No, the Legendary 2JZ is Not a V8 Engine
Before we dive deep the capabilities of this iconic Toyota powerplant, let‘s establish one key fact upfront: the 2JZ is an inline-6 cylinder engine, not a V8.
As a fellow gaming enthusiast and mad scientist always experimenting with my stable of project cars in Forza Horizon 5, I get this question a lot!
While atomically different than a traditional V8, the stout 2JZ inline-6 combines smooth power delivery with legendary durability – earning it a cult following among tuners, drifters and gamers alike.
Let‘s explore why maxing out a 2JZ is one of the most satisfying ways to utterly dominate the digital tarmac of your favorite racing game or real track day!
The Different Flavors of 2JZ Goodness
The 2JZ engine premiered in 1991 along with Toyota‘s new performance-focused JZ family, replacing the outdated M-series engines popular in Japanese market cars like the Mk III Supra.
Several variants exist:
| Version | Power (HP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2JZ-GE | 220-280 | Naturally aspirated |
| 2JZ-GTE | 320 | Sequential twin-turbo |
| 2JZ-FSE | 228 | Direct injection |
However, the 2JZ-GTE is unquestionably the most popular for tuning builds thanks to its turbocharged configuration and stout internals designed from factory to handle more abuse than 320 horses.
Why Pros Call This the "Bulletproof Engine"
When it debuted in ‘93 alongside the iconic Mk IV Toyota Supra, the 320 horse 2JZ-GTE represented one of the most powerful 6-cylinder engines you could buy in a production car.
And that factory rating was just scratching the surface of the real potential living within this overbuilt beast of an engine! Engineered for triples the horsepower it made stock, here‘s why professionals dub it the bulletproof 2JZ:
- Forged Steel Crankshaft & Connecting Rods – Built from far stronger stuff than cast components in most engines – perfect for high RPM operation & huge horsepower numbers! Up to 800 HP on stock internals is considered "safe" territory before you need to upgrade these core components.
- Closed Deck Engine Block Design – Also referred to as a "solid deck", this rigid design essentially makes the 2JZ cylinder bock almost one solid piece, vastly increasing block integrity compared to open deck engines. This allows professional tuners to reliably run insane boost levels without blowing their cylinder walls to smithereens!
- Oil Squirters – Most modern engines use oil squirters to spray the bottoms of the pistons/cylinder walls with and extra layer of cooling and lubrication. From the factory the 2JZ already had this superior cooling provision years ahead of the tech curve.
- Reinforced Bottom End – From 6-bolt steel main bearing caps to girdles tying together structural areas of the block, the 2JZ‘s bottom end is seriously overbuilt compared to other engines using similar displacement and power.
Simply said, Toyota built this beast WAY stronger than it needed for a 300+ HP street car…almost like they were forecasting the future demands of extreme tuners and modders!
Real World Dyno & Track Numbers
The 2JZ is certainly no slouch in stock form, with top-end JDM turbo models pushing nearly 250 wheel HP in factory trim. Out of the box and tuned up, the engine can easily achieve 400-500 HP with simple bolt-on mods and ECU tuning running pump gas.
Where things get REALLY crazy is when you pair that rugged design with massive turbo upgrades, racing fuel and engine management solutions built to handle quadruple the power that inline-6 was originally rated for!
| Build | HP | Supporting Mods |
|---|---|---|
| Stock MKIV Supra 2JZ-GTE | 320 HP | Twin-turbo |
| Mild Bolt-Ons & Tune | 500 WHP | Intake, exhaust, cams, tune |
| SRP Turbo Upgrade | 850 WHP | Rods, pistons, cams, fuel upgrades, etc |
| Triple Turbo Dyno Monster | 1300 WHP | Racing fuel, built internals, huge turbos |
And for real-world proof, Toyota‘s chief engineer quoted the durable 2JZ block as able to reliably handle 700-800 BHP (pony power measured at the crank) running high 11-second quarter miles back in the MKIV Supra development days 30 years ago.
Bat$#!% Crazy 2JZ Engine Swap Projects
More proof of this motor‘s insane tuning potential comes from the creativity of engine swap masterminds stuffing the venerable 2JZ into chassis you‘d never expect to harbor a fire-breathing inline-6. Like…
- Bisi Ezerioha‘s 1000+ HP Quad Turbo 2JZ Porsche 935 Widebody – 4-digit AWHP driveshaft-warping madness!
- Ken Block‘s Ford Escort RS Cosworth rally car conversion – big power 2JZ now powering this all-wheel-drive legend!
- NASCAR Toyota Camry stock cars have adopted all-aluminum 2JZ blocks modified for oval track abuse
- Toyota 86 drift machines packing 800+ HP turbo 2Js – giant slaying sideways power!
- NK Performance‘s Ferrari F355 with a built 2JZTT crammed into that sleek Italian bodywork
Clearly the tuning options are endless with these inline-6 titans!
So You Wanna Build a High Power 2JZ on a Budget?
Maybe witnessing 4-digit dyno pulls isn‘t your jam. But dialing up that perfect power recipe to utterly dominate online drift lobbies or road racing circuits in pixelated glory is absolutely on your bucket list!
Luckily building a stroked out, 800+ HP monster 2JZ capable of crushing most mortal racers doesn‘t have to bankrupt your kid‘s college fund (but it certainly CAN if you have champagne tastes!)
Here‘s my handy 0-800 WHP build blueprint:
| HP Target | Cost Estimate | Key Parts List |
|---|---|---|
| 500 WHP Street Car | $15-20k | Bolt-ons, fuel upgrades, turbos, front mount intercooler, tune |
| 650 WHP Street/Strip | $25-35k | Above + built heads, cams, engine management |
| 800 WHP Monster | $45k+ | Racing internals, huge turbos, methanol injection, etc |
As with any extreme turbo platform…the sky‘s the limit once you start getting into 4-digit power targets. Just be prepared to pay to play!
Why the Legend Lives On 30 Years Later
It‘s been over two decades since the last 2JZ-GTE left a Toyota factory production line. Yet the platform only seems to grow MORE popular every year in grassroots drifting and time attack racing circles. Not to mention conquering every imaginable tuning challenge – from show cars to 24 Hours of Le Mans prototypes!
It speaks the 2JZ‘s immense performance legacy that incredibly powerful, modern twin-turbo V8s from the likes of BMW, Ford and GM still command less respect from old school enthusiasts than a properly built Toyota straight-six from the 1990s!
Given affordable engine prices ($5-10k), huge ceilings for max power once modified, and the ability to swap these inline-6 titans into practically any chassis…is it any wonder why the 2JZ engine refuses to die decades later??
Simply said, the invincible 2JZ built by Toyota in the 1990s perfectly pairs an unburstable, overbuilt block and rotating assembly with an efficient turbo layout…delivering this unrestrained tuning legend into our hands decades later.
What‘s YOUR favorite 2JZ build? Let me know in the comments and look out for more inline-6 content soon!
