Everything Toyota Fans Should Know About GR Series Engines
Toyota is one of the world's top automakers and is the maker of one of the best-selling nameplates in the world, the Toyota Corolla, which has been around for over twelve generations. However, Toyota doesn't just make cars; it also develops and manufactures the engines that power its vehicles (and some others, too).
One of Toyota's latest family of engines is the GR series. This V6 gasoline engine replaces three families – the inline-six JZ engine family, the heavy-duty V6 VZ engine family, and the lightweight V6 MZ engine family. Because of this, you'll find the GR engine in many Toyota and Lexus trucks, SUVs, vans, and large sedans.
So, whether you're a Toyota fan who wants to know everything about your favorite brand, restoring an old Toyota from the early 2000s, or making an engine swap with the Toyota GR engine, here's what you need to know about Toyota's GR-series engine. However, don't confuse these engines with Toyota's Gazoo Racing performance brand, which uses different engines altogether.
[Featured image by Tennen-Gas via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]
Replacing the iconic 2JZ
The 2JZ is one of Toyota's most iconic engines, powering the also legendary Toyota Supra Mk4. However, as competitors and even Toyota itself develop engine technologies, it has to replace its older engines with models that keep up with modern efficiency and emissions standards.
The 2JZ used a cast iron block, but the newer GR engine used an aluminum block, making it lighter than the 2JZ. Furthermore, its V6 design meant it took up less space than the longer inline-six design of the former. Although the GR engine does not have the status of the 2JZ among enthusiasts, it still has a massive impact just because of its ubiquity among Toyota's products.
This is especially true as it didn't just replace the 2JZ. Instead, it replaced three engine families, with each family having several variants that are found in many different Toyota models. So, as long as a Toyota model has a V6 option, you'd probably find a GR engine in its available engines.
Use in different Toyota models
Given that the Toyota GR engine family replaces three engine families, the GR engine has many different variants and versions. The GR engine has eight total – from 1GR to 8GR, with some versions featuring several variants, like the 2GR engine, which is available in the following forms: 2GR-FE, 2GR-FKS, 2GR-FSE, 2GR-FXE, 2GR-FXS, and 2GR-FZE.
These engines have different layouts and accessories, thus necessitating a different model name. They're also found in various Toyota models. So, here's a short list of some Toyota and Lexus cars that can be had with a GR engine.
Present models:
- 2005 to 2024 Lexus IS
- 2006 to 2024 Lexus ES
- 2006 to 2024 Lexus RX
- 2014 to 2024 Lexus RC
- 2017 to 2024 Lexus LC
- 2017 to 2024 Lexus LS
- 2023 to 2024 Lexus TX
- 2003 to 2024 Toyota 4Runner
- 2006 to 2024 Toyota Camry
- 2007 to 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
Past models:
- 2002 to 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
- 2003 to 2020 Toyota Sienna
- 2004 to 2023 Toyota Tacoma
- 2005 to 2012 Toyota RAV4
- 2005 to 2021 Toyota Tundra
- 2005 to 2022 Toyota Avalon
- 2006 to 2022 Toyota FJ Cruiser
- 2007 to 2021 Toyota Highlander
- 2008 to 2016 Toyota Venza
- 2006 to 2020 Lexus GS
- 2012 to 2023 Lexus GX
That means the GR engine family has been in production for over 20 years now – a testament to the quality and longevity of Toyota's engines. However, did you know you can also find the GR engine outside Toyota?
Powering Lotus sports cars
Lotus is a British sports car manufacturer famous for its light and agile cars like the Elise, Exige, and Evija. Unfortunately, British cars aren't exactly known for their reliable engines. However, Lotus has been using Toyota engines in many of its models, like the Elise, the Evora, and the Exige, since 2004.
Because the GR engine family replaced so many six-cylinder Toyota engines, it's also natural for Lotus to be interested in it. For example, the Lotus Evora and Exige used the 3.5-liter 2GR-FE engine as its beating heart, with the Evora GTE version getting an upgraded 4-liter version.
Some variants of Toyota-powered Lotus cars even came with Twin-Vortices superchargers, thus giving rise to the 2GR-FZE engine variant, like the 2023 Lotus Emira. Toyota also made this engine available to the 2007 to 2009 TRD Aurion, available only in Australia, although it is based on the Toyota Camry you can find in the US.
Supercharged versions and turbocharging kits
All GR engine family engines are naturally aspirated, save for the supercharged 2GR-FZE. However, given that Lotus and Toyota have supercharged the GR engine, you can also do it with aftermarket parts. You can also get a turbo kit if you prefer turbocharging your engine over supercharging it.
If you want to turbo a 2GR-FE engine, you can get a turbo kit from ATS Racing, a shop based in Texas that specializes in Toyota MR2, one of the most modifiable Toyota tuners you can get today and an ideal candidate for a turbocharged 2GR engine.
You also get options if you want to supercharge your engine. HKS offers a supercharger kit for the Toyota Crown (GRS184) with a 2GR-FSE engine. You can also get a Magnuson Supercharger Kit for the 2016 to 2023 Toyota Tacoma with the 2GR-FKS engine. However, note that these kits are model-specific, so you must have the exact vehicle to install them. Alternatively, you could risk installing them on other models, but you're guaranteed to require many hours of testing and thousands of dollars on custom parts just to make it work.
Hybrid applications
Even though the GR engine family came out in the early 2000s, they're not falling behind in tech. That's because Toyota was able to modify the engine family and make it compatible with hybrid engines.
You can find the following GR engines in hybrid cars: 2GR-FXE, 2GR-FXS, and 8GR-FXS. The 2GR-FXE powers the hybrid versions of the Lexus RX, Lexus GS, and Toyota Highlander, while the 2GR-FXS is used on more recent Lexus RX and Toyota Highlander models, as well as the Lexus TX and the Toyota Century SUV. Finally, the 8GR-FXs are used on the Lexus LC and LS models.
Although the Toyota GR engine family isn't what you would call an iconic or legendary engine, like the 2JZ or the RB26DETT from Nissan, its many variants and wide model availability make it a popular engine. And even though you won't find it under the hood of the GR Yaris, GR Supra, or even the GR 86, it's still one of the engines that made Toyota the carmaker it is today.