The Toyota GT 86 is being hyped as a drift car extraordinaire, which seems to be a fitting title after watching the video below.
This video comes out of Japan, and shows off two GT 86s, (which will be badged as Scion FR-Ss in North America), drifting around an impromptu pylon marked track. Both the drivers are out having some fun, and showing off their skills for the crowd.
Check out the video abelow, and let us know what you think of the Toyota GT 86 in the comments section below.
Toyota motorsports partner Gazoo Racing is known for its Super GT teams and Nurburgring race cars. How do they stack up when it comes to the sport art of drifting? Not too well, judging from this video.
As part of a demonstration event held at the Tokyo Auto Salon each year, automakers, tuners and racing teams get the chance to display the power of their vehicles on a small course set up outside the venue. One of the vehicles this year was a Lexus IS-F prepped by Gazoo.
We don’t want to ruin it for you, but let’s just say, perhaps there’s a reason pylons are made of plastic.
Watch the video below:
Hyundai Motor America is just about ready to open its new California headquarters and decided a proper send-off for the old building in Fountain Valley was in order. The idea, dreamed-up by Hyundai service tech Dustin Loranger, has pro drifter Rhys Millen stealing his own drift car from the compound, only to run circles (literally) around the facility – both outside and in.
Watch the video after the jump: Continue Reading…
Versus, the network that currently airs Formula Drift coverage, was recently acquired by NBC Sports. Starting on January 2nd, 2012, Versus will officially become the NBC Sports Network.
The name change will start with the coverage of the NHL Winter Classic and NBC Sports will continue to market and brand on previous-Versus programming. As part of the Versus rebrand, the NBC Sports Group will also be updating its logo, making its peacock larger and using new fonts for the NBC Sports.
It will be interesting to see if Formula Drift will continue to air on the new NBC Sports Network, which could impress potential sponsors of the drift series more so than hearing that their television coverage comes from Versus – even though they’re just the same.
[Source: AOL Sporting News via Wrecked Magazine]
Multi-talented driver Tanner Foust is looking for a new challenge in 2012, hoping to get himself behind the wheel of an Indy Car towards the end of this year. With a busy schedule of rally racing this year, Foust put aside the sport of drifting (where he is a two-time champion) this year and it looks like drifting will be without Foust for at least another year.
The interview with Foust was conducted at this past weekend’s X-Games 17 courtesy of MotorWorldHype and Foust looks determined to get an Indy Car ride for 2012. He did state that he would like to return to drifting down the road, saying that he misses the sport and the driving, but it’s a very good chance it won’t happen for 2012.
Check out the interview after the break.
[Source: Youtube via Wrecked Magazine]
The video (below the jump) is the stunt that was most voted on by fans of the Mercedes-Benz Facebook page. So if it’s not extreme enough, you have a lot of people to blame.
How about a C111 rotary gullwing jumping the St. Lawrence? Why not a bunch of E-Class convertibles and GLKs in a symphonic destructo-thon? Alas, those harebrained ideas detract from the impressiveness of this stunt already, where a C63 AMG coupe drifts figure-eights around a pair of C63 AMG sedans. It’s no Saab Suite, but it’s still pretty damn cool.
2010 Formula Drift Champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. takes his dog and pony show to the Middle East: drifting Saudi Arabia in his Ford Mustang.
At the Al Reem Circuit, he puts on a show that would make Ken Block proud. Titled Drifting In The K.S.A, Gittin was given permission to do basically anything around the racetrack, which he takes full advantage of: he first tackles the course grounds in a Boss 302 before bringing out his Monster-liveried Falken Mustang in a cloud of tire smoke.
“Everyone I met, from Princes, to other professional drivers, to swarms of fans, treated me with amazing hospitality and kindness.” Said Gittin. “It was an incredible experience that I will never forget and I look forward to coming back to the K.S.A!”
Click the jump to watch the video and to gain terrible ideas on doing this yourself. But as always…don’t. Unless you were 2009′s Formula Drift Champion.
Currently up on eBay is Hubinette Racing’s / NuFormz Dodge Charger SRT8 originally built for the Formula Drift competition. And while it’s a truly formidable drift machine – it captured first place in Summit Point in 2007 – it’s more about owning a piece of history if you’re a a fan of the sideways sport. The reason? It was the first domestic four-door drift machine ever built, having spent the last couple of years sitting in the NHRA Museum after Sean Carlson’s untimely passing.
The only steel piece left on this car is the roof, while all the other panels have been swapped out for carbon fiber and fiberglass counterparts. It features a fully built 6.1L HEMI engine, naturally aspirated, though the exact specs of the powerplant were not mentioned in the auction. What is mentioned however is the extensive suspension and drivetrain modifications and the car currently sits on 18-inch Intro wheels.
The starting bid is currently at $39,000 and we certainly hope whoever does end up buying it takes it back out to compete.
[Source: eBay via Wrecked Magazine]
Mercedes-Benz demonstration driver, Mauro Calo, is attempting to set a new world record, the longest ever powerslide. Calo will attempt this feat this coming weekend at Mercedes-Benz World, located close to the historic Brooklands circuit in Surrey, United Kingdom.
Calo, piloting either an E63 or S63 Mercedes AMG, will attempt to hold the car in a third gear drift for four minutes at a speed of 55 mph, covering a distance of 10,000 ft, in order to beat the current 8,000 ft record.
However, doing it on the narrow perimeter track at Brooklands means there’s little margin for error, nevertheless, he stated “I’m 100 percent confident I can do it.”
For more information about the activities going on at Mercedes-Benz World, this coming weekend, click here.
[Source: Mercedes-Benz World]
The Romanian racing company Dacia famous for winter racing has joined Renaultsport, and a number of independent firms to build the Dacia Duster. The “No Limit” race car driven by Jean-Phillipe Dayraut was built for the Unlimited class at Pikes Peak.
In this class, there are essentially no restrictions placed on a car’s specifications. In this case, the Dacia Duster features a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 from a Nissan GT-R. The engine is tuned to 850-hp, and is mounted behind the cabin, connected to a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
The car will be raced at Pikes Peak on June 26,2011.
![Meredes CLS Shooting Brake: Lookin’ Fine in Winter Time [Spy Photos]](http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads//2012/02/Mercedes-CLS-Shooting-Brake-thumb.jpg "Meredes CLS Shooting Brake: Lookin’ Fine in Winter Time [Spy Photos]")
Meredes CLS Shooting Brake: Lookin’ Fine in Winter Time [Spy Photos]
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