Lexus IS300 With Turbo 2JZ-GTE Swap Is Scary Quick
Tossing a fully-built 2JZ in this Lexus IS300 while leaving it mostly stock-looking is a recipe for fun.
Though it isn’t quite as common a sight as some other luxury sedans from its era, the Lexus IS300 remains a popular choice among select enthusiasts – namely, those that realize what a tremendous performance bargain they can be. After all, these cars came directly from the factory packing Toyota’s rather famous 2JZ – in this case the GE – and can make big power with the addition of some mods. However, the owner of this particular Lexus IS300 wanted more, and wound up swapping out that powerplant for a 2JZ-GTE.
This is no stock swap, however, as the folks at Power Dynamics in Texas have gone through the new engine and blessed it with an array of upgrades that include billet internals, JE 9.5:1 pistons, a CNC ported head, GSC billet cams, and a custom manifold. Power flows to the wheels via built Tremec T56 Magnum transmission, while a pair of drag radials do their best to connect the resulting 1,100 horsepower to the ground.
They at least do a pretty good job of that, as we can see in the video, as the owner gets quite a bit of use out of his turbo’d sedan, taking it to the drag strip on a regular basis and participating in half-mile events as well – both of which the IS300 seems to be cut out perfectly for. According to the owner, it doesn’t even lag too badly, as the power comes on like a light switch at around 4,000 rpm, pushing one back in the seat with authority.
Even though it’s clearly loud, this IS300 retains much of its stock look inside and out, which somewhat helps give off sleeper vibes, save for the wheels and tires. Once the owner opens it up, however, it’s a completely different story, as this unassuming white sedan takes off like a rocket, belting out 2JZ noises through its open pipes. It’s enough to scare our host, in fact, as he’s clearly shaken a bit after a few highway pulls, but in all fairness, that’s what ultra-fast cars are supposed to do, right?
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