Our favorite cars often embrace the ethos of Gran Turismo. That’s why in previous Wants we’ve showcased vehicles like the R34 Skyline and Honda NSX. However, we recognized one important JDM stalwart was missing from the lineup. That’s why this week we’re focusing in on an exceptional example of a 1994 Toyota Supra.
When the fourth generation Supra hit the dealers in 1993, it took the car in a new direction. While the previous three versions were all iconic in their own right, they all lacked a truly high-performance characteristic. The new car looked to change all that.
Okay, not the base model. The weaker of the two engine options was the 2JZ-GE. Unlike its bigger brother, this engine was naturally aspirated and packed just 220hp. While nothing to sneeze at — it was more than a Mustang V8 at the time — it’s not exactly something you’d call a performance car.
The 2JZ-GTE changes all this though. This was a proper sports car engine and had the numbers to back it up. In Japan, due to the “Gentlemen’s Agreement” the twin-turbo engine put out 276hp. However, in the US the car had a respectable (and more accurate) 320hp.
This extra power put the 0-60 time right around 4.6 seconds, which is fast even by today’s standards.
Top speed came in at 177mph. However, legislation and legal requirements limited the speed to just 112mph in Japan and 155mph elsewhere.
The real potential of the 2JZ-GTE came with tuning scene of the late 90s.
Since the internals and block are as tough as nails, the engine could take extreme modification with ease. Some estimates say the stock internal can withstand upwards of 800hp, while others claim over 1,000 ponies.
That’s some serious potential. It’s also a reason why the car is so desirable today for racers and collectors alike.
This is also why the example we found offered for sale by Performance Auto Gallery of Gaithersburg, Maryland is a bit of a unicorn — it’s completely stock.
Astonishingly, this Supra is probably among the few in the US without any mods on it. Pretty much anytime you come across one of these cars now it at least has an exhaust on it or at the very least a different set of wheels.
If that didn’t make this Supra rare enough, it’s also surprisingly low mileage. With just 5,664 miles on the clock, it’s practically new.
All this makes its acquisition story even stranger. Looking at the Carfax sheet on the vehicle, it initially ended up at a Ford dealer on a trade-in.
Yes, a practically new Supra with the legendary 2JZ-GTE engine got traded in at a Ford dealer. The story doesn’t say what it was traded for, but we really hope it wasn’t for something like a Fusion.
According to the listing on Bring a Trailer, the car ended up at the Ford dealer when a son received the car as part of an estate from his father. The dear old dad would probably turn over in his grave if he knew his prized car got traded in.
In any case, the Ford dealer probably made out like a bandit on the car.
Now, Performance Auto Gallery is hoping to do the same. The car is currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer. Back in March, the car had a winning bid of $80,500. However, the buyer never followed through with paying for the car.
This time around, chances are it’ll fetch a similar price as well.
If you want to bid on this icon, the auction is open through Tuesday, May 29.
See more articles on Toyota, Toyota Supra, and Wednesday Want.
