Drifting as professional motorsport has come a long way since its inception back in the mid-'80s, but still to this day, there aren't that many companies that offer turnkey, pro-spec drift cars that are built from the ground up. But several years ago, one man from Riga, Latvia, decided he'd do something about this issue. He came up with a solution for drivers that don't have budget restraints and are on the lookout for a special vehicle.
You might have heard about HGK Racing before, as they have been building quite a few interesting cars over the years, like the BMW E92 Eurofighter or the BMW E46, which Kristaps Bluss used to drive in Formula Drift. These guys are well known for their craftsmanship, as their top-tier vehicles all feature sequential gearboxes, extensively built motors, and highly modified chassis suited for the given application.
After making a name for themselves with several BMW chassis, we're surprised to see them launching their new Eurofighter, which is based on the Toyota Supra A90. They have made extensive use of carbon fiber and kevlar on the body, which is reminiscent of their more recent F22 project. A set of carbon-kevlar doors alone will set you back $2,725 (€2,240). The rear fenders will cost you another $1,192 (€980).
There are more goodies in the back, but don't be surprised if you'll end up paying an extra $2,434 (€2,000) for a rear-mounted radiator kit with a carbon fiber shroud, carbon fiber rear firewall, and two high-flow Spal fans. Although the vehicle on display is fitted with a 2JZ-GTE engine capable of more than 1,000 horsepower, HGK has also thought about LS fanatics, and can provide an LS-based engine Front Motor Plate.
Of course, with such a high horsepower build, a manual gearbox just wouldn't cut it, so a Samsonas Sequential Gearbox was installed instead. Both 4-speed and 5-speed variants are available, but you do need to consider the fact that this is a $10,471 (€8,600) gearbox. And this is without even considering the rest of the drivetrain, including the engine, the clutch, the quick-change differential, the axles, or the driveshaft.
All in all, we did the math by adding up all the products featured on the website, and got to a total of around $73,048 (€59,960). This does not include the engine, the chassis, or the man-hours spent building the car. As of now, it is not clear if this actual vehicle will be competing in any professional drift series, be it with Kristaps Bluss or James Dean or anyone else for that matter. Still, we're bound to get a drift demo soon, and we'll be sure to give you a tip on that.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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