This is one for all you drifters. The guys from SpeedHunters came up with this list of the Top 10 Drift Cars of all time. There are some pretty controversial entries in the list, like the Pontiac GTO, does it really deserve to belong in the list at all? I admit to not being that well-versed about drift racing and their standings, but I’m sure ya’ll can come up with the one car that should or should not be there. I personally think the #1 drift car should be Takumi’s AE86, sure it may just be a cartoon but it’s what started it for almost half the world. Here’s Mike Garrett of SpeedHunters:
“As I’m sure you know, during the month of July we spent a lot of time covering different aspects of the drifting world. Even though it’s now August, we still have a few special drifting features left, and this is one of them. A few weeks back, we came up with the crazy idea of doing a “Top 10” list of the world’s iconic drift cars. When compiling the list we considered criteria like the number of individual victories and championships, longevity in competition, breakthrough achievements, or cars that have have had a major influence on the sport. Of course we also rated the cars based on our personal ideas of what makes a great drift car.
Several of us came up with our own lists and then we tallied up the votes to derive our “official” top 10. Actually it was surprising how similar our individual lists were considering we all come from different backgrounds and have different tastes.
Now that you have an idea of what we were looking for, let’s get started.”
#10. Koguchi 180SX
Type: RPS13 180SX
Series: D1GP Japan and USA as well as other events like Drift Showoff.
Years Active: 2000-Present
Builder(s): Koguchi Power
Driver(s): Yoshinori Koguchi
Chassis Variations: Unknown
Current Status: Active in D1GP Japan
Number of Wins: 1
Championships: 0
Breakthrough innovation: Few cars represent the “purity” of drifting more than Koguchi’s 180. The RPS13 180SX is the quintessential drift car and Yoshinori Koguchi is nothing less than a master of this car.
Notable Achievements: While Koguchi is not known for having tons of wins in D1 , the influence of him and his cars go far beyond statistics. He represents the original spirit of Japanese drifting and has never gone far from his roots. Koguchi and his 180SX also played a big part in the rise of drifting in the USA by performing at the original Drift Showoff events in SoCal. After spending a little time in a JZX100 Chaser, Koguchi has returned to the 180SX and recently got his first D1GP victory at the 2008 spring D1 match at Fuji.
Lasting Influence: Koguchi is and will continue to be a hero for hardcore S13 fans as well fans of Japanese drifting history.
#9 Falken Mustang GT
Type: 2005 Ford Mustang GT
Series: D1GP USA, Formula D
Years Active: 2005-Present
Builder(s): Falken Tires, Xtreme Mustang Performance
Driver(s): Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Chassis Variations: 1
Current Status: Active
Number of Wins: 2
Championships:0
Breakthrough innovation: This car is one of the first V8-powered “muscle car” drift machines. The Ford Mustang is as American as apple pie and having a fire-breathing Mustang GT drift car makes perfect sense. Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s rock and roll personality and aggressive driving style are a perfect match for this beast of a drift car. It also happens to have one of the most distinct exhaust notes of any drift car ever.
Notable Achievements: No one will forget JR’s pair of victories at the D1GP All Star events in 2005 and 2007. He showed the world the high talent that American drifters posess as well as proving the capabilities of the Mustang as a drift car. Although he hasn’t had a Formula D victory yet, no one will be surprised when he eventually does get one. He also finished fourth overall in the 2005 Formula D point standings.
Lasting Influence: No car better represents American style drifting.
#8 RMR Pontiac GTO
Type: 2004 Pontiac GTO
Series: D1GP USA, Formula D
Years Active: 2004-Present
Builder(s): Rhys Millen Racing, GM
Driver(s): Rhys Millen, Daijiro Yoshihara
Chassis Variations: 1
Current Status: Active
Number of Wins: 3
Championships:1
Breakthrough innovation: Besides being one of the first non-Japanese pro drift cars ever, the GTO was also notable for being the first factory-backed drift car. I still remember the Option video where Mana-P goes to check out the GTO as it’s being built. After an impressive debut performance at D1 in 2004, the car would go on to become one of the most successful American drift cars ever.
Notable Achievements: When Rhys Millen was driving the GTO he scored three victories in Formula D, as well as taking the 2005 series championship. After Rhys switched to the new Solstice and the GTO disappeared for a while. In 2008 the old GTO reappeared and is now being driven by Daijiro Yoshihara as part of Rhys Millen’s team. Dai has proven that the GTO is still a capable car and is currently ranked in third place in the FD standings.
Lasting Influence: This car marked a turning point in the history of drifting. For better or for worse, the introduction of a works team signaled the transition of drifting from a grassroots cult motorsport to a mainstream professional one.
#7 Sift/Yuke’s AE86 Trueno
Type: Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno 3-door
Series: D1GP Japan & USA
Years Active: 2000-2006
Builder(s): Sift Racing, Revolver
Driver(s): Katsuhiro Ueo
Chassis Variations: Unknown
Current Status: Inactive
Number of Wins: 4
Championships:1
Breakthrough innovation: If you have ever been mad about the high prices that AE86’s have sold for within the past few years, you can probably put some of the blame on Ueo’s D1 AE86. During the period when D1 was expanding, Ueo was dominant in his underpowered AE86 and proved to the world how magical the AE86 can be in the right hands. While many other drivers were moving on to newer, higher powered cars, Ueo stuck with his screaming Hachi Roku.
Notable Achievements: After winning the opening round of the 2002 D1 season, Ueo would go on to take the season title that year. In 2003 he would gain even more fame after winning the first ever D1 event at Irwindale Speedway. This established him as a hero among AE86 fans worldwide.
Lasting Influence: Although he switched to different cars before dropping out of the spotlight, Ueo will always be known worldwide as the 86 maniac.
#6 Blitz ER34 Skyline
Type: ER34 Nissan Skyline Sedan
Series: D1GP Japan & USA
Years Active: 2002-Present
Builder(s): Blitz, URAS
Driver(s): Ken Nomura
Chassis Variations: Many
Current Status: Active
Number of Wins: 6
Championships: 0
Breakthrough innovation: Although Nomuken has yet to win any series championships, his Blitz ER34 Skyline Sedan is one of the most recognizable and popular drift cars in the world. It is nearly as distinct as his personality. He has gone through many different cars, but they all have been ER34 sedans. The Blitz ER34 started out as a simple street-car based drift machine and has been evolving ever since.
Notable Achievements: Besides scoring numerous wins over the years in D1GP, Nomuken came within a blink of winning the 2006 series championship but was narrowly defeated by Nobushige Kumakubo.
Lasting Influence: Looking back at Nomuken’s cars, you can watch the history of pro drift car style unfold before your eyes.
#5 HKS S15
Type: S15 Silvia
Series: D1GP Japan and USA, Formula D, etc.
Years Active: 2000-Present
Builder(s): HKS
Driver(s): Nobuteru Taniguchi, Daijiro Yoshihara
Chassis Variations: 2
Current Status: Inactive
Number of Wins: 5
Championships:1
Breakthrough innovation: The HKS S15 was one of the first “pro-built” drift cars and was dominant during the first few years of the D1 Grand Prix. The car’s distinct red and yellow livery made it instantly recognizable among fans and it helped to establish HKS as one the pioneering supporters of professional drifting. The HKS S15 also became iconic among American drift fans when it appeared in early D1 USA events.
Notable Achievements: Nobuteru Taniguchi drove the HKS S15 to five victories in D1 as well as winning the inaugural D1 championship in 2001. When Taniguchi switched to the Altezza, the S15 disappeared from competition for a while. In 2007 one version of the car was sold to the Rockstar drift team where it was driven by Daijiro Yoshihara in Formula D and came very close to winning the series championship with the car. Another version of the car is currently being used for demos by HKS in the UK.
Lasting Influence: This car helped to cement the S15 as one of the world’s best drift machines and to many this car represents the “glory days” of the D1 Grand Prix.
#4 JUN Auto/ Team Orange Impreza
Type: GDB Subaru Impreza
Series: D1GP Japan and USA, European Drift Championship
Years Active: 2005-Present
Builder(s): JUN Auto
Driver(s): Nobushige Kumakubo, Hideo Hiraoka
Chassis Variations: 2
Current Status: Active in D1 and the EDC
Number of Wins: 4
Championships:1
Breakthrough innovation: When Kumakubo replaced his proven S15 Silvia with a rear wheel drive-converted Impreza in 2005, many were not sure what to expect. As everyone would see, the original Team Orange Impreza would prove both JUN Auto’s car building skills as well as Kumakubo’s skill as a driver.With its RWD conversion and rear-mounted radiator, this car became one of the first “extremely” modified pro drift cars
Notable Achievements: Kumakubo won the 2006 D1GP series in this Impreza as well as picking up a few event victories along the way. Although he switched to an Evo in 2007, he continued to use a GDB Impreza in the United States. In 2008 Kumakubo’s “overseas” Impreza was shipped to the UK where he is currently driving it in the European Drift Championship. He has already had one second place finish and one win in the EDC. Back in Japan, the 2006 championship car is now being driven by Team Orange member Hideo Hiraoka in D1.
Lasting Influence: This car helped start the trend of using converted AWD cars for drifting use. Besides the several cars JUN has built since, similar cars have poppped up in other countries around the world.
#3 Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86
Type: AE86 Sprinter Trueno
Series: None, but do iconic Japanese videos count?
Years Active: 1990’s-present
Builder(s): TRD, Kei Office
Driver(s): Keiichi Tsuchiya
Chassis Variations: 1
Current Status: Active
Number of Wins: 0
Championships: 0
Breakthrough innovation: Although this car is not a pro machine or exclusively a drift car, we knew it deserved a spot on our list for inspiring so many AE86 fans around the world. Actually we were not sure which of Tsuchiya’s cars to use, but in the end we decided to go with his iconic white Trueno seen in many Best Motoring, Hot Version, and AE86 club videos. Besides having influential styling, this car is also one of the earliest and best examples of a 20-valve swapped AE86.
Notable Achievements: When people around the world first saw this car in videos like Best Motoring Vol. 41, it inspired many of them to get involved with drifting and helped to establish the AE86 the favorite that it is today. There have been several replicas of this car built over the years and Tsuchiya’s AE86 is a large reason for the popularity of the “SSR Dori Mesh” wheels which still sell for a premium today.
Lasting Influence: Even now the car still appears occasionally in Hot Version videos and it still drops jaws whenever it comes out. It also still sounds as beautiful as ever.
#2 APEXi FD3S
Type: Mazda FD3S RX7
Series: D1 Japan anpresent
Builder(s): APEXi Japan and USA, Formula D
Years Active: 2002-present
Driver(s): Youichi Imamura, Ryuji Miki
Chassis Variations: 2?
Current Status: Active in Formula D
Number of Wins: 9
Championships:1
Breakthrough innovation: Although there is nothing really abnormal about the APEXi FD’s specs, there have been few cars as dominant as these cars were when they were driven by Youichi Imamura in D1. It is important to note that there were two similar, but different versions of this car. One was RHD and built by APEXi in Japan, and another was LHD and built by APEXi USA. Both versions have seen plenty of drift action over the years.
Notable Achievements: Imamura drove this car to several wins in D1 over the years and also won the 2003 series championship. The American-built car is now being driven by Ryuji Miki in Formula D. The RHD version of the car in its original APEXi livery recently resurfaced in Singapore where Miki drove it to victory in the Formula D exhibition match there.
Lasting Influence: There are few drift cars with as much history as the APEXi FD, and this car’s journey appears to be far from over with Miki still putting on great performances in Formula D with it.
It’s time to finish up our look at the top 10 drift cars of all time and reveal our pick for number one. Before we reveal the top car, let’s first look at some of our “honorable mentions”. These are cars that made people’s lists but did not quite make it into the group’s top 10. Cars like Kawabata’s S15 pictured above are a good example of these cars. Although the car has achieved a lot of success in D1 recently, it coudn’t quite match up with the other cars on the list as far as the overall picture is concerned.
Here a few more of our honorable mentions.
Testsuya Hibino’s AE86 came very close to making our list. Nobody will forget his famous jumping escapades at Ebisu Circuit a few years ago. Although he has gone through a few different AE86’s and even an S15, the Levin coupe pictured above is probably the most memorable of his cars. Hibino’s aggressive driving style is a perfect match for the nimble AE86 and this combination has earned Hibino and his 86’s many fans over the years.
Samuel Hubinette’s various Vipers also deserve a mention here. Especially his original Viper Competition Coupe which won both the first Formula D event ever and the inagural Formula D season championship. Like the RMR GTO, this car also represented the introduction of big sponsors to pro drifting and the high-dollar Viper stood in great contrast to a lot of the grassroots cars that were seen in Formula D’s first season. After spending some time in the Dodge Charger, Sam is now back in a Viper for 2008.
Takahiro Ueno’s JZZ30 Soarer also came very close to making the list. Even though the car has not dominated competition-wise, Ueno has been driving a JZZ30 since the beginning of D1 and he has probably appeared in more D1 events worldwide than any other driver (except maybe for Nomuken). Like Nomuken’s ER34, Ueno’s Soarers have been constantly evolving over the years with more power and a more aggressive exterior. Ueno’s cars have also done in a lot in establishing the Soarer/Lexus SC300 as popular drift platform worldwide.
We couldn’t leave out the Top Secret S15 Silvia driven by Ryuji Miki. Besides being known for its eye-catching gold livery, this is car won the D1GP Championship in 2004 and then appeared in the UK after being retired in Japan. The main thing that kept this car from being ranked higher is its relatively short lifespan as competitive pro car. It would eventually be replaced by Top Secret’s RB26-powered Z33, a car which struggled to achieve success even with a number of different drivers.
Now that the honorable mentions are out of the way, it’s time for our number one pick.
#1 AP Boss/Kei Office/Team M.O.V.E S15
Type: S15 Silvia
Series: D1GP Japan and USA
Years Active: 2000-Present
Builder(s): Auto Produce Boss/Kei Office
Driver(s): Yasuyuki Kazama, Katsuhiro Ueo(?), Youichi Imamura
Chassis Variations: Unknown
Current Status: Active in D1GP Japan (Imamura), another version also seen in Norway.
Number of Wins: 11
Championships:1
Breakthrough innovation: Yasuyuki Kazama was one of the first drifters to use the S15 Silvia and went into personal debt to pay for it. During it’s heyday, the green S15 driven by Kazama was one of the most consistent and top performing cars in D1GP. Besides racking up tons of event wins, Kazama also became known for performing his famed “rodeo drift” with this car. Even with different sponsors and drivers over the years, this S15 has continued to be top performers and fan favorites in D1.
Notable Achievements: In various forms over the years, AP Boss S15’s have had an astonishing 11 victories in various D1GP events making it the most victorious D1 car of all time. Kazama had a string of wins at Iriwindale Speedway earning him and his car tons of respect among drifting fans in the US and you can also add the 2005 D1GP championship to the list of the car’s achievements. There have been at least a few different versions of this car over the years and to be honest we are not positive on the current whereabouts of all of them. Although Kazama is no longer active in D1, the AP Boss-built S15 continues to be campaigned in D1 and is now being driven by Youichi Imamura for ’08. With Imamaura behind the wheel, the red-painted car has already ranked up two victories this season at Odaiba and Okayama. Another chassis (old US version?) has recently been seen in Norway in its original green livery.
Lasting Influence: I don’t think there is a single drifting enthusiast who can forget the domination and excitement brought by Kazama’s green machine, and now the car lives on with Imamura as its pilot. Time will tell whether Kazama will return to D1 or not, but if he ever does it would be strange to see him driving anything other than an S15 Silvia.
So there you have it, our picks for the top 10 drift cars of all time.
Now let the discussion begin!
Photos from Fresh Alloy and Doristars.
-Mike Garrett
