Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Performance Upgrades

The Toyota Supra 3.0’s can handle more than 600whp while maintaining reliability. And without needing more than just a few thousand dollars worth of performance upgrades. Leveraging BMW’s B58 engine platform, the Supra is extremely stout and has proven to be capable of producing power levels in the four digits.

In this guide we’re going to discuss some basic performance upgrades that can take the 3.0L Supra’s into the 500whp+ territory. These upgrades include: tuning, downpipes, intakes, and E85 fueling.

Supra 3.0 Performance Upgrades

• Downpipe
• Intake
• Flex Fuel
• Tuning

1) Catless or High-Flow Downpipe

Upgrading the downpipe is one of the top choices for getting improved performance from the B58 in the Supra. The factory downpipe on the GR Toyota Supra is the most restrictive part of the exhaust. This is due not only to it having an OEM cat, but also because of its small 3.15” diameter.

The stock pipe chokes the exhaust gasses coming out of the turbo and creates a lot of unnecessary back pressure. This results in rather poor flow, which exacerbates turbo lag and reduces responsiveness.

However, a lot of these poor characteristics can be mitigated by upgrading the downpipe. Aftermarket downpipes either remove the cat or replace it with a high flow option, both of which offer vastly increased flow and improved volume. Catless downpipes are not emissions legal however, and are really meant for track/show cars. High flow cats still offer great performance while remaining emissions compliant. Catless versions will also throw a CEL on most cars, whereas the high flow cat option prevents CELs from showing.

Downpipes on the Supra will net 15-25whp/wtq by themselves. Significantly, they do not require any tuning, but it will help performance immensely. They also add an undeniably more aggressive and louder sound for your A90/A91 Supra’s exhaust. The B58 already sounds good with the stock exhaust, but you can really hear it growl with a downpipe.

2) Cold Air Intake

While some people will argue that intakes on the B58 are useless, it actually does have many benefits. And for anyone running a bigger turbo or higher boost, an intake is a must.

The B58 gains about 5-25whp/wtq depending on if it is combined with tuning. In addition, drivers will have decreased turbo lag, louder induction noises, and better overall throttle response.

We have a full guide on A90 Supra intake upgrades so check that out to learn more about the performance benefits and intake options.

3) Ethanol Flex-Fuel Kit

For anyone looking to make serious power on their A90/A91 B58 Supra, flex-fuel is the go to mod. Adding ethanol to your fuel mix allows the car to run leaner air-to-fuel ratios without risking detonation or pre-ignition. This means serious power gains while staying within a much broader safety threshold. The B58 does see diminished gas mileage from running an ethanol mix, but the lower cost of E-85 helps balance this out. It is also more environmentally friendly.

Flex-fuel kits can be installed on the B58 Supra without any tuning required, but with a caveat. The stock tune can only handle mixes of up to E25-E30 before it starts to struggle with compensation. So, any mixes above E30 require custom tuning to run safely. It is also important to recognize the GR Supra cannot run a full E-85 blend without several other fuel upgrades, like a new low pressure fuel pump and port injection system. Tuners for cars without these upgrades will cap their mixes at E-50 to ensure power with reliability.

However, even with an E-50 mix, these cars are capable of some insane power. Flex-fuel and custom tuning will easily net over 100whp gains from stock. With an added downpipe, the A90/A91 Supra will easily make 500whp all day. Pretty stunning numbers from just a couple of performance mods.

5) Tuning

Tuning is hands down the biggest performance modification for the GR Toyota Supra. With just a tune, the Supra sees gains of 50whp/100wtq. A lot of this comes from increasing the boost, which is only at 12 PSI on the stock tune. Adding a few more mods really awakens the car, and as mentioned 500whp is capable with just flex-fuel, a downpipe, and tuning.

However, there are some caveats to tuning the GR Toyota Supra. Unfortunately, Supras with build dates post June 2020 have their ECUs locked from the factory. This means they cannot be simply flashed over and tuned like previous years and most other cars. They require either a piggyback solution, meaning something that operates outside of the ECU and modifies it, or a company needs to bench unlock it.

A bench unlock often requires removing the ECU from your car, mailing it to a tuning company, and having them send it back to you in the mail. Obviously, not everyone is comfortable or capable of this solution, so tuning can be tricky on the A90/A91 Supra.

Summary

Overall, the A90/A91 Toyota Supra is a phenomenal car. From the factory it is already pretty fast and comfortable, but aftermarket upgrades transform it into a raging monster that can’t be tamed. The B58 is more than capable of handling some serious power, and it wants to be upgraded and modified.

Adding a downpipe to your setup will not only offer good performance gains, but it will add an aggressive tone and increased volume to the already outstanding exhaust note. Flex-fuel and tuning transform the car from a modest racer to an absolute behemoth. The Toyota Supra can easily make 450whp+ on pump gas with proper tuning and a downpipe, and those gains increase significantly when ethanol is added. The reliability is also enhanced with flex-fuel on performance builds, because it allows for lower and cooler cylinder pressures and increased knock protection.