What are the things you need to know about the 4A-GE?
- It’s Brief History
- The Big Port 4A-GE
- The Red Top Version
- The Silver Top Variation
- The Black Top Generation
- Notable Cars Equipped with the 4A-GE
Toyota Motors Philippines has released a number of iconic cars to the Philippine market. Brand new Toyota cars for sale in the Philippines are one of the best cars available today, they’re reliable, fuel-efficient, and come equipped with punchy engines. Back in the day, the story wasn’t so different. When you talk about Toyota, you can never miss out on the old-school Corollas; the big body (AE101), the small body (AE92), and of course the drift hero, the AE86. These cars were powered by one of the greatest four cylinder engines of all time, the 4A-GE.
Photo courtesy of Fullboost
Brief History
One of Toyota’s longest running and most successful engine of its time, the 4A-GE started out as a single cam carburetor engine that succeeded the Toyota’s K series engines in the late 70s. Like most of its competitors at the time, the 4A engine was trying to achieve maximum fuel-efficiency while squeezing the best performance a compact engine could give. The A-series evolved from a quaint little single cam to a compact dual cam performance monster. Multiple racing series in Japan had this little beast slaying cars with engines twice its size.
Big Port 4A-GE
Toyota’s 4A engine started production at 1980 and retired at 2002. During those 18 years, the punchy little engine made its mark and cemented its legacy in the hearts of its fans and car enthusiasts. The first generation 4A-GE, known to many as the “blue top” – because of the blue lettering that accented the silver valve cover – started production in 1983. The 4A-GE was a direct replacement of Toyota’s 2T-G engine.
The blue top produced 112 hp at 6,600 rpm in the American market while blue tops sold at Japan had 120 hp at 6,600 rpm. The blue top was updated on 1987 and was later named the red and black top. This second generation 4A-ge had the lettering on the valve cover in red and black. Major changes for this updated version were larger diameter bearings for the connecting rods and four additional reinforcement ribs behind the engine block.
Red Top
The third generation 4A-GE was known as the red top, as you would expect, the silver valve cover had red lettering. The red top was one of the most popular 4 cylinder engines of its time, it was first introduced in 1983 as the powerhouse of the legendary AE86. The red top was a very sought-after engine by race car drivers and tuners due to its simplicity, durability, availability, and high-horsepower potential. The red top would be the last of the 16 valve 4A-GEs.
Silver Top
Introduced in 1991, the fourth generation 4A-GE was known as the silver top. It had a newly designed silver valve cover and chrome lettering. A major update that was featured in the silver top was a completely new cylinder head with 20 valves per cylinder. The silver top is also equipped with individual throttle bodies and velocity stacks. The silver top made use of Toyota’s valve timing system on the intake cam called variable valve timing (VVT). The silver top produced a whopping 160 hp at 7,400 rpm.
Black Top
The fifth and final generation of the 4A-GE dawned a black valve cover with black lettering, nicknamed the black top. This version of the 4A-GE still made use of Toyota’s VVT system and retained the 20 valve cylinder head. What made this generation a favorite for racers and tuners is its higher compression ratio, higher diameter throttle bodies, higher diameter exhaust port, an increase in cam lift, lighter flywheel, bigger intake plenum, lighter connecting rods, and a 6-speed transaxle transmission. Overall power output increased from 160hp to 163hp, it may not sound like much of a gain but this version’s engine response was sharper.
Notable Cars Equipped with the 4A-GE
Toyota cars that came with this great engine are also a few of Toyota’s most famous cars. The Toyota MR2, Toyota Celica, Toyota Corolla AE82, Toyota Corolla AE92, Toyota Corolla AE101, and the iconic Toyota Corolla AE86. All of these cars were sought after vehicles due to their incredible handling and wonderful chassis. The 4A-GE was a perfect fit for these cars because of its lightweight and respectable power output.
Key Takeaway
Modern engines today were patterned over their predecessors. There’s a reason why Toyota Motors Philippines is the biggest automotive brand in the country. The brand continues to grow which is why Brand New Toyota Cars for Sale in the Philippines has taken the market by storm. It was the success of their former vehicles and their engines that gave rise to the success of their brand-new vehicles. It’s always good to pay tribute to the vehicular legends of one of the largest names in the automotive world, Toyota.
