World’s First 2JZ-Swapped 2020 Toyota GR Supra A90 Is A Reality

It was only a matter of time before someone swapped the new Supra’s BMW engine with the legendary 2JZ unit from the Supra A80.

Last month, a California-based company announced it would start offering 2JZ engine swap packages for the fifth-gen Supra. As it turns out, someone stole their thunder.

That someone is Daigo Saito, the famous Japanese drifter known for his spectacular drift cars that included a Ferrari 599 GTB not that long ago. Well, the time has come for Saito to build a new drift car and he chose the all-new Supra A90 as a starting point.

Details are scarce for the moment but the photos he uploaded on social media reveal some massive changes to the Supra — as you would expect from a drift car. For example, the car features an additional rear-mounted radiator for extra cooling capacity.

The 2JZ-GTE twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six engine is in 800 hp specification which should give Saito plenty of momentum to sustain some long drifts. As you can see, there are still some things left to be done to the car, such as fitting some wheel arch extensions to cover the wider tires.

Remarkably, turning the Supra A90 road car into a 2JZ-powered drift machine took just 42 days, including development.

Saito says he chose the new Supra as a basis for his new drift car because the A90 has a short wheelbase and compact body, making it easy to control during drifting. Plus, it offers low running costs. Why the switch to the 2JZ, though?

Saito doesn’t say but it’s pretty clear that the new Supra’s BMW-sourced B58 engine is too new for aftermarket companies to develop performance spec parts yet. Thus, swapping the stock motor for a 2JZ was a logical thing to do, especially since Saito has raced 2JZ-powered drift cars in the past.

The 2JZ-powered Supra A90 drift car will make its first public appearance on March 23 in Tokyo at the D1 Grand Prix All-Star Shoot Out.