Drift Car Buyer's Guide

Nissan 350Z

Factoids:2003 Nissan 350ZThe newest car in our list of top 10 drift cars, the 350Z has already seen the drifting circuit at numerous events. Manabu Orido, and most recently Yoichi Imamura (A'Pexi sponsored) have proven in the U.S. the 350Z is a force to be reckoned with. With a curb weight of 3188 lb and a front-to-rear weight ratio of 53/47, the 287hp V6 Z-car is ideal for intermediate to expert drivers. Various amenities from the factory include a viscous limited slip differential, carbon reinforced driveshaft, traction control (disable unit if you plan on drifting) and vehicle dynamic control. Only a year in production, the 350Z has become the next super car for tuners in Japan and in the U.S., with high-performance products such as a GReddy twin turbo kit and a supercharger unit in the works by Stillen Performance.

Mitsubishi Evo 8

Factoids:2003 Mitsubishi EVO 8With rally-bred engineering, this full-time AWD car is probably the most controversial in the list of top 10 cars in our list. Many will argue that the EVO is an excellent rally car and has proven itself on various terrain-such as Pikes Peak-but the gearing ratio and rpms of these 4-wheel-drive cars often fall short at 6500 rpm (including the WRX). No one would come across the EVO as a drift car until they have seen professional drivers such as Rhys Millen smoke the hides on all four tires as he pitches the car completely sideways. The EVO is no slouch when it comes to high performance. Japan and various companies such as HKS have proven in previous EVO models that high horsepower with excellent handling can take these cars to the victory lane. With 271 hp on tap and a rather offset 60/40 weight distribution, we hope to see more 4-wheel drive cars, including the WRX, in future drift events.