The 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo Is a Sports Car Legend

This is a

1994

Toyota Supra

turbo

and it is a

legend

, an absolute

legend

, this car came from the Japanese

sports

car era of the 1990s which also included the Mazda RX-7, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT and the Nissan 300ZX , but this car, the super

turbo

, has increased. above all of them to become an icon of this era, today I'm going to explain why I borrowed this Supra from an entrepreneurial friend located here in Orange County, California. He is working on a really cool project that will be released soon. Learn more about take it at march.com and be sure to follow them on Instagram by clicking the link in the description below.

Now go back to the Supra. This car has only 12,000 miles on it, it has the six speed manual transmission that everyone wants and has never had. It has been modified, this is the most desirable Supra of them all and in this condition they can sell for a lot of money and by that I mean over a hundred thousand dollars, yes, a hundred thousand dollars for a

1994

Toyota. When I grew up, my Dad had a '90s Toyota. Camry and you know where that thing is now on Craigslist, where some guy offers to trade it for a really nice futon, probably, but the Supra has its reasons for being so valuable, one of the main ones. reasons is this car's movie fame as Mark IV Supra turbo. that's what the cool kids call it, it was the hero car of Fast and Furious, which is now generally considered one of the worst and best car movies of all time in history, then there's the tunability, the super turbo It is famous for its legendary 2JZ engine which was incredibly tunable and dramatically built to the point where you can tune it and get over a thousand horsepower easily and many people do, in fact other cars using variations of the 2JZ engine are highly sought after. by the tuners. harvested for its engine and goes beyond that the super turbo is downright rare as Toyota just didn't make as many of them compared to the Nissan 300ZX in the Mitsubishi 3000GT, part of the reason was the cost when it was new in '94, the MSRP of this thing was around forty-five thousand dollars, which translates to a little over seventy thousand dollars in today's money.

Imagine paying 70 grand for a Toyota and then the other problem was that most people went with the turbo. I decided to go with the automatic which makes the manual even rarer and then there's the styling, another reason why this car is so valuable, it's just beautiful, it's a gorgeous car with gorgeous clean lines and it's not just a beautiful car from the 90s, it is a beautiful car. even by modern standards, but whatever the reason, I'll review it first today. I'll take you on a tour of the super turbo and show you all the quirks and features of a legend.

I'll take it out on the road and drive it and then give it a Doug rating. Now I'll start under the hood, where you can take a look at the most beautiful 2JZ engine you've ever seen. most of these cars have been given a lot of miles, they have been heavily modified, not this one, this is the cleanest 2JZ, perhaps that exists now, there are many reasons why this engine is so sought after and so desirable , especially in the Tuner scene It had an iron block for strength, it had forged rods, there's a bunch of other stuff I don't normally get into, it was covered brilliantly in a Jalopnik article by David Tracy which I'll link on the description below. but suffice it to say that this engine was newly built and therefore can generate a ton of horsepower.

Toyota put 320 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque on it, although they claimed it had 276 horsepower thanks to a gentlemen's agreement in Japan. go crazy with the horsepower so people could get hurt, but here in the United States it was rated at 320 horsepower, a lot of people say it was actually even more than that, now you can see a couple of interesting things under the hood, one on the engine. says two JZ GTE printed there on what has to be the nicest engine cover left on one of these GTE was the specific engine for the Supra turbo. I also like the fact that it says on the side energy conservation two oh no, this is much better. that the energy conservation one was nothing compared to all the energy conservation that is happening with the next two.

I want to talk about wheels because this car has some really fun wheels. Now modern

sports

cars have aggressive 19 20 21 inch wheels with thin spokes to emphasize how angry and sporty they are. This thing was the exact opposite. These small by modern standards 17 inches, only five spokes, looked so good now that most Mark IV Super owners get rid of these wheels because they make the car look like a Corolla, but I like them a little, yes, they are not very aggressive, but that is the goal of this car. This car is from an era when automakers didn't have to make everything look aggressive and angry in order to get their point across. it's fun to see them today our next interesting element is the little model designation on the back that says Supra.

Now it is not unusual for a car to say the model name on the back which most cars use to identify them. The strange thing to me about this was The font they chose is like a 90s catalog font that you would see on a travel brochure advertising some city no one wants to go to, Cleveland, but this is the font anyway, doesn't really seem in line with angry aggressive. character of the car, that's what they went for and you can also see that fun 90's font on the mats inside the car and on the brake calipers, no, brembos on this car, instead you had Supra and then We have to talk about this car. has a huge one, a lot of people criticize this wing because it was too big and not really in keeping with the design of the car which was otherwise relatively subtle, smooth and simple, but frankly I love the wing, I think it looks .

Perfect for the Supra now, in hindsight it just makes it look so much more absurd, interesting and unusual and sometimes I see it driving without the spoiler and frankly I think it looks naked; however, it is probably the only recent Toyota that is a foot tall. The other interesting thing here is the taillights, which are very unusual. You can see that they have four circles, all the same size, doing their various jobs. You have the backup light, the two tail lights that convert to brake lights, and of course the turn signals. He notes that one interesting thing about these taillights is that they were a little ahead of their time.

It became a really cool trend in the late '90s to have these clear taillights with individual lights inside them. People call them Altezza taillights because they look great. like the tail lights and the Toyota altezza but the Supra had them first, it was ahead of its time another thing I have to say about these brake lights. I can't tell you how many times I remember sitting behind this car on a video game screen playing Gran Turismo and watching these brake lights break in front of me as I approached a corner on whatever circuit I was on, in incredibly low resolution. , this was one of the hero cars of that video game and, frankly, of my childhood and everyone's childhood. which is about my age and two other interesting lighting related items on this car, one in the rear.

I like the fact that Toyota wanted to preserve the clean, uninterrupted look of the rear of this car, so there is no keyhole anywhere on the body, instead, Toyota-esque. He hid the keyhole inside one of the brake light housings on the passenger side, puts the key in and turns it and then the liftgate appears. Another interesting lighting element is at the front, the headlights on this car are beautiful and are not at all cloudy like on many Supras because this car has been driven very little. An interesting element, although take a look in the middle of the headlights, there is like a hump on the headlight and when you turn on the headlights, that hump lights up and then projects forward very faintly.

I don't know if it's the parking light or just a component. I'm not really sure why there is a small bump on the headlight housing, but hey, it's there and it looks weird. You've never noticed it before, maybe you have. I haven't either, but now you'll see it on all the Supras you see at Cars and Coffee. Now, next, we move on to the cargo area which is accessed by opening the tailgate. Once you return here, you will find it first. Outside, there's not really much space, the floor of this thing is unusually high, so if you put a box back here and it sticks up to here when you go to close the tailgate, obviously the glass would crush it.

There's not much space back here, mainly what you're trying to get back here is the roof. Yes, that's right, the roof of this car is removable. They sold them with a full coupe hardtop, but there's also the sport roof, as Toyota called it, that can be removed. and then stored back here, now one of the interesting things about the roof is the fact that it's actually not that easy to remove, now that's not how it's depicted in the movie Fast and the Furious in one scene. We're like in a car chase and they knock off the roof because they have to jump off the top and they do it in half a second, but it's actually a challenging process and the way it works is there's a little yellow bag inside.

In the glove box with a tool, you can see the tool says Titan on one side and loosens on the other. Now there are five hex bolts under the sports roof and you have to undo each of them to remove the roof, which means it's not just something you can do while sitting at a stoplight, you have to commit like, oh, today I'm going to remove the roof, maybe during the season now you will also notice that inside that little yellow bag there are a couple of things that look like plastic plugs, that's because when you take the roof off there are some open and exposed holes, you put the little plugs in plastic over those holes and it doesn't look as ugly as having exposed screws on your vehicle now. once you remove it, you can put it back here.

You might be wondering, well, how does he get back here? There are some complicated latches that look like things, uh-huh, well there's an explanation pasted here, on one of the little latches, there's a diagram showing exactly how you're supposed to put the sports roof into place once you remove it so you can store it in the back and it's actually a bit complicated, first you have to put that side in, the driver's side, then you can do the passenger side and then do the front now the owner tells me to have this diagram in place It's actually a big deal in the world of turbo Supra collectors.

They want to see it here for originality reasons. The same goes for a small yellow bag in the glove box that has the Tools A car with the diagram showing how to store the sports roof and the tools to remove it is considered a little more valuable than a car without those items, so you should save everything that comes with your car. The other cool thing about this car's cargo area is the fact that you can lower the back seat for more space. If you want, you just lift this little plastic tab in the middle of the seat, push it forward and then you have more room, but again.

The cargo floor is so high that you can't really fit that much in here, but at least it allows you to fit a little more in here than you could before in case you want to haul something medium-sized anyway, yeah, you heard it. Just a second ago, this car has back seats, so now it's time to get in them. The front seat is all the way forward so you just pull the latch, push the backrest forward and then you can get in, obviously it's quite a tight back here and these are deep bucket seats so when you get in you fold down into the seats now when I put the front seat back I don't have room anymore, if I started moving it back so someone could sit here I would. they have even less space, there is absolutely no reason why this car has back seats now because these back seats are incredibly small, there is absolutely no luxury back here, nothing interesting, basically two seats and a couple of seat belts, no However, there is one interesting element and that would be the floor mat back here.

It has one of the smallest floor mats I have ever seen in a car. Why even bother including a rear seat mat? You know it will never be used. I have no idea, but Toyota did it next. Moving on to the front seats in the super turbo, there are quite a few interesting elements, starting with the cabin layout in this car, everything is angled towards the driver in this clever inverted U shape, everything is thought for the driver.driver. Being able to reach it more easily, that's the goal of this car and the U-shape continues even to the door panel, where the power windows and lock switch are also angled towards the driver.

This car is driver-focused and you realize that the moment you first get in, I'm going over some of the interesting elements of this cabin below. One of the things I like the most are the vents, the ones on the driver's side, anyway, they are circular and you can move them. and adjust them to your liking, but what I like the most is that when you go to close them, they don't just close with a little plastic sheet, but these fan blade-like things behind the climate vent move into position to close them . It now looks very attractive, as for the climate controls themselves, they are much simpler and easier than what you would find in basically any other exciting sports car.

These are primarily Toyota climate controls, but I especially like the climate control dials there. one on top that changes the temperature, but I especially like the one that changes the airflow. You can see that as you turn it, this little light jumps to additional amounts of airflow with each turn. It gives it, which is kind of a satisfying feeling, then it moves under the climate controls, this car has a radio, obviously a cassette player, but it also has a CD player, which would have been a big deal in 1994, people were buying cars as late as the late '90s and not having CD players, that's a Big deal, but then again, this was a pretty expensive car, so it makes sense that I had it next.

One item I like under the radio is the fact that the traction control off button is like in the middle of the center control console and huge. I think Toyota knew exactly what was going to happen when they sold this car to people so they made that button very easy to find and next to the traction control off button is gear. toggle, which is cool, it's on this little circular casing, but what I like most about it is the fact that it has this cool baseball stitching on the top that looks great even today. I wish more automakers would do that with manual transmission.

Next we move on to the center console, which of course was in the middle and has some storage like in many other cars. Now the interesting thing about this center console is the fact that it opens only towards the driver. passenger can't use it, continues the kind of driver-centric theme of this car. The passenger doesn't even have access to the storage in the center console. Now, when you open the center console, you're greeted by a long, detailed group of Warning labels, the one at the bottom, going through the entire sports roof installation and removal process, line by line.

What you have to do again wasn't as easy as shown in Fast and Furious, but the warning label above that's more interesting to me, talks about how to treat the engine and engine oil in a turbocharged vehicle like this , specifically says a couple of pretty funny things, one is make sure you change your engine oil according to your owner's manual, don't stop the engine immediately after driving at high speed or pulling trailers, so if you're taking your horse trailer on your super turbo and arrive at the stables, don't just turn it off, let it idle for a while to cool down as directed.

This warning label then moves on to the gauge cluster, a couple of interesting and unusual items, one being the fact that the odometer is not located in the gauge cluster like in virtually every other car, especially if Toyotas of this era They are to the right. From the gauge cluster above the center control console, that's where it reads how many miles you've traveled, which is unusual. Also unusual in the gauge cluster is the fact that there is a small warning triangle that tells you if something is wrong, this triangle lights up. When you don't have your seat belt on it comes on when a door opens when the parking brake is on every time you see the triangle you know something is happening.

It's also interesting around the gauge cluster how much stuff there is up here. is borrowed from normal Toyota vehicles, this steering wheel for example comes directly from the Camry, the Corolla, the Forerunner of this area, the same goes for the turn signals, the wipers, the power window switches, it fits with the Toyota philosophy, why make three buttons like I mentioned? in a previous video, why make a different item when you already have one that works well? So you have a steering wheel that doesn't really fit the character of the Supra but it works, so why bother changing it?

Unfortunately, this also meant that the Supra has the Toyota Camry's puny horn, listen and then move on to the Supra's glove box. In this car you will find the original owner's manual for the 1994 Toyota Supra. Now I love looking through owner's manuals and these older cars. and look at what the automakers were telling us and a perfect example of that is on the inside cover of this owner's manual that says "we really care about you, please buckle up." Toyota has made a special effort to encourage the use of seat belts and then continues. I continue to say that the Toyota belts are comfortable, easy to use and convenient unlike those damn Honda belts that were uncomfortable and difficult to use.

Another interesting element in this is on page 106 it says caution, never turn off the engine on downhill slopes, well your power steering and brake booster will not work without the engine running. Also, the emissions control system works properly only when the engine is running, so if you turn off the engine to go down a hill, you'll have no brakes, no steering, and no emissions, who cares, you're going. to die, who cares about admissions, but Toyota puts that in there anyway just to make you feel guilty and not kill the engine in case the threat of death isn't enough, so those are the quirks and features of the Mark IV Supra turbo Now it's time to take it out on the road and see how well it handles driving the Supra turbo.

I always wanted to do this now, very well, going on a freeway and a ramp. here the car is exceptionally well balanced it feels very good, very planted floor, wow, okay, a couple of things when going down the highway on a ramp, the car feels very, very well balanced like a Porsche or something like that, very much Better than I associate with any Japanese car, that was surprising. uh in terms of acceleration the acceleration is okay not surprising 320 horsepower in the past I think this would have been really impressive but for me after having driven so many other fast cars and with cars every time faster, it's not that impressive.

One interesting thing is how mechanical the shifter and clutch feel. It doesn't feel incredibly soft. It's easy to drive but not exceptionally smooth. You may feel it rattle a little when you shift and go through the gears. I'm surprised Porsche's BMWs are smoother and this car is more mechanical for better or worse. I like the fact that I feel like I can really push myself hard in this car because I know this engine can take a lot of abuse. so famous for how overbuilt it was and the amount of power it could take, it can easily handle the stock handling, the handling of this car is actually very direct, but the handling is what really impresses me, the car is enormously stable and capable to walk with force.

In the corner it feels very planted, very stable on the ground, the steering could be a little more direct, but it's still a lot of fun to drop the gear in Florida on the highway, it just doesn't feel like it has as much give. There's not that much power this car delivers, the owner told me that with bolt-on mods you can get another 150 horsepower out of this thing in two seconds, no problem, but it's also my pleasure to review this car and experience it as it was. when Toyota initially. I sold this car in the past and find it great either way.

I will say that this car behaves like an old school turbo car when you think about the acceleration, uh, zero to sixty-four six, pretty good, but that's only because you're getting into the Boost and when you get into the Boost when you reach four thousand five thousand RPM, it feels like it's the fastest car in the world from one thousand to four, you say, well, this is not so good and then the turbos kick in and Ultimately, this thing just flies, even though this car is just an icon, the driving experience is good, it's fast, it feels very very fast, at low speeds it's fine on the road, but you know you're driving a stick shift. just an icon of this era, not just the movie but all 90's japanese cars, this one in the NSX is the one that stands out as the ultimate and it's hard not to smile when you drive this car.

Yes, it's not as fast as many modern sports cars, but man, this thing is so cool, so exciting, and so exciting that I think I'm driving a Mark 4 Supra turbo. You know you're everyone else on the road. If you're passing someone in a McLaren, you know your car may not be faster, it may not be better, but it's more special, and that's the 1994 Toyota Supra turbo, the Mark IV Supra turbo, this car is a legend and it doesn't matter if it's because of its style or its rarity or its engine or its fast and furious family, it doesn't matter why this car is a legendary icon and will only continue to become more valuable in the future and now is the time to give it a score from Doug.

Starting with the weekend categories and styling, I think the Supra is beautiful, simple and attractive, starting to get a little dated but still excellent and gets an 8 out of 10. Acceleration from 0 to 60 is 4 .6 seconds and it gets a 6 out of 10. the handling is fine, the steering is a little vague and the handling could be a little more precise and it gets a 6 out of 10. The fun factor is good, it's a fun car, although not incredibly fast or possible by modern standards, although you do have fun just getting to know each other. We're in a Mark IV Supra turbo and it gets a 6 out of 10.

Finally, cool factor, these are really special and will still draw a crowd at Cars and Coffee and it gets a 7 out of 10 for a total weekend score of 33 out of 50. The following are the daily categories and features. The Supra had a lot going for it's time, but now it's getting old and only has the basics and gets a two out of 10. Comfort is average and gets a 5 out of 10. Quality is good. The Supra isn't packed with ultra-high quality materials, but it is exceptionally reliable and gets a 7 out of 10. Practicality is fine, it has four seats but a small cargo area and gets a three. out of ten final value, it's hard to imagine paying a hundred grand for a used Toyota, even a Supra, so you'd think the value scored lower, but its value continues to go up, and even though the market has weakened a little, earns a 7 out of 10 for a total daily score of 24 out of 50.

Added up, Doug's score is 50, 7 out of 100, which places him here among the rivals of the period. Yes, it is better than the NSX, so the NSX is much better in In the weekend categories, the Supra has a higher daily score and barely beats it. The Supra is also better than all other Japanese sports cars of the 1990s, which is reflected in the Supra's market value. Happy Doug December everyone.