It’s not often the MKIV Supra gets turned into a racing car. Most people find them either too heavy or too expensive – both of which aren’t totally untrue – and disregard them. Twins Turbo, a reputable tuning shop from Signal Hill, California, have other ideas. Rather than being swayed by some of the drawbacks this particular platform comes with, they have stuck through, lightened their Supra, added aerodynamic elements and increased engine power substantially. The result is a real handful.

Seen here at Buttonwillow Raceway, the Twins Turbo Supra struts its stuff in a very interesting duel with a Lister open-top racer. The Lister’s big-bore motor and light weight help it stretch the lead on straights, but the Supra’s poise and grip allow it to close the gap in tight corners. Disputing public opinion, the Supra actually shows great traction at the corner exit and seems pretty pointy. I guess the big slicks have something to do with that agility.

With huge slicks and lots of aero, this Supra was designed to corner.

The Lister, powered by an LS7 with a sequential-box, always gets a great exit out of the corner but seems to lose some distance mid-corner compared to the Supra. Though the Toyota has been lightened significantly, it still outweighs the lithe Lister by a considerable margin. Therefore, the Supra either has a tire advantage, more mechanical grip, more aero grip – which is likely – or the driver is simply better than the one in the English roadster.

Whatever the cause, it makes for a fascinating race between two cars with upwards of 800 horsepower each. Considering this is a NASA club race, it’s impressive to see how hard these two push their rides. It is a shame, however, that the Supra’s driver hasn’t figured out how to heel-toe yet. All in time.