Drifting has turned a drift car into one of the most exciting corners of car culture, and this automotive hobby, or sport, has picked up serious momentum over the past decade. Instead of driving boring laps on a race track, more people now want to feel their cars step sideways with real flair, and that’s exactly what a this car is built for.
Motorsport venues across the country now host events built around this exact idea, often in a safe environment so newcomers can learn without wrecking anything.
The secret behind a good setup usually mixes a few things together: rear wheel drive or a smart all-wheel drive system, an engine with enough punch paired with tunable engine parts, a limited slip differential, and enough steering lock to catch the front wheels at the right moment.
A skilled driver can coax lurid slides out of almost anything with the right balance between power and grip, sometimes practising out on an empty airfield to save spare tyres. Around the world, enthusiasts argue over their favourite machines, which is exactly why lists like our top 10 cars roundup exist.
What Is Drifting?
So what actually is drifting? In simple terms, it means making a car move in a slide sideways style through a corner, on purpose, in a controlled manner. It happens when the driver pushes the car into oversteer, which is when the rear tyres lose grip and start to rotate the back of the car faster than the front wheels can follow. If nobody catches it, the car will spin, but a driver who knows how to control the slide can keep it pointed in whichever direction they want to travel.
What Makes a Good Drift Car?
Building a good drift car is not really about raw power. It is about control. Since drifting relies on the rear wheels breaking traction, most builders pick a rear-wheel drive layout as their starting point, though a car with all-wheel drive can also join in if it has a mode that shifts everything to the back. A manual transmission gives the driver more say over how the tyres behave mid-slide, and adjustable suspension is another vital component, since it lets you dial in exactly how much grip the car has at each corner.
Get that balance right between how easily the tyres lose grip and how well the whole system holds together, and you end up with one of the best cars for the job.
Mazda MX-5
I always tell friends starting out that the Mazda MX-5 is the perfect starting point for anyone chasing fun behind the wheel. It’s small, lightweight, affordable, and its rear-wheel drive setup makes it forgiving enough to learn on. The car has been sold in various guises since 1989, and every single one follows the same drift-friendly recipe, even if a few older models need checking for rust before you buy.
The current generation comes with a punchy 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 184hp, which is plenty for sideways fun once you understand oversteer.
It may not turn up much in serious drift competitions, but it still counts as a cracking drifting car once the diff and differential are sorted, and the Mk2 with its 1.8iS trim already comes with a limited-slip unit fitted from the factory. Whatever your budget, there is an MX-5 that delivers great fun and a proper taste of drifting.
Nissan 200SX
The Nissan 200SX stands as a true icon of the scene, and plenty of drifters would call it the most popular drifting car ever built. Known as the 180SX in its earlier form, or Silvia back home in Japan, this lightweight rear-wheel drive coupe ships with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine good for around 200hp in stock trim.
Its racing record speaks for itself: in D1GP, the S15 version alone claimed 27 wins and eight championship titles, with driver Yasuyuki Kazama grabbing seven of those round wins himself, the same man who once appeared on Top Gear trying to teach Richard Hammond how to slide.
Add the S13 and S14 generations into the mix and the Silvia family has racked up 14 D1 titles in total. A huge aftermarket scene means the modification possibilities are basically endless.
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z, known as the Fairlady in the Japanese Domestic Market, packs a 3.5-litre V6 engine and powertrain that produce 280hp and 360Nm torque, making it properly rapid in a straight line. It also sounds great, mixing heavy bits front with screechy bits back, and since it’s naturally aspirated there’s no turbo lag to worry about mid-slide.
A used one won’t break the bank either; you can pick up a decent used example without the price tag climbing too high, though the car is a little expensive to run, with a yearly tax bill north of £600 and roughly 20mpg if you drive carefully. Once you throw a few mods at the suspension and diff, the handling sharpens up nicely and the driving thrills really start to show.
Toyota GR Supra
Talk to anyone into the big-power tuning industry and the Toyota GR Supra will come up eventually, usually compared straight away to the Nissan GT-R since these two have carried the GT-R badge rivalry, or rather the Supra-Skyline rivalry, for decades among import fans.
Sure, a lot of us still dream about parking an original Mk4 Twin Turbo Supra on the driveway, but with ’90s classic prices going through the roof, a brand new GR Supra now looks like a genuinely reliable, warranty-covered bargain.
The Mk5 isn’t chasing Nissan at all though; it’s a proper driver-focused sportscar with 50:50 weight distribution, a lower centre of gravity than the Toyota GT86, more rigidity than the Lexus LFA, and a genuinely capable engine, aimed more at taking on the Porsche Cayman than any track-focused supercar.
People love to mention the manufacturing partnership with BMW, but that collaboration only began with a shared working drawing, a cut-down 2-Series nicknamed the Fullrunner, before both brands went off to re-engineer their own modern engines and cabin design completely, giving us the GR Supra on one side and the BMW Z4 on the other.
There’s still a neat link to the past through the shared engine: the BMW B58 fitted here is the spiritual successor to the N54 and N55 engines, nicknamed the 2JZs of the modern era, and paired with a 3.0-litre straight-six producing 335hp it gives this car proper powerful rear-wheel drive thrills without the crushing nostalgia weight of a Gazoo Racing show car. Even the entry 2.0-litre engine version still slides, if you’re patient, and either way this is one Fast and the Furious name that has genuinely grown up.
Ford Mustang GT
Big, loud, and proudly American, the Ford Mustang GT has become a genuine favourite among drift enthusiasts who want tail-happy track action with an evocative soundtrack to match. The seventh generation car, sold with the 5.0-litre V8, is the one to chase, producing 453hp and paired with rear-wheel drive for proper controlled slides. Skip the EcoBoost engine; it’s fine for daily driving but doesn’t suit the car’s character the same way. Since Ford brought the car back to the UK in 2015, plenty of used Mustangs now sell for a great price, and picking one with a manual gearbox makes the whole thing feel more powerful and playful mid-slide.
For professional drift sessions, the Dark Horse edition (or any of the dark horse editions) steps things up further with performance enhancements like bigger brakes, adjustable suspension, and even a dedicated drift brake built in for easy slides and impressive cornering, all running off the same strong engine underneath.
Toyota GR86
Good, affordable, modern rear-wheel drive sports car options are hard to find, but the Toyota GR86 fits the bill nicely. It’s a proper driver-focused coupe with a punchy engine up front and a 2.4-litre flat-four sending 231hp to the back, and it sold so fast in the UK that most buyers now have to look for a used model.
Its older sibling, the Toyota GT86, shares the same layout and is a more affordable alternative, though it runs with less power and a more dated interior. Either way, the fundamentals stay the same, whichever engine you end up with, and going for the older car is simply cheaper if the newer one has sold out near you.
BMW M3 Competition
The BMW M3 Competition and the Mazda MX-5 don’t share much on paper, but they do share longevity, since the M3 has been around in some form since 1986. The latest model starts at £82,535 and comes with bundles of power from its 3.0-litre straight-six engine, producing 530hp.
It runs all-wheel drive as standard, but a simple push of a button switches it over to rear-wheel drive for sliding, then back to comfort-focused settings and a spacious cabin for the drive home. If the new price feels steep, there are plenty of older more affordable options further back in the M3’s history.
Mazda RX-8
The Mazda RX-7 has long been the top pick among drift tuners, but it’s now a proper modern classic with prices pushing past £30,000. Its successor, the 2003 Mazda RX-8, gives up the sleek two-door looks but keeps a similar lightweight body and a free-revving rotary engine, making it a far more affordable starting point.
The 1.3-litre rotary produces around 231hp, but it comes with known reliability issues: it’s hungry for oil, sensitive to lubrication levels, and has a reputation for worn rotor tips and costly engine rebuilds. Get a compression test done before buying, or treat it almost like a disposable car if you’re not ready to fund an engine teardown, because all of that gets forgotten the moment you’re chasing the 8,300 rpm redline through a corner with this engine singing.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Electric cars are famously quick in a straight line, but the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N proves an electric car can also be fun on a twisty road. Its dual electric motors put out 650hp, and Hyundai has thrown in upgrades to make it enjoyable through corners, plus simulated gear shifts and fake engine noises that genuinely add character.
It runs all-wheel drive, but flicking on the dedicated drift mode sends power to rear wheels only, letting the back end step out. With all those bucket-loads of power, it’s honestly one of the easiest to control electric performance cars around.
Ford Focus RS
The Ford Focus RS takes the hot hatchback idea to an extreme, packing 350hp from its 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine into a four-wheel drive chassis that grips hard when you push it. Flick it into drift mode, though, and up to 70% power shifts to the rear wheels, making it surprisingly easy to get sideways.
Living with one takes some patience since it’s genuinely uncomfortable over bumps, and prices on the used market start around £25,000, but Ford RS models are so sought after that they hold their value extremely well.
Audi RS3
Fast Audis are known for all-wheel drive systems that deliver excellent grip in tough weather conditions, and the Audi RS3 hot hatch is no different, with its 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine making 400hp. Once your tyres tread wears down a bit, you can flick on drift mode and send power backward, though it takes proper hooligan commitment to actually hold a slide, since it’s one of the more tricky systems to master. Turn it off, though, and the RS3 goes straight back to being a practical hatchback.
BMW M2
The BMW M2 keeps showing up on lists like this because it’s another great compact rear-wheel drive coupe. You could grab the latest model, but for drifting, the first generation model, which launched in 2016, tends to make more sense financially. Look for one with a manual gearbox, since it makes sliding more rewarding, and its boosty engine paired with the rear-wheel drive setup means there’s rarely any need for upgrading for power unless you really want more from the 3.0-litre straight-six engine producing 365hp.
Porsche 718 Cayman
Porsche knows how to make a car handle well, and the Porsche 718 Cayman proves it. Its mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout and low weight make it brilliant around a race track, while the flat-six engine produces a genuinely great noise. The entry-level 2.0-litre four-cylinder starts from 300hp, and being mid-engined it’s technically not ideal for drifting, but its powerful rear-wheel drive setup and strong engine still let you make it work if you’re up for the challenge, and it doubles up nicely for regular track days too.
Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe 63 S
The Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe 63 S runs all-wheel drive, but that doesn’t stop it from pulling off big smokey drifts once you know how. Under the bonnet sits a 4.0-litre V8 engine, boosted further by an electric motor to produce 816hp. You do have to work through a fairly complicated sequence of buttons and switches to engage drift mode, but once that’s sorted, there’s plenty of power on tap to have fun with.
Toyota AE86
Many drifters still call the Toyota AE86 the best to learn in, and it carries plenty of names depending on the market: Corolla, Trueno, or Sprinter. It’s hardly a looker, but it’s genuinely effective. Long before drifting went mainstream, Katsuhiro Ueo won the 2002 D1 title driving one, proving the AE86 isn’t only for beginners. The Toyota GT86 borrows a lot of its kudos from the AE86, and it could turn into a real star for the future once prices come down.
Mazda RX7
With 16 wins and one championship title to its name, the Mazda RX7 easily earns its spot here. In the hands of Youichi Imamura, a true legend of D1, it becomes almost unbeatable, though it’s honestly not a car for beginners. Get it right, though, and the results are simply epic.
Ford Escort mark I or II
Back in the mid-20th century, most family cars used rear wheel drive rather than front wheel drive, which made them naturally playful on icy roads and wet roads during the 1970s.
Add a few power boosts and the more bhp-laden Escorts became fun in the dry too, and these decent bhp figures later helped the Ford Escort mark I or II prove itself in rallying. Prices are seeing prices rocketing these days, but track one down with good numbers and driving sideways at the local speedway could become part of your weekend routine.
Subaru Impreza
Driven by two-time title winner Nobushige Kumakubo, the one time champion Subaru Impreza stakes its claim as one of the best all round race car options of the last 20 years. It was actually the first converted four-wheel drive car used in drifting, opening the door for others, most notably its rival, the Mitsubishi Evo.
Mitsubishi Evo
Drift car like the Impreza, Nobushige Kumakubo also raced the Mitsubishi Evo in D1, though it never matched its rival’s success. Once modified, though, it turns into a fantastic drifter.
Pick any number from 1 to 10, or I to X, to choose how Evolved you want yours, and you’ll spot subtle tweaks and characteristic differences at every step. Its only real downside is a cameo in Fast and the Furious, though plenty of cars on this list share that same claim to fame.
FAQs
Can electric cars drift too?
Yes, cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N have a dedicated drift mode that sends power to the rear wheels.
Why is the Toyota AE86 so popular for drifting?
It’s considered the best to learn in, cherished by drifters for being simple, lightweight, and truly effective.
What role does a limited slip differential play?
A limited slip differential helps both rear wheels spin together, giving smoother, more controlled slides.
Is the Nissan 350Z a good choice for drifting?
Yes, its 3.5-litre V6 engine and rear-wheel drive setup deliver real driving thrills once modified.
Do drift cars need a manual transmission?
Not always, but a manual transmission gives the driver more control during a slide.
