Pop-up headlights. A twin turbocharged straight six. A cabin full of period technology that was genuinely ahead of its time. The MkIII Toyota Supra never quite got the recognition it deserved while it was current, partly because the MkIV arrived and immediately overshadowed its predecessor, and partly because most of the UK never got to see the properly specified cars.
The full-fat Japanese domestic market examples, the Limited variants with the 2.5 litre 1JZ-GTE and the electronics to match, those stayed in Japan until people like us came along. This example has recently been sourced via our Personal Import Service.
What Makes This Toyota Supra JZA70 Special
The 1JZ-GTE is a 2.5 litre twin turbocharged inline six that Toyota built and developed throughout 1990 to 2007, and there is a reason it ended up in everything from Supras to Chasers to Crown Majestas. It is a strong, well-engineered unit with a sequential twin turbo setup that delivers 276 bhp and 268 lb-ft of torque from the factory, those figures sitting within the gentlemen's agreement output ceiling that Japanese manufacturers adhered to throughout the era. The 1JZ-GTE pulls from low in the rev range and keeps building cleanly all the way to the red line, making it a torquey, confident unit that feels significantly more potent than the headline numbers alone suggest.
This car is in 2.5 Twin Turbo Limited specification, the flagship top tier variant within the JZA70 range. This trim included a Torsen limited-slip differential on the rear axle, a piece of hardware that transforms how the car behaves. Combined with rear-wheel drive and independent suspension all round, the JZA70 has the mechanical fundamentals of a properly sorted sports GT. Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension, or TEMS, came as standard on this specification and allows the driver to switch between Sport and Normal damper settings while moving, so the car is compliant on a motorway run and tightens up the moment you want it to.
While unremarkable by modern standards, braking is handled by ventilated discs on all four corners with ABS all round, and steering is speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion, giving it a more connected feel than many of its contemporaries. The front end has a sleek, considered aero design (until you turn the lights on...) and a bulging bonnet more reminiscent of an American muscle car than a Japanese grand tourer. The distinctive rear spoiler identifies it immediately as the Limited to anyone who knows what they are looking at.
Inside the Cockpit
Sitting inside a clean JZA70 Limited is a reminder of how seriously Toyota took this car. The cabin is well thought-out with everything laid out in a way that makes sense, and the whole thing has a purposeful, driver-focused quality that other Japanese GT cars from this period often struggled to match. The wide, low dashboard wraps around the driver, the centre console is stacked with controls and the build quality holds up remarkably well across three decades.
The digital instrument cluster is extremely unique. A sweeping green LED rev counter dominates the display alongside digital speed readout, twin trip computer, turbo boost gauge, fuel level and temperature all in a single panel that glows green in the dark and still looks futuristic now, which tells you something about how far ahead Toyota was thinking in 1991. The Supra-branded leather steering wheel sits in front of it with cruise control and audio controls integrated into the spokes, a level of convenience that many mainstream cars were not offering at the time. You cannot help but feel this cabin took some inspiration from K.I.T.T. — the Pontiac Trans Am from Knight Rider.
The seats are the two-tone grey leather and perforated suede combination that came on the Limited specification, with a well-bolstered sports shape, integrated-look headrests that remain fully adjustable and power adjustment on the driver's side with electronic lumbar support built in. They hold you properly and have aged exactly as well as you would expect from a car with this kind of mileage and storage history.
Automatic climate control, power windows and power folding mirrors round out a cabin specification that was genuinely well-equipped for the early 1990s. The TEMS Sport and Normal buttons sit cleanly on the centre console alongside the automatic gear selector.
This One in Particular
This is a 1991 JZA70 Supra in 2.5 Twin Turbo Limited specification, imported directly from Japan via the Torque GT personal import service. It has covered 22,200 miles from new, which on a 34-year-old car is a number that deserves a moment. That works out at roughly 650 miles per year across its entire life. Japanese owners who cover that kind of distance tend to be the same people who follow servicing schedules to the letter and keep their cars garaged. The condition of this car backs that up entirely.
We have supplied and fitted a set of Enkei PF05 alloys with Rays locking nuts and Michelin tyres, a clean and sympathetic upgrade over the factory fitment that suits the car without altering its character.
Why the Toyota Supra JZA70 Still Makes Sense to Buy in 2026
If you have been watching the JDM market over the past several years, you will have seen what happened to MkIV Supra values. A car that was trading at sensible money in the mid-2010s is now a six-figure proposition in any meaningful specification, and clean manual examples with low mileage have moved well beyond that. The JZA70 is not the MkIV and it is not pretending to be, but it shares the same chassis philosophy, the same fundamental build quality and a closely related engine family. As the cost of entry to the generation that most people want has become genuinely prohibitive, the generation before it has started to attract serious attention from collectors and enthusiasts who know what they are looking at.
A UK buyer looking for a genuine, low-mileage Japanese import with documented provenance, a desirable specification and strong future classic potential has very few cars available at any given time. The JZA70 in Limited trim is one of the most complete packages available in that context. It is quick, comfortable, well-equipped and it looks like nothing else currently on UK roads. With collector sentiment around 1990s Japanese GT cars moving consistently in one direction, the window of opportunity to pick one of these up will begin to close.
Want One Like This?
If this car is of interest, or you want something similar sourced to your own specification, get in touch directly. We run a personal import service that covers everything from Japanese auction sourcing through to UK registration and delivery, and we know exactly which cars to pursue and which to leave alone.
This is exactly what Torque GT does. We find cars like this. The ones with genuine character and real driving DNA. We handle everything from the Japanese auction right through to your driveway. No stress. No guesswork. Just your dream JDM import done properly.
