The Toyota 2JZ Is Still An Amazing Engine.

The Toyota 2JZ is an extremely impressive engine and one of the reasons Toyota Supras sell for such high prices (just check eBay motors). The 2JZ-GTE is one of the most indestructible engines produced for any sports car in modern times.

The engine only came with 320 horsepower from the factory in 1993 (that’s for the US A80). But the inline 6-cylinder engine uses a closed deck block, just like the IAG engine in the Motor Speed News WRX build. The 2JZ block was made from cast-iron and the Toyota OEM parts could handle crazy high horsepower numbers. This made the 2JZ a great engine for tuning and performance.

The engineers at Toyota really put time and effort into designing the Supra and 2JZ.

But don’t just take our word for it.

From Jalopnik:

“From the factory, the 2JZ-GTE is already a pretty special engine. It’s got dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, a distributor-less ignition system, liquid-cooled sequential turbos keeping the power band nice and broad, and a “square” (one to one) bore-to-stroke ratio that provided a great compromise between low-end grunt and high-end power. Start tuning it, though, and the engine goes from “special” to downright supernatural.

The reason why the 2JZ-GTE is so prolific in the tuning scene is because of its strength. Its iron block is tough as nails, its seven main bearings—despite only being held by two bolts each—are absolutely gargantuan and hold the crankshaft firmly, its forged 12-counterweight steel crankshaft can handle huge power and high engine speeds, the oil pump and water pump can take the heavy mods without failure, the fully-closed deck means the engine can withstand enormous cylinder pressures, forged connecting rods are stout, and the oil-cooled cast aluminum pistons can handle a beating as well.”

The History Of The Toyota 2JZ

It’s hard to imagine a time when the supra didn’t exist. Owners continue to dominate racetracks and dragstrips in Toyota Supras from the 80s and 90s. As most of us know, the car and Toyota 2JZ were made ultra famous in the first Fast and Furious movie. But the very first version of the Supra debuted in 1978 and became a separate model from the Celica in 1986.

From drivingline.com:

“Toyota’s Supra dates back to the late-1970s when it spun off as a high-performance version of the brand’s second-generation Celica. They called it the Celica Supra and, until it dropped its first name and was sold with the nearly indestructible 2JZ-GTE.”

Toyota 2JZ Videos 

Stephan Papadakis is a well-known engine builder. He made a fascinating video explaining why the Toyota 2JZ is so strong and such a legendary engine in the tuner community.

How the Toyota 2JZ engine works: