Hyundai iMax N 'Drift Bus' a real thing

Hyundai Australia builds an i800 we can all get onboard with. All eight of us...

Lord only knows what they're drinking at Hyundai Australia - but whatever it is, it's working. We all assumed that the Sydney-based outfit's recently revealed World Time Attack Challenge car would've exhausted this year's motorsport and/or marketing budget. But no, apparently there was sufficient money left in the kitty for the manufacturer to veer even further into left field. Right to the point where you start discussing how to make a mini bus drift, in fact.

Hyundai says the resulting iMax N 'Drift Bus' was inspired by the 'mischievous spirit' of N - which, of course, it wasn't because N is a German-Korean hybrid and therefore about as mischievous as a seeing eye dog. Arguably it needs a bit more mischievousness, which, as ever, is where an office full of slightly underworked Australians with a spare eight-seat people carrier to hand enter.

Obviously they know a bit about making large, heavy cars go fast Down Under so Sydney has wisely gone with its instincts - which, naturally enough, were to install a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine and a proper differential to take full advantage of rear-wheel drive and claimed 50/50 weight distribution.

That's 50/50 when eight-up, too, the iMax having retained its full quota of seats (because mini bus). It also gets uprated electronically-controlled dampers, an eight-speed automatic transmission, bi-modal exhaust, 19-inch alloys and better brakes. Frankly it looks like a hoot, and while it's not road legal, the video would suggest that it does exactly what it says on the tin. Or tinny. Hats off, chaps.