Game changers only come around in the automotive industry every so often. In some cases, they come in the form of a disruptive brand, meddling in the endeavors of rivals whose names are synonymous within the markets they dominate. Lexus was one of those troublemakers in the late 1980s and early 1990s, punching up multiple weight classes and KO'ing Mercedes with an opening right hook.
The Lexus LS400 redefined the way that the world looked at personal luxury cars, proving that fine leather and walnut accenting were just as opulent in Japan as they were in Germany. As a Toyota subsidiary, Lexus' offerings also came with a promise of reliability and affordability, two areas where the Germans historically struggled. Engines can be game changers too; the Chevy small-block, Ferrari Colombo V12 , and Chrysler HEMI all prove that.
Toyota, and by extension Lexus, has a few of its own, but one stands above the rest in terms of its truly seismic cultural impact: the 2JZ. The 3.0-liter inline-six 2JZ shares a legitimate claim to the title of "most notorious Japanese engine ever made" alongside the Nissan RB26DETT , Honda K20, and Mazda's rotary 13B-REW.
In the Mk IV Toyota Supra, the twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE gained the reputation of being so over-engineered that it could easily support double its factory horsepower figure via aftermarket tinkering, all without opening the bottom end. While the twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE is the one that everyone wants, the naturally aspirated 2JZ-GE variant of the engi.
