At first glance, it seems difficult to understand what went on in the mind of this Japanese owner of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. But as they say "there are nuts for everything..."
Originally the seventh generation Rolls-Royce Phantom brings a naturally aspirated 6.75 liter V12 with adequate – as Rolls-Royce would say – 460 hp and 720 Nm of torque. Enough to handle the more than 2.5 tons it weighs with dignity.
According to the Speedhunters website, this Phantom was purchased new in 2008 and traveled 190,000 kilometers until the engine took its last breath. The causes for the engine to stop working are not known. What we do know is that to get a new V12 from the British brand, the owner would have to wait two long years.
He, the owner, didn't want to wait that long to continue driving his Rolls-Royce Phantom. So he resolved the matter by his own means. A replacement for the V12 would be provided by Japanese preparer J&K Power, which is known for being a 2JZ specialist.
#Rollsroyce #phantom #2jz #swap pic.twitter.com/aZdR4bGd9Q
— LSB (@lock_shot_bach) 21 August 2017
2JZ, what is this?
For those who don't know, this combination of numbers and letters is practically legendary in the automotive world. It is the code name of a Toyota engine family, which gained its fame and reputation after being placed under the hood of the latest Toyota Supra in the 2JZ-GTE version.
It is an in-line six-cylinder, with 3.0 liters of capacity and a pair of turbos. Like the RB26 that powered the Nissan Skyline GT-R, the Supra's 2JZ-GTE quickly gained a reputation for taking “a lot of beating”. Even when extracting from it completely absurd numbers of three, four times more than the original 280 hp.
We have nothing against 2JZ – quite the opposite. But we have to admit that the Japanese GT's inline six-cylinder doesn't seem like the best pair for a bulky, aristocratic body like the Rolls-Royce Phantom. But, like it or not, this Rolls-Royce exists and circulates through the streets of Tokyo.
All you need is some "powders"
Naturally, it doesn't come with the standard specifications. To move the more than 2.5 tons of the Phantom with the dignity it deserves, extra “dust” would always be needed. J&K Power rebuilt the 2JZ-GTE with forged internal components from HKS – stronger – and installed a new turbo T78-33D from GReddy and a supercharger GTS8555 from HKS, for satisfactory response from the lower revs.
For now the engine is running and the Phantom turbo rolls with a pressure of 1.6 bar. At the moment it declares a "modest" 600 hp . A value already well above the 460 of the Phantom.
The aim will then be to raise the turbo pressure to 2.0 bar, boosting power to an estimated 900 hp! All these horses are transmitted to the rear axle through an automatic transmission from a Toyota Aristo, with reinforced internal components capable of withstanding everything the engine has to give.
Another necessary change was related to the pneumatic suspension of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. This was discarded, not only for reliability reasons but also because it was not designed to handle nearly twice the horsepower that the Phantom brings as standard. Soon, a unique Öhlins solution took its place.
Heresy or not, this engine change arose out of a practical necessity – to keep driving our car. After seeing the 2JZ equip a Jeep Wrangler, a Mercedes SL and even a Lancia Delta, why not a Rolls-Royce Phantom?