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Exclusive: Papadakis tells us the parts he needs to make a 1000 horsepower Supra

Jeff Zurschmeide
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Award-winning engine builder Stephan Papadakis set out to wrest 1,000 horsepower out of the new Toyota-BMW B58 engine found in the 2020 Toyota Supra. In the first episode of a four-part series, Papadakis showed us the initial engine removal and complete teardown. In the second episode he focused on how the engine makes its power, and he showed us the upgrades he was making to the engine’s internal parts.

Now in the just-dropped third episode, Papadakis shows us how he assembles a high performance racing engine, and what he did to make this engine ready for the dyno. We caught up with him after he finished the assembly and asked him to tell us about his work so far.

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It’s rare that a new engine platform comes out that has the potential that this one does.

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What have you learned about the new engine so far?

Stephan Papadakis: It’s rare that a new engine platform comes out that has the potential that this one does. Not only in a reasonably priced sports car, but one that was so well engineered that we’re talking about tripling the horsepower in a matter of a few months.

Did you learn anything that surprised you?

Stephan Papadakis: I learned to love having special tools. I’ve only disassembled the engine this one time and then assembled it again, and I initially thought maybe I could improvise and just use my existing toolbox to do it. But as you get into these high technology, modern engines, you realize you need high tech, modern tools. So, I wound up getting a few specialized items for this build. I’m glad I did. Having the right tools made it much easier to get the job done, which I guess is always true, right?

As you get into these high technology, modern engines, you realize you need high tech, modern tools.

A couple of the tools came from the manufacturer, and I show those in the video. I also turned to the aftermarket for a few things. Most modern engines use some sort of angle torque method on critical hardware, so I picked up a digital Snap-on torque wrench, which made that really easy. And the piston installation tool I got from ARP was great. I’ve used them on other projects, but for this engine I needed the 82 mm bore, which they had in stock and I was able to just order it to the shop.

What change that you’ve made will have the biggest effect on power output?

Stephan Papadakis: Without a doubt it’s the turbocharger. We’ve replaced the stock turbocharger, which we figure is good for something around 500 horsepower, with a Borg Warner EFR 9280 that can support over 1,000 horsepower.

Because we’re adding a lot of airflow into the engine, we want to make sure we can get it out as well, so we’ve enlarged the exhaust ports on the cylinder head for that. But the turbocharger is how we’re increasing the airflow so that we can get to our target number. Most of the rest of the changes we’re doing are about strengthening the engine to support all that power.

Do you think the engine will be reliable at the new power output?

Stephan Papadakis: In order for us to actually use this engine build we have to make it reliable. That’s what this process is about. I mean, we could have just thrown a huge turbocharger on the stock engine and maybe made the 1,000 horsepower number, but only once. The reason we’ve developed a whole system of modifications is because reliability is our goal.

There’s a difference between knowing it can be done in theory and actually doing it.

Any worries or second thoughts as you get ready for the dyno test?

Stephan Papadakis: It’s a mixed set of emotions as we head into this dyno test. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It’s definitely a little intimidating to be trying to achieve something that hasn’t been done before, but that’s part of what motivated me to take on this project in the first place and so I’m excited to get there.

There’s a difference between knowing it can be done in theory and actually doing it. I think we’ve come up with a solid plan and we’ve already seen several tuners with 2020 Supras get to nearly 700 horsepower with bolt-ons and re-tuning only, so I’m cautiously optimistic about what we’re going to get on the dyno.

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Jeff Zurschmeide
Jeff Zurschmeide
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Jeff Zurschmeide is a freelance writer from Portland, Oregon. Jeff covers new cars, motor sports, and technical topics for a…
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