The Toyota Supra Twin-Turbo

The Toyota Supra’s roots are buried in finest of Japanese engineering traditions. The series has a proud legacy spanning, over two and half decades, from 1978 to 2002. Over the years, the car has evolved over three distinct phases, the latest one being The MK IV Twin Turbo Supra (1993 – 2002).

The Mark IV Toyota Supra was made available to the public with two different engine configurations. The first one was the regular cocktail of a 220 horsepower engine fitted with six inline cylinders, having a cumulative volume of 3 litres. This engine was called the 2JZ-GE. Then there was the 2JZ-GTE 3.0 litre twin turbo charged engine with an output power of 320 horsepower. Although the two engines had the same engine volume and cylinder configuration, the twin turbo charger gave the later a distinct boost of 95 ft/lbs of torque!

The best thing about the Toyota Supra is its upgradeability. The addition of stock turbos, having free flowing intake and exhaust system and a boost controller, can give you an increase of almost 100 percent! For those who are not familiar with the concept of turbo chargers, just imagine them to be like steroids for engines. In the case of the Toyota Supra, the turbo chargers operate in sequentially.

Firstly, all the exhaust is diverted to the first of two turbines with the intention of reducing lag. The effect is immediately manifested in the form of better boost and improved torque. At approximately 4000 rpm, the exhaust gases are diverted to the second turbine. This turbine primarily maintains a buffer of compressed air to be used later. At 4500 rpm, the two turbos begin to operate in a synchronized manner. This form of gradually tapping the turbo gives the Supra unmatched low-end performance.

The inclusion of all this mighty hardware, under its hood, certainly made the Supra a heavyweight among sports cars and quite literally so! Despite sincere efforts, from the designers to make the car light, the Supra still remains on the higher side.

However, weight reducing modification like aluminium hood, front cross member, upper arm A, targa top, oil pan etc made this model significantly lighter than the previous one. The newest avatar of the Toyota Supra series also offers a variety of conveniences such as traction control, larger brakes, large wheel base and diameter, dual air bags etc making this car an optimum blend of style, elegance, robustness and agility.