ONI STYLE

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WORDS Steve Enomoto PHOTOS Colin Waki

BOOSTED 1.5JZ WINGED LION

We never had the pleasure of getting the Z20 Toyota Soarer on US soil. Perhaps the most relatable aspect of the '86-91 Soarer is that it shares the same chassis as the A70 Supra, where powerplants like the 1G, 7M and 1J/2J were interchangeable. Some might say we were blessed with the Lexus SC300/400—the successor to the Z20. But for us JDM fanboys, a piece of us was still missing since we never received this fine rearwheel drive, boxy coupe that begged to be driven hard or even drifted; hence why our hearts fluttered when we came across this never-before-seen Z20 from Japan.

Akihiro Nakamura snagged this '91 Soarer just before the next generation came marching in. The chassis originally came with a turbocharged 7M-GTE, but since the newer and more powerful JZ engines were a direct swap, it was a no-brainer what Nakamura-san was going to do. He decided to piece together a fully-built 3.0-liter 1.5JZ. Confused? A 1.5JZ consists of a 1JZ head with a 2JZ short block. This hybrid combination uses a high flowing head mated with a large turbo, all equating to a quick compressor spool. United with the larger 3.0-liter short block, Nakamura-san benefits from low-end torque and great peak power.

The bottom-end received a grip of reinforcement to serve his power demands, not necessarily for reinforcement but for longevity with newer metals and fresh components. The guys at R Performance installed forged Tomei pistons and connecting rods in preparation for the ogre-esque T04R turbo. An HKS standalone computer controls the engine assembly working in conjunction with its various sensors. A five-speed R154 transmission, a direct cousin of the robust six-speed Supra V160 Getrag, was reused but upgraded with a twin-plate Ogura Racing Clutch. The rejuvenated powertrain gave the Soarer reliable and quick-spooling power with a peak of 550whp, plenty of cojones for Nakamura-san’s weekend drift events.

Because this car was built to slide, super-stiff 20kg front and 11kg rear Swift springs on the Aragosta-based coilovers were a perfect match for the drift machine. At a whopping 6.5-degrees camber, the front struts have been set up Oni-kyan style (demon camber) by which no pun was ever intended to this “Oni Style” Soarer name. The Soarer comes equipped with a double wishbone suspension, so the camber adjustment had to be done via upper and lower arms and not by camber plates—a large hint that the suspension components were modified for performance and stance. All alignment settings were configured according to Nakamura’s driving style.

For the exterior, beige metallic was chosen to envelop the factory Soarer aero, including the JZA70 Supra front lip. Each fender was delicately pulled and folded to accommodate the staggered TE37 Super Lap wheels. Not just for show, Nakamura-