Daigo Saito’s new drift car is a rear-drive 2JZ Toyota Yaris with 735kW

Legendary drift star Daigo Saito’s new car is a Toyota Yaris. There’s something you didn’t think we’d ever say if you thought about it a couple of years ago.

Of course, now that the Toyota GR Yaris exists, that’s a little less surprising. And this one in particular is quite wild. It’s been converted to rear-wheel drive (of course), powered by a 2JZ, and has around 735kW.

Not your nan’s Yaris, etc.

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Saito's GR Supra in action

Saito’s 2JZ under the bonnet does of course have a Garret GTX4294R turbocharger roughly 15 per cent larger than the size of a human head, or so a photo posted by the drifter would have us believe.

The result is, as mentioned, a hecking lot of power, 1000PS as Saito states it.

The Yaris will join a host of other Toyotas in Saito’s past and present whips, including a GR Supra and an 86 formerly from the Australian Toyota 86 racing series.The Yaris’ bodykit comes courtesy of Kei Miura’s Pandem brand, sibling company to Rocket Bunny under his company TRA Kyoto.

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Miura posted photos of the kit in white on his own Instagram account, suggesting it will eventually be available to the general public and not just drifting heroes.

Saito’s new Yaris isn’t the first time an otherwise relatively pedestrian hatchback has been turned into a drift beast for international competition, as Papadakis Racing in the US previously created a Toyota Corolla iM for Formula D star Fredric Aasbo.