Tuesday 27th October 2009

Japanese Drifter Wows Judges With Stunning Slide

Video: Spectacular reverse-entry drift or astonishing save?

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The drifting world has been knocked even further sideways by an amazing reverse-entry four-wheel drift executed at a competition in Japan.

Driver Masato Kawabata was competing in a 591hp modified Nissan S13 240SX, and managed to enter the drift manoeuvre at a reverse angle that has drift-ologists everywhere dumbstruck with amazement.

Even if you're not a fan of 'drifting culture' and the competition formulae that it has spawned, it's hard not to be taken with the brutal grace of this magnificent slide.

Check out the video below to see the daring drift, and the somewhat 'enthusiastic' (read: hilarious) reaction of the judging panel. So much for poker-faced impartiality...

[R34]

Slow news week?

[hornetrider]

Maybe, but pretty effing cool all the same.

[Marf]

Sughoi!

[ZesPak]

This should be in this topic:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Instead of on the news.

[Mr Gear]

Nice. I can't help thinking that he didn't mean to go that far... either way, it was well held.

[Great Pretender]

R34 said:

Slow news week?

How so?

Thats' some of the most skillful driving I have ever borne witness to.

Well done that man

[nonuts]

Cool video, thanks for sharing!

[Snoggledog]

I'm not a great fan of drifting but that's astonishing car control.

[CypherP]

That really is impressive! From the outside replay, it looks as if he just over-cooked the drift and managed to save it by coming off the power, but from the interior cam, they way he's downshifting and keeping the lock on makes me wonder whether he actually meant to enter the corner at that angle.

Whatever, it's astonishing. D1 may not be liked by all, but they have some bloody skillful drivers.

[dougc]

Pah!!

Gigi does that before breakfast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewxrNSOKFow

[Mc lovin]

I dont have sound on my work comp but are they shouting "BANZAIII!!!!" at the end?

[RacerMDR]

i was going to say - that doesn't look particularly hard at all.......especially not in a car set up for it...

3/10

[Bizzle]

It's a 180sx not a 240 (180's run the SR20 and the 240's run the KA24)

Mental piece of driving from Mr Kawabata

Even more monumental when you consider the severity of the accicent that he was involved with last year...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjTdsJQYQM

As for the comment above, TRUST ME backwards entry's at the top of 4th are quite tricky.

Edited by Bizzle on Tuesday 27th October 11:55

[Graham E]

Surely thats just the same as pretty much every 4wd rally man does on gravel day in day out?

[Marf]

Graham E said:

Surely thats just the same as pretty much every 4wd rally man does on gravel day in day out?

And that makes it less impressive how?

Both are skilled disciplines, one is based on drifting out of necessity due to low grip levels, the other is drifting purposely to get the biggest slip angle possible.

[RobCrezz]

Graham E said:

Surely thats just the same as pretty much every 4wd rally man does on gravel day in day out?

Not really.

[topless_mx5]

RacerMDR said:

i was going to say - that doesn't look particularly hard at all.......especially not in a car set up for it...

3/10

It does look a bit easy from the interior cam doesn't it.

[Neil G60]

Bizzle said:

It's a 180sx not a 240 (180's run the SR20 and the 240's run the KA24)

Mental piece of driving from Mr Kawabata

Even more monumental when you consider the severity of the accicent that he was involved with last year...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjTdsJQYQM

As for the comment above, TRUST ME backwards entry's at the top of 4th are quite tricky.

Edited by Bizzle on Tuesday 27th October 11:55

Crashes like that happen all the time in BTCC!

Edited by Neil G60 on Tuesday 27th October 12:09

[vz-r_dave]

topless_mx5 said:

RacerMDR said:

i was going to say - that doesn't look particularly hard at all.......especially not in a car set up for it...

3/10

It does look a bit easy from the interior cam doesn't it.

Exactly anyone who races cars on the weekends as a hobby can see that......

[dwilkie]

I just love the judges seats, i want one of those for the office!