Which Cars Have A 1JZ Engine Under The Hood & How Much Horsepower Can They Produce?

The Toyota 2JZ engine is one of the most legendary engines the company ever made, especially as you can find it in one of Toyota's best cars — the Mk IV Toyota Supra. However, this three-liter inline-six engine has a smaller brother: the 2.5-liter 1JZ. The demand for the Toyota Supra and the 2JZ engine has been skyrocketing recently. Toyota stopped producing the Mk IV Supra in 2002, meaning it's been over 20 years since the last one left the factory. The 2JZ has also been discontinued since 2007, so these engines would be hard to find if you want a powerful inline-six for your Toyota project car.

This is where the 1JZ comes in. Since it doesn't carry the somewhat rockstar status of its bigger brother, you could get this smaller engine (or a car that has it) which delivers good power at a bargain. For example, you can get a Toyota Soarer with a 1JZ-GTE for $19,000-$21,000, while a 2JZ-GTE-equipped Mk IV Toyota Supra would cost you in the ballpark of $95,000.

So, if you're looking for a cool car but don't want to spend a fortune on it, consider these Toyota models. They all come with a 1JZ engine — however, not all are powered by the turbo GTE. Nevertheless, you can install a turbo on the 1JZ, so buying a car with this engine will already get you halfway to your dream car.

[Featured image by Blueck via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]

These two models are based on the same platform, and launched at the same time in Japan. Although they have a similar base, the Brevis and the Progrès target different buyers. The latter is marketed towards compact luxury car buyers, while the former is directed towards younger buyers who want something a bit sportier and competes with the likes of Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.

The base model Progrès offers the 1JZ-GE engine, producing 198 horsepower. However, its two more expensive variants come with the larger 2JZ-GE (the non-turbo variant of the 2JZ-GTE), so you might want to go for that instead. On the other hand, the Brevis offers the 1JZ-FSE engine for its lower variants, while the top trim gets a 2JZ-FSE. This engine gets direct injection, but still has the same 198 horsepower output as the 1JZ-GE.

Prices for used examples of the Brevis and Progrès range between $1,500 to $6,500, making them pretty affordable models to purchase. However, these numbers do not include import fees, so you should consider that if you're building a budget for your dream project car. Also, since the oldest models of both the Brevis and the Progrès were made in 2001, you still have to wait a couple more years before you can legally bring them into the U.S. and drive them under the 25-Year Import Rule.

The 16th-generation Toyota Crown is Toyota North America's current flagship offering. However, this is the first time that the model returns on U.S. shores after over half a century, when Toyota discontinued it in the States in 1972. However, between then and now, the Crown received a 1JZ engine from 1991-2003 models.

The Crown's longevity and popularity in Japan meant that three generations of the model, and three body styles — sedan, hardtop coupe, and station wagon — received the engine. For the 9th generation, the sedan's mid-range trim, the hardtop's base and mid-level options, and the wagon's top-end and mid-range versions received the engine. No matter what variant or trim you chose, the 1JZ-GE engine produced 178 horsepower.

The 10th-generation Crown dropped the coupe version and station wagon, while the sedan only received the 1JZ-GE engine for its mid-trim version, retaining the 178 horsepower of the last generation. The 11th-generation Crown Royal or Crown Athlete received the 1JZ-GE for its base trim, with the output increasing to 197 horsepower. Its station wagon version, called the 10th-generation Crown Estate, also received the up tuned 1JZ-GE for its mid-range trim.

The Toyota Mark II, Toyota Cresta, and Toyota Chaser are three different versions of the same model. These three cars are included in our list of every Toyota model powered by the 2JZ-GE engine, but you can also get them with a 1JZ engine. The Toyota Mark II is the mainstream rear-wheel drive sedan based on the Toyota Crown that wasn't available in the U.S., while the Chaser is its performance-oriented version. On the other hand, the Toyota Cresta is the most luxurious among the three.

The seventh-generation Mark II was the first model to get a 1JZ engine, with its mid-variant getting the turbo 1JZ-GTE that produces 276 horsepower. Curiously, the eighth-generation Mark II loses the turbo version of the engine for the naturally-aspirated 1J-GE, which drops the output from 276 to 197 horsepower. Thankfully, the ninth (and last) generation of the Mark II gets a 1JZ engine across its three trim levels. The top-end version gets a 1JZ-GTE with 276 horsepower, while the mid-range and entry-level trims received a 1JZ-FSE and 1JZ-GE engine, respectively.

On the other hand, the Cresta and the Chaser both received the 1JZ-GE engine option for their mid-range trims starting 1992, with the output set at 178 horsepower. The models also received the up tuned 197 horsepower 1JZ-GE starting 1996.

The Toyota Soarer is the JDM version of the Lexus SC 400 coupe that Toyota launched after LS 400. This made these two models a virtual twin to the legendary Mk IV Supra. Nevertheless, they do not have the premium that the latter commands, so you can get either of the two at a fraction of the price of the Supra. However, since the Lexus doesn't get the 1JZ engine, then we're excluding it from our list.

Although the Soarer doesn't get the rock-bottom prices of the Brevis or Progrès, they're still far more affordable than the Mk IV Supra, with prices ranging from $20,000-$30,000 (which is a far cry from the $95,000 average a Mk IV Supra commands in 2024).

The base model Soarer is the one you want if you want a 1JZ engine. That's because it's the only one that offers the 1JZ-GTE, with the engine putting out 276 horsepower. Although $20K to $30K is a significant sum, you will get the performance and feel of the Mk IV Supra at a fraction of the price — making the Toyota Soarer a great alternative.

Toyota made the Verossa as a successor to its Chaser and Cresta models after they were discontinued in 2001. So, it made sense for the Verossa to inherit the 1JZ engine found on these models. The mid-range trim of the Verossa received the 1JZ-FSE, with its 197 horsepower output, while the top-end option gets the turbo 1JZ-GTE that delivers 276 horsepower.

Much like the Brevis and the Progrès, the Verossa is a relatively new model, so you'll still have to wait a few more years before you can import it legally in the U.S. Nevertheless, the car is a bit cheaper than the Soarer, especially if you're getting newer examples for about the same price. The car starts at less than $4,000, but great examples could go as high as $33,000.

Although its styling is unique and might even be a bit eccentric for some people, it would at least let you stand out from among the crowd. Furthermore, its standard front-engine, rear-wheel-drive powertrain layout would make it a pretty fun car to drive around the track.