Engine Specification of Toyota GR Engines
The Toyota GR engines are one of the longest-lived engines ever created in the automotive industry. This is the engine responsible for the commendable horsepower of the Toyota Camry and many other leading Toyota vehicles. What’s interesting is that it doesn’t require a V8 to provide these results but a 2GR-FKS V6 gets the job done.
This six-cylinder is featured in Highlander, Tacoma, Lexus GS 350, IS 350, RX 350, and Lotus Evora. Moreover, as you can expect from Toyota, the execution of this engine is refined and reliable.
Considering the demand for reliability among used engine buyers, GR engines are some of the most popular used Toyota engines for sale in the market. They are a great choice if you yearn for power at affordable prices.
Engine Specs & Features
The engine blocks of the GR series are made of aluminum with dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) cylinder heads. They feature three types of fuel injection, including multi-port injection, D4 direction injection, and a hybrid of the two called the D4-S fuel injection system. These systems are used as per the model and market.
GR series engines were used in heavy-duty vehicles, SUVs, and light trucks. The 1st and 2nd series GR engines are the most produced in the United States and power many popular trucks, sporting goods, and sedans. Anyone looking for low mileage engines for sale for a car, SUV, or truck can check out GR engines.
Variations Of the GR Engine
1GR
The 1GR is a 4.0-liter V-6 for rear-wheel (RWD) and four-wheel drive (FWD) types. It was launched in 2003 and has been in use since. This engine is mounted longitudinally and generates about 270 hp of power.
When it first appeared in 2003, it was present in Toyota 4Runner, then in Land Cruiser in the year 2007, Tacoma in 2005, and Tundra in 2010. Over the years, this engine has been upgraded to dual VVT. Also, vehicles like Tacoma and FJ Cruiser with the 1 GR-FE engine come with a TRD supercharger kit adaptation available. It also has special cast-iron cylinder liners to improve adhesion between the cylinder and the liner block.
2GR
The second generation of GR-FE engines is a smaller, 3.5-liter V-6 unit meant to be transversely mounted in front-wheel-drive (FWD) applications. In this update, slight changes regarding the sizes of strokes were made while the bore remained the same. Resultantly, it reduced torque while maintaining horsepower in most applications.
The 2GR engines come with Dual VVT-I technology and can be experienced in Toyota Avalon, Sienna, Camry, Lexus ES 350, RX 350, Highlander, Corolla Super GT, and the Lotus Evora GTE.
3GR
The third generation or 3GR engine was introduced in 2006 in the year model of Lexus but was only used for a year. The alternate version, 3GR-FSE with direct injection was used in Toyota Crown Royal and Mark X as well.
4GR
The 4GR-FSE was the 2.5L version of this supreme line-up that produced 200–212 horsepower at 6400 RPM. As the fourth generation of Toyota engines, it featured plenty of upgrades like better variable valve technology and a fuel injection system. Moreover, it was used for the Lexus IS 250 and 250 C that same year and then in 2012 in the Lexus GS250. The fifth-generation GR is mostly used only in China.
5GR
By the fifth generation of GR engines, Toyota decided to bid goodbye to the direct injection system and stuck to the dual variable valve technology. Its power output is 145 kW or 1994 horsepower at 6200 RPM. The bore and stroke dimensions were also improved from the last version of this engine.
6GR
Introducing a big change from the 2.5L trims, Toyota raised the capacity of the sixth generation GR engine by making it 4L. It’s a 3956cc engine with a bigger stroke & bore to support its performance. As a result, it raised the bar for horsepower as well by generating a whopping 229 horsepower at 5000 RPM.
7GR
After the sixth generation, Toyota leveled up their engine’s power output significantly as if they made it their priority. The seventh upgrade or 7GR engine surprised car enthusiasts with 276 horsepower at 6000 RPM. This engine possessed the good characteristics of the 2GR engine with some more additions. It had the D-4S combined injection system along with the intelligent variable valve technology to offer the best possible performance.
8GR
The last one of the series, the 8GR-FXS engine has a displacement capacity of 3.5L, 94mm bore, and 83mm stroke. It’s mostly used in hybrid applications and generates a good power output of 295 horsepower at 6600 RPM. To make it even better, the intake shafts on this engine are equipped with VVT and exhaust camshafts with VVT-i.
Conclusion
The Toyota GR engines are one of the few series of engines that continued for such a long time. It’s a rare case where evolution made much more sense than revolution, perhaps because the engine itself was an extraordinary power generator.
It was upgraded 8 times in over a decade, equipped with new, better technology every time. The sole reason was to provide the owner with a better experience. The two things that Toyota thrives upon, drivability & reliability are evident in this engine, making it a good choice as a used Japanese Toyota engine too.
