Muscle car fans have had it quite well over the past few decades. There’s an abundant number of shops that not only specialize in restoring everyone’s favorite American muscle legends, but even make brand-new parts from scratch for these cars.

Crate motors are readily available from the Big Three American automakers. Some aftermarket companies engineer completely new chassis, and there are various modern parts that allow classic muscle cars to do things they were never able to do previously. Limited slip differentials, independent suspension setups, big disc brake conversions, the type of stuff that’ll make them handle like European sports cars.

For the Japanese contingent of automotive fans, they haven’t really been able to enjoy such things. Sure, there are companies that build new and better components for Japanese legends, but not quite to the same level. TOM’s, Toyota’s in-house racing team, is about to change that.

What is TOM’s?

TOM’s is Toyota’s in-house race team, sort of like Mazdaspeed is to Mazda. TOM’s and Gazoo Racing are not the same entity, as Gazoo Racing focuses on most global Toyota motorsport programs and performance cars. TOM’s are the people behind that JGTC Castrol-branded Toyota Supra that all the Gran Turismo fans fawn over.

Indeed, that’s where TOM’s is most involved. JGTC, otherwise known as Super GT, is one of the most well-known motorsport disciplines in Japan, and TOM’s is the team that builds Toyota and Lexus racers for this series.

Recently, at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, TOM’s unveiled a bunch of new stuff. Really cool, important new stuff. It’s especially important for the Japanese car community, as this could lead to a snowball effect of custom parts and engineering on the same level as pro-touring muscle cars.

An AE86 Body in White

The first major reveal from TOM’s was the AE86 Sprinter body in white. The AE86 is one of the most well-known Japanese cars, not least because of its drifting prowess and its prominent appearance as a tofu delivery car in a certain Japanese anime you might have heard of. The AE86 is now pushing 40, and in the world of cars, that can mean a lot of things. Rust, bad body panels, and all that.

TOM’s is coming to AE86 fans and builders’ rescue with a brand new body-in-white. For those who don’t know, a body-in-white is essentially the car’s main structure, to which body panels and light fixtures are attached.

The idea is simple and fantastic: you buy TOM’s AE86 body in white, which is built exactly to Toyota factory specifications, and you install your body panels, interior, lighting, and engine to it. Essentially, this gives you a brand-new car without going through the expensive headaches of rust repair, replacing subframes, and all the other unloved activities that take place during car restoration.

So, this is great news for people who want to take a ratty old AE86 they might have found in Japan, and give it a completely new lease of life. But what if, say, you want to do an engine swap? TOM’s has that covered, too.

No More Junkyard 2JZs

Until now, if you wanted to swap a 2JZ into anything, you had to go on eBay or look through junkyards for trashed Lexuses and Supras. Not anymore. The other major reveal from TOM’s at the Tokyo show is their new lineup of 2JZ crate motors.

Yes, indeed, you can now buy a brand new, or at least fully refurbished 2JZ engine from a Toyota factory racing team. For fans of the 2JZ and the Supra, this is the equivalent of reaching nirvana.

TOM’s revealed three different versions of its new 2JZ power unit. A-Spec is a completely stock engine, B-Spec adds a few bolt-ons, and C-Spec is the no-holds-barred version, mostly intended for use in track racing. The new engines also have some rather nice-looking dark green cam covers.

But that’s not all. As well as the 2JZ, TOM’s has also committed to rebuilding two more Toyota powertrains. The 4A-GE, which was the screaming four-cylinder originally installed in the AE86, and the 3S-GTE, most notable for its appearance in the SW20 MR2 Turbo.

Hope for The Community

Until now, mostly American muscle cars got to enjoy all the great modernized components that turn them into giant killers. Japanese car fans have had to make do with what was available on the market. But now, with the new lineup of engines from TOM’s and the AE86 body-in-white, fans and builders of Japanese cars will finally be able to create the unholy-sounding amalgamation of pro-touring Japanese classic.