The 2020 Toyota Supra is headed to Formula Drift, but its BMW-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 won't burn up its rear tires. Instead, it's headed to the top drift series with a venerable 3.0-liter 2JZ inline-6 from the fourth-generation car under the hood.
Professional drifter Daigo Saito posted photos to Instagram of his latest Formula D drift car and they show the 2JZ engine under the hood. This could very well be the world's first 2JZ swap for the 2020 Supra, since the car hasn't gone on sale in any market yet. We knew it was inevitable, even Toyota knew it was inevitable, that the trusty iron-block engine would make its way to the new car.
Saito's Supra has also undergone plenty of other changes to make it ready for sideways action. Foremost, it has a manual transmission hooked up to the swapped-in 2JZ. The Supra also has much wider fender flares to fit meatier tires, a roll cage, and a stripped down interior for motorsport purposes.
Using the 2JZ in a drift car is something of a back-handed compliment to Toyota. It reinforces the narrative many have weaved since the car's debut that the 2020 Supra is far too BMW for diehard fans to accept. That's a shame since BMW's B58 engine, found under the Supra's hood, is a very willing dance partner. It makes 335 horsepower and it can be tuned to various power levels, as evidenced by the 382 hp it makes in the Supra's sister car, the BMW Z4. Like the 2JZ engine, the B58 is also a closed-deck block design to make it very tough.
Yet, the 2JZ may simply have been the better choice for Saito's drift car as it's already a proven mill in terms of reliability and power output. Regardless, it'll be exciting to see the new sports car hit the track and slide sideways.
