Chris Burch - 1997 Toyota Aristo
Story by PAS Staff
Photography by Joshua Villegas (@fotosdelavida86)
Chris Burch’s 1997 Toyota Aristo is not a typical VIP cruiser, drift-style GS build, or simple 2JZ donor platform. Built in Henderson, Nevada, this satin red Aristo combines a turbocharged 2JZ setup, an 8HP70 transmission swap, Haltech electronics, Advan RG4 wheels, BC Racing suspension, and a function-first mindset shaped by years of rebuilding, testing, and reworking the car until it drove the way Burch wanted.
Not every build follows a straight line — and Chris Burch’s Toyota Aristo is proof of that. What started as a clean platform turned into something much more involved, shaped by trial, error, and a willingness to tear the whole thing back down when it didn’t feel right.
Most people look at an Aristo and think one of two things: VIP cruiser or 2JZ donor. Chris went in a different direction entirely.
“I’ve always liked to march down a different path,” he says.
That mindset shows up in every part of the car. Over the last couple of years, the Aristo has been built and rebuilt more than once — each version pushing further toward something that feels less like a typical GS-based build and more like a street car built around how he wants it to drive.
The turning point came when the original setup stopped being exciting. A big turbo on the factory transmission made power, but it didn’t deliver the driving experience Chris was after. Instead of settling, he went back to the drawing board.
That’s where things got interesting.
Working with a company in Sweden, Chris sourced an 8HP70 transmission out of a Dodge Ram — something no one had successfully run in an Aristo before. With the help of a Domiworks adapter kit and a custom solution developed along the way, the swap came together without the kind of major compromises most people would expect.
The result is an 8-speed setup that completely changes how the car drives, backed by a Turbolamik TCU and a Haltech Elite 2500 managing the engine. Everything communicates cleanly, even feeding gear data directly into the Haltech IC7 dash.
It’s the kind of setup that makes the car feel less like a modified GS and more like something that was built around the driving experience.
Power comes from a BorgWarner-based turbo setup, supported by a fully reworked fuel system with dual Hellcat pumps, a triple pump hanger, and Radium Engineering components throughout. Every line has been converted to AN, and the entire system reflects the same mindset: keep improving it until it feels right.
On 91 octane, the car puts down just under 500 wheel horsepower — more than enough for a chassis like this.
Underneath, the car reflects the same shift in direction. The original air suspension setup was replaced with BC Racing coilovers, with plans to corner balance the car moving forward. Figs Engineering links and Cusco sway bars round out the setup, giving the Aristo the control to match its power, while Serial9 components can be found throughout the build.
Visually, it still carries personality.
The satin red wrap, RAW livery, and details like the exposed bash bar and carbon components make it clear the car isn’t trying to hide what it is. It doesn’t try to clean things up for the sake of presentation — it leans into the function-first approach.
Inside, Bride seats, Takata harnesses, and a Braum harness bar reinforce that same mindset. It’s built to be used, not just looked at, but there’s still enough personality to keep it from feeling stripped down or unfinished.
What makes this build stand out isn’t just the parts list — it’s the process behind it.
Chris didn’t hand this car off to a shop to be assembled. It was built in a garage, reworked multiple times, and pushed further each time something didn’t meet expectations. From custom fabrication to 3D-printed solutions, it’s a car that exists because someone was willing to figure it out instead of taking the easy route.
And it shows.
This Aristo isn’t trying to fit into a category. It’s not VIP, not a traditional drift build, and not a show car in the usual sense. It sits somewhere in between — built around how it drives, shaped by experience, and still evolving.
For Chris, that’s the whole point.
Originally featured in PASMAG Issue #184
Click here to order PASMAG #184 - DOUBLE ISSUE: East Meets West + Audience Choice Awards.
ESSENTIALS
VEHICLE:
1997 Toyota Aristo
OWNER:
Chris Burch
LOCATION:
Henderson, Nevada
HORSEPOWER:
492 whp
CLUB:
Genkai Tuned
SOCIAL:
IG: @8hp_aristo
ENGINE:
AGP BorgWarner S258SX-R turbo + 6Boost turbo manifold + Turbosmart 50mm wastegate + Radium Engineering fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, and catch cans + Injector Dynamics 1050cc injectors + PHR triple pump hanger + Dual Hellcat fuel pumps + Haltech Elite 2500 ECU, sensors, and E85 sensor + Titan Motorsports pulleys + Koyo Supra radiator
DRIVETRAIN:
8HP70 transmission from Dodge Ram + Domiworks adapter kit + Turbolamik TCU
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES:
Advan RG4 wheels - 18x9.5 +22 front, 18x10.5 +22 rear + Falken RT660 tires + Ceika 6-piston brake kit
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION:
BC Racing BR coilovers + Figs Engineering links + Cusco sway bars + Serial9 components throughout
EXTERIOR:
Job Design front bumper + 326 Power side skirts + Big Country Labs carbon wing + APR Performance carbon mirrors with custom endplates + Seibon carbon-fiber components + True Focus Fab bash bar + Spinnywhoosh RAW livery + 3M Satin Vampire Red wrap
INTERIOR:
Bride Zieg IV Wide seats + Bride seat rails + Takata harnesses + Braum harness bar + Vertex steering wheel + Works Bell hub + Mako Motorsports cluster bezel + Haltech IC7 digital dash + Domiworks paddle shifters + DCT shifter
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS:
Alpine ILX-650 head unit + CT Sounds front and rear speakers + JL Audio 10-inch subwoofers and amplifier
SHOPS / INSTALLERS:
Broken Outcasts Customs
SPONSORS:
Domiworks + Big Country Labs + Ceika + Haltech
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photography by Joshua Villegas — @fotosdelavida86
GALLERY
