The Turbocharged 2JZ Engine
The 2JZ engine is a turbocharged beast built by Toyota and is featured in Toyota’s ‘90s and ‘00s high-performance sports cars.
Written by Serena Aburahma
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
When most people think of high-performance speed demons, they tend to think of European supercars or American muscle cars. Too often, the contributions from
Toyota
and its 2JZ engine are overlooked. This is despite the fact that Toyota received notable recognition in the Fast and Furious franchise. More informed gearheads know about the true power of the 2JZ engine. When describing the allure of this engine,
MotorTrend
said, "Few production engines before or since are capable of the sort of outlandish horsepower as the 2JZ." While the 2JZ engine is a powerful beast, its real genius can be found in the aspects of its design.
History of this legendary engine
The Supra first emerged in 1979. At the time, Toyota was best known for building affordable vehicles. But executives at the company wanted to branch out into high-performance sports cars.
From the beginning, the Supra carried an inline engine. However, the 1JZ wouldn't appear in the Supra until 1990. Its successor, the 2JZ engine, would arrive just one year later. The 2JZ engine was an improvement on many fronts.
Most notable is the cast iron engine block. By choosing this more rugged material, the 2JZ engine became synonymous with durability.
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Why is the 2JZ engine inline instead of V?
MORE: Lego Replicated a Toyota Supra—And It Drives
If you're new to the lingo of engines, you're in the right place. Many engineers and car enthusiasts will debate if inline or V engines are better, and they both have their own pros and cons.
On an inline engine, all the pistons are in a uniform line. This provides some advantages versus an engine that has pistons arranged in a V-pattern. For starters, an inline engine will be a lot smoother since the pistons won't be creating converging motion.
A V engine, on the other hand, will have the pistons creating motion in different directions which causes a lot of opposite motion. To balance this, V engines will need added parts to counteract this disturbance. More parts mean more weight, which means less speed.
Additionally, V engines can be more difficult to work on given all the parts needed to balance the piston's motion.
However, inline motors do have one major downfall: they are a lot longer than V engines.
This means cars that have inline engines, especially 6 pistons like the 2JZ engine, require more hood space. A V engine essentially folds the engine, making it easier to fit under a hood, and that simply can't be done with an inline engine.
To oversimplify, an inline engine is generally better for speed and performance. But a V engine is better for space management. As Toyota was going for performance, the inline 2JZ engine was used on many of their "performance first" vehicles.
Cars that carry the 2JZ engine
Even though the 2JZ engine has been out of production since 2007, it is still sought after by collectors. The inline engine is easy to work on, making it a great opportunity for those who like to do under the hood customizations.
If you're on the hunt for a 2JZ engine, specifically the sporty 2JZ-GE, your best bet is to look for a Supra from 1993-1998. While the 2JZ did appear in a few other models, a ‘90s Supra is far more accessible than other models.
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