The Supra is a superstar in the Toyota lineup of performance and highly reliable cars, due in large part to the superior performance of the 2JZ-GTE inline-six engine. The factory-supplied dual sequential turbochargers help the 3.0-liter six-cylinder produce 320 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque. Per the website, MotorReviewer, “2JZs are famous for incredible durability. The 2JZ engine can reach a 300k mileage mark easily with proper maintenance and quality engine oil and filters.”
In engineering, there are always trade-offs between product design features, and no product can have unlimited durability, infinite sustainabilty, one hundred percent efficiency, and a low cost. In mechanical engineering, a lighter structure usually causes a loss in stiffness, and an accurate mechanism becomes less efficient. When Toyota designed the 2JZ engine the engineers gave priority to durability and reliability. The design is a closed-deck engine with extra strong cylinders that can handle extreme turbo boost. A forged steel crankshaft adds additional strength and a girdle at the bottom of the engine adds rigidity. Furthermore, a three-layer steel head gasket stands up to high boost pressure without failing.
However, as reliable as the stock 2JZ engine is, it’s in the aftermarket that the car proved its worth when custom tuning generated far more than 320 horsepower, but with some unavoidable drop-off in reliability. A conservatively tuned engine with the right modifications can convert a Supra into a supercar producing over 1,000 horsepower. A modified 2JZ-GTE has already generated more than 2,000 hp but with a higher risk of failure.
[Featured image by Poudou99 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]
