Thread by @JaMtoka

This No-Expense-Spared 1994 Toyota Soarer V8 Defines JDM Excess: Built in Japan by a drag race shop, this Soarer (sold as the Lexus SC in America) has over $150,000 poured into it. — @MotorTrend #TBTCars

“The Gran Turismo racing game series exposed an entire generation of American car enthusiasts to vehicle makes, models, and variations that were never sold stateside. One stand out is the Toyota Soarer coupe, which we knew in the states as the Lexus SC300 and SC400.”

JDM Soarers have been available to import for a few years now, and this right-hand drive 1994 Toyota Soarer 4.0 GT that is heading to Mecum Kissimmee in January is an example of what happens when a build goes all-out.

Instead of that legendary inline-six, this example features a 1UZ 4.0-litre V8, which was also available in Japan. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

The aftermarket didn't embrace the V8, since most owners were all too happy to swap in the legendary 2Jz-GTE engine normally found in the also legendary Toyota Supra. If only we knew then what we know now.

It turns out that the 1UZ has quite a bit of potential for anyone who has the obscene amounts of cash to explore the possibilities.

Starting up front, instead of scrapping the 1UZ in favor of another mill, the V8 was transformed with an individual throttle body intake (ITB) setup complete with brilliant red anodized velocity stacks.

The V8 exhales through a custom exhaust that is worthy of display in a museum complete with titanium mufflers. The trumpeted engine is mated to an OS Giken six-speed sequential transmission originally designed for a R34 Nissan GT-R but modified to fit this application.

All of the engine functions are coordinated and managed by a LINK standalone ECU and info is fed to the driver via DEFI gauge cluster set in a custom cut carbon fiber plate. A line lock was installed to make burnouts a bit more convenient at the local drag strip.

Despite this car being built for drag racing duty, the set of Recaro Sportster bucket seats make the interior look relatively comfortable. Even the padded six-point roll cage seems to blend in, making the cabin seem quite inviting..

The listing claims that over $150,000 was spent to get this Toyota to the state you see it in here. However, aftermarket modifications tend to not be very helpful in retaining or increasing a car's value. In fact, sometimes it can cause the value to go in the opposite direction.

“Considering the money spent on this car and its background, it's hard for us to guess what the winning bid will be once the gavel drops. We can guarantee one thing, though: the 1UZ will sound righteous with those ITBs.” mecum.com/lots/FL0123-54…