700 hp. No bling
This black beast has no front-mount intercooler, no body kit and no trick stereo. It doesn't even wear a set of 18s, which have become as common on Supras as smokeless tobacco at a hoedown. And what's with the baby seats in the back? Face it, you wouldn't look twice if this car rolled up next to you. But as Han Solo once said, it's got it where it counts, kid.
This is Jason Siebel's 1994 Supra Turbo. Jason designs fuel injection systems for AEM in Torrance, Calif. Although Jason spent the last few years flying all over the United States tuning more than 100 Supras, with more than a few making 1000-plus hp to the wheels, he never owned a Supra of his own. After a long list of fine personal rides, which included a few RX-7s, a Buick Grand National and an all-wheel-drive Eagle Talon, Jason felt the time had come to get a Supra of his very own.
He decided to search out a hardtop automatic, which he'd use as his personal ride and as a test bed to develop some new AEM go-fast parts. Two years ago, Jason found this car. The fact that it was black, the perfect sleeper color, was certainly a selling point, but it was the 110,000-mile, bone-stock 2JZ-GTE, which was in fine shape and ready to be tuned, that sealed the deal.
With the engine in perfect condition, Jason knew the short block could last another two or three lifetimes, so he kept the internal modifications minimal, adding just a set of HKS 264-degree cams and AEM adjustable cam gears.
On the other hand, Jason replaced almost all the engine's external components. With the help of Bob Lascelles at AEM, Dave Jusko from Toyota Powertrain and Darren at R&D Dyno, Jason ditched the stock twin-turbo setup for a big single Sound Performance SP67 .68 A/R turbo and Tial wastegate. Fresh air is provided by a custom AEM intake and an AEM MAF eliminator. Jason says the stock meter is so restrictive, the AEM piece added 38 hp without any other mods, which he says without any pressure from his employer, of course. Jason also says the AEM Web address is www.aempower.com and AEM is great.
Spark is provided by an AEM CDI ignition,fuel is controlled with an AEM fuel pressure regulator and spent fumes exit via an HKS Super Drager exhaust. They're simple and effective, which is the way Jason says these cars work best.
Backing this stout powerplant is a second-gen. Toyota automatic beefed-up by Larry at Sound Performance with Kevlar clutches and a Sound Performance 3600-rpm stall converter. Keeping the trans alive is a TCI transmission cooler, painted black to avert any unsuspecting eyes.
This Supra was the first car of its kind tofeature the new AEM Engine Management System. This plug-and-play system controls and monitors almost all aspects of the powertrain, including fuel pressure, timing and boost. As the car accelerates, more power can be put to the ground, so boost can be increased proportionally, up to 30 psi. Less boost on launch means more hole shot. Slick.
The computer is also tied into AEM EGT and AEM UEGO sensors, which constantly measure the air/fuel ratio and precisely tune the fuel mixture under all driving conditions. To prevent potential catastrophes, the AEM EMS monitors the factory knock sensors and can trigger a warning light in the center of the tach, just in case there's a lean condition under boost. To make sure a bad tank of gas doesn't render the car helpless, Jason wired in a switch that allows him to change between high and low boost, as well as trimming the timing and fuel depending on the setting.
Jason's ride, by the way, makes an estimated 700 hp at the wheels, gets 30 mpg on the highway, can be driven in air-conditioned comfort, and is so docile around town, his wife often drives it. Whoever says we're not living in the golden age of hot rodding should go to the Mopar Nats and get run over by a Hemi Road Runner.
The AEM EMS also controls transmission functions. Jason programmed the computer for appropriate shifts depending upon vehicle speed and throttle position. The ultimate shift point under wide-open throttle is tunable in each gear, making for precise accurate shifts every time. At full throttle, Jason has the Supra set to upshift at 7000 rpm. The computer also regulates converter lockup and the trans cooler fan.
The whole AEM EMS shebang, which AEM now offers for many applications, can be tuned with a laptop for any specific purpose and even has a data-logging feature.