Which Lexus models have a 2JZ engine?

Game changers only appear every now and then in the automotive industry. In some cases, they come in the form of a disruptive brand, interfering with the efforts of competitors whose names are synonymous in the markets they dominate. Lexus was one of those troublemakers in the late 1980s and early 1990s, hitting multiple weight classes and knocking out Mercedes with an opening right hook. The Lexus LS400 redefined the way the world viewed personal luxury cars, proving that fine leather and walnut accents were just as opulent in Japan as they were in Germany. As a subsidiary of Toyota, Lexus’ offerings also came with a promise of reliability and affordability, two areas in which the Germans have historically struggled.

Engines can also be a game changer; the small-block Chevy, Ferrari Colombo V12, and Chrysler HEMI all prove it. Toyota, and by extension Lexus, has a few, but one stands out above the rest in terms of truly seismic cultural impact: the 2JZ. The 3.0-liter 2JZ straight-six shares a legitimate claim to the title of “most notorious Japanese engine ever made” alongside the Nissan RB26DETT, Honda K20, and Mazda’s 13B-REW rotary. In the Toyota Supra Mk IV, the twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE gained a reputation for being so over-engineered that it could easily handle double its factory power via aftermarket tinkering, all without opening the lower end.

Although the twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE is the one everyone wants, the naturally aspirated 2JZ-GE variant of the engine has also been celebrated and found in more Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Lexus took full advantage of the 2JZ, using it in most of its previous vehicles, including the SC300, GS300 and IS300.

LexusSC300

Lexus

Three years after Lexus disrupted German dominance of the luxury sedan market with the release of the LS400 in 1989, eyes remained on the new Japanese automaker to see whether it would sink or swim. The ES appeared alongside the LS for the 1990 model year and sold well, but the SC luxury performance coupe launched in 1991 was Lexus’ first truly bold addition. The SC entered the US market as a reworked third-generation Toyota Soarer JDM, which debuted in Japan a month earlier. It put the Mercedes S-Class coupe squarely in its crosshairs and offered many of the same luxury amenities with a lower barrier to entry. True to this mentality, the SC was not designed to be a lightweight sports car; it took on a more dignified personality, which made it very accessible to casual enthusiasts but alienated the more diehards.

Just as the notoriously demure 4.0L V8 was a defining feature of the LS400, the SC’s powertrain options took center stage. The SC was initially offered as an SC400, which used the same 1UZ-FE V8 found in the LS. The following year, Lexus launched the LS300, equipped with the vaunted 2JZ engine. Under the hood of the SC300, the 3.0-liter straight-six was in naturally aspirated form, known internally as 2JZ-GE. Even without the twin sequential turbochargers that would later be attached to the Toyota Supra’s 2JZ-GTE, the SC300 was still capable of developing 225 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. Although less powerful than the SC400, the SC300 was the only variant available with a five-speed manual, making it the more attractive option for buyers who wanted a more engaging driving experience.

Lexus GS300

While the SC300 was a Japanese grand tourer, the Lexus GS300, introduced in 1993, was an attempt to go fully European. The first clue to the GS300’s foreign influence was its fast, sleek design, penned by one of the best in the business, Giorgetto Giugiaro. While the Lexus GS300 may not have been as striking as some of Giugiaro’s other models, including the DeLorean DMC-12 and BMW M1, its visual presence made it a particularly good-looking model in the Lexus lineup. Once again battling Mercedes and BMW for luxury supremacy, Lexus ensured that interior comfort and attention to detail exceeded expectations. In its base form, the GS300’s cabin was adorned with velor and accented with real walnut trim.

Although it was trimmed to the gills and comfortable on long journeys, the GS300’s sleek bodywork enveloped truly sporty underpinnings. To the delight of enthusiasts, the GS300 was rear-wheel drive, featuring a double wishbone suspension with stiff springs, speed-sensitive steering, and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes. At the heart of the operation was once again the 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline-six, which produced 220 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, the US didn’t get the twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE that fitted the JDM-only Toyota Aristo, the GS300’s Japanese twin. The GS300’s 2JZ-GE was initially paired with a four-speed automatic before receiving a five-speed automatic for its final model year in 1996. While the Lexus GS badge would live on for another 27 years after the model’s release in 1993, its first-generation sales were moderate at best, selling only half the number of units of the flagship LS during its five years of production.

Lexus IS300

Keeping with the theme of Lexus models targeting German icons, the Lexus IS300 was a direct attack on the BMW 3 Series. Both were developed as luxury sports sedans, shared similar dimensions, were offered in rear-wheel drive, and featured six silky in-line cylinders. Although the SC300 and GS300 were both sporty, they remained heavy and floaty. The IS300 slimmed down the formula and oriented it more towards performance. Lexus brought in the big guns to achieve this, recruiting Nobuaki Katayama, the chief designer of the Toyota Supra Mk IV, in a bid to replicate the magic.

Born into a competitive vehicle class, the IS300 was prepared. It was equipped with all kinds of performance-oriented hardware. Chassis- and suspension-wise, the IS300’s smaller dimensions put the sport sedan under 300 pounds more weight than the GS300 and were supported by dual control arms at all four wheels. It also came with four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and an optional limited-slip differential.

The US-spec IS300 even got the top power plant for once. The Japanese version of the IS300, known as the Toyota Altezza, was introduced in 1998 and launched with a durable but anemic 207 horsepower 2.0-liter inline-six under the hood. In contrast, the IS300 received a slightly detuned 2JZ-GE, producing 215 horsepower and 218 lb-ft of torque, 31 ponies more than the equivalent BMW 325i. Initially, the IS300 was only offered with a five-speed automatic transmission. That changed, much to the delight of enthusiasts, in 2002 when a five-speed manual option was added.