15 of the best drift cars

Drifting is one of the most fun things you can do with a car, so it’s no wonder car enthusiasts love to spend a weekend at a track burning rubber…

If taking your car to a race track to do laps sounds a bit boring to you, and you want an automotive hobby with a bit more flair, why not take up drifting? This sport has become so popular over the past decade or so that you can now find events at motorsport venues around the country that will let you partake in a safe environment.

What is drifting?

Well, in basic terms, it’s making your car slide sideways in a controlled manner.

To explain in a bit more detail, it requires the driver to induce oversteer, which is when the rear tyres lose grip and the back of the car rotates around a corner more than the front, which causes the car to spin if you don’t know how to control it. Drifting is the act of controlling oversteer by keeping the rear tyres spinning and turning the front wheels in the direction you wish to travel.

Naturally, this isn’t easy, and you won’t be able to do it in every car.

What makes a good drift car?

Well, you don’t need loads of power, but you do need a bit, because you need to make the tyres lose grip so that you slide. And because drifting involves the back tyres sliding, rear-wheel drive models are preferred.

However, you can use all-wheel drive cars, particularly if it has a system that sends more power to the rear wheels, or allows you to select a mode that imitates a rear-wheel drive car.

With that in mind, here’s our pick of the best cars for drifting:

Our pick of the best cars for drifting are:

1. Mazda MX-5
2. Toyota GR86
3. BMW M3
4. Toyota GR Supra
5. Nissan 350Z
6. Mazda RX-8
7. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
8. Ford Focus RS
9. Audi RS3
10. Ford Mustang
11. Nissan 200SX
12. BMW M2
13. Porsche 718 Cayman
14. Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe 63 S
15. Tesla Model 3 Performance

1. Mazda MX-5

• Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
• Power: 184hp
• Price: from £32,435 (2.0-litre model)

If you’re just starting out in drifting, as much as you probably want to go all guns blazing, it’s probably better to start small and build yourself up. The Mazda MX-5 is a fantastic starting point, because it’s small, affordable and great fun. It’s not hugely powerful, but being lightweight and rear-wheel drive means it’s not impossible to get it sideways.

The current generation is the best, and if that’s what you’re looking at you’ll want the more powerful 2.0-litre engine. However, the MX-5 has been on sale since 1989 in various guises – all follow the same drift-friendly recipe at a budget to suit everyone. Just look out for rust on older models.

2. Toyota GR86

• Engine: 2.4-litre flat-four
• Power: 231hp
• Price: from £30,000 (used)

Affordable, modern rear-wheel drive sports cars are few and far between, and the Toyota GR86 might just be the best of them. For about the same price as a new convertible Mazda MX-5, you get a driver-focused coupe with a punchy engine up front and power sent to the rear. It sold out in the UK almost immediately, so you’ll have to get a used model now.

The GR86 is the successor to the Toyota GT86, which is a more affordable alternative. It has the same layout, but with a bit less power and a much cheaper, more dated interior.

3. BMW M3 Competition

• Engine: 3.0-litre straight-six
• Power: 530hp
• Price: from £82,535

The Mazda MX-5 and BMW M3 don’t have much in common, but one thing they do share is longevity. The M3 has been on sale in one form or another since 1986, so even if your budget can’t quite stretch to a new one, there are older, more affordable options.

The latest model is the best, though, because you get bundles of power, and even though it’s all-wheel drive, you can make it rear-wheel drive at the push of a button. Then, once you’ve finished having fun, you can switch everything to the comfort-focused settings and cruise home in a lovely, spacious cabin.

4. Toyota GR Supra

• Engine: 3.0-litre straight-six
• Power: 335hp
• Price: from £35,000 (used)

If you’re a fan of Japanese cars, and naturally by extension, the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, the Toyota Supra probably has a special place in your heart. We’re looking at the more modern version than the one that starred in those movies, because its modern engines and cabin design mean it’s a car you could live with every day.

However, if you go for the version with the 3.0-litre engine (the 2.0-litre engine is a little uninspiring) you have a powerful rear-wheel drive car that feels like it wants to go sideways all the time.

5. Nissan 350Z

• Engine: 3.5-litre V6
• Power: 280hp
• Price: from £4,000 (used)

The 3.5-litre V6 engine is the star of the show in the Nissan 350Z. It has around 280hp and over 360Nm of torque. It’s properly rapid and it sounds great too, plus you can pick up a good used example relatively cheaply.

It may be quite expensive to run, with a yearly tax bill of over £600 and 20mpg if you’re careful, but very few cars offer such driving thrills for this money. There’s also a huge aftermarket scene for the 350Z, so modifying it to your tastes won’t be a problem.

6. Mazda RX-8

• Engine: 1.3-litre rotary
• Power : 231hp
• Price: from £2,500 (used)

The Mazda RX-7 has traditionally been a top choice among drift tuners, but that car is in high demand as a modern classic now, with prices reaching up past £30,000. Its successor, the 2003 RX-8, might not have the same sleek, two-door looks, but with a similar lightweight body and free-revving rotary engine, it provides a far more affordable starting point for a drift car.

Do be aware the RX-8’s engine is not famed for its reliability, being hungry for oil and sensitive to correct lubrication levels, while also having a reputation for rotor tips and engine rebuilds. Get a compression test done on any potential purchase, or think of it as a disposable car if you’re not prepared to spend on an engine teardown. All of these things are likely to be forgotten for a moment as you chuck it around a track, holding both your drift, and the 8,3000 rpm redline…

7. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

• Engine: Dual electric motors
• Power : 650hp
• Price: from £65,000

Electric cars are notoriously quick in a straight line, but the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is that rare thing: an electric car that’s fun on a twisty road. Hyundai has given it bucket-loads of power and upgrades to make it fun in corners, as well as simulated gear shifts and engine noises that are genuinely fun to use.

It’s all-wheel drive, but has a dedicated ‘drift mode’, which sends all the power to the rear wheels so you can get the back end out. It’s not the only car in this list that has one, but it’s one of the easiest to control.

8. Ford Focus RS

• Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder
• Power: 350hp
• Price: around £30,000 (used)

The Ford Focus RS is a pretty extreme example of a hot hatchback, with 350hp and four-wheel drive. It sticks to the road very well when you push hard, however, like the Hyundai, it has a specific drift mode for when you want to have fun on a track.

The Focus RS can send up to 70% of its power to the rear wheels, making it an easy job to get the car sideways. It takes some dedication to live with because it’s so uncomfortable over bumps, and they’re pricey on the used market with prices starting at around £25,000, but Ford RS models are so sought after that they hold their value extremely well.

9. Audi RS3

• Engine: 2.5-litre five-cylinder
• Power : 400hp
• Price: from £59,510

Another car with a drift mode you might consider is the Audi RS3. Fast Audis are well known for their all-wheel drive systems providing excellent grip in all weather conditions, and the RS3 hot hatch is no exception.

However, if you decide that your tyres have a bit too much tread left on them, you can engage drift mode and send power to the rear wheels. It works as intended but we’ve found it to be one of the trickier systems to get to grips with – it really takes hooligan commitment to hold a slide. Once that’s out of your system, the RS3 turns back into a practical hatchback, albeit one with 400hp.

10. Ford Mustang GT

• Engine: 5.0-litre V8
• Power : 453hp
• Price: from £55,725

Big, American, powerful and rear-wheel drive, the Mustang GT might not be the most subtle car, but if you’re after something that provides an evocative soundtrack to tail-happy track action, it could be just the ticket.

Because Ford brought the Mustang back to the UK in 2015, there are now plenty of used Mustangs available for a great price, too. Just make sure you get the V8. The EcoBoost engine is fine, but it’s not as powerful and just doesn’t suit the car’s character.

11. Nissan 200SX

• Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
• Power: 200hp
• Price: £20,000 (used)

If you want your drift car to be a proper icon of the scene, then look no further than the Nissan 200SX (or 180SX, which is its smaller-engined predecessor, or Silvia, which is its successor). It’s a lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupe that doesn’t have much power as standard, but because there’s such a healthy aftermarket scene the modification possibilities are endless.

The downside? Popularity and scarcity have driven prices up. Where 15 years ago you could get a beaten up example for under a grand, now you’re lucky to see any much below £20,000.

12. BMW M2

• Engine: 3.0-litre straight-six
• Power: 365hp
• Price: £20,000 (used)

If there’s a recurring theme in this list, it’s compact rear-wheel drive coupes, and the BMW M2 is another such example. You could go for the latest model, but if you want to drift you’re probably better off saving a bit of money and getting the first generation model, which went on sale in 2016.

13. Porsche 718 Cayman

• Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder (entry level)
• Power: from 300hp
• Price: from £55,505

Porsche knows how to make a car handle properly, and the Porsche 718 Cayman is a perfect example. The mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout and low weight make it great for hooning around a race track, and the flat-six engine makes a great noise, too.

Being a mid-engined car it’s not ideal for drifting, but being a powerful rear-wheel drive car means you can make it work if you’re up for the challenge. It also means that you don’t need a separate car for track days if you don’t always want to slide about.

14. Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe 63 S

• Engine: 4.0-litre V8
• Power: 816hp
• Price: £164,905

The Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe 63 S might be all-wheel drive, but as we’ve noted above, that doesn’t have to stop you from doing big, smokey drifts. You get a 4.0-litre V8 engine under the bonnet, and in 63 S guise that’s boosted by an electric motor to an incredible 816hp.

Again, you have to engage a ‘drift mode’ to make things easier, but once you learn the rather complicated sequence of buttons and switches required to engage it there’s plenty of fun to be had with so much power on tap.

15. Tesla Model 3 Performance

• Engine: Dual electric motors
• Power: 460hp
• Price: £59,990

You might not expect to see an electric saloon car make this list, however the Tesla Model 3 Performance may surprise you. It has 460hp from its dual electric motors, which gives it all-wheel drive – but all that power can be sent to the rear wheels at the push of a button.

Combine this with a stability control program which can also be switched off and you have a car that’s actually pretty easy to get sideways. It’s a great car to live with as well thanks to a raft of tech to make driving easier and more comfortable.

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