If you have ever dreamed of building a flawless AE86 without wrestling rust or aftermarket guesswork, Toyota’s in-house racing arm now has you covered. At the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, TOM’S Racing unveiled TOM’S Classic, its new restoration division offering complete AE86 bodies-in-white built to factory specifications and backed by legal documentation. Imagine stepping into a brand new shell that eliminates decades of corrosion headaches and subframe repairs.
But the excitement does not stop at metal. TOM’S Classic also launched a trio of fully rebuilt Toyota engines: the 4A-GE in 16-valve or 20-valve form, the 3S-GE, and the legendary 2JZ-GTE. Each powerplant is available in A-Spec for a stock feel, B-Spec with select performance upgrades, or C-Spec custom-built to your racing or street-car dreams.
These offerings mark a turning point for Japanese car enthusiasts who have long watched American muscle restomod shops enjoy similar factory-backed support.
What is TOM’s?
TOM’s is Toyota’s in-house racing team, much 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. 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 are unfamiliar, a body-in-white is essentially the car’s main structure, to which body panels and exterior lighting 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.
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 purchase 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. In addition to the 2JZ, TOM’s has also committed to rebuilding two more Toyota powertrains. The 4A-GE, originally the screaming four-cylinder 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 have had the opportunity 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.