Trilogy Performance Shop Meet: Turbo Recipes

Trilogy Performance is a shop located in the heart of Tampa, FL at 14401 N Nebraska Ave; they specialize in Dyno tuning cars to make the most useable horsepower from any platform. In an effort to join the local Tampa car community together they staged an event at their shop where music was played, a big BBQ grill was fired up, and everyone was invited to bring their cars to either show up and chill, or participate in a few Dyno pulls. Unsurprisingly, I came across plenty of Toyota/Lexus vehicles during my visit, it seemed as if having a 1JZGTE or 2JZGTE under the hood was a prerequisite to showing up. All jokes aside, the good people behind Trilogy Performance opened their doors for everyone to have a good time, and although I forgot my Canon hardware at home; my iPhone was able to snap some photos of the amazing cars that attended.

When you think of the Lexus GS300 you might think of the second generation JZS160, a large body sedan with a comfortable ride and naturally aspirated 2JZGE under the hood. In other markets it was called the Toyota Aristo and came with an optional 2JZGTE, the twin turbo straight six that initially became famous in the Toyota Supra Turbo. Although the above GS300 is a US-market model, the owner decided to go big instead of going home, gently placing a single turbo converted 2JZ in the engine bay with a custom intake manifold, upgraded injectors, and exhaust. I'm not too sure how much power this car makes but I can only assume it is able to carry some serious top end speed.

Before we enjoyed the wonders of the 1JZ and 2JZ, we had the infamous 7MGTE from the MA70, or third generation; Toyota Supra. This particular kouki MKIII Supra is exceptionally clean and almost completely stock except for an exhaust and a slightly lowered suspension. I used to see these fairly often growing up in New York City where the owner of this car was from, it was a cult favorite for many who were out of reach of the then new fourth generation Supra, but with time comes appreciation and the values of original turbo models have shot upward.

When we think about the Toyota Tacoma we mostly think about going off-road and traversing some gnarly terrain, but that's not what the owner of this taco is aiming for. At first I thought it was an X-Runner replica, but come to find out that it's just modified in an old school mini-truck fashion with a dropped ride height, lip kit, wheels, and some added lighting. It's common to see truck lifted beyond a necessary height, especially in Florida; so it's a breath of fresh air to see some mini-truck spirit still alive and well with the brand producing the best mid-size pickup in the world.

Parked next to the Tacoma was the owner's daily driver, a manual Lexus IS300. This particular JCE10 is stock under the hood but the 2JZGE still provides ample power through the five-speed transmission for all the shenanigans Curadise_IS300 does for fun. Original manual transmission equipped Lexus IS300s are uncommon, almost rare; so it's great to see one in the flesh that is actually enjoyed for its intended purpose. This platform is so versatile that the once low cost to purchase a running example has skyrocketed alongside the change in the COVID car market.

Another manual IS300 but this one is running a single turbo setup that is guaranteed to make power. Izzcardo has plans to get a tune in the near future and some suspension mods to enjoy his boosted IS300 in a straight line, and around a track.

The JZX90 Toyota Mark II is one of the most attractive sedans Toyota offered overseas that they didn't import to the states. Like everything being produced out of Aichi in the 1990's, this model came with variants equipped with a 1JZ or 2JZ and a pair of turbos on the exhaust side. Sitting on some aftermarket wheels, this prime example is coated in Mica Green, has a front mounted intercooler, and an aftermarket exhaust to free up some airflow from the turbos.

When you think of the Toyota Supra you normally picture the JZA80 in all of it's 2JZGTE equipped glory. With the new A90 or 5th generation Supra bringing interest to an all time high to the Supra nameplate, examples like this one are widely sought after and admired. It's hard not to enjoy seeing an MK4 Supra in the flesh, it's a timeless design with features that were ahead of its time; all packaged in a car who's footprint seems almost small by today's standard.

The Supra quite possibly is the quintessential 90's Japanese sports car. The JZA80 Toyota Supra embodies everything that made cars from decades ago so great, high quality builds, advanced technology for the era, and an easy to tune turbocharged powerplant. It's no secret as to why these cars are still coveted, in either stock form or lightly modded, they carry their status and have an amazing presence.

Of course one of the more controversial cars of the last few years has been the A90 Toyota Supra. The body is totally a design by the folks over at Toyota, a homage to the Supra and other Toyota sports cars. Underneath however is a recipe of greatness but with ingredients supplied by BMW. Is it a car in the same vein as the MK4? Maybe it is, maybe it's better as the latest edition in the Supra lineage is more of a pure sports car than a grand tourer.

Something that is not debated is how potent the B58 under the hood of the latest A90 Toyota Supra is. With bolt-on parts and tunes easily doubling power output from the snarling inline six, the Supra is keeping its' heritage alive as a straight line car. This particular Supra is finished in Absolute Zero white has contrasting carbon fiber bits, a burnt titanium tip exhaust, and a massive pair of street drag radials with lightweight Weld Racing wheels. This car sounded menacing as it entered the meet and I could only imagine it is putting in serious work at the local drag strip.