MKIV Supras have long been juggernauts of our scene. From street cruiser to outrageous show car to 1375rwhp 7-second drag car to radical JGTC racer and beyond, Supras have been there. The ubiquity of Supras and the remarkably high price of even very used examples are minuses that would usually keep me from thinking about what could be done with one, but inspiration struck in the form of one of the most amazing production based engines I’ve ever laid eyes on and one of the most amazing stock engines ever.

Every noteworthy tuner Supra I’ve seen with the exception of the Top Secret’s 3S-GTE and V12 powered (EDIT BY BEN: DON’T FORGET TS’S RB26 1000HP SUPRA) car has used the 2JZ-GTE. This is really not surprising as most Supra owners seem to be interested in straight line speed above all else and the 2JZ is tough to beat for providing thrust. But no matter how much power the engine makes, it’s still one heavy beast and that’s why Toyota chose this engine (pictured above) for its JGTC machines. That’s why a V8 swap has always fascinated me but the only examples I’ve seen thus far have been largely stock and underwhelming.

Which brings me to the Supra of my dreams. If you haven’t figured it out by now, a V8 is mandatory. But there are two roads one could travel for V8 power. The first is a Lexus 1UZ or the later 3UZ. In their standard form they quietly and smoothly move luxury cars down the road but a few shops have used the UZ-series as a basis for some serious screamers that sound and go exactly like a race engine should. Big power comes at the cost of streetability but this is a perfect choice for a time attack car. Since these were the engines that the JGTC/Super GT cars used, they’re a natural choice and the rest of the car could be built to keep the JGTC theme going. The early JGTC cars used what seems to be a “standard” TRD 3000GT widebody kit and the later Super GT cars are extreme in every way. It’s hard to go wrong with a race-style widebody for Supras and some possibilities are below. (The final three images were found at this website which has tons of outstanding photography)

The other route would be Toyota’s new i-Force V8 (3UR-FE). This route has more options that could be done right. Perhaps a vintage muscle car style rod (torq-thrusts and Mickey Thompson sportsmans in a tubbed rear?), trans-am car for the street or even a NASCAR vibe (aero steelies and Goodyear slicks?) would be workable. But I think the easiest and best option would be a drift car to compete with the VK-powered 350Z’s. Whatever happens, the car would have a very different character than a 1UZ-powered Supra with tons of low-end torque and a throaty, pushrod-esque exhaust note. I think this would stand out even next to the aforementioned drifting Z’s and it would certainly be a bit different than the norm.