A Commentary On The Toyota Supra: Drag Strip Demon, Previous & Current

If I needed to affiliate the Toyota Supra with only one motorsport style, it wouldn’t be touring vehicles.

I’m going to disregard your cries of ‘JGTC’ and the long-lasting GT500 TOM’s Castrol JZA80 Supra. I’ve even had first-hand expertise with GT4 A90 Supras on the Nürburgring 24 Hour race prior to now. As a result of regardless of its legendary touring automotive racing credentials, the Supra in my eyes has at all times been a drag racing hero initially. And for quarter mile motion, nobody has constructed them higher than Titan Motorsports within the USA.

This isn’t the primary time the subject has been broached on Speedhunters, however I’d wish to throw my hat in and revisit the topic of Supra drag racing. Given the frankly astonishing energy positive factors which were achieved since Paddy final mentioned the A90 as a tuning platform, it will be impolite to not.

“Our historical past with the Supra goes again properly earlier than Titan existed,” recollects Wes Bourne, Titan Motorsports’ advertising supervisor. “One in all Titan’s homeowners, Nero, had a MkIV Supra and began the corporate to assist assist his racing behavior. As the corporate developed and grew, his authentic Supra went on to develop into our Titan Copper drag Supra, one of the vital profitable import drag vehicles in US historical past.”

How profitable? Properly, ‘Copper’ can lay declare to constant 6.4-second quarter mile ETs with its tried and examined 2JZ-GTE engine.

Time has moved on, and JZA80 Supras have develop into collector gadgets with costs to match. And in consequence, 2JZ modification has develop into equally costly. Proper now, new-age lovers are attending to expertise the facility potential of the present era A90 Supra as a substitute.

“The A90 is a superb base for drag racing because of its extremely tuneable straight six powerplant and ZF automated transmission,” says Kyle Scott, Titan gross sales government and high B58/S58 man. “It’s straightforward to bundle big-power builds for the B58/S58 vehicles. The recipe is there so it’s a lot simpler to maintain gadgets in inventory in bulk, and rinse and repeat. The 2JZ will at all times be our bread and butter, however the B58 and S58 have develop into mainstays as properly. We’re having fun with the problem.”

The Supras we’re right now are three of the quickest A90s anyplace on the planet proper now.

The pink Supra is a Titan buyer automotive, whereas the white Supra belongs to Adil Adams, one of Titan Motorsports’ technicians. Each are making simply over 1,200hp, with some key components being Precision 7275 Gen 2 turbochargers, CSF Race consumption manifolds and warmth exchangers, and Titan’s personal cylinder head work on Titan 3.2-litre stroker brief blocks.

The yellow automotive belongs to Jordane ‘Peppa’ Jacobs, and lays declare to the title of the present third quickest and quickest A90 Supra on the planet.

“I’ve at all times had various kinds of BMWs. They turned so widespread in NYC that I wished to get one thing totally different however in a means, nonetheless a BMW,” says Jordane. “NYC has extra of a avenue racing scene as a result of we don’t have any actual drag racing tracks.”

“BMWs have at all times been widespread, however with the B58 and S58 engines’ capabilities extra individuals are shopping for them to affix the platform and attempt to develop into the quickest. I began off with a inventory motor, and now I’ve a 3.2-litre ‘Stage X’ stroker motor made by my tuner, Visconti.”

The road racing scene is the place Jordane first lower his Supra’s enamel, transitioning over to the drag strip because the construct turned drastically extra highly effective. In its present guise, Jordane has managed to crack the 7-second barrier with a 7.98-second quarter mile ET, crossing the end line at 176mph (283km/h).

“My favorite half is that it’s RWD and a bit tougher to drive quick, however on the similar time it’s much more thrilling with the facility it’s making,” he says.

That’s to not say it’s a track-only, one-trick pony – observe the New York licence plate behind the parachute. In truth, for Jordane, the Supra is very drivable every day. “I’ve A/C, heating, and most of my inside. I simply did a four-day ‘drag and drive’ occasion throughout North and South Carolina the place I drove between every observe with out trailering.”

“I get plenty of consideration after I drive round. Persons are at all times recording me driving and tagging me on social media. Typically they attempt to get me to do a pull within the automotive for a video, and even comply with me round for a bit.”

And but, for all of the pace, energy and a focus these vehicles get, neither Jordane nor Titan Motorsports are completely content material with the ridiculous feats they’ve managed to realize to this point. In Jordane’s case, he plans to race at extra occasions this 12 months, and hopefully go quicker than 7.9.

As for the madmen at Titan? Based on Kyle, they’re solely simply getting began. “There are complexities regarding the unlocking the [A90] ECUs, which have slowed issues down a bit of bit and added some further tuning price and energy that may hopefully develop into simpler as time goes on. The rumoured S58-powered [GRMN] Supra ought to flip issues up a notch within the tuning group.”

“With these being engines for production-based vehicles vs customized chassis race vehicles, I don’t assume improvement will ever attain the degrees put into the 2JZ. Then once more, in case you advised us 20 years in the past we’d be making 3,000+ horsepower reliably in our 2JZ drag vehicles, I most likely wouldn’t have seen that coming both…”

“The US appears to be far more straight line targeted than different components of the world; the biggest import occasions listed here are drag racing occasions and the potential BMW/Toyota left on the desk with this engine makes it tuner pleasant.” 

Fashionable BMWs – and modern efficiency vehicles typically – are so over-engineered that it’s now simpler than ever to push ridiculous energy figures utilizing pretty easy formulae. Drag racing will not be as sizzling within the Europe as it’s within the US, however close to 1,000hp BMW M5 Competitions are more and more frequent sights at V-MAX airstrip occasions.

I love these builds and their duality. iDrive, air-con, automated gearboxes and an informal 1,250hp on the wheels. Lengthy reside the Supra, king of the import drag racers and extra accessible than ever earlier than.

Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn

Pictures by Darrien Craven
Instagram: _crvn_