# Iconic Toyota Engines & Drivetrains | Otto Explains | AutoTronix **Section:** Otto Explains **Canonical:** https://autotronix.om/otto/toyota-engines-drivetrains **Language:** English **Arabic version:** https://autotronix.om/ar/otto/toyota-engines-drivetrains --- ## Short Answer Toyota is best known for durable Land Cruiser six-cylinder and V8 engines, twin-cam sports engines such as the 4A-GE and the 2JZ, and its hybrid system. Since 1997 the Toyota Hybrid System has paired a petrol engine with electric motors through a planetary-gear power split. Today's range adds twin-turbo V6 engines in the Land Cruiser 300, efficient Dynamic Force engines and the turbocharged three-cylinder of the GR Yaris, driven through 8- and 10-speed automatics and a wide range of four-wheel-drive systems. --- ## Which engines is Toyota known for? Four groups stand out. The first is the line of robust six-cylinder and V8 engines that powered the Land Cruiser, from the 3.4-litre Type B of the 1951 BJ to the 4.7-litre 2UZ-FE V8 of the 100 Series. The second is the twin-cam sports engines, such as the 4A-GEU of the AE86 and the 2JZ of the A80 Supra. The third is the Toyota Hybrid System of 1997. The fourth is today's generation: the twin-turbo V6 engines of the Land Cruiser 300, the TNGA Dynamic Force engines, and the GR turbo engines. --- ## Where did Toyota's first engines come from? Toyota's first engine, the Type A, was based on sketches of a 1933 Chevrolet engine: an inline six with overhead valves, 3,389 cc and 65 hp, first run on 25 September 1934, and it powered the Model AA. The B engine went into production when the Koromo Plant opened in November 1938, and the F engine was a B with a larger bore, giving 3,870 cc and 95 hp in 1950. These sixes gave the early Land Cruisers their codes: the BJ used the Type B, and the FJ55 of 1967 a 3.9-litre Type F. Toyota's first small-car engines were simpler: the Crown's R engine of 1955 was a 1,453 cc four of 48 PS, and the Corolla's K engine of 1966 had 1,077 cc. --- ## What were Toyota's classic twin-cam sports engines? Toyota built a series of twin-cam engines for its sports cars. The 3M of the 2000GT was a twin-cam version of the Crown's M six. The AE86's 4A-GEU was a 1.6-litre twin-cam with 16 valves, and the Celica GT-Four's 3S-GTE a 2.0-litre turbocharged twin-cam of 185 PS. The A70 Supra's 7M-GTE was a 3.0-litre turbocharged six of 230 PS, and the A80 Supra's 2JZ-GTE and 2JZ-GE were 3.0-litre inline sixes with twin camshafts and 24 valves, matched in the RZ to a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox. --- ## How did Land Cruiser engines develop? The early Land Cruisers used big petrol sixes, and diesels took over gradually. The 40 Series gained a 3.6-litre six-cylinder diesel in 1973 and a 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel in 1974. The 60 Series of 1980 had a 4.2-litre petrol (2F) and a 3.4-litre diesel, later a 4.0-litre diesel (2H), and the 80 Series van a new 4.1-litre six-cylinder diesel, while the 80 wagon received a 4.5-litre 24-valve petrol six of 215 PS in 1992. The 100 Series of 1998 brought the 4,663 cc 2UZ-FE V8 of 235 PS and the 1HD-FTE 4.2-litre turbo-diesel, and the 200 Series kept a 4.7-litre V8 with VVT-i. In the 70 Series, Toyota Australia's 1VD-FTV 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 ran from 2007, and from 2024 it is being replaced by the 2.8-litre 1GD four-cylinder turbo-diesel of 150 kW and 450 Nm. --- ## What engines do Land Cruisers use today? The Land Cruiser 300 of 2021 moved from V8 engines to twin-turbo V6 engines: the V35A-FTS 3.5-litre petrol of 305 kW (415 PS) and 650 Nm and the F33A-FTV 3.3-litre diesel of 227 kW (309 PS) and 700 Nm, with naturally aspirated V6 versions in some areas. The 250 Series uses the T24A-FTS 2.4-litre turbo petrol of 207 kW (281 PS), planned for the Middle East, or the 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, and the FJ the 2TR-FE 2.7-litre petrol of 120 kW (163 PS). In Oman in October 2026, Toyota listed the Land Cruiser 3.5-litre at 409 HP and the Land Cruiser Prado 2.4-litre turbo at 267 HP, while the Land Cruiser 4.0L, Land Cruiser Pick-up, Hilux and Fortuner were listed with 4.0-litre engines. --- ## How does Toyota's hybrid system work? The Toyota Hybrid System, announced on 25 March 1997, combines a petrol engine, an electric motor, a generator and a battery. A planetary-gear power split device divides the engine's output between the wheels and the generator, so the system also acts as an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, and the battery is charged by the generator and by braking, never from a plug. The first system used a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle engine that shuts off when the car stops. Across three Prius generations Toyota cut the cost of the system by two-thirds, and newer variations include the Crown's 2.4-litre turbo hybrid and the Land Cruiser Hybrid's one-motor system, whose battery sits in a waterproof tray. Otto explains [how a CVT works](https://autotronix.om/otto/cvt-transmission-explained) and [how hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars differ](https://autotronix.om/otto/hybrid-vs-plug-in-hybrid-vs-electric). --- ## What are Dynamic Force engines? They are the engines Toyota developed under TNGA, its common architecture for cars and powertrains, announced in December 2016. The first was a 2.5-litre four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine with a thermal efficiency of 40 percent, or 41 percent in hybrid form, which Toyota counts among the world's best. It arrived with the Direct Shift-8AT and Direct Shift-10AT automatic gearboxes, and Toyota planned 17 versions of 9 engines by the end of 2021. --- ## What powers Toyota's GR sports cars? The GR Yaris of 2020 introduced the G16E-GTS, a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo of 200 kW (272 PS) and 370 Nm; in the Type 26 GR Yaris of 2026 it gives 224 kW (304 PS) and 400 Nm. The fifth-generation Supra of 2019, developed with BMW, keeps the Supra tradition of a front-mounted inline six driving the rear wheels, with a 3.0-litre twin-scroll turbo of 250 kW (340 PS) and 500 Nm and an eight-speed automatic. The 86 of 2012 used a 2.0-litre horizontally opposed engine (FA20) of 200 PS with Toyota's D-4S direct injection, and the GR 86 of 2021 a 2.4-litre flat four of 235 PS. Otto explains [how turbochargers work](https://autotronix.om/otto/turbocharger-vs-supercharger). --- ## What are Toyota's hydrogen cars? Toyota uses hydrogen in two ways. The Mirai, on sale since 15 December 2014, is a fuel-cell car: its Toyota Fuel Cell System makes electricity from hydrogen, combining fuel-cell and hybrid technology, emits no CO2 when driven and refuels in about three minutes. Toyota has also raced a Corolla with a hydrogen-burning combustion engine, first at the Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours on 21 May 2021. --- ## Which gearboxes and four-wheel-drive systems does Toyota use? Toyota's automatics range from the 10-speed Direct Shift-10AT of the Land Cruiser 300 to the 8-speed automatic of the Prado and the six-speed of the FJ. Its four-wheel-drive systems differ by job: the 80 Series introduced full-time 4WD with a centre differential on higher grades, the Prado 90 switched from part-time to full-time 4WD in 1996, the Prado 120 and the 200 Series used Torsen centre differentials, and the 200 added crawl control for slow off-road driving. The FJ and the Fortuner sold in Oman use part-time 4WD. On the road side, the Camry of 1982 was Toyota's first car with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive, the Corolla saloon followed in 1983, and the GR Yaris's GR-FOUR system uses a multi-plate clutch and Torsen differentials front and rear to vary drive between the axles. --- ## What should a Toyota owner in Oman keep in mind? The same badge can hide very different engines and drivetrains depending on the model, year and market, so care starts with knowing exactly which version you own. A hybrid Toyota carries a high-voltage system, and its high-voltage parts are a job for trained technicians: never touch or work on them yourself. Toyota's own pages read for this article say nothing about typical faults, so Otto suggests checking a symptom properly before replacing anything, and following the maintenance plan Toyota sets for your particular car, with Oman's summer heat, sand and long desert drives in mind. At AutoTronix, AutoTronix PERFORMANCE supports the Toyota Supra, with performance maintenance, mechanical assessment and the Performance Vehicle Health Report. --- ## Common Questions **Which engine does the A80 Supra use?** The 2JZ, a 3.0-litre inline six with twin camshafts and 24 valves, in turbocharged (2JZ-GTE) and naturally aspirated (2JZ-GE) versions. **Does the Land Cruiser 300 have a V8?** No. Its main engines are a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol and a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel, with naturally aspirated V6 versions in some areas. The 100 and 200 Series before it used 4.7-litre V8 engines. **Did Toyota build the first hybrid car?** Toyota calls the Prius of December 1997 the world's first mass-produced hybrid passenger car. Toyota's own Coaster Hybrid EV bus came a few months earlier, in August 1997. **Is the GR Supra's engine a BMW engine?** Toyota says the GR Supra launched in 2019 was developed with BMW. Otto did not find an official Toyota page naming the engine's maker, so this article does not state it. --- ## Related Otto Explanations - Different Engine Designs Explained: Inline, V, Boxer and More: https://autotronix.om/otto/engine-designs-explained --- ## Related Services - AutoTronix Garage: https://autotronix.om/garage - AutoTronix Lab: https://autotronix.om/lab - AutoTronix PERFORMANCE: https://autotronix.om/performance - Performance Vehicle Maintenance: https://autotronix.om/performance/performance-maintenance - Performance Vehicle Mechanical Repairs: https://autotronix.om/performance/performance-mechanical - Performance Vehicle Health Report: https://autotronix.om/performance/vehicle-health-report --- ## Book a Service WhatsApp: +968 9966 7600 https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=96899667600&type=phone_number&app_absent=0 Location: Mabellah Industrial, Street 7, Muscat — Saturday to Thursday, 9 AM to 9 PM