The Toyota Mark II was a mid-size Japanese sedan, made between 1968 – 2004. There were no fewer than nine generations of this car, and we’re not here to write a history book for the Toyota Museum, so we’ll focus on the eighth-generation (known as the X100), which is what Ollie’s car is.
The X100 Mark II, like it’s predecessors, was available in a dizzying array of trim levels, engines, drivetrains and more. For those not clued up on Japanese cars it can all get a bit confusing. The key thing you need to know (and what make’s Ollie’s car a bit special) is the “JZ” part of the name, which is in reference to the engine.
You see, when it came to engines the “Mark II” could be specced up with some really different setups that effectively made the cars very different to each other depending on what they were running under the bonnet. This is why people refer to the car not just by it’s name (Toyota Mark II), but also by it’s engine spec (JZX100).
For example, you could choose to have a lazy 2.4 litre turbo-diesel, offering a smooth drive, fantastic fuel economy and about 90bhp. But you could also choose a 2.5 litre, inline-six, turbo-charged beast churning out close to 300 bhp. See what we meant when we said two Mark II Toyota’s could be very different cars?
It’s this latter engine (known as the “1JZ” which is the one the car nuts really want). Utter the words “1JZ” to those on the JDM scene, and you’ll see their eyes light up. It’s known to be a truly fantastic lump.
This isn’t the place to go into the depths of what makes the JZ-series of engines so popular (and we’ll admit, we’d make a right hash of it if we tried) – but if you do want to find out more then this Wikipedia page is pretty darn informative!
Ollie’s Mark II looks mean. You may love the JDM scene, or you may not, but one thing we can all agree on is the Japanese made some fantastic cars. It doesn’t take a lot of research to see the Mark II JZX100 lauded as “a car you must drive before you die”. We love the stance of Ollie’s Mark II, and think the body kit (with that gaping intercooler mouth up front) looks the business.
We contacted Ollie to find out a bit about his car, what he’s done to it, and what his plans for the future are! We’ve certainly learned a lot interviewing Ollie, so it’s well worth a read!
Please note – Photo credit on these pictures goes to Josh Chapple, Charlie Evans, Ben Easom
Toyota Mark II JZX100 (1998)
Modifications
- The car has been treated to a manual BMW gearbox conversion carried out by CREST Motorsport.
- For the suspension set up, it runs on BC Coilovers and Japspeed camber arms.
- When it comes to wheels the car runs a set of rebuilt works VSKF's.
- Interior modifications include Bride seats, cool Worx shifter, Blitz gauges, and a Hold-Fast steering wheel.
- For the exterior the car has been treated to aftermarket front bumper and side skirts.
Interview with the owner
- When did you first purchase the car?In 2020.
- What made you buy a Mark II JZX100?I bought this car because I’m a really big fan of saloon cars and the 1JZ engine is my favourite engine ever built because of the noise and the power delivery. Also the way the Mark 2 looks over the other JZX100 models just does it for me.
- What's it like to drive?It feels very good to drive, even with the coil overs and bucket seats it still feels luxurious and at the same time very tight and sporty.
- Do you know the current power?Yes – 300bhp, and 360nm torque.
- The car looks in great condition – did it need restoring?No, it's just really tidy.
- Ok let's talk modifications – what have you done to it so far?So far it's had bits done to the gearbox, suspension, wheels, and the interior.
- What have you done to the gearbox?BMW gearbox conversion carried out by CREST Motorsport.Note: We may be wrong here, but it seems most of these cars came with an automatic box as standard, hence the conversion.
- Ok and what did you do to the suspension to get it running so low?I fitted BC coilovers and Japspeed camber arms.
- What wheels is it running?Rebuilt Works VSKF wheels.
- What have you done with the interior?Bride seats, Coolerworx shifter, Blitz gauges, Hold Fast steering wheel.
- Do you plan to do any further modifications to it?Yes, I still want to do the following:– BN Sports BodyKit– Cusco LSD (Limited Slip Differential)– Garrett GT35 Turbo– Standalone ECUI'm aiming for 500bhp!
- Is the car a "keeper" or will you sell it one day?I'll take it to my grave
- Ok final question – ignoring cost, and assuming you couldn’t go and sell it for profit… what’s your dream car and why?Not going to lie but the cars I own are my dream cars, however I would love to own an AE86 one day.
