Toyota’s Weirdest 2JZ-Powered Car Is Now Legal To Import To America

The turn of the millennium was a gold rush for retro cars. From the Volkswagen New Beetle to the Jaguar S-Type, just about every automaker under the sun was cashing in on heritage to varying effect. Some models were strokes of genius, some fell flat, but it’s safe to say that the Toyota Origin is a little different than most of its retro rivals. In the words of Brian O’Connor, “Pop the hood.”

Actually, before we pop the hood, it’s time for a little history lesson. In 1955, Toyota launched a car called the Toyopet Crown. A strange name, but a significant model for several reasons. While a reasonable hit in Japan, it almost broke Toyota in America. This was the first passenger car the marque shipped across the Pacific, and when it arrived on high-speed North American roads, some problems emerged. As Toyota put it:

The performance and quality issues that had been a source of concern materialized, and problems including a lack of output while traveling at high speeds, inadequate high-speed stability, extreme noise and vibration, abnormal vibration, and breakage of parts due to deformation occurred.

Ouch. However, Toyota did learn from these early mistakes and was almost unbelievably successful over the next 40 years. Not only was it one of the world’s largest automakers, but the year 1999 marked the milestone of 100 million Toyotas made in Japan. As a form of celebration, the marque tooled up for a limited-run model paying tribute to that original Crown.

To build the 1,073-unit Origin, Toyota started with a normal Progrès sedan and then went a bit berserk. All the retro elements you’d expect are here, and then some more. The original Toyopet Crown got rear-hinged coach doors, and so did the Origin. It’s the same deal with the subtle tail fins and the wraparound rear glass, hugely expensive things to do that serve up an unmistakable ’50s vibe.

Speaking of traditional, significant portions of this sedan were built the old-fashioned way. You know, by hand. Between May of 2000 and April of 2001, craftspeople at Kanto Auto Works oversaw the careful blending of the fenders with the slam panel, wet-sanded the paint between coats, and ultimately created something like a mini-Century.

Inside the Toyota Origin, you’ll find all the trappings of Y2K luxury. We’re talking leather, wood, an electroluminescent gauge cluster, and just enough toys to keep drivers entertained. That GPS navigation unit should be fairly familiar to anyone who’s driven a Lexus IS 300, because I reckon it’s essentially the same sort of part. Opulent stuff, although perhaps the most interesting part of the Toyota Origin is what lies beneath the hood.

Surprisingly, each and every Toyota Origin rocks the mighty 2JZ-GE three-liter inline-six. Alright, so it might not be the same battle-hardened factory-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE that spawned a thousand memes, but it’s pretty close. This 212-horsepower unit is pretty much identical to the one found in the Lexus IS 300 and the naturally aspirated fourth-generation Toyota Supra, meaning the power potential is pretty big for anyone brave enough to bolt on a turbocharger. The standard four-speed automatic transmission will be a limiting factor here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a W55 five-speed manual transmission from an IS 300 effectively bolted up to an Origin.

Would it be sacrilege to turn an ultra-rare hand-built Toyota sedan into a performance machine? Perhaps, but perhaps not. After all, Toyota’s now moving in a direction where even the Century ultra-luxury sedan has an exclusive GR performance variant. However, whether you want to build something crazy or simply enjoy a luxurious JDM machine that’s easy to park in the city, the Origin is now eligible for U.S. importation. The weirdest factory 2JZ-GE car can be yours, and that’s a fascinating proposition.

Top graphic image: Toyota