Check Out These Incredible Drift Cars From Japan

The birthplace of drifting, Japan has always had a vibrant and influential car culture when it comes to drifting, motorsports, or anything related to cars. And it would not be wrong to say that it has a significant impact on the global automotive scene. Apart from that Japan has given us some crazy cars which we have grown drooling for, be it the Nissan GT-R, the Toyota Supra, and many more. Japan also has a rich tuning and modification culture among the youth and they even have special drift schools set up for youngsters who want to learn this skill. All of this makes Japan nothing less than a heaven for any car enthusiast, and following this, we would be discussing some of the best drifting cars which Japan has given us over the years. Do let us know which one is your favorite!

10. Nissan S-Chassis

The Nissan S-Chassis is basically a series of compact rear-wheel drive sports cars produced by Nissan which were popular among automotive drift enthusiasts due to various reasons like balanced weight distribution, aftermarket support, performance modifications, and obviously rear-wheel drive configuration as mentioned above. The S-Chassis series consisted of cars like the S13, the S14, the S15, the 180SX, the 240SX, and the Silvia. The most common engines which were found on these cars for drifting were either the turbocharged SR20DET engine, commonly found in the Silvia models, and a naturally aspirated or turbocharged CA18DET, found on the 180SX. The engines were very popular due to their high tuning potential and power.

9. Toyota Chaser JZX100

Another popular drift platform from Japan for drift enthusiasts was the Toyota Chaser JZX100 which was produced from 1996 to 2001, and it featured an amazing chassis and suspension system, which made a great base for drifting. Modifications for the front-engine rear-wheel drive setup platform were plenty right from sway bars to adjustable coil overs etc to increase stability, responsiveness, and handling. Apart from that, the JZX100 was part of Toyota’s mid-size luxury sedan lineup in Japan which featured the reliable 1JZ-GTE, a 2.5L twin-turbo inline-six engine! Apart from that, it had great modification support and tuning potential like turbocharging enhancements, engine upgrades, etc.

8. Mazda RX-7

The Mazda RX-7 is one of the coolest drift cars you can get out of Japan. It is primarily known for its performance, rotary engine, and weight distribution. The twin-turbocharged 13B-REW rotary engine stands out as it provides exceptional performance from a small displacement as compared to a piston engine and its lightweight design and high-revving nature make it well-suited for drifting. Apart from that, the Mazda RX-7 features a 50/50 weight distribution which helps in balanced handling characteristics. To further help in drift performance, you can also install aftermarket limited-slip differentials to help distribute power to the rear wheels more effectively, helping in getting better traction and control!

7. Toyota Corolla AE86

Famous for its appearance in popular anime series and also one of the cars which have the shortest wheelbase of all cars in this list, the light-weight Toyota Corolla AE86 requires you to have mastered specific drift skills to drift it. The AE86 should also be your first drift car as it does not have a lot of power under the hood and requires you to take momentum into account for smoothly going sideways. The AE86 was offered in two engine options, one of which is the 4A-GE 1.6L naturally aspirated engine and the 4A-GZE supercharged engine. The 4A-GE is known for its high-revving nature which makes it a drifter’s favourite. Like every other drift car, the AE86 too has great tuning potential and after-market mods available.

6. Nissan Cefiro

The Nissan Cefiro is the direct rival to the Toyota Chaser and it features a long wheelbase, rear-wheel drive setup, and huge capability to engine swap. Many opt for swapping it with the RB series like the RB20DET, RB25DET, RB26DETT, or any other high-performance engine for that matter for increasing its performance. Apart from that it has many parts which can be shared with the monstrous Skyline GT-R such as the brakes, the LSD, and of course, the RB drivetrain, and this can surely help you get a near Skyline driving experience for cheap! Like any other Japanese drift car out there, the Cefiro too has great aftermarket support in terms of interior, exterior, and performance wise. Also, you can easily install a limited-slip differential for better control and send the power to the rear wheels more effectively.

5.Toyota Soarer JZZ30

Toyota is known for using the same engines in different cars, and a prime example of it being the Toyota Soarer JZZ30 which uses the same engine as the Toyota Chaser. The difference between both cars is, the Chaser was a long-wheelbase mud-size luxury sedan, whereas the Soarer is a luxury coupe which is a perfect body shape for a modified drift car. The 1JZ-GTE is a 2.5L twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine known for its high-revving nature and aftermarket support. The Soarer JZZ30 features a Rear-wheel setup and a sturdy as well as well-designed suspension setup which contributes to the car’s handling characteristics. LSDs can also be easily upgraded in the Soarer JZZ30.

4. Mazda RX-8

The Mazda RX-8 has a great handling chassis but is let down by a lot of factors if we compare it to its predecessors, The car is heavier now, less powerful, and also less frugal as compared to the last gen. Although it can be transformed into a great drift car with the right set of modifications and setup. The RX-8 comes equipped with the unique 13B-MSP Renesis rotary engine which is high-revving and offers smooth power delivery by its nature, although power extraction could be a bit of a task due to its inherent characteristics. Apart from that, it has great 50/50 body weight distribution, switchable LSDs, and huge after-interior and aftermarket support that can enable you to modify the cars like crazy.

3. Toyota Supra

Need not elaborate much on this, as this car has been ruling a lot of people’s hearts worldwide for the longest time ever since its launch and has endless reasons for the same. The Toyota Supra without a doubt is an iconic sportscar that has also been a poster car for a lot of us. In the drifting community, it is known for its legendary powerful engine primarily the 2JZ-GTE 3.0L twin-turbocharged inline-six engine, rear-wheel drive configuration, and a huge aftermarket support. Contributing to that, it has great handling, thanks to its rigid chassis and well-engineered suspension system which can even be upgraded by adding adjustable coil overs, sway bars, reinforced control arms, and a lot more. Supras can also easily be upgraded to different LSDs for maximizing performance numbers.

2. Nissan 370Z

The Nissan 370Z is the most sort after and one of the most popular cars when it comes to the drifting community, thanks to its powerful engine, rear-wheel drive configuration, sporty handling, and whatnot. Apart from that, it also boasts a sharp and aggressive design language that very suits its driving characteristics and is also admired by a lot of enthusiasts worldwide. Powered by a tuner-friendly VQ37VHR 3.7L V6 engine, which holds a lot of potential, it has a significant amount of horsepower and torque for drifting. Although the 370Z was overshadowed by the Godzilla GT-R’s popularity, it would be extremely wrong to say that the 370Z is not a great performance car or does not hold capabilities to be pushed hard. Gets huge aftermarket support for all aspects and the LSDs can be swapped too.

1. Nissan Skyline

Our list of best drift cars from Japan would be incomplete if we do not mention the Nissan Skyline, particularly the R32, R33, and R34 generations. These cars have become synonymous with drifting thanks to their legendary powerful engines, rear-wheel drive configurations and huge aftermarket support be it for exterior, interior, or anything performance related. The R32 Nissan GT-R came equipped with an RB26DETT 2.6L twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine which offered excellent power and torque, along with Nissan's ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which helps get exceptional traction and stability while pushing it hard. While an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R AWD may not be the drifter’s preference, we have seen people converting them to RWD! Although the R32 GTS-T solves this problem as it is completely RWD.