Hold onto your hats, drag racing fans! In a world often dominated by the rumble of V8s, one man is shaking things up with a screaming, turbocharged six-cylinder that's pushing the boundaries of what's possible!
When you think of drag racing, the image of a thundering V8 engine often comes to mind. But what if we told you that a 10,500rpm, 2JZ six-cylinder engine, breathing in a colossal 70psi of boost, is capable of sending shockwaves through the entire drag racing establishment? For Gold Coast local, Ryan Holz, the choice was clear when it came to powering his LC Torana hatch: Toyota's legendary six-cylinder engine was the only way to go.
Ryan, who dove into the world of racing a few years ago, has always been captivated by the 2J engine. He describes them as capable of making "insane power" and considers them "probably one of the best engines ever built." He'd noticed other Toranas sporting six-cylinder engines performing impressively, and with a two-door Torana shell itching for a unique build, he knew he didn't want to follow the conventional Holden six-cylinder path. While the Nissan RB30 was a cool option, for Ryan, a six-cylinder build "had to be a 2J."
He then enlisted the expertise of Danny Lansdowne and his Spot On Performance team to transform the LC into a formidable turbocharged, 2J-powered street machine that could also conquer the challenges of Powercruise. As it turned out, Danny and his crew created something so extreme, it was destined for the racetrack!
From there, the boosted, Toyota-powered Torry was quickly unleashed. The team campaigned it in this configuration for several years, achieving a remarkable best time of 6.90 seconds at a staggering 206 miles per hour.
But here's where it gets controversial... While the 2J engine upfront was powerful, it wasn't astronomically exotic. It was built around a factory cast block, mostly filled for strength, featuring an offset-ground factory crank, robust rods and pistons, a dry-sump oiling system, and a reworked factory head. The tuning was aggressive, with a massive 68psi of boost crammed into the 3.0-litre six, resulting in an astonishing 2000 horsepower!
"That was a great little motor, but it was showing signs of fatigue, with the deck of the block deflecting and the main caps moving around," Ryan admits. Despite these issues, they still managed over 30 passes running 7.0 seconds or better with that setup.
Eventually, the engine met its match, blowing out the side of the deck. It was clear: it was time to take things to the next level.
"I knew we had to step the game up with whatever my new combination was going to be," Ryan explains. "The old car was too heavy to be competitive, and we needed to go to a billet engine block to make more power."
As fate would have it, WA racer Russell Taylor had acquired the Doorslammer package from Queensland racer Steve Ham, and Steve, in turn, received one of Taylor's Toranas as part of the deal. This Torana, though built about 15 years prior in WA with a blown 481X motor and a chassis by Grant O'Rourke and Geoff Black, had never seen competitive action.
Ryan acquired the car, promptly sold off the blown engine, and the transformation into a billet 2J monster began, with the Spot On Performance team once again leading the charge.
Danny's crew gave the car a complete overhaul. From the firewall back, it's a full-chassis, double-frame-rail Pro Mod, with the entire body designed to be lifted off. Yet, despite its clear purpose as a dedicated race car, considerable effort was made to preserve some echoes of the Torana's street-car heritage.
The wheel tubs, which in the past would have filled the rear windows (a common practice back then), were removed. New quarter windows were then installed to restore the car's aesthetic appeal. The steering was modified, the driver's footwell was extended to accommodate Ryan, and significant upgrades were made to the intercooler, intake, and turbo system. The rear suspension features a four-link setup with a Race Products floater kit, Menscer shocks, intricate barwork, and an anti-roll bar, all paired with a surprisingly modest-looking 275 radial tire.
And this is the part most people miss... The heart of this beast is a 2J engine built around a Bullet billet block. It's packed with a Nitto crank, custom GRP conrods, and CP pistons, giving it a displacement of 3.2 litres. Incredibly, it still utilizes a factory cast head, meticulously prepared by Colin at Headsense with Top Fuel-spec components. The lubrication system has been upgraded to a five-stage Barnes dry sump holding 12 litres, ensuring optimal oil flow at the extreme 10,500rpm shift point.
The Hypertune Pro Series billet inlet manifold is equipped with a 102mm throttlebody. Fuel is delivered by Deka 2400cc and FuelTech 7200cc injectors to each runner, managed by a Kinsler 1300 belt-driven pump and an Aeromotive regulator. Attached to the custom hot side is a Precision Next Gen 98mm turbo and a 60mm Turbosmart gate, venting through a five-inch stainless steel dump pipe.
Further enhancements include Strange front struts and brakes, a fibreglass front end, and polycarbonate windows replacing the original glass.
Even with a steel roof and quarters retained, this 2000hp+ missile weighs in at a mere 2600lb at full race weight, with a 53 percent weight bias towards the nose. "In finished trim, the car was 600lb lighter," Ryan notes.
The LC is a visual masterpiece, boasting stunning paint and panel work by Spray King Restorations and intricate airbrushing by Zealous & Kruik Kustoms.
Its debut at the 2025 Brisbane Jamboree saw the Torana blast down the quarter-mile in a blistering 6.73 seconds at 211mph. But Ryan is far from finished. "We really want to be in the 6.40s over the quarter and in the threes over the eighth," he states.
"The old car was noisy and rattled, so the new car doesn’t seem as fast, as it drives nicer and is a properly set-up race car. There have been no compromises with this one, so we are looking forward to working with something that will react to the changes we make."
With such a massive amount of air being forced into the compact 2J, Ryan employs a 150hp direct-port dry nitrous kit. The car launches with 20psi of boost at 5800rpm. From there, it's a matter of pure adrenaline, with an air shifter for rapid gear changes and air 'chutes deployed to bring the beast to a halt.
And here's a point for discussion: "Making more power is the goal, so turbo size is something we’ll need to address in the near future," Ryan mentions. Is it possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to turbo size, or is more always better in the pursuit of ultimate drag racing performance?
A project of this magnitude is a testament to teamwork. Ryan extends his sincere gratitude to Andy and Danny at SpotOn Performance, Jeff Johnson at Power Management Solutions, and his dedicated race crew: Michelle, Brad, and Chris.
What are your thoughts on this incredible 2JZ Torana? Do you believe the future of drag racing lies with these highly boosted six-cylinders, or will the V8s always hold their ground? Let us know in the comments below!
