Fat gangster Tony Soprano ain't got nothing on Chris Musngi's wide arched, nitrous-injected Toyota...

Top Secret wide-body conversion, SP Engineering magic under the bonnet and a juicy APR carbon fibre wing. If this Supra was a gangster, it'd be the Don. Actually, it'd be the guy whose shoes get kissed by the Don. It's that hard.

However, owner Chris Musngi, who we've just met in LA - miles away from his Houston home - seems oblivious to the Supra's deadliness. The sun's shining, the gold pearl in the yellow paint is singing like a canary and Chris is fingering the yet-to-be-read issue of Max Power with glee.

'Everyone over in Houston knows about Max Power,' says Chris excitedly. 'Hell, everyone in America knows it.'

Watching a passing police car slow down, those words suddenly take on ominous overtones. Coming to a complete halt, the boys in black reverse up to the illegally-parked Supra and get out.

This could be trouble, but the only questioning they're doing is along the highly uninformed lines of: 'Hey buddy, so what is this car?'

Taking time to explain that it's a twin-turbo'd Supra with an imported Top Secret wide-body kit and a genuine TRD bonnet, Chris seems to keep the police happy. He's playing his cards quite close to his chest, though, not wanting to tell them about the later-spec headlights and rear lights. And he's certainly trying to avoid lifting the bonnet.

There seems to be a fine line as to what's legal and what's not, but bearing in mind the law is pretty strict on CO2 emissions, Chris is proving wise in hiding the plethora of HKS and GReddy shiny bits from the local cops.

It's likely that SP Engineering were thinking bhp not CO2 when they started tinkering with Chris's motor...

'I had a Blitz kit put on after almost totalling the Supra up a drag strip,' admits Chris. 'This kit was put on at the end of last year. I've been building it as a show car, and although my favourite Supras are drag, it's not worth dragging this.' So, despite the power, style has become a major issue.

BODYKIT
From legendary Jap tuners Top Secret, this wide-bodied Jap Touring Car kit is one of only a handful in America. Unsure of what aftermarket mirrors to go for, Chris opted to keep the standard ones instead, but with extended flowing sections grafted on by his bodyshop. The result? Cool looks and full visibility maintained. Side scoops were inspired by Lamborghini's Murcielago and Chris added them to help get the car more attention. To further help his cause, he also had some Ford GT40 vents blended in.

MUSCLE
SP Engineering's work has been well documented in Max Power before. With their awesome orange RX-7 cover car and their tuning experiment which was a 711bhp Supra, you'd expect something impressive here, too. With a dyno run reading of 650bhp at almost 7000rpm while running 1.7bar of boost, and a corresponding torque figure of 542ft/lb, this engine is mega mind-boggling.

ICE
No rear seats, a big blue bottle of nitrous hogging the limelight, 8x8in subs and enough fibreglass to make a couple of speedboats. Chris has even had a PlayStation built into the install with the lid taken off so when the CD's spinning, it's there for everyone to see. Great to see a high-powered car with a sweet install. 'It's like the slogan I use for my shows,' states Chris. 'You've got to earn the right to brag.' Okay Chris, feel free to start blowing your own trumpet whenever you like.

RIMS
Colossal 11x19s on the front and an almost unbelievable brace of 13x20s on the rear. If you think that means a hefty whack on the credit card, the fact they're custom-made by HRE means you'll have to re-mortgage your parents' house to buy them. 'They're the only company that can custom-build a rim of quality,' explains Chris. 'A lot of celebs get HRE, so it's also a prestige thing.'

INTERIOR
Looking out across the yellow expanse of TRD bonnet, then in at the fanatical detailing inside, the world seems a very happy place. Two TV screens, gauges in the glovebox and an arm out of the window. Even if your bird had shagged your best mate, your insurance had trebled and the doctor had given you a week to live, get in this Supra and life would always seem good.

ENGINE
2997cc, 6-cylinder, 20-valve, GReddy intercooler, GReddy Type R dump valve, GReddy pulley kit, 6x GReddy 720cc injectors, HKS full turbo kit for '93-'98 Supra Twin-Turbo GT2835 (x2), HKS stainless manifold, HKS race wastegate, HKS twin-power DLI, HKS fuel pressure regulator (39-71 psi), HKS fuel pump (71gph @ 45psi), HKS F-CON S fuel management, HKS VPC air temp controller, TRD engine mounts, VeilSide surge tank (intake manifold race version), Earl fittings and hoses, Jet Hot coating, SP Engineering off-road Supra downpipe, ARP head studs, GREX metal head gasket nitrous, HKS stainless exhaust.

TRANSMISSION
5-speed auto

SUSPENSION
Tein Type HA coilovers set at 1.75in drop

BRAKES
Brembo cross-drilled discs on front and rear, Brembo calipers all round, Axxis metal brake pads

BODYWORK
APR GTC 300 Supra-spec carbon fibre wing, Top Secret JGTC-spec wide-body kit, New Concept Khustom side window scoop vents based on Murcielago with GT40 vents in, New Concept Khustom modified wing mirrors, '97-'98-spec headlights and tail lights, PPG yellow pearl respray by New Concept Khustom Design and Paint (Houston, TX), Vinyl Mayhem graphics

WHEELS & TYPES
11x19in (front) and 13x20in (rear) custom HRE 540-series wheels, 275/30 19 (front) and 345/25 20 Pirelli Pzero Rosso tyres

INTERIOR
OE seats retrimmed in blue and yellow leather, Sparco pedals, GReddy turbo gauges, VDO water temp, oil pressure and oil temp gauges in glovebox, colour-coded

ICE
8x8in Image Dynamics subs, blue nitrous bottle, rear seats removed, 2x Image Dynamics equalisers, 2x Sound Stream amps, Panasonic home DVD with remote in front, Playstation moulded into install with top taken off so CD is visible, Image Dynamics 6.5in coaxial speakers in doors, Image Dynamics compression horns, 2x Pioneer AVX7000 TV screens, custom fibreglass install designed to follow the lines from boot to rear seats

SECURITY
Two words: concrete wellies...

PERFORMANCE
Max power - 650bhp, 0-60mph - 5.1secs, top speed - 180mph (both owner's ests)

Text and photos courtesy of Max Power Magazine