Tanner Foust Will Drift In A VW Passat
When you think about drifting, the usual list of vehicles comes up to mind: an older 240SX, a Skyline GT-S, a Toyota Supra, a Mazda RX-7… these cars have ample power, they are easy to work on and they are all rear-wheel drive.
In the sport’s highest division (Formula Drift), budgets are almost unlimited and sponsors want maximum visibility. So how do set yourself apart from the rest of the pack? One of the best ways is by building a vehicle that would normally have no business being on a drift course.
This is why Tanner Foust chose a radically different vehicle for his 2015 season; using his partnership with Volkswagen, he scored a brand-new Passat sedan.
Underneath the bodywork, everything is changed; a big 450 cubic-inch V8 sends 700 horsepower to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. If more power is needed (for the faster tracks on the calendar) a nitrous injection kit can add another 200 ponies, bringing the total to 900. And since we are talking about a drift vehicle, Nitto will supply tires to the team.
We will see this unique Passat at the first event of the season in Long Beach, California this weekend.