In 1993, Toyota enticed the performance market with the debut of it's restyled fourth generation Supra; known even today as the highest level of performance Toyota had ever placed in one vehicle. The JZA80 (chassis code) sported a twin turbo setup, Getrag six-speed transmission and an inline-six 2JZ-GTE powerplant producing 320 hp in factory form. Unfortunately, for those looking to purchase this sleek and sexy beast, their dreams were literally flushed down the toilet upon learning the vehicle also came with a pocket-denting sticker price of $45,000 dollars. Fortunately, for Edwin Mangune of Covina, Calif., the luck of the draw came in 1999 upon learning from Toyota employees that the Supra he saw two years ago was finally up for sale. "I recall the first time I saw the car of my dreams was back in 1997 when I was employed at HKS," said Mangune. He smiled a mischievous smile and proceeded with his story, taking us down memory lane, back to where it all began.
The road less traveled started when Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) of Torrance, Calif., approached HKS USA to build their press vehicle for an upcoming magazine competition. With HKS engineers at the helms, horsepower on the Supra was ramped up to 420 smog legal ponies. Four months after completion, the vehicle was debuted in Road and Tracks "Fastest Street-Legal Car in America," where race legend Mario Andretti conducted both driving impressions and rigorous track testing. Andretti was quoted "This car is stable. Absolutely stable. My cornering speed was somewhere around 170 mph." With a handful of statewide press campaigns and auto shows, the Supra was eventually reduced to warehouse storage where it sat for the next two years. Determined not to let the Supra slip away one more time, Mangune worked through the numerous legal issues that would have prevented him from obtaining his dream car over a stretched out nine month period. Finally in December of 1999 the last of the paperwork was completed and Mangune took delivery of his coveted Limited Edition 15th Anniversary Supra Twin Turbo.
"I chose the Supra Twin Turbo as my platform to build my super car because of its reliability, styling and tuning potential without sacrificing drivability," said Mangune. While many Supra owners remain content with the factory, out-of-the box performance, Mangune focused his main attention towards the guts of the car; namely the engine. Although the cylinder head remains in factory form, a pair of HKS 264 degree intake/exhaust camshafts supplies the added grunt and improved power band to complement a pair of modified HKS GT2835 snails set to spool at a maximum 1.2 bars of boost. HKS Racing wastegates are strategically mounted on the manifold to safeguard from unwanted boost creeps while a pair of HKS Type II blow-off valves howl to life with every shift. Intake temperature has been optimized for maximum power output, using an oversized HKS R-Type front mount intercooler, now residing in the front bumper along with a HKS IC pipe kit. Strategically mounted beside the front mount is an HKS R-Type oil cooler. Spent exhaust fumes are funneled though an HKS downpipe coupled to a HKS titanium 100mm exhaust system-did we forget to mention how mean this car sounds?
Third time is always considered a charm as the saying goes, but for Mangune, his quest to find the ultimate Engine Control Management (ECM) finally came to an conclusion on his fourth attempt. While the three previous management systems seemed to get the job done, nothing came quite close to replicating the full capabilities of the HKS V-Pro. This fully programmable, OBD-II compatible ECM features all of the tuning parameters that full-race ECM's offer. "The V-Pro feature that allured me was the Knock Monitor option," said Mangune. The Knock Monitor utilizes a wide-band O2 sensor to monitor real time air/fuel (a/f) ratios that is displayed on an LCD placed on the Supra's dash. The knock monitor also utilizes the OE knock sensors to monitor engine knock (detonation) as well, and will automatically make adjustments to the a/f or ignition timing to optimize engine performance and to prevent premature engine failure. The V-Pro was professionally installed and tuned by HKS USA head engineer Jon Kuroyama to the tune of 540 wheel hp and 484 lb-ft of torque on 91 octane fuel.