Sport Compact Car

September 98

596-HP SUPRA

By Josh Jacquot

The fourth generation Toyota Supra roared into the performance car world as a 1993 model able to out-stop, out-turn and out accelerate all of its immediate competitors and in doing so garnered the attention of the most elite automakers in the world. So powerful and well built was this foreign muscle car that in its turbo charged dress it was compared to dominant supercars of the day such as the Ferrari 512TR and Porsche 911 Turbo.  Being in the same performance realm as super-cars from Italy and Germany made the Supra Turbo a more than worthy adversary to leading cars from Japan such as the Acura NSX and third generation Mazda RX-7. The Supra Turbo cameout of the box with 50 hp more than the NSX, and its advanced suspension and powerful brakes put it on par with the much lighter RX-7 around a racetrack. While the Supra still offers world-beating performance in its stock form, for some this just isn't enough. Mike Donaldson of Jacksonville, Fla. is one of those people.

When Donaldson sold his heavily-modified 300ZX, he knew that his next car would have to meet his performance expectations would fit the bill. Not able to keep a car in its stock configuration for long, Donaldson knew immediately that much of the Supra's factory trim wouldn't last. With greater grip the first necessary measure, Donaldson ousted the stock wheel and tire combination in favor of 18x8.5 front and 18x10.5 rear DP Carrera Cup wheels. The larger wheels are wrapped in Michelin MXX 245/405 in front and 285/35s in the rear. Lowering duties are handled by Eibach springs coupled with Bilstein shocks at all four corners while the chassis is stiffened with a Cusco rear strut tie bar. The Supra's already impressive brakes are upgraded with Axxis Metal Master pads clamping cross-drilled rotors.

More power was the next requirement after increasing the car's cornering prowess. Boost is increased with a GReddy PRofec boost controller while the car's stock turbos are maintained with a GReddy turbo timer. Intake and exhaust plumbing are replaced with less restrictive bits including a custom downpipe and GReddy exhaust. A Turbo clutch was added to handle the extra power.

Temporarily satisfied with the car's power and handling, Donaldson turned to his occupation as a bodyshop manager for the next segment in the car's evolution. He went to work stripping the car to its shell in preparation for a color change from the factory red. After prepping the car; Donaldson applied a special mix PPG yellow Deltron paint. Tony Raulerson, formerly involved in designing the now infamous Vector; modified a GReddy air dam to Donaldson's liking. The air dam came from GReddy in a flat configuration but after some reworking was transformed into a scoop design.

The stock interior was revamped to make the car more audibly and visually appealing. Sound Advise in Orange Park, Fla. handled the sound appointments. Sound Advise installed an Alpine deck and CD changer; four Boston Pro speakers and two 8-inch XTANT 3150 sub-woofers. The XTANT amp and subwoofers are flush mounted in a custom-built rear housing, which allows for storage of the car's targa top and a nitrous bottle.

After adjusting to the increased powerbut still not fully satisfied, Donaldson returned to John Arbizo at Speedtek Performance in Jacksonville for installation of a custom port-injected NOS system. After a bit of tuning, the car was strapped to Speedtek's Dynojet Dynamometer where it pumped out an impressive 596 hp at the rear wheels. This horsepower translated to a best quarter-mile time of 11.56 at 1266 mph on drag radials--no small feat for a Supra with stock turbos and internals. Donaldson hopes to see 10-second time slips using drag radials to get the car to hook up.

Donaldson has competed in Drag Wars events as well as the Nitto nationals and has had his work recognized with a first place in the full-modified Toyota class at the Southeast Nationals. As with most project cars, work on the Supra has taken more than a year to date and is still in progress. Since SCC’s photo shoot, the car has received a carbon fiber dash kit and custom-mounted gauges. Its wheels have also been changed to Blitz type 03s and Donaldson and Raulerson are working on a custom ground effects kit. Driven mostly on nights and weekends,

this screaming-yellow Supra haunts the streets, tracks and shows of the Southeast with aggressive bodywork and a nitrous-injected punch that keeps nearly all comers in the rearview mirror.