Toyota did the 2022 GR86 a massive favor by pushing the displacement of its four-cylinder boxer from 2.0 to 2.4 liters. And we were going to talk about the new output numbers, but how could we, when we’re here to discuss a GR86 that’s getting the BMW B58 3.0L straight-six that would normally power the Supra? Oh, and that’s not all, as you can expect the new engine to pack two or three times the factory power for a Formula Drift 2022 application!
Two days ago, a man named Stephan Papadakis got behind the wheel of a black 2022 GR86, using the extra power and torque of the new 2.4L engine to pull a burnout. The vehicle only had seven miles on the clock, but we’re more hooked on the number eight, since that’s how many weeks separate us from the start of the 2022 Formula Drift season (the first race is actually set for April 1-2).
With such a strict deadline, the enthusiast is promising nothing less than a full build revolving around a BMW B58 motor, the 3.0L straight-six that also powers the Supra (keep in mind that American drifter Ryan Tuerck has thrown a 10,000 rpm Judd V10 into an Mk V Supra).
And, some twelve hours ago, the aficionado returned to social media with a pair of photos showing the GR86 in fully-stripped-out form, with the six-pot being mock-placed inside the engine bay.
Normally, we’d have our doubts, but that’s not the case here, since Steph Papadakis is one of the most important names of contemporary motorsport. The New York-born car lover went from a street racer to a record-breaking drag racer to owning a winning professional drift team and, among others, likes to build engines.
Did we mention he’s also famous for having built an Mk V Supra’s factory BMW B58 into a 1,033 horsepower, 908 lb-ft (1,231 Nm) monster back in 2019 and 2020? Or that the resulting Supra saw Fredric Aasbo grabbing the Formula Drift title last year?
Now, in the said burnout post, Papadakis mentions that the B58-swapped GR86 is going to be manhandled by Formula D’s Jhonnattan Castro, with the Dominican athlete also sharing the video on his Insta account.
Naturally, we’re expecting the Castro’s GR86 drift car to pack a (more or less) similar punch—the Papadakis Supra’s 3.0 straight-six was gifted with forged internals, a larger turbo, and a host of other upgrades, so this motor should enjoy the same kind of treatment. And while the factory boxer did a respectable job in terms of turning rubber into smoke, we’re eager to see the monstrous new setup bringing about some blue clouds (or whatever color tire smoke feels to one).
There’s always the 2JZ-swapped 2022 Toyota GR86
Now, some of you might still be upset about the Mk V Supra using a Bavarian engine instead of relying on Japanese motivation. And even if you’re not, one can’t help but wonder how the 2022 GR86 would’ve been with an in-house Supra motor.
Well, we can’t deliver that, but we can remind you of another GR86 drift build, this time coming from Japanese athlete Daigo Saito (he also competes in the U.S.), who is fitting his compact sportscar with a good old 2JZ.
