2 August 2023, 21:27
Elijah Thomas
The Toyota Supra was a model that earned and deeply rooted its legendary status in the hearts of Japanese car enthusiasts, but if we ask them today which generation they adore the most and which is the best engine among them, then we will hear almost always that the Mk4 generation, the A80, is the most loved, and for the engine there is no doubt that we will hear about the great inline 6 cylinder 1JZ-GTE. And that generation is really good. So good that it undeservedly eclipsed its predecessor, the Mk3 generation, with the code name A70.
With a much more prominent shape, in the style of the 80s, this car even had retractable headlights, as the Japanese loved back then. And even if today many may confuse it with other Japanese models, and passers-by may also ask “what Ferrari model is this”, the car looks formidable, representing its wonderful era. Probably even better than the A80.
Well, this car received at some point in Japan the 1JZ engine on it, just launched. But in most of the world, for a good part of its career, another engine held the role of absolute pinnacle of performance – the 7M-GTE. It’s an engine with 6 cylinders in line, and also turbo, but which has 3.0 liters and outputs 235 HP and 344 Nm.
In the style of Japanese engines of the time, it had a block and cylinder head with many engineering reserves and can still be modified today to power up to 400-500 hp. But initially, at the time of launch, the engine had a problem, which overshadowed its reputation. The use of asbestos had just been banned, and Toyota had designed the engine with a gasket made of this material in mind. Before the launch, for the last hundred meters, another material had to be chosen, which could not be sufficiently tested. As a result, after a few months of operation, many engines ended up with a broken seal, and the coolant thus mixed with the oil and in many cases generated sad consequences for the engine. The problem was later fixed, but it was too late for many of the early cars.
And yet, this turbo engine is an excellent one, in essence, which makes this car a true sports car, in the specific puritanical style of the 80s. The car we are talking about today, and which we see in the pictures, is exactly such a Toyota Supra Mk3, with the magnificent 7M-GTE engine under the hood, and it went on sale in Finland recently.
The car was owned by a Danish diplomat named Fleming Otzen, posted in Finland to the Helsinki Committee. He bought his new car in 1990, in Denmark and after only a month he brought it to Finland and registered it with diplomatic numbers. A Toyota Supra with diplomatic numbers, how special that sounds!
The car was in his possession for 3 years, after which it ended up with other owners, counting another 7 in number. But, by a miracle, they all happened to be exceptional enthusiasts of this model and continued to keep the car’s logbook and service, ensuring excellent technical maintenance, with oil always changed on time and all related work done. The car has a complete service history, absolutely all work and service visits, including the change of the timing belt, being documented with a chronology.
This car has had 22 service visits in its 33 years, almost every 12-18 months, with no major conservation breaks or other mysterious disappearances. It was a car that was driven regularly and, because it was operated in Finland, where there is a lot of snow and salt on the roads, it had inspections and anti-corrosion treatments about once every 2-3 years. And that guaranteed its current, exceptionally good condition.
The car has 204,000 km now. That may seem like a lot for a collector’s car, but it’s not much for Japanese engineering from the 80s and 90s.
In the meantime, it has already become a kind of legendary specimen among enthusiasts in Finland, a country with few enough inhabitants that such rare and sparkling specimens are noticed and remembered. This guaranteed her appearances in the Finnish press and made her even more adored.
And now, this Toyota Supra Mk3 has been put up for sale near Helsinki. It doesn’t cost much, considering how special the car is. They are asking 17,900 euros for it. But it’s certainly one of the most special classic cars you can buy with this money!
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2023-08-02 18:36:01
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