Last-generation Toyota Supras weren’t exactly the most common cars in the tuner world, since their steep new-car price tag limited the quantity sold. Still, Supras can be tuned to make serious horsepower, and their rear-wheel-drive platform ups the handling factor considerably. As Matt Farah points out, the cars got a big boost in popularity after the Fast and the Furious franchise became a hit, and “everyone wanted a ten-second Supra.”
Enter Orlando, Florida’s Titan Motorsports, one of the country’s premier Supra specialists. No matter what you want, from a stock restoration through a 2,400 horsepower Supra drag motor, Titan will be happy to hook you up. They know a thing or two about fast, since Titan has bragging rights to the world’s fastest Supra, a six-second NHRA drag car.
While street-legal, 1,000 horsepower Supras aren’t uncommon, as Farah points out, they can suck to drive on the street thanks to massive turbo lag followed by explosive, tire-shredding power. Sometimes, less is more, as is the case with the 700 horsepower, newly restored example feated in this episode of Tuned. With 600 horsepower at the rear wheels in a 3,400 pound car, there’s a lot to like; yes, there’s still turbo lag below about 3,500 rpm, but cross the 4,000 rpm barrier and you’d best be ready to shift. Quickly.
The Toyota Supra disappeared from the U.S. market after the 1998 model year, so clean (or even salvageable) examples are getting harder and harder to find. If you do come across one that’s too good to pass up, you probably want to have Titan Motorsports’ website bookmarked.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
