Building a nice car in California has surely become more of a difficult task each and every year. Strict emission laws in combination with law enforcement have made it next to impossible to build a high horsepower cruiser. Supra owners have really been limited to BPU performance on their cars in California; at least those that dare to stay within the legal limits. Fortunately for some however, there has been some time and investment into CARB legal single turbo upgrades for the 2JZ, and the Supra breathing down your neck right now is the first one with it.
Robert Graybeal represents Speed Addicts in Northern California with this 97 Toyota Supra Turbo Targa. Admiring the simple outside, the exterior of the Supra has been refinished to a brand new shade. The extremely shiny and immaculate Alpine Silver paint doesn’t even start to hint what has gone on under the hood. A Rod Millen carbon fiber wing on the trunk and a Seibon carbon fiber front lip finish it off for the exterior modifications. For wheel selection, Robert wanted something clean and conservative to match the natural lines of the Supra. A set of Yokohama AVS Model 5 wheels in a 19x9.5 / 19x10 combinations were imported from Japan onto the car. Dunlop Direzza tires wrap each wheel in a staggered 245/35/19 and 275/30/19 setup.
Under the hood however, is the Powerhouse Racing GT60 turbo upgrade. Currently undergoing final engineering revisions for ARB review, this will be America's first CARB legal single turbo upgraded Supra. Plenty of off-road goods from HKS help make this Supra show worthy as well, including adjustable cam gears and their Type R front mount intercooler. An HKS SSQV blow off valve relieves any excess pressure built up through the HKS EVC5 boost controller. These components will not be part of the CARB legal turbo kit however. Out the rear of the car is an HKS Super Dragger II exhaust system. Several goods under the hood have been polished to an immaculate shine. An RPS Stage II clutch ensures each bit of horsepower makes it through the drive train.
Bruce Nomura Tuning & Design is accredited with several pieces of custom tuning and fabrication on this Supra. A signature polished and windowed airbox along with the polished cooling plate makes for some beautiful amenities in the engine bay. The custom 4” exhaust and downpipe was also designed by Bruce Nomura. Nomura didn’t stop there however, several interior upgrades were fabricated by him as well. A duo of APEXi gauges display exhaust temperature and engine coolant temperature, while all the HKS EVC tuning is done by Nomura. Cooling off the CARB legal turbo kit is an HKS turbo timer. A custom Cusco roll cage was modified to fit the removable Targa’d Supra. On both driver and passenger side is Sparco Milano suede seats joined with Sparco racing harnesses. A TRD steering wheel equipped with an air bag is on the driver’s side while Robert enjoys the shifting of a B&M short shifter.
Suspension duties have been handled with a set of HKS Damper II coilovers. Titan adjustable sway bars along with a pair of Cusco polished strut braces makes the suspension and chassis as balanced as possible. For braking upgrades, a set of Power Slot rotors and Project mU brake pads found their way on each corner behind the Yokohama wheels.
Be on the look out as this pristine silver Supra continues to campaign at shows displaying that when there’s a will there’s a way. Actual RWHP numbers are hush until the kit is released but similar off-road upgrades for the 2JZ have yielded well in excess of 500 RWHP. A CARB legal single turbo upgraded Supra delivering RWHP well in excess of its BPU counterparts with rocket appeal? Here is it and it's nearly ready to roll on the streets of California.
