Parts you might otherwise never consider due for replacement, like crank pulley dampers, can fail when taking part in the production of a gazillion horsepower. Chris' car wears an SFI-approved damper with a steel, rather than aluminum, hub from Boost Logic. The lucky car also got a prototype set of Boost Logic pulleys machined from titanium, rather than the usual aluminum.
Despite their numerous commendable mechanical qualities, one thing 2JZs do poorly is maintain healthy oil and coolant temps. Chris mounted an aluminum radiator from Fluidyne; then he custom-fabricated a set of -20 radiator hoses and mounted twin electric fans and a Boost Logic radiator panel that encourages air to pass through the radiator rather than around it.
As is expected with a turbo this large, the corral holds few horses until 5000 rpm, and in the space of the following 5000 rpm, the population of ponies more than doubles to 940-wheel hp. A flagrant 759 lb-ft of torque is available at 5800 rpm.
So what do you do with a Supra of immoderate horsepower? Take it to the dragstrip, of course.
When the only g forces that matter are accelerative, Chris mounts a set of custom 16-inch CCW forged wheels, 10 inches wide in the rear and 4 inches wide in the front, wearing 26x10.5-inch Mickey Thompson ET Street wrinkle-wall slicks and skinnies up front. Chris has run a best quarter mile of 10.1 seconds at 147 mph.
The Supra's six-speed Getrag transmission has persevered despite repeated 10-second passes and so remains stock, but the rest of Chris' drivetrain is upgraded. Carbon kisses carbon set into the chrome-moly flywheel of RPS's carbon/carbon clutch kit, which feeds power through a Performance Motorsport heavy-duty driveshaft and TRD limited-slip differential.
The car, to most, appears stock; Supra literati will notice the Wings West front lip and body-colored lower molding. Chris chose tastefully understated Blitz Z1 Technospeed three-piece wheels for the street, 18x9 inches up front and 10 inches wide in the rear, wearing staggered Yokohama AVS Sports, 245/40-18s and 285/35-18s, respectively.
The stock Supra interior is nothing if not plush, upgraded only by the ubiquitous TRD airbag steering wheel, a five-point Simpson harness for track duty and a removable road racing roll hoop.
Chris' automotive obsessive-compulsive tendencies stem from his years as a custom audio installer. Having built cars that won national championships, his weekend cruiser necessarily sports a modest but complete custom stereo. An Alpine head unit with motorized display feeds signal to 150- and 200-watt PPI amplifiers, which drive a single JL Audio 10-inch sub in a custom fiberglass enclosure and components from MB Quartz.
The Supra's suspension wasn't attacked with the same zeal as power production. Adjustable AGX dampers from KYB ride inside Eibach springs that lower the car slightly, still offer a very streetable ride and are soft enough to promote good weight transfer to the rear during drag launches. Front roll control was sacrificed when Chris removed the stock front anti-roll bar.
Brakes have been upgraded with braided stainless-steel brake lines. It's true that stock Supra TT brakes are quite kick-ass, with four-piston monoblock calipers and 12.7-inch rotors. However, if force equals mass times acceleration, and you massively increase the accelerative potential, larger brakes with the ability to absorb more energy seem like a good idea.
There are few cars in which you can enjoy an air-conditioned, thumping-soundtracked ride to the dragstrip, swap tires, run a low 10-second time and drive home. Or go cruising. Or do all that, take the wife to the finest restaurant in town and not have the valet park your Fox-bodied beast at the back of the lot.
As long as the Supra remains one of the few automotive tools that satisfy this skill set, Chris Johnson will continue turning Toyota's ultimate GT into rolling examples of blessed excess.
1995 Toyota Supra TurboEngineEngine Code: 2JZ-GTEType: Inline six, iron block and aluminum head, turbocharged and intercoooledInternal Modifications: Blueprinted shortblock with Carillo H-beam rods, Performance Motorsport fully ported and polished head with 1mm oversize valves, HKS 272-degree cams, Crower valve springs and retainers, AEM adjustable cam gearsExternal Modifications: Boost Logic T74 turbocharger w/.81 A/R exhaust housing and GTQ exhaust wheel, T4 exhaust housing blanket, Boost Logic TIG-welded stainless manifold, 4-in. stainless downpipe, 4-in. stainless midpipe and 4-in. stainless exhaust, Performance Motorsport intake manifold, Boost Logic 4-in. aluminum intake pipe and 3-in. hot side, 2.5-in. cold side intercooler pipes, GReddy 3-row intercooler, Boost Logic crank pulley damper, prototype Boost Logic titanium pulley set, Accufab 85mm throttle body, Fluidyne aluminum radiator with dual electric fans, Performance Motorsport custom -20 AN radiator hoses, Boost Logic radiator panel, Boost Logic Big Dog catch can, 44mm TiAL wastegate, GReddy Type R blow-off valve, GReddy 3-row intercooler, Nitrous Express single-fogger 50-shot wet kitEngine Management Modification: AEM EMS engine management, dual Walbro 255-lph fuel pumps, HKS fuel rail, RC Engineering 1000cc injectors, HKS DLI Twin Power Ignition, FJO wideband system
DrivetrainLayout: Longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel driveDrivetrain Modifications: TRD limited-slip diff, Performance Motorsport heavy-duty driveshaft, RPS carbon/carbon clutch and chrome-moly flywheel
SuspensionFront: KYB AGX adjustable dampers and Eibach Pro Kit springs, Cusco strut tower brace, removed front anti-roll barRear: KYB AGX adjustable dampers and Eibach Pro Kit springs, Cusco strut tower brace
BrakesFront: Stainless braided brake lines and ATE fluidRear: Stainless braided brake lines and ATE fluid
ExteriorWheels: Street: 18x9-in. (F), 18x10-in. (R) Blitz Z1 Technospeed; Drag: 16x4-in. (F), 16x10-in. (R) CCWTires: Street: 245/40-18 (F), 285/35-18 (R) Yokohama AVS sport; Drag: 5.25x16-in. (F), 26x11.5-in. (R) Mickey Thompson ET StreetBody: Wings West front lower lip
InteriorSimpson five-point harness, TRD airbag steering wheel, bolt-in road racing hoop, Alpine head unit, PPI 150- and 200-watt amps, JL Audio 10-inch sub, MB Quart mids and highs, custom fiberglass sub-box and amp rack