The Toyota Supra was launched in 1978 and was based on the highly popular Celica. While the Celica dominated the affordable sports car segment back then, Toyota found it convenient to base its new car on it. The Supra’s signature was the extensive use of I-6 motors right from the beginning. And the I-6 madness almost reached its peak with the Supra MK4’s legendary 2JZ motor.
- The 2JZ engine is still a blast
- It came with proper driving electronics
- It became more popular after the Fast & Furious franchise
- The car has immense resale value
- Was the first vehicle to receive a driver’s airbag from Toyota!
- It did not sell that well!
- The drivetrain is incredibly robust
- It is a valuable sports car now
- It offers endless tunability
- It was the fastest car in its segment
The models of the Supra launched earlier than the MK4 came with the Celica’s iconic pop-up headlamps, while the former arrived with fixed units for the first time. Even though the MK4 brought plenty of upgrades over its previous models, the car failed to sell as per Toyota’s expectations, with only 12,000 units sold until the end of its production.
Now, without further delay, let’s have a detailed look at the top 10 facts about the MKIV Toyota Supra–
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10. It was the fastest car in its segment
Today’s sports cars are much faster and sportier than the Mk4, but the latter can still outrun many supercars if tuned properly. When the MK4 hit the market, it was the fastest car in its segment and clocked a 0–60 mph sprint time of only 4.9 seconds. While the number might not mean much now, it did quite a bit back then.
9. It offers endless tunability
This is the MK4’s prime forte. While the car came with an already appealing design, enthusiasts loved it to infinity and beyond while tuning it. There are plenty of tuned examples out there that look both sick and fast even when standstill. And the cars’ aftermarket parts support is still strong as well.
8. It is a valuable sports car now
With the number of stock MK4s declining at an alarming rate, the remaining untouched cars have become insanely valuable at present. While the lowest selling price of the MK4 was something around seventeen grand, the higher end might sound absurd. A clean example of the MK4 can fetch as much as a few hundred grands!
7. The drivetrain is incredibly robust
While designing the 2JZ, Toyota engineers equipped the MK4 with a capable drivetrain too. While the motor can easily handle some insane power figures, the drivetrain is equally capable and can gleefully adapt to some serious power and torque figures as well.
6. It did not sell that well!
The third-generation Supra did sell quite well, courtesy of its strong Celica roots and those pop-up headlamps. Moreover, the I-6 motor under the hood became quite capable as well. With the MK4, Toyota tried a completely new design approach, but it did not work out. As a result, the MK4 only saw 12,000 units sold in the US, making it a rare sight today.
5. MKIV Supra Was the first vehicle to receive a driver’s airbag from Toyota!
It might sound strange, but it’s true. Even the earlier Supra models did not arrive with a driver’s airbag either. This made the MK4 the first Toyota car to receive a driver’s airbag, among other safety aids, as standard.
4. The car has immense resale value
While procuring a neat example of the Supra MK4 is a tedious job now, selling one off is immensely profitable since the MK4’s value has been on the rise for quite some time now.
3. It became more popular after the Fast & Furious franchise
The Toyota Supra MK4 was gaining popularity after its production ended. The big break for the car’s image arrived when it was featured as the hero car in the movie “The Fast And The Furious”. Later on, it was also showcased in the second, and fifth sequel of the Fast and Furious franchise. Famously driven by the late actor Paul Walker, the Supra immediately gained a cult following as well.
2. It came with proper driving electronics
Along with the airbag, the Supra MK4 arrived with ABS, traction control, and a limited-slip differential as well. During its time, these features were regarded as almost cutting-edge technologies in the industry, and even popular German sports cars did not have them for a long period.
1. The 2JZ engine is still a blast
The MK4 had two engine options to choose from. The 2JZ-GE and the beloved 2JZ-GTE . The 2JZ-GTE was a twin-turbocharged version of the 2JZ GE engine, which is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter Inline-6 engine. The GTE was rated at 276 horsepower. But it was not enough for some of the MK4 Supra Turbo owners. After several modifications, tuners found that the 2JZ-GTE would be perfectly safe while increasing its power to approximately 750 horsepower. We can say that Toyota built the 2JZ motor thinking way more about the future.
As a result, it almost incredibly capable and reliable engine can handle close to 1000 hp without requiring any internal reinforcements. And if you want more, with swapped-out high-performance parts, the motor can also cross the 1,000 hp mark easily, shaming some of the mightiest present-day supercars.
