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The Toyota 1UZ-FE 4.0L V8 engine was considered to be one of the most reliable engines of its time. It was even voted to the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list 3 years in a row.
What made this engine so popular was the fact that it had comparable performance to its BMW and Mercedes-Benz rivals but was backed by Toyota’s reputation for quality and reliability. Although reliability is not a very sexy feature for a luxury car, it was clearly something consumers had been wanting. Not long after the launch of the Lexus brand, they quickly became the leader in the U.S. luxury car market.
From 1989 until 2000, the 1UZ-FE was produced in Japan exclusively for Lexus and Toyota luxury sedans.
Lexus models:
- 1989–2000 Lexus LS 400
- 1991–2000 Lexus SC 400
- 1992–2000 Lexus GS 400
Toyota models (Available in Japan only):
- 1989–2000 Toyota Celsior
- 1989–2002 Toyota Crown
- 1991–2000 Toyota Soarer
- 1992–2000 Toyota Aristo
History of the 1UZ-FE
The 1UZ-FE was originally available in the 1989 Lexus LS 400 which was a luxury sedan designed to compete with the BMW 735i and Mercedes-Benz 420 SE. Within just 2 years Lexus became the top selling luxury car brand in the United States, surpassing Mercedes-Benz and BMW based on overall sales.
The success of the Lexus LS 400 helped launch the Lexus brand internationally and guaranteed that many more 1UZ-FE engines would be produced in the future.
One of the distinguishing factors between the Lexus LS 400 and its competitors was the fact that it had very little cabin noise, while still offering the highest top speed of luxury sedans at the time.
Eventually the 1UZ-FE engine was phased out in the year 2000. It was replaced by the larger 4.3L 3UZ-FE V8 which was used in the third generation Lexus LS 430.
1UZ-FE Performance Specs
The 1UZ-FE was a 4.0L V8 engine that offered top speed in its class as well as fuel efficiency. With a 10:1 compression ration, the engine produced 251 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.
From 1989 until 2000 the engine received a few minor upgrades. In 1995 the connecting rods and pistons were replaced with lighter version and the compression ratio was increased to 10.4:1. This boosted the performance to 261 hp at 5,400 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm.
More upgrades were made in 1997 when Toyota’s variable valve timing technology was added to the engine which increased performance to 290 hp at 5,900 rpm and 300 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm.
The 4.0L engine had an actual displacement of 3,969 cc or 242.2 cu in. Bore was 3.44 in (87.5 mm) and stroke 3.25 in (82.5 mm). This configuration is considered “oversquare” because the bore diameter is larger than the stroke length. Advantages of this design include increased space for larger valves and better performance at higher engine speeds.
Head and Block Construction
Both the head and block were constructed out of aluminum, making it a reliable platform to build a high performance yet fuel efficient engine on. It featured 2 sets of dual overhead cams (DOHC) with 4 valves per cylinder. Down below, the connecting rods and crankshaft were made of steel which helped this engine last beyond 200,000 miles in many cases.
Another interesting feature was that the pistons were hypereutectic. Put simply, hypereutectic pistons are constructed from a special type of aluminum alloy that has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion. This allows the piston to stay within very small tolerances at different operating temperatures – an important factor in reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency.
Conclusion
You could say the 1UZ-FE 4.0L V8 engine was one of the many reasons Lexus became the top selling luxury car brand in the U.S. after it was unveiled in 1989. Not only did this engine offer performance at an affordable price, but it also was fuel efficient and extremely reliable.
From 1989 until 2000 this engine had only minor upgrades to help increase horsepower and improve efficiency. Underneath these improvements was the same reliable engine customers had come to expect from Lexus and Toyota.
Although many critics like to point out that this V8 does not offer many opportunities for aftermarket upgrades, it will go down in history as a well built and reliable engine.