now has a manual that the Z4 doesn't.

Okay, almost every way: the Supra's roof won't get out of the way. If only though, if only. Could you imagine a Toyota product that looks this good, sounds this good, goes this fast, and has a drop top? ...and maybe backseats?

Well, I can.

Yes, the badge and core concept may have some people consider it from midlife crisis mobile to old man's car. (though we know it's not a car bought by old men because if that was the case someone would be buying these). But just try to imagine sitting in this thing.

Take a couple of seconds to take in that picture and truly immerse yourself. You're in a Lexus LC500 Convertible, with a V8 at your right foot's command, its spectacular sound ready to battle the perfect sound system serenading you with your fanciest CD, because of course Lexuses still come with CD players.

Are you immersed? Okay: Someone just called your Lexus a midlife crisis car. See? You don't give a shit either, do ya.

Automatic only though. The pain. Oh, and it kind of costs as much as two Supras. But, you know, neither of those Supras will be convertibles!

Links in blue are posts of mine about the topic in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

[hirocimacruiser]

A70 Toyota Supra track car on Autostrada Modena wheels and with a big single turbo on the 2JZ-GTE powerplant.

[bespokecarbon]

[kurwazoku]

[cupnoodle-jp]

1200+ WHP real street performance Toyota Supra JZA80

[hockeymilf]

Esprit JZS161 Aristo.

[hirocimacruiser]

Article from a 1993 Holiday Auto magazine on what they thoughtvwere the best JDM engines from the previous 12 months.

TRANSLATION

Holiday Auto No.1 Selection '92~'93

engine department

Japanese power unit is the best in the world

The reaction to the “Twin Cam” feature in the opening feature of the 9/10 issue was tremendous. We have a wide range of products from current powerful engines to past famous machines and future models, but the one with a supercharger won the number one spot.

Boosted No 1 Nissan's RB26DETT,

Natural intake was Honda's C30A.

RB26DETT (equipped with Skyline GT-R)

King with supercharger

I'm really conscious of the race

Literally the famous machine that became the driving force behind the "R" myth.

Since its debut in 1988, the Skyline GT-R has shown overwhelming performance. The heart of this is the RB26DETT model. As the slogan of the BNR32 GT-R says, “In the beginning, the engine was there. The mechanics are transcendent."

The 6-throttle chamber has a butterfly type throttle valve for each cylinder to enhance throttle response. The turbo is a hybrid of the T3 type on the compressor side and the T25 type that uses a ceramic rotor on the turbine side. The intercooler has a large capacity. The main body is also fully armed with a cooling channel piston and an EX valve during sodium filling. All of Nissan's technology has been incorporated.

▲Metal sodium is added to the stem of the exhaust valve, enclosed. Solid at room temperature and liquefied at high temperature

Suppresses the temperature rise of the exhaust valve by using the properties of sodium

_______________________________________________

C30A

(Equipped with NSX)

King of naturally aspirated

I also want to focus on weight reduction

A V-shaped unit created with the ultimate in luxury

The domestic high-power engine has become a 280ps battle. However, the C30A is the only naturally aspirated engine that achieves this figure.

The C30A is the second VTEC engine. In addition to the technology of the B16A type, it also adopts a variable capacity device for the intake manifold. This is to close the valve provided in the manifold chamber up to about 4800 rpm, and to increase the torque by inertial intake due to pulsation change.

The V type with a 90-degree angle is lightweight, and the tuning of the rotation system is also carefully considered. These include molybdenum-coated pistons, titanium connecting rods, ultra-precision mirror-finished crankshafts, and a deep-skirt-type cylinder block made of aluminum light alloy.

▲Big Bore, Short Stroke and Honda Racing

Following the theory of Guengin. In addition to VTEC, intake

A manifold variable capacity device is adopted to aim for the top

2JZGTE

It's Aristo's heart

2nd place

2JZ-GTE (with Aristo)

It may have been upgraded, but it will be installed, but at that time it will be even more powerful. The torque value of 44.0-kgm is in the class for the Supra scheduled to debut this year

Maximum output:280 hp / 5600 rpm Maximum torque:44.0 kgm/3600 rpm

As mentioned in the top speed section, Toyota's strongest engine that supports Aristo is the 2JZ-GTE type. The base is the 1JZ-GTE type that debuted one step ahead, but the 86.0 x 71.5mm bore x stroke has been souped up and changed to the 86.0 x 86.0mm square type. Toyota's first two-way twin turbo system (sequential turbo) is adopted for this, and it demonstrates the maximum output / maximum torque of 280ps / 44.0kgm. The torque value of 44.0kg m is the strongest in its class. It will also be installed in the next Supra.

6G72

Big torque in low speed range

6G72

(with Mitsubishi GTO)

You can run the GTO fast without doing it. ▼ As you can see from the maximum torque at only 2500 rpm, it is a torque-oriented type. That's why it's a regular shift work

MITSUBISHI

V6 DOHC

Maximum output 280 horsepower / 6000 rpm Maximum torque: 42.5 kgm / 2500 rpm

Mitsubishi's heavy fighter, the power unit that pulls the GTO is the 6G72 type. Mitsubishi engines are originally characterized by their focus on torque, and the 6G72 is no exception. Rather, the turbo tune makes its character even clearer. The maximum torque value of 42.5kgm is proof of that. Mechanically, it will be a twin turbo & twin intercooler V6 DOHC that adopts an electronically controlled variable intake system, a new intake port, an active exhaust system, and a high-precision electronically controlled fuel injection system.

B16A

You should enjoy the taste of this once B16A (equipped with Civic etc.)

2nd place

HONDA

continue to reign in The B16A model is the one that made Honda VTEC known to the world. high speed saga

Maximum output: 170 horsepower / 7800 rpm Maximum torque: 16.0 kgm / 7300 rpm

The B16A was the first model to adopt VTEC (Variable Valve Timing Wrist Mechanism). VTEC is a mechanism that uses cams with different profiles in the low speed range and high speed range, aiming to increase peak output in the high rpm range and practical mid- to low-speed torque. In the new model, the compression ratio was increased to 10.4, the valve timing and valve lift were changed, and intake and exhaust efficiency was improved by reducing intake and exhaust resistance. As a result, we achieved 170ps, which is 10ps higher than the conventional model.

4G92

4G92 (equipped with MIVEC, Mirage, etc.)

The cam profile switching mechanism is similar to VTEC, but in the case of MIVEC,

two of the four cylinders are cam-coupled

is rigidly connected to either rocker arm.

The valve will not open unless

the hydraulic piston is not moving

MIVEC

Mitsubishi's next-generation mecha

DOHC 16 VALVE

Maximum output: 175 horsepower / 7800 rpm Maximum torque: 16.0 kgm / 7300 rpm

20V 4A-GE

Behold the brilliance of 5 valves

4A-GE (with Levin/Trueno)

Maximum output: 160 horsepower / 7400 rpm Maximum torque: 18.2 kgm / 4800 rpm

The new 4A-GE is a 5-valve DOHC with 3 intake valves and 2 exhaust valves. This is combined with VVT (variable valve timing), and a quadruple throttle is adopted to achieve a sharp pickup that does not take sink marks in VTEC and MIVEC.