Chatting with Chris Forsberg, Nate Hamilton, and Tj Hunt, LZ dives into his 2024 season, which saw him competing at the highest levels on both sides of the Atlantic.

His Formula DRIFT campaign proved particularly successful (despite tire firing at nearly every round and writing off his E36), where he secured podium finishes at Englishtown and Seattle before claiming fifth overall in the championship standings. Given that he was one of the few drivers to compete in both series, Forsberg was curious to know how the two stack up in comparison.

LZ immediately explains the technical differences between Formula DRIFT (FD) and Drift Masters Grand Prix (DMGP.) One of the most significant contrasts lies in tire differences, where they discuss sizes, compounds, and weight. This led LZ to develop a specialized BMW E36 for Europe’s DMGP series, focusing on extreme weight reduction through titanium hardware and a simplified engine setup rather than chasing maximum power.

Weight plays a crucial role in the series’ differences, with DMGP cars typically weighing around 2,500-2,600 pounds compared to FD’s 2,800-3,000+ pound machines. Due to the difference in engineering approaches required for each series, LZ explains that his European-spec E36 weighs approximately 400 pounds less than his FD vehicle.

LZ then discusses the atmosphere at DMGP events, which carry a more “grassroots feel,” which he describes as a blend of FD with a mix of Clutch Kickers. This resonated with Forsberg, who noted similarities to FD’s early days in 2004. The European series retains a strong sense of community, with local drivers often becoming essential resources for visiting teams in each country.

His historic European performance this year, becoming the first American to achieve significant success in DMGP, demonstrated his ability to adapt to both racing environments. However, Adam admitted favoring Formula DRIFT for the on-track experience while appreciating DMGP’s off-track atmosphere more when pressed about his preferences between both series.

The discussion highlighted the evolving landscape of professional drifting as DMGP makes bold moves like constructing a temporary drift layout in a 58,500-seater stadium for their final round. Meanwhile, Formula DRIFT remains much the same year-on-year.

The presence of top drivers like James Deane, Conor Shanahan, and Adam LZ competing in both series suggests a growing intersection between American and European drifting scenes.

Forsberg’s evident interest in the European series’ approach has fueled rumors about whether some of FD’s veterans might consider expanding their horizons to include DMGP in the future.

With his 20-year career in Formula DRIFT and recent vocal criticisms and frustrations of the series, combined with DMGP’s innovative approach to venues and competition formats and with him mentioning the stagnation of FD in comparison, along with the recent loss of Irwindale, could Forsberg potentially be eyeing up a visit to the European series?

If you missed what we’re referring to with Chris Forsberg‘s criticisms and frustrations this year, make sure you check out this video:

While nothing is confirmed, his keen interest in DMGP provides hope for a possible future European campaign. It’d certainly be interesting to see how he’d stack up with the different approaches to competition drifting across the pond after 20 years in FD!

The post Adam LZ Compares Formula DRIFT Vs Drift Masters first appeared on Drifted.com.

I’m sure we’ve all been there; you’re scrolling through YouTube when you stumble across a video that blows your expectations out of the water. That’s exactly what happened when I found this video from SkuraWeekly of a perfectly built Toyota JZX90 Mark II laying down fresh rubber through mountain passes.

Not only is the JZX90 an absolute stunner, but the autumn Washington (sorry, I meant “Mexican”) scenery creates the perfect backdrop that needs to be seen to be appreciated. Check it out here:

What makes this video even better? The team dropped a behind-the-scenes video showing exactly how a shoot like this comes together. For anyone into automotive videography or looking to step up their game, it’s a must-watch to see what goes down and the unexpected issues that often arise on a project like this.

For the crew, the day kicks off at 5 AM when most of us are still sleeping. (Pro tip: if you want to shoot cars, get used to these hours – they’re usually the most incredible time to film.) By 6, the crew’s assembled at their location, in “the jungle of Mexico” (if you know, you know!) Here, the fall colors are in full effect, creating the perfect backdrop for what’s about to go down.

As they get ready to go, the team realizes that even something as simple as condensation in the headlights becomes a challenge that needs to be overcome. Most 90s JDM car owners will be able to relate to this struggle, and I often have the same problem with my S15. However, these little hurdles are always good to know how to overcome on the day.

As the team preps the gear, they show off the weapons of choice for the day. A Sony Alpha 7S III gets paired with a Sigma ART 24-70mm f/2.8 on a DJI Ronin RS2 Pro gimbal, then switching to a Sigma ART 35mm f/1.2 later on for those dreamy, video game-like depth effects that make the car pop. The lenses are paired with a circular polarizer (CPL), to cut out glare, and ND filters to help reduce light without compromising ideal shutter speeds.

With the shoot in full swing, the videographer is strapped into the trunk with a harness (the perfect, safe way to get “the shot”) while the JZX90 throws down on the touge.

From on-the-floor stills to that epic over-the-bridge drone shot, every angle is carefully planned and executed while battling constantly changing light conditions. Each 10-second drift sequence in the final video takes nearly an hour to nail.

After more than twelve solid hours of work, they wrap up the shoot without any crashes or major drama, both of which can throw a huge spanner in the works during projects like this.

But the work’s far from over, as it’s time for them to head to the editing studio to work the final magic you’re treated to in the finished video.

If you want to give (much less risky!) touge drifting a try for yourself, nothing beats the free online drifting game Drift Hunters MAX.

NOTE: The roads were closed during this project. Don’t try this at “home”; keep it to the closed tracks (or touges), guys!

The post Behind The Scenes Of A Touge Drifting Video first appeared on Drifted.com.

The team at CboysTV answered that question by building any drift fans’ dream track – complete with banked walls and technical corners.

And, because safety barriers are too mainstream and boring, they decided to use the surrounding forest as nature’s guardrails (or clipping points.) I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Discussing the decision to keep the trees, they explain, “Everyone that we’ve told this idea to is like ‘do you really need to have trees incorporated into the drift track?’ and we’re like ‘absolutely not, especially being novice drifters, it’s the last thing we should have'”.

I guess sometimes the craziest ideas make for the best entertainment. Right? But, uhh… let’s just say it caught up with them later on. Ouch.

With the help of a world-class track builder, fresh from creating Supercross courses in India, they transformed their farm into an asphalt paradise.

What started as a simple skid pad evolved into something much more ambitious, featuring a massive banked wall perfect for high-speed skids.

Unlike these guys, if you have a spare $250k, a drift car, and a bunch of land, we’d recommend wearing a helmet, especially if you intend to throw trees into the mix!

“This is the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my whole life – the track is perfect!” Jake exclaimed after the first test run, where he didn’t hold back.

His enthusiasm might have been slightly dampened later by Mike’s Nissan 350Z catching fire, and a crashed Mazda Miata. With that said, it’s just a normal day for these guys.

Want to see these hoonigans living out their drift track dreams while destroying cars and narrowly avoiding trees? Check out the full video at the top of this page – it’s just as chaotic and entertaining as it sounds.

After all, the best content usually starts with “Maybe this isn’t the smartest idea” and ends with broken drift cars… Right?

The post Creating An Insane $250k Backyard Drift Track first appeared on Drifted.com.

Street Alpha Podcast recently landed an incredible exclusive with the legendary Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya, delivering a treasure trove of never-before-heard stories about his journey into drifting and his thoughts on how the sport has evolved.

Street Alpha Podcast recently landed an incredible exclusive with the legendary Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya, delivering a treasure trove of never-before-heard stories about his journey into drifting and his thoughts on how the sport has evolved.

In this in-depth interview, Tsuchiya drops some jaw-dropping revelations that might surprise even the most dedicated drift fans. For instance, did you know his first drift car wasn’t the iconic AE86, but actually the Toyota 2000GT?

And, in a moment that left the interviewer visibly stunned, the Drift King casually recommended the Mercedes C63 as one of today’s best drift cars for younger drivers getting into drifting – that was one we didn’t expect to hear!

The interview reveals Tsuchiya’s unconventional beginnings in the snowy streets of Nagano Prefecture with a humble KP61 Starlet, where snow-drifting practice would become fundamental to his legendary technique.

He also describes his role in The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, where he played what he humorously calls “a super Monk” who could judge driving quality just by listening to the sound of the cars.

Tsuchiya shows his playful side when discussing modern drifting, particularly Formula D’s judging style. He admits he often can’t tell who’s winning under the current system – a surprisingly candid confession from (arguably) the sport’s greatest icon!

Want to know what car the Drift King himself ranks as the ultimate drifting machine? Or what he thinks about the future of motorsports in the age of EVs?

Check out the full interview above for the fascinating revelations from the master himself. It’s packed with incredible insights about drifting’s evolution from an underground “drift tribe” movement to a global phenomenon.

The post Keiichi Tsuchiya Discusses Formula DRIFT And The Future Of Drifting first appeared on Drifted.com.

You need to witness this crazy eargasm-inducing mashup for yourself in the video below. But first, decide who you think is gonna bag the win. You may well be surprised by the outcome!

Red Bull’s latest motorsport experiment is a unique multi-discipline race that you’d (understandably) think would never work: an RB7 Formula 1 car, a rallycross Subaru WRX STI, an off-road PRO4 trophy truck, and a drift-spec McLaren, all battling it out on the same track. However, this custom-built layout is far from your typical circuit.

Each vehicle has a tailor-made route. Smooth tarmac for F1, waterlogged off-road sections and dirt jumps for the truck, mixed terrain for rallycross, and technical turns for the McLaren. It’s a course perfectly designed to level the playing field between these wildly different machines.

Reppin’ the drift scene is Mad Mike Whiddett’s latest insane creation, arguably his craziest yet, labeled “MADMAC.” If you somehow missed the project, the mind-blowing McLaren P1 build was transformed into a 1,000-horsepower rotary-powered drift beast.

Having built what’s possibly the most outlandish drift car we’ve ever witnessed with his team in just 100 days, it combines a hypercar chassis with the typical weapon of choice under the hood that Mad Mike is known for – the “Dorito” engine. A three-rotor turbocharged 20B, to be precise.

He’s stacked up against Patrick Friesacher in the RB7 F1 car, Scott Speed in the WRX STI, and Andrew Carlson in the PRO4 trophy truck on the start line. The only thing they seemingly have in common is that, as host Emelia Hartford explains, none of them are built to win in a straight line. No pressure, huh?

It seems like a race that’ll never work, but the Red Bull team does an awesome job of thinking outside the box to make it a fair test, making for a truly fascinating comparison and an enjoyable watch.

During practice, lap times are surprisingly close, but when the flag drops, the drivers take it up to “a hundy”, (as Mad Mike would say.) Each one pushes their ride to its absolute limits, unleashing a spectacular collision of F1 technology, RallyX agility, jumping truck abilities, and Mad Mike’s drifting flair in an epic showdown.

As the race gets underway, you can tell that each driver is determined to land the win, whatever it takes. As they head to the final sprint, the outcome is anyone’s guess.

We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. Hey, Red Bull, please do more of these crazy side-by-side challenges!

Photography Credits

Thank you to Chris Tedesco / Red Bull Content Pool for the use of their media.

The post Who Will Win This Drift, F1, RallyX, Trophy Truck Race? first appeared on Drifted.com.

Chelsea DeNofa, 2023 Formula DRIFT champion, ventures to Europe for the “Up In Smoke Tour” (no, not the Aftermath one!)

On this multi-day European drift road trip, Chelsea (and his wife, also Chelsea DeNofa), along with around 20 other petrolheads, tear through the UK, France, Spain, and Portugal in a convoy of drift cars. Now, that’s our idea of a good holiday!

The adventure begins in the UK, where Chelsea picks up a basic-spec M54B30-powered E36 BMW (who would have guessed?!)

The car gets a ’90s DTM-inspired white-on-white look and some “don’t try this at home” questionably modified suspension, an angle kit, and other drift-specific mods.

With the smell of fresh paint lingering, Chelsea and crew scrape and crash their way onto the Channel Tunnel train to France. “This is definitely my first time driving a car into a train to go underwater!”.

As they resurface in Europe, they waste no time hunting down unique drift spots. An abandoned petrol station provided the perfect opportunity for some sideways action, and it’ll come as no surprise that they took full advantage.

Shortly after, the real test begins as Chelsea’s E36 develops a personality of its own. A ripped exhaust provides an impromptu soundtrack, and a fuel system issue provides fresh concerns.

Meanwhile, as he keeps the revs high, the E36’s broken speedo states that he’s doing 0mph. At this point, it’s starting to sound like our typical drifting road trips!

Near the end of the video, the group encounters what Chelsea describes as “literally an off-roading trail,” resulting in scrapes, bangs, and nervous laughter as expensive aftermarket parts scrape their way to the other side.

When they roll into the first track day, Chelsea’s E36 is battered but still ready to knock on doors. At this point, The Up In Smoke Tour has only just begun, promising more adventures, more challenges, and undoubtedly, more tire smoke in the days to come.

The post Chelsea DeNofa’s European Drift Road Trip Begins first appeared on Drifted.com.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’ll likely know that Adam LZ’s 2024 season has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows.

After overcoming a major setback when he totaled his BMW E36 in a battle against 14-year-old Hiroya Minowa, LZ bounced back spectacularly, recently achieving a historic milestone in the European Drift Masters Grand Prix series.

At the final Drift Masters event held in a packed stadium in Poland, LZ secured a third-place finish in front of over 50,000 spectators. With this, he became the first American driver to stand on the podium in the prestigious European series.

In Formula DRIFT, LZ’s performances have been equally impressive despite numerous challenges, including totaling his car and having fire trouble at most rounds.

He’s already secured two podium finishes this season and currently sits in fifth place in the overall standings, shocking the doubters by proving he’s capable of competing with the best in the world.

The final round of the 2024 Formula DRIFT series is fast approaching on October 18-19 at Irwindale Speedway, known as the “House of Drift.” With a solid performance, he can climb even higher in the rankings as he targets a Top 4 overall finish.

Can LZ cap off his breakthrough year with yet another podium? We can’t wait to find out!

The post Adam LZ Makes History Ahead Of Formula DRIFT Final first appeared on Drifted.com.

Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen hops into the Takata racing seat of drifting legend Mad Mike Whiddett‘s tire-slaying drift car, MADBUL, for his first taste of controlled chaos.

With Mad Mike showing him the ropes, Verstappen’s about to find out if he can hang with the drift crowd. Can he live up to the hype? Let’s find out!

The Challenges Begin

The star of the smoke show is Mad Mike’s iconic rotary-powered Mazda RX7, dubbed “MADBUL.” This beast of a car, pushing out 600 horsepower from the quad-rotor 26B engine and a fire-breathing exhaust, is Mad Mike’s claim to fame. Mike states that the MADBUL “made me who I am.” We’re sure you’d agree that his mind-blowing recent MADMAC rotary drift McLaren also earned him a fair bit of limelight!

Verstappen’s the first person, besides Mad Mike, to have the opportunity to tame the beast for his very first attempt at drifting – no pressure!

Lesson One – Mastering The Basics

Mad Mike prepares a series of entry-level challenges to introduce Verstappen to the drifting world. Despite his unquestionable F1 abilities, his first attempt results in a stall. Mike jokes that he’s being too gentle and encourages him to let it rip on the next try. He certainly doesn’t hold back!

From there, the F1 champ quickly gets the hang of donuts, showing off his natural feel for weight transfer and car control. The figure eights prove a bit trickier, with Max having a slight oopsie with an obstacle. “This clutch is so different,” he chuckles, proving that even the best can find it challenging. But the F1 ace is unsurprisingly quick to pick it up, and begins nailing the figure eights in no time.

Lesson Two – Advancing to High-Speed Drifting

Next up, a sweeping corner will be used to test his skills in weight transfer at speed. Max decides to switch gears after a cone becomes an unwilling passenger (requiring a quick rescue mission with a jack!)

Round two goes much smoother, though he still manages to “adopt” a cone. This time, it’s only hitching a ride in the rear diffuser – a perfected clipping point, surely?!

Lesson Three – The “Horner Challenge”

For the grand finale, Mike’s crew sets up ten giant cardboard cutouts with Christian Horner featuring a massive hand, placing the perfect clipping points along a long, sweeping corner. Verstappen’s mission? Smack as many as he can in one go. “If you can get eight?” Mad Mike teases as he sets the standard, reminding Max of his F1 cred.

Mad Mike leaves Verstappen to tame MADBUL alone for the first time, joking that he needs to find a safe spot to watch from. It’s Mike’s first chance to hear MADBUL roaring from the outside, a moment he’s been itching for.

Given his rookie status in the drift world, Verstappen’s performance is pretty damn impressive. He manages to clip all but two of Horner’s giant hands, demolishing the entire cut-out of the last one. Perhaps he knew more than we did then about the spicy relationship between the driver and his team boss!

A Future Drifter In The Making?

Verstappen’s time behind the wheel of MADBUL showed off his killer driving skills, and it was nice to see the light-hearted humor between the two drivers. As the smoke clears, Verstappen buzzes with excitement. “Great day for me,” he grins. “I probably want to do more now!”

If he did decide to dive deeper into the drifting eventually, he wouldn’t be the first Red Bull motorsport star to impress on the world stage.

Rally ace Kalle Rovanpera’s been tearing up the drift world using a Toyota GR Supra in the European Drift Masters series and a GR Corolla in Formula DRIFT Japan. This shows that top-notch drivers can easily adapt to different racing styles.

Rovanpera vs Verstappen drift battle, anyone?! Maybe not just yet, but we can hope…

Photography credits

We thank the Red Bull Motorsports YouTube channel for the use of their media in this article.

The post Verstappen vs MADBUL – Can The F1 Champ Tame The Rotary? first appeared on Drifted.com.

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”O6lPrGQi” upload-date=”2019-01-26T09:19:00.000Z” name=”Drift Hunters Beginners Tutorial” description=”A complete tutorial to hit WebGL drifting game Drift Hunters”]

Drift Hunters is one of the most popular drifting games of the decade. The great graphics, responsive gameplay and collectible cars make this one seriously addictive game.

But how can you win those crazy high scores? Hit play on the video and all will be revealed.

Since you’re a Drift Hunters fan, we wanted to let you know that we’ve recently launched a brand-new Drifted.com exclusive update to the classic Drift Hunters game, and we have no doubt you’ll LOVE what it has to offer.

After many requests from fans, we reached out to the original game’s creator, and after several months of hard work, Drift Hunters MAX was born.

But, we didn’t want to release an update that just had a few new cars. We decided to rebuild the game from the ground up, making the most of the modern-day updates to the Unity engine to deliver the best possible free online drifting game.

And that’s not all – for the first time, we’ve included save game functionality, which means you’ll be able to continue where you left off with your unlocked cars and upgrades, whether you’re at home, school, or work.

Here’s a teaser of how the awesome gameplay looks.

And nope, this isn’t from a next-gen console or PC. Instead, we’ve ensured that it runs as smoothly as possible on everyday devices so that everyone can enjoy what it has to offer!

And don’t worry, we’ve also put together some guides to help you unlock your cars right away. So, whether you’re looking to Earn Money Fast In Drift Hunters MAX, or wanting to refine your skills in the game – we’ve got you covered.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Drift Hunters, you can play more drifting games by checking out our catalog right here.

The post Drift Hunters 10,000,000 Point Guide first appeared on Drifted.com.

As big S15 fans and big Enjuku Racing fans we couldn’t help but dig this amazing full lifecycle story of AdamLZ’s stunning Formula DRIFT spec pro drift car build.

Adam teamed up with Enjuku to build his latest drift car, originally a fairly beaten up 1999 S15. Enjuku Racing took on the project and went above and behind to deliver an incredible build with a crazy amount of detail.

If you want to learn more about AdamLZ’s iconic mellow yellow 240sx S13, you can read a great breakdown here.

Want to get clued up on the S15? Our Nissan Silvia S15 guide was written just for you.

Want to see more AdamLZ? You can find his YouTube channel here.

The post AdamLZ 2JZ S15 Build Video first appeared on Drifted.com.