The 1993 Toyota Supra PPG Pace Car is an ultra-rare, high-performance variant of the fourth-generation (MK4) Supra, built specifically to serve as an official safety vehicle for the PPG Indy Car World Series.
During the 1980s and 1990s, PPG Industries partnered with CART/IndyCar to create a fleet of highly modified, one-off pace cars from various manufacturers. When the legendary MK4 Supra debuted in 1993, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) supplied pre-production chassis to be converted for the circuit. Only five PPG Supra pace cars were ever commissioned, with just two configured as Twin Turbo 6-speed models.
These cars actively paced prominent IndyCar and IMSA events throughout the mid-90s, including the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix. Notably, the legendary actor and racing driver Paul Newman drove multiple PPG pace cars during this era and reportedly cited the Toyota Supra as his absolute favorite.
While regular production MK4 Supras are highly sought after, the PPG Pace Cars featured bespoke modifications tailored for track safety duty:
- Powertrain: Equipped with the legendary 3.0-liter sequential twin-turbocharged inline-6 (2JZ-GTE). In factory spec, it produced 320 horsepower.
- Custom Aesthetics: The cars featured dramatic, era-specific multi-color PPG paint jobs. The most famous variant showcased a vibrant Sunrise Yellow, Medium Green, and Bright Sapphire Blue livery.
- Track Equipment: Outfitted with fully functional Whelen emergency strobe lights embedded into the body/light housings, interior master alarm switch panels, and Simpson racing safety harnesses.
- Wheels and Stance: Ground effects were paired with custom three-piece premium wheels (including eras where they rode on specialized BBS RS II wheels).
- Celebrity Heritage: Surviving examples have extreme collector value, featuring physical center consoles autographed by racing royalty Mario and Michael Andretti.
Because these cars were pre-production models owned by TRD, they were never sold to the public through normal dealerships. Following their retirement from the IndyCar circuit, some were retained in the Toyota Vintage Museum, while at least one was sold off to private collectors and went on to compete in professional drag racing and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
