Drifting is one of the coolest things you can do with a car. Movies like Fast and Furious franchise and Initial D took the concept of drift street racing and made it trend all around the world. But when it comes to drifting, most people would opt to use a carefully tuned car. But carmaker Hyundai is not most people. 

Enter the #DriftBus. Originally started as a joke by Hyundai Germany, the Drift Bus was realized by the team at Hyundai Australia and will be competing in a drift challenge in the World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney. The project was put into motion when Hyundai Germany, purely as a prank, posted a doctored picture of a Hyundai iMax people mover looking like it had been given the Hyundai N sporting treatment. The image quickly went viral and after a quick poll, the results confirmed what was in everyone’s minds; people want to see a bus drifting. 

Thus, in a brilliant move, the actual iMax N was born. And it wasn’t just for photo or illustration purposes only. No, this baby was built ready to drift. The vehicle was given a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V-6 that chucks out 402 horsepower and 409 lb-ft of torque. All of that power is bestowed on the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The drift bus also got a new differential, electronically controlled suspension damping, 19-inch wheels wrapped in some serious rubber, and a cacophonous dual-mode exhaust.

Hyundai didn’t hold back on the interior of the bus as well, giving the sleek bus sport seats for the driver and front passenger, an N-series steering wheel, and leather- and suede-trimmed seats for those in the back. And while conventional drift cars don’t usually have more than 2 people at the most to achieve its perfect 50/50 balance, the Drift Bus requires all 8 of its seats to be occupied for that perfect drift balance. 

The best part of this story is that the Drift Bus competed at the World Time Attack Challenge in Australia on 18-19 October 2019, and rubber was burned.

While it’s cool that Hyundai came up with such a brilliant vehicle to scratch the “family who wants to drift” itch, the actual Drift Bus will not be in full production, because it’s limited for use on the race track only and isn’t exactly road legal. The automaker says that the intention of the van is to show its passion for building exhilarating vehicles. 

Welp, there’s nothing more exhilarating than a drifting bus, that’s for sure. 

What do you think of the #DriftBus? Would you like to give it a spin? Leave a comment below!