Drifting has been around for decades, and its origins started in Japan. Although it started as illegal activity on the roads of Mount Fuji, drifting has reached audiences across the globe and is now considered one of the most demanding motorsports categories.
It’s a common misconception that only Japanese cars can be used for drifting, but the truth is, if your car has rear-wheel-drive and enough power, it can be used for drifting. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best drift cars you can get your hands on under the 10k mark.
Essential Drift Car Features
There are some really amazing cars you can buy for under $10k, however, if you plan on getting a car for a drift project, you should know about some of the essential features each car needs to have to be able to drift. These features include:
- Rear-wheel drive
- Power
- Limited slip differential
- Manual transmission
- Roll bars
- Hydraulic handbrake
The first and primary feature of a drift car is that it has rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive cars can also be used for drifting, but rear-wheel drive cars are much easier to control.
A powerful engine isn’t crucial at the beginning stages, however, the more power you have at the wheels, the easier it will be to kick the rear into a drift and hold it throughout the bend. A strong base engine is always a good idea, especially if you plan on taking your drift hobby to a more professional level.
A limited-slip or locked differential is a must because an open differential sends power only to the wheel that has the most grip. Some high-performance cars already come with a limited-slip differential, however, it’s not uncommon to find a welded differential in a drift car.
A manual transmission is essential if you want to drift properly. An automatic gearbox requires a much stronger engine, however, it can never replace the control you have while driving with a manual transmission.
Roll bars are essential due to safety, mainly because drifting requires high speeds, and sliding sideways around the corner can be very dangerous. For some popular models of cars used for drifting, there are aftermarket roll bars ready to install with minimal modifications.
A hydraulic handbrake isn’t a necessity as soon as you start drifting, however, when you start combining drifts from one corner to another, a hydraulic brake will come in very handy. Most drift cars have a long handbrake handle allowing the driver to lock the rear wheels easily and start a slide.
Now that you know what to look for, let’s cover some of the most popular car choices for drifting under $10k.
Mazda Miata
The Mazda Miata is certainly no surprise on this list. This small, yet agile car doesn’t offer a ton of horsepower and torque, however, its weight compensates for the lack of power it has as stock.
With hundreds of thousands of Miatas sold in the US, the one thing you certainly won’t miss is genuine spare parts. For drifting though, you might want to think about performance aftermarket parts, that are also available for this model.
Being a relatively durable car, and with access to a wide array of original and aftermarket parts at reasonable prices, the Miata is the ideal entry-level drift car. The simplicity of this car, and a huge market of performance parts allow enthusiasts to relatively cheaply modify this car to withstand the harsh conditions of drifting.
BMW E36
There are still a lot of nice E36s on the market. When this model first came out, it was available in a few power and trim options, including the M3 version. When it comes to drifting, the M3 version of the E36 would be ideal, but it wouldn’t be the best decision to use a genuine M3 as a drift project car. An E36 325i, however, has more than enough power and torque for drifting. Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing bad about using an E36 M3 for drifting, however, they’re much more expensive to buy and maintain.
The reason why so many people choose the BMW E36 as a drift car is because it’s not expensive, there’s an abundance of parts on the market, and the tuning potential is insane. It’s also very simple to work on, so any modification can be made in an improvised garage. Most E36 models came with a manual transmission as well, which is essential for drifting. The only problem now is that they’re becoming hard to come by in decent condition.
BMW E46
The BMW E46 isn’t as popular as the E36 in the drift world, but being that it’s a newer car than the E36, it might be easier to find one in good condition. Compared to the E36, the newer 3-series also came with more engine options, including the 330i which had a power output of 225 hp. With a little bit of tuning and a few simple modifications, the E46 can be an amazing drift car, no matter if you choose the saloon or coupe body style.
Being such a popular car, there are a lot of aftermarket upgrades for this car still in production.
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is an extremely popular choice for a drift car. At the moment, these cars can be found for less than $10k, but there are also more expensive versions depending on the trim level. If you’re looking for a drift car project, even the most basic 350Z will do the job.
The beauty of this particular car is that it comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes enough power that it doesn’t need any modifications. Also, a 6-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential make this car ideal for drifting, even if it’s completely stock.
The Nissan 350Z has a huge number of performance parts on the market that don’t require any modifications to the car, and they can significantly improve the car’s ability to go sideways for a long time.