Ever wonder where the term BPU came from or why it’s the standard when talking about Supra mods?
So let’s start with a little background about where the term even came from.
In the late 1990s, early internet automotive forums like Supra Forums and mkiv.com were filled with owners posting long modification lists in their bios and tech posts when asking for help. To simplify these discussions, Mark Tozer, founder of SupraStore, coined the term BPU.
Rather than listing every single bolt-on, typing “BPU” indicated that a Supra had the core modifications necessary to maximize airflow and safely run elevated boost on factory sequential twin turbos.
As owners looked for incremental gains, the community adopted a “plus(+)” system:
- BPU+: Included adjustable cam gears to optimize valve timing.
- BPU++: Added an upgraded front-mount intercooler (FMIC) or lightweight pulleys.
Once enthusiasts pushed beyond the flow limits of the factory sequential twin turbos, they entered uncharted territory. The community dubbed this transition APU (Advanced Performance Upgrade). APU denoted that a Supra had moved past bolt-ons into custom fabrication, aftermarket single-turbo kits (or upgraded hybrid twins), standalone engine management, and heavily reinforced drivetrains.
The BPU/APU naming convention became a defining staple of JDM car culture, laying the groundwork for the modern “Stage 1/2/3” and “Full Bolt-On (FBO)” terms used across the automotive world today.
So if you were a Supra owner in the late 90s when fellow enthusiasts were first coining this term, you helped paved the way for the nomenclature that your rival Nissan owners, R35 to be specific, started using back in 2009.