The Toyota Supra Mk IV became a legend for three reasons: an engine that handles huge power on factory internals, real supercar-level performance for about $40,000 new, and a movie role that made it famous to a whole generation. Its 90s legacy shows up in the auction results. A stunt car from The Fast and the Furious sold for $550,000 in 2021 (Hagerty).
Here's what made the A80 special, how JDM and US cars differ, and what they cost now.
What the A80 Supra is
The A80 is the fourth-generation Supra. Mass production started in April 1993 and ended in August 2002, when tighter emissions rules finished it off in Japan (Wikipedia).
It shared its subframe, suspension and drivetrain with the Z30 Soarer, sold in the US as the Lexus SC300 and SC400. The Supra body was more than 340 mm shorter (Wikipedia). Toyota said the new car was at least 91 kg lighter than the A70 it replaced.
US sales were small and short. Wikipedia's estimates add up to 12,059 cars sold in North America, and the 1998 model year was the last there. The UK got 623 in total.
The 2JZ-GTE and its sequential twin turbos
The heart of the car is the 2JZ-GTE, a 3.0-liter inline-six with two turbochargers. They run in sequence, not side by side.
At low revs, all the exhaust goes to the first turbo, which gives about 300 lb-ft by 1,800 rpm. At 3,500 rpm some exhaust starts spinning up the second turbo. At 4,000 rpm its output joins the first (Wikipedia). The result is quicker low-rpm response than a parallel setup, with strong boost at the top.
Turbo cars got a new six-speed Getrag/Toyota V160 manual, while non-turbo cars used the five-speed W58 (Wikipedia). A four-speed automatic was available on all of them.
JDM vs US power
Japanese cars were rated lower on paper. That's the gentlemen's agreement among Japanese makers, which capped advertised output at 280 PS. Export cars ran higher boost and different hardware.
A80 engine | Market | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|
2JZ-GE (non-turbo) | Japan | 225 PS (222 hp) | 284 Nm (209 lb-ft) |
2JZ-GE (non-turbo) | US and Canada | 220 hp | not listed |
2JZ-GTE twin turbo | Japan, 1993 to 1997 | 280 PS (276 hp) | 431 Nm (318 lb-ft) |
2JZ-GTE twin turbo VVT-i | Japan, 1997 to 2002 | 280 PS (276 hp) | 451 Nm (333 lb-ft) |
2JZ-GTE twin turbo | US and Canada, to 1998 | 320 hp | 427 Nm (315 lb-ft) |
2JZ-GTE twin turbo | Europe, 1993 to 1996 | 330 PS (325 hp) | 441 Nm (325 lb-ft) |
All figures are from Wikipedia's A80 specifications. Japanese cars were also speed-limited to 180 km/h, against 250 km/h elsewhere.
A turbo manual weighs 1,565 kg (3,450 lb), with 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution (Wikipedia).
How it performed in period
The Supra Turbo ran with the best sports cars of its day. In Car and Driver's September 1993 comparison, it hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds at 106 mph. That beat the Corvette LT1, Mazda RX-7, Nissan 300ZX Turbo, Porsche 968 and Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 on both counts.
It also wasn't the most expensive car in that test. The Supra Turbo's base price was $40,890, against $41,743 for the Porsche 968 (Car and Driver).
Later tests went quicker. Wikipedia cites 0-60 mph in as little as 4.6 seconds, a 13.1-second quarter mile at 109 mph, a tested 160 mph top speed and 0.98 g on the skidpad. Its 149-foot stop from 70 mph was the best Car and Driver had recorded for a production car in 1997.
The Fast and the Furious effect
The movie turned a niche import into a household name. In the 2001 film, Paul Walker's character Brian O'Connor drives an orange 1994 Supra (Hagerty).
That car's value tells the story. Stunt car number one, which Walker drove on camera and which reappeared in 2 Fast 2 Furious, sold for $550,000 including premium at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas in June 2021 (Hagerty, The Drive). Hagerty called it the most expensive Mk IV Supra ever sold at auction. A different stunt car from the film had sold for $199,800 in 2015.
The film also gave the engine its famous line. Jesse calls it a "two-jay-zee engine" that "will decimate all" (Jalopnik).
Why tuners love the 2JZ
The 2JZ-GTE takes big power on stock internals because Toyota overbuilt it. Jalopnik lists the reasons: a cast-iron, closed-deck block, a forged steel crank with seven main bearings and 12 counterweights, forged rods and oil-cooled pistons.
Tuner Stephan Papadakis pointed to the same things in a Jalopnik teardown, plus a triple-layer steel head gasket from the factory and a girdle bolted to the bottom of the block. Jalopnik puts the stock bottom end's limit at about 800 hp.
The usual path is a single large turbo, a bigger intercooler, larger injectors and fuel system upgrades (Jalopnik). If you want the basics of how boost is added and controlled, see our piece on whether you can put a turbo on any car.
That reputation is a double-edged thing for buyers. Many A80s have been modified or crashed, and Hagerty says original, unmodified, accident-free cars are the most desirable.
What a Mk IV Supra costs today
Values climbed fast after 2018 and have stayed high for the best cars. Hagerty says the Supra Turbo's condition #2 value rose 40% after it made Hagerty's 2018 Bull Market List.
Sale or value | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Fast and Furious stunt car, Barrett-Jackson, June 2021 | $550,000 | Hagerty, The Drive |
Seized Supra Turbo, 22,962 miles, six-speed manual | $304,750 | Hagerty |
Lower-mileage Supra Turbo on Bring a Trailer | $211,050 | Hagerty |
About 7,000-mile Supra on Bring a Trailer, 2019 | $121,000 | Carscoops |
Hagerty concours value for a Supra, July 2021 | $134,000 | Carscoops |
1993 Mk IV headline value, January 2025 data | $46,900 | Hagerty |
All 1993 to 1998 Mk IV sales recorded by Hagerty (366) | $12,913 to $550,000 | Hagerty |
The spread is huge, and that's the point. Mileage, transmission, originality and documented history decide where a car lands. A modified automatic and a low-mile six-speed Turbo are different purchases.
Japanese-market cars are another route. NHTSA lets a car at least 25 years old enter without meeting US safety standards, counted from the date of manufacture. Production ended in August 2002, so the last JDM A80s become eligible in 2027.
What to check before buying
- Confirm the spec. Check whether it's a Turbo or non-turbo car, and a six-speed V160/V161 or an automatic. The VIN and drivetrain should match the paperwork.
- Look for accident history. Hagerty notes that many A80s have been crashed. A specialist inspection of panel gaps, paint depth and the subframe is money well spent.
- Ask what's been changed. Hagerty says quality and broad appeal decide whether modifications add or subtract value. Originals carry the premium.
- Check JDM import paperwork. For a Japanese car, confirm the build date before you commit, since eligibility runs from manufacture, not the model year (NHTSA).
- Compare like with like. Use Hagerty's valuation tools and recent sales of the same year, transmission and mileage band rather than headline records.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Toyota Supra
- Hagerty: Fast and Furious Supra driven by Paul Walker sells for $550,000
- The Drive: Fast and Furious 1994 Toyota Supra rakes in $550,000 at Barrett-Jackson
- Hagerty: Supra Mk IV Turbo confiscated from alleged drug dealer sells for $304,750
- Hagerty: Before Gen IV Supras became six-figure cars in the States, they were big in the Middle East
- Hagerty valuation tools: 1993 Toyota Supra Mk IV
- Carscoops: 7K-mile 1995 Toyota Supra on Bring a Trailer
- Car and Driver via Yahoo Autos: 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo comparison test
- Jalopnik: Here's why the Toyota Supra's 2JZ is such a legendary engine
- Jalopnik: Master tuner's engine teardown explains why the Toyota 2JZ is such a legend
- NHTSA: Importation and certification FAQs
Featured image: AbflugMK4Supra by Moto 'Club4AG' Miwa, CC BY 2.0. Source
No comments yet