The most valuable versions of the iconic MKIV Toyota Supra are the ones closest to stock condition. Ever since the superb Japanese sports car was immortalized in The Fast and the Furious in 2001, it’s been one of the most sought after used cars out there with clean examples fetching eye-popping prices.
Well-preserved modern classics are great, but one could argue that turbocharged Hemi V8 engines are more fun. That’s the mindset at Prospeed Autosports based in Houston, Texas. The shop has taken a Supra originally used to donate its engine for a different project and stuffed a turbocharged Hemi into the engine bay.
The original engine in this Supra was the venerable 3.0-liter 2JZ inline-six with sequential twin turbochargers. In its place is a billet 527 ci Hemi V8 with a Precision ProMod 106 millimeter turbocharger.
We reached out to Chris Delgado at Prospeed Autosports to ask why they’ve created this beautiful monster. “We wanted to do more racing and less swapping engines [in the Supra], so we chose to go with an engine that was built to handle 5,000 hp and just run it at 50 percent of its capability,” said Delgado. “The Hemi was an easy choice as they have a proven history in very high power applications.”
The car hasn’t been on a dyno yet since it isn’t quite finished, but Delgado said “the current setup should make right around 2,500 horsepower at full tilt,” with 2,500 pound-feet of torque to match. “The car is about 85 percent done. The fuel system and oil system is being designed and built right now, once that’s done, the motor comes back out for final assembly. The engine bay will get a touch-up paint job and the wiring harness has to be laid in. Once all that’s done, the motor goes in and should be ready for the first startup.”
We asked what other modifications have been made to this Toyota to handle 2,500 hp from a giant, turbocharged Hemi. It has a full cage, a double frame rail chassis, and “a ton of carbon work.” It has a “no expense spared” four-link suspension setup consisting of Penske triple adjustable shocks with a CO2 assist. A TH400 transmission delivers power to the rear wheels.
We can’t wait to see what this radical drag car is capable of when the project is complete.