World's First Porsche Cayman Drift Car Looks Like This Champion's Best Kept Secret

Big things are coming my way in April, and I'll let you in on the action as it all unfolds. My FC RX-7 will leave the paint shop looking better than ever. And I am returning to drift school, where I'll test a car you've never seen before. Speaking of drifting, I have dedicated almost half of my life to the sport.

I knew it would grow to conquer the hearts of millions, but I'm still in awe of its progression over the years. In 2008, you could show up in a 400-hp car and destroy most of your opponents. Today, you'd better pack at least twice as much power to stand a chance at the podium. But it's not all about performance figures.

As someone famous once said: "You have to look cool while going sideways." That implies having a cool car; several characteristics will define that: base chassis, wheels, livery, body kits, under glow, and so on. If you pull up to an event and half the paddock has the same car as you do, you're in for a bad time.

People have looked at different chassis to build something unique, but there's one sure way to attract everyone's attention. Federico Sceriffo brought a Ferrari to Formula Drift. Years before him, Samuel Hubinette drifted in a Dodge Viper. But how many of you remember Tyler McQuarrie's attempt at competing in the Hankook Porsche 911 GT2? We all know by now that an FR layout is ideal for drifting, and the "party in the rear" style of the 911 was a huge downside.

Later on, Daigo Saito drove the Liberty Walk Lamborghini Aventador, and in recent years, Sultan Al Qassimi built an LS-powered 911 for the sport. Even more insane is that Mad Mike Whiddett announced he's working on a drift-spec McLaren P1, which he will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And now comes Chelsea Denofa's announcement. After winning the Formula Drift Championship in 2023 with Vaughn Gittin JR's Team RTR, Chelsea announced his retirement from the series.

He let everyone know he won't give up on the sport but just wants to enjoy it from a different perspective. At first, I suspected he'd challenge the European Drift Masters Grand Prix. I followed him going sideways in a BMW in Japan. But never for one second did I realize what he was up to. Over a decade ago, he made a name for himself by competing in a BMW.

And now he's back in a German car. But this time, he opted for the Porsche Cayman as a base for the project, something no one has done before. That's right, this is the world's first drift-spec Porsche Cayman. And I'm dying to see what Denofa has planned for it: I guess we're on the verge of a new Gymkhana-style video or something along those lines.

The conclusion is that more people might start building drift cars out of Porsches, Ferraris, and McLarens (don't forget about the Arios machine in Japan). That will likely attract bigger crowds to the events and might bring the sport closer to F1 and WRC levels within the next 20 years. It's a good thing we still have grassroots drifting around, as that's a much more affordable alternative to get involved in the game.