10 Best Drift Cars For Beginners in 2021

Drifting is a driving skill that is very difficult to learn, and the more difficult thing is to select a car to learn the craft. Japanese first invented drifting and used it in many track races and street races, and it got high popularity since then.

From Toyota to Mercedes, there are many drifting cars available in the market, perfect for beginners. These cars have a great aftermarket so that you can modify these cars according to your needs.

This article consists of the ten best drifting cars for beginners, including their features and specifications; if you are interested, you can continue reading this article.

What are The Drift Cars?

Drift cars use drifting, where the driver drives the car through the corners of a road in an entirely controlled fashion. The driver deliberately oversteers the vehicle, which then losses the tract, but the driver controls it anyway.

In the drifting technique, the rear slip angle exceeds the front slip angle. This car’s front wheels are sometimes pointed in the opposite direction of the turn, also known as opposite lock or counter-steering.

When the Drift Cars Where Invented?

When it comes to drifting technology, Japan is the birthplace of drifting cars. Japan is famous for its car racing championship, and drifting vehicles are mostly used in these events. Kunimitsu Takashi is the creator of the drifting technique in the 1970s.

It enables the professional racers and the street racers to win the races, and spectators enjoy smoking tires. Keiichi Tsuchiya, known as the “Drift King,” collaborated with Takashi and practiced this technique on Japan’s mountain roads. Afterward, they both, along with the drifting skill, gained so much popularity.

10 Best Drifting Cars

Since the 1970s, drifting technology has gained so much popularity among racers. There are many drift car models in today’s world, and you can choose the best one according to your taste and inclination. Here are some best drift cars:

1. Toyota Chaser JZX100

The appearance of Toyota Chaser JZX100 is not like a racing car or the car which can drift. It is an entry-level drift car that boasts a 2.5-liter six-cylinder turbocharged engine. The engine ultimately produces a standard output of 280 horsepower, provide rear-wheel drive, and handles like a boss.

The worth of this car is $10,000, and you can tune the car’s output anytime. Here are some of the specifications of this car:

• Toyota Chaser JZX100 has 280 horsepower.
• It has a 2.5-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine.
• The torque of this car is 279 pound-feet.
• The car can get to the speed of 0-60 MPH in just 5 seconds.
• The highest speed which the car can attain is 161 MPH.

2. BMW M3 E36

It is the best drift car for beginners, and it is one of the go-to drift cars all over the world. It has a 3.0-liter straight-six engine, and the horsepower of this car is 243hp. It can produce up to 225 pound-feet of torque.

The net worth of a better-used car is $10,000, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Here are some specifications of this car:

• BMW M3 E36 has 243 horsepower.
• It has a 3.0-liter straight-six engine.
• The torque of this car is 225 pound-feet.
• It can reach a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 5.5 seconds.
• The maximum speed of this car is 155 mph.

3. Nissan 300ZX Z32

The power unit of this car can produce a stout 300 horsepower and 283 pound-feet of torque. It is one of the best entry-level drift cars, and it was launched in 1989. Even the retro design of the car looks fresh today.

There are various colors available in Nissan 300ZX Z32, and you can get the one according to your choice. Here are some specifications of this car as follows:

• The maximum speed which this car can attain is 155 mph.
• It has a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine.
• It has 300 horsepower.
• The torque of the car is 283 pound-feet.
• It can reach a speed from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5 seconds.

4. Nissan 350Z

If you are wondering about reliable entry-level drift cars, then Nissan 350Z is the best answer to your search. The biggest specialty of this car is its powerful 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-6 engine. Nissan 350Z engine can produce 300 horsepower.

It is the best drift car for beginners as it provides you the perfect steed when you are learning the ropes of drifting. It is the best two-door car supported by the market as you can find all the tuning pieces of the vehicle in the market.

Below are some of the specifications of this car, which are as follows:

• It has 306 horsepower.
• The torque of this car is 268 pound-feet.
• It can reach a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 5.2 seconds.
• The highest speed of this car is 155 mph.
• It has a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-6 engine.

5. Mazda RX-7 FD3S

The Japanese cars made between the 1980s and 1990s were mostly inspired by drifting. Therefore most of the car’s lightweight comes with powerful engines and run on rear-wheel-drive. It is a third and very refined model of Mazda RX-7s.

It has a 1.3-liter twin-turbocharged, twin-rotor engine, producing a horsepower of 252hp and torque of 230 pound-feet. This car has the most significant aftermarket following, and the specifications of this car are as follows:

• The maximum speed which this car can attain is 155 mph.
• It has a 1.3 twin-turbocharged twin-rotor engine.
• The car has 252 horsepower.
• The car can produce a 230 pound-feet of torque.
• It can reach a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 5.3 seconds.

6. Nissan S13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9k1WH491U8

Nissan S13 is one of the widely used drift cars in the world. Finding a newer model of this car is difficult, but you do not have to find a new one. If you are a beginner in drifting, you should go for crashes and bruises models.

You always have to keep in mind selecting a mechanically fit car despite its outlook; this will enable you to save plenty of cash. Below are some of the specifications of this car:

• It has an engine of 1.8 liter CA18DET.
• The engine can be replaced with a 2.0-liter SR20DET engine.
• The engine has a horsepower of 175hp.
• It has a 2.5-liter non-turbo KA24DE motor.
• Four-cylinder turbocharged motor.

7. Mercedes C230 Kompressor (W202)

When you think of Mercedes, it is hard to believe that it can be a drift car for beginners. You would be happy to know that the Mercedes C Class 230 is fully capable of drifting. It has a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which can produce up to 191 horsepower.

The torque produced by this car is 207 pound-feet and can be wholly exploited for the drifting purpose. It is a stable and robust car that won’t fall apart even after heavy drifting and racing. Below are some of the specifications of this car:

• The maximum speed which the car can attain is 142 mph.
• It can reach a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 8.4 seconds.
• It has a 2.3 four-cylinder engine.
• It can produce up to 207 pound-feet of torque.
• The horsepower of the car is 191 hp.

8. Nissan Skyline R33 GTS-T

The Nissan Skyline family is among the best drifting cars, and it is the best choice for beginners. Even some people think that Nissan Skyline is one of the best performance cars of this era. There are so many specifications in this car, which is on the check-list of a drifter.

It has a 2.5-liter straight-six RB25DET engine, which can produce a horsepower of 247 hp. Nissan R33 can produce a torque up to 217 pound-feet. Below are some of the specifications of this car:

• The highest speed of this car is 156 mph.
• It can reach a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 5.3 seconds.
• It has a 2.5 straight-six engine.
• The engine can produce a horsepower of 247 hp.
• The engine can produce a torque of 217 pound-feet.

9. Lexus IS200

The stylish outlook and the comfortable interior of the car are entirely new for the drifters. After taking a ride of this car, you will realize that it has a premium feels and an upscale comfortability.

It has been engineered by Nobuaki Katayama, who was also the lead engineer of Toyota AE86, which is one of the best drift cars in history. The IS200 is widely recognized because of its high revving engine and incredible handling dynamics. Below are some of the specifications of this car:

• It has a 2.0 four-cylinder engine.
• The horsepower of the engine is 158 hp.
• The maximum speed range of the car is 134 mph.
• The car can reach a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 8.7 seconds.
• The car can produce 147 pound-feet torque.

10. Volvo 340

The Volvo 340 has broken all the stereotypes of a drifting car. Its outer appearance is just like a beater that your parents used to buy in the 70s. Surprisingly, the vehicle is a drift car, and a beginner can quickly learn the skills through this car on cheap investment.

All you need to do is some modifications in the car to make the best out of it. You have to strengthen the suspension system to convert this car into a crazy drifter. Here are some of the specifications of this car:

1. The maximum speed of the car is 96 mph.
2. The car can reach up to a speed of 0-60 MPH in just 15.5 seconds.
3. It has a 1.7-liter Renault F-series engine.
4. The horsepower of the engine is 80 hp.
5. It can produce 80 pound-feet of torque.

Final Words

All the drifting cars, as mentioned earlier, are considered to be the best choice for beginners. These cars’ models are either the 90s or 80s so that they won’t cost you significantly. The vehicles like Mercedes Class 230 and Nissan Skyline are best for drifting with no modifications.

Some cars like Volvo 340 need a little modification, after which it is ready to go on the track for drifting. This article will make the selection decision easy for you.