The Titans Of Supra Tuning, Then & Now

Considered one of Chris Rock’s most well-known skits centers around Robitussin, an over-the-counter cough suppressant that was evidently a cure-all within the comic’s childhood dwelling.

In some ways, Toyota’s venerable 2JZ-GTE engine has develop into an analogous cure-all resolution within the efficiency automotive world. Present automobile wants a hook? 2JZ. Automotive’s acquired rust? A 2JZ will aid you outrun it. Quarter-mile passes too gradual? Simply add 2JZ. And the almighty 2JZ-GTE solves issues even sooner when the manufacturing facility twin turbos are jettisoned for one single, often relatively sizable turbine.

Not one of the six cylinder engine’s reward is unwarranted, thoughts you. With the proper rubber compound utilized to a drag automobile’s rear wheels and a properly-built 2JZ up entrance, the earth would possibly simply spin in the wrong way when the sunshine turns inexperienced.

Hyperbole and jest apart, 2JZ growth has been extremely spectacular for a really very long time. In North America, Titan Motorsports has been on the forefront of it.

The Florida-based operation has constructed fairly a reputation for itself by deep information of the 2JZ and a sure copper-colored MkIV Toyota Supra drag machine. The automobile is famous and retains Titan’s title acquainted in any dialogue concerning 2JZ efficiency.

Titan has been synonymous with high-performance 2JZs and Supras for therefore lengthy that previous to gathering data for this text I had no concept that the corporate’s founder, Nero Deliawal, was initially a car audio enthusiast. Within the late ’90s, Nero went to his first ‘Mexico’ avenue race and the hunt for increased SPLs was changed with one for decrease ETs. Self-described as “very aggressive”, Nero misplaced himself in figuring out the ins and outs of what makes a automobile scramble down the quarter mile faster.

Even again then his automobile of alternative was the Supra, and Nero was capable of make up for his relative lack of driving talent by producing extra engine energy. Ultimately, Nero’s driving talent would sync up along with his mechanical talent and he started to win fairly just a few races. At the moment drag racing an import car with success was akin to black magic, so Nero started documenting and sharing his successes.

There’s not a soul on the planet that might describe drag racing as a frugal interest, and really shortly Nero realized he wanted a approach to fund his race program. In that regard, Titan Motorsports began out of necessity. If Nero had the platform information and other people had been already asking him for components, he would possibly as nicely promote just a few to cowl his working prices.

Components that had been performance-oriented in nature – which most had been – had been examined completely. ‘Race on Sunday promote on Monday’ is a time period coined lengthy earlier than Titan was in enterprise, but it surely instantly applies to the corporate’s success.

Enterprise progress and the expansion of Titan’s drag racing program ran in parallel, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than everybody knew who they had been. When you needed to construct a quick Supra from confirmed outcomes, it was exhausting to miss Titan Motorsports.

The quarter-mile information damaged of their wake didn’t damage the corporate’s avenue credibility both.

Again in 2002, a mere two years after the enterprise began, Nero and his staff despatched their Supra down the quarter mile in 9.42 seconds at 157.6mph (253.6km/h). They achieved this utilizing avenue radials, a feat that was virtually unfathomable on the time. Titan additionally contributed to Ebrahim Kanoo and Gary White’s effort in constructing a Supra that may run the quarter mile in the excessive 5-second zone at 240mph.

A enterprise that after match inside a normal storage has grown into an operation that occupies a 25,000 square-foot facility. The growth has not simply been bodily; Titan Motorsports has grown past simply the Supra and as we speak dabbles in a little bit of the whole lot, from imports to exotics.

Their new facility has a fabrication store, an R&D division and some work bays. Whether or not you want decrease ETs or just have your engine’s oil modified, they’re well-equipped for each.

The Subsequent Chapter

So why the sudden Titan Motorsports admiration? Effectively, as a lot because the web feigned disinterest with the GR Supra upon launch, it’s nonetheless a relatively succesful automobile with good bones. Sure, the A90’s engine was developed within the BMW manufacturing facility, not Toyota’s, however on the finish of the day the B58 was begging for correct non-public growth.

Titan Motorsports may have buried their head within the sand and caught with the previous trustworthy 2JZ, however what enjoyable would that be? In a world the place the MkIV and MkV Supra exist, why not have each? Utilizing their information of turbo engines and drag racing, Titan had been one of many first to get a B58-powered GR Supra to an 8-second quarter mile.

With practically 1 / 4 century of race-specific growth behind them going into the GR platform, it’s possibly a bit scary to consider the place Titan Motorsports goes to take these vehicles. Partnering with firms like CSF, Titan has all of the runway wanted to make the A90 Supra as fierce a aggressive platform as its predecessor.

Can they do it? To this point all indicators level to sure, and we will’t wait to see how.

Dave Thomas
Instagram: stanceiseverythingcom

Photographs by Yaheem Murph
Instagram: yaheemmurph