Brand New Toyota GR86 Got a 2JZ Swap and a Pandem Kit, It's a Daily

The owner of this example dreamed up a build even before he got the car, and he went as far as purchasing parts for the vehicle even before he had the automobile. Jeff Woodruff decided to start with a new car for his latest project, and the look of the Pandem kit for the GR86 convinced him to get this model.

Jeff Woodruff has an S15 with a 2JZ under its hood, so he has done the 2J swap before, in different models, though, and the knowledge is there. Starting a build like this without experience could have led Jeff to an unpleasant outcome, or at least to an expensive one if he had someone else do all the work.

Instead of keeping the rest of the vehicle stock after installing the Pandem kit or just sticking to a shorter list of modifications, Jeff went all-in and installed a 2JZ, which is more complicated than it seems at first sight. After all, we are writing about an engine that was made many years ago, and that was not designed to be fitted in this vehicle, and the opposite can be said about the GR86.

Now, his build is complete, and he enjoys it as often as he can. For the moment, it is believed to be the only 2jZ Toyota GR86 in the U.S., but that may change later when other owners will decide to do something similar. In any case, this example had just four miles on its odometer when its engine was swapped.

It is important to note that famed driver Daigo Saito has also built several Toyota GR86 models with 2JZ engines under their hoods, but those are meant for competition use only, and neither gets driven on the street. After a certain point, having a high-horsepower automobile stops making sense for day-to-day activities, especially if you happen to compete in a motorsport series.

With the build complete, we now know that a 2JZ fits under the hood of a 2022 Toyota GR86, as well as what it takes to fit one and get it running. We cannot help but wonder how much faster this is around a track against a stock GR86 or one with a few basic modifications. The 2JZ is notoriously heavy, and you cannot change that when cornering.