Fredric Aasbo reveals new Toyota Corolla iM drift monster

In an homage to the classic anime series Initial D, Papadakis Racing has revealed its new Toyota Corolla iM drift car to be driven by Aasbo.

In the snout is a 2.7-litre Toyota 2AR four-cylinder drinking on E85, with a Borg Warner turbo and some delicious nitrous helping it shred its Motegi Technomesh Drift tyres.

The result is a 745kW/1152Nm beast which Aasbo plans on backing into corners for the foreseeable future.

Team owner Stephan Papadakis, a racer himself, says bringing a Corolla into the world of drifting holds special significance for many in the sport.

“We know we kept people guessing in the off-season as we built our 2017 car, and we couldn’t be happier to finally have a chance to show it off,” Papadakis says.

“Corolla is an iconic nameplate in drifting and we’re proud to bring it back to the championship.”

The Toyota Corolla made a steadfast place for itself in the world of drifting when classic manga and anime series Initial D rose to popularity. The main character becomes a drifting legend through his father’s ‘Miyagi-style’ driver training and his AE86 Trueno.

In tribute to the car that started it all, Rockstar Energy Drinks released a video announcement of the car in the style of the Initial D opening sequence. It’s quite close to the original, as seen in the below comparison.

Aasbo says the series had a strong influence on him, as it would have with many other drifters.

“So many of us who love drifting grew up watching Initial D and it was fantastic to take the car out into the mountains and pay tribute to drifting history,” the 2015 Formula Drift champ says.

The car will get its first taste of competition on March 31 at the Formula Drift opener in long Beach, California.