Image via Red Bull Motorsports/YouTube
Things get crazy when you take double World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä, put him in a Toyota GR Corolla, and have him drift on a twisting, winding mountain road in Japan. It’s just the sort of lunacy we’ve come to expect from Red Bull Motorsports, which of course is the force behind this wildly entertaining video.
This video helps prove why trucks are awesome.
The course chosen for Rovanperä to tackle is the famous Mount Iwaki in Japan. One of the things it’s earned a reputation for is the 69 tricky turns on the road, presenting a challenge even to a leisurely Sunday driver.
But when you have ice in your veins and a high-powered, tight-handling car at your disposal, plus the resources to have the road shut down so traffic isn’t an issue, going slow just isn’t an option. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Rovanperä.
Knowing that, Red Bull Motorsports decided to make things a little bit more interesting by giving the rally driver three tasks to complete on his way up the mountain. The first is drifting past four Japanese street cars at once.
But these aren’t just run-of-the-mill Kei cars they’re an R34 Skyline GT-R, 180SX, Chaser JZX100, and Mark II JZX90. They’re all being drifted hard, too.
After getting past those, Rovanperä takes on a trio in the rain: LB-Works Ferrari F40, LB-Works Lamborghini Aventador, and LB-Works Porsche 997. The legendary Wataru Kato, founder of Liberty Walk, is behind the wheel of one. They prove surprisingly easy to pass.
However, the third and final challenge is an ADVAN GR86 and Sprinter Toreno AE86, Toyota siblings. The former is driven rather aggressively by legendary drifter Max Orido, who whips around and sticks to Rovanperä like a bad habit, pushing the younger driver.
The AE86 makes an appearance at the end with an animated driver and we honestly don’t know what’s up with that. But watching the two battle it out on the turns back down the mountain is entertaining. Check out the video if you haven’t already.
Image via Red Bull Motorsports/YouTube
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