A 2JZ-Powered, 740bhp Jaguar E-Type Is The Right Kind Of Blasphemy

There’s a certain crowd of enthusiast that’ll decry sacrilege should you dare modify a classic, especially a Jaguar E-Type, but this 2JZ-powered 740bhp reworking of the British sports car is a sin to pay penance for.

Japanese petrol giant Eneos (not to be confused with Ineos, the other chemical company and Grenadier builders) is bringing a trio of cars along to the SEMA show this week, with this E-Type headlining the act.

In all honesty, it’s barely an E-Type at this point. Based on a 1969 example of the car, the Jag’s transplanted 2JZ-GTE is said to have been directly ripped from a Supra before undergoing some serious work. Key changes to the 3.0-litre twin-turbo unit include CP-Carillo pistons and conrods, along with a new head casting courtesy of Deatschwerks Injectors plus a Nuke Performance fuel system. Oh, and a fairly meaty BorgWarner turbocharger.

Power is thumped to the rear wheels through an E36 BMW M3’s five-speed manual, with the rear subframe, suspension and differential taken from an E60 5-series.

Naturally, the increased power required bigger tyres - namely a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE-71 RS -  in turn requiring wider wheel arches. Inspired by the E-Type Lightweight’s blistered arches, a set of 3D-printed replacements were fitted to the original bodywork to complete the mad look.

In a bid to try and outdo itself, Eneos will also bring along a Nissan 350Z with not one, but two Honda K24 engines. Performance details on that care are rather hushed, but a figure close to the E-Type’s is surely on the cards.

Rounding out its 2023 display is a Toyota Land Cruiser pick-up created by merging the chassis of a 1997 FZJ80 Land Cruiser with the bed of a 2009 HZJ79.

This isn’t Eneos’ first rodeo at SEMA. Notably, the firm brought a 996 Porsche 911 GT3 equipped with an overhauled Subaru EJ engine, to create the 911 STI. Long may the bastardising continue.