Best Drift Cars For Beginners in 24-25 and Beyond

Drifting’s blowing up as a motorsport, and it’s way more doable than most people think. Unlike drag racing, where the beefiest engine wins, the best drift cars aren’t always the priciest or most tricked-out rides. What truly counts is Seat time. The more a driver practices, the better they get—no matter the motorsport they’re into. Still, choosing the right car matters. Believe it or not, an old Mustang SN95 can keep up with a 2024 Mustang GT on the drift track if it’s set up right.

Now, what should you look for in a drift car? if you’re aiming for smooth sideways slides, look for a solid chassis, rear-wheel drive, manual handbrake, and a limited-slip differential. You might need to add that diff yourself, but the rest should ideally come with the car.

A good racing seat’s also a must for a street racing car; you don’t want to be sliding around as you tear up the track! Plus, pick a car with solid aftermarket support. Some rare models might look cool, but they’re a headache to upgrade.

Forget extra power or fancy drift mods for now. The secret is to keep practicing till you and your ride are in sync. Before we reveal our best drift cars for beginners, let’s first discuss this sport itself.

What is Drifting – History, Popularity

Drifting’s all about keeping control while losing it. You’ve got the throttle, brakes, and steering working together, just to keep the car in this wild oversteer, sliding through turns with precision. Some drivers, the pros, they’ll get the car’s rear inches from a barrier, hitting 80 mph, leaning into angles over 45 degrees—takes skill, I’m telling you. A skilled driver will guide that car through five or six turns without even letting those rear wheels grip once.

How’d it start?

Japan’s streets birthed drifting, taking off in the late ’90s in the West. A Japanese motorbike racer, Kunimitsu Takahashi, eventually found his way to cars and tore up the All Japan Touring Car Championship with a whole new style. Soon, Keiichi Tsuchiya, the “Drift King,” pushed the limits on Japan’s mountain roads. The police looked the other way, so long as drifters kept themselves safe.

Popularity

Drifting’s blown up globally now. Sure, the FIA does not officially recognize it, but competitions like the D1 Grand Prix go worldwide. Movies and video games like Tokyo Drift (2006) hooked a generation on the thrill of it, with all the smoke and screeching tires. Today, “bring-your-own” drift events make it possible—legally.

Best Drift Cars For Beginners To Master in 2024 And Beyond

When choosing the best drift car in the world, I considered cost, how easy it is to find aftermarket parts, and how much work it takes to modify them. Technically, any rear-wheel-drive car with enough power can become a drift machine, but some need way more effort, skill, and maybe even specialized tools to get them there. That said, these 6 options are great for folks new to drifting who want something affordable and easy to handle.

Now, all the cars listed here won’t bust your budget; it means we are essentially talking about cheap drift cars. Some are easier to find secondhand than others, but every car has good availability overall. I wanted to include the best drift cars for beginners under 10k that offer different looks and feels—some classic choices, and some unique picks too. Remember, drifting isn’t just fun; it has risks. Proper training, protective gear, and safe spaces to drift are a must. Always drift responsibly and stay safe.

1. Mazda MX-5 Miata

For drift cars, well—Miata’s it, period. Light and balanced, with the tight handling that makes every turn feel like it’s just you and the road. And it doesn’t matter which generation: NA, NB, NC, ND—the MX-5 stays a solid choice all around. Circuits? Hill climbs? Autocross or drift? Yep, the Miata handles ’em like a pro. Throw in some epic engine swap options, even a hulking LS V8 if you’re up for it.

Best part? Prices aren’t insane, likely ’cause Miata owners just get it. For real driving, you do no need massive horsepower; the Miata’s got pure fun written all over it.

Mazda MX-5/Miata NB Specs:

• Model year: 1998 – 2001
• Engine: BP-4W
• Engine displacement: 1,839 cc
• Drivetrain: RWD
• Power: 138 bhp @ 6,500 rpm
• Torque: 119 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm
• 0-60 mph: 8s
• Top speed: 127 mph
• Price: About $4,000 for an NA and $20,000 for the ND

2. Corvette C5/C6

The C5 and C6 Corvettes are the complete opposite of a Miata. You get what feels like pure Prestige in these cars, plus they pack a V8 under the hood and an RAC chassis built for performance. There’s a whole aftermarket dedicated to these, angle kits, drift mods—name it. And, they even seem to come with white New Balance sneakers (cargo shorts, though, optional). But all jokes aside, these models are gaining real momentum in the drift scene.

Why? Well, partly ‘cause prices are dropping, and partly ‘cause they dominate on the track. Been to a drift event lately? You’ve probably noticed the big guys are running LS engines—and guess what? Corvettes come with that power straight from the factory. If you consider what a V8 swap costs on another chassis, it’s likely over $10k easily, depending on resources.

Corvettes have a lower center of gravity and wide stance that naturally handles high grip, which is what modern drifting demands. Building anything to match this performance would cost you more than just buying a Corvette outright. The real downside? Parts aren’t everywhere, so if you crash, repairs get pricey. Also, some of these fast cars may go beyond 20K.

Corvette C5/C6 Specs:

• Model year: 1997-2004 for C5 and 2005-2013 for C6
• Powerplant: LS1 (1997-2004) / LS6 (2001-2004, Z06 model)
• Displacement: 5666 cm³
• Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD)
• Horsepower: 345-horsepower at 5600 rpm  (1997 C5 model)
• Torque: 350 lb-ft torque at 4400 rpm
• 0 to 60 miles per hour: 4.9 sec
• Top speed: 172 mph
• Price: Starting at around $10K for the 1997 Corvette C5

3. Mustang SN95

The SN95 Mustang, apart from the Terminator, feels like the generation that everyone forgot. Maybe it’s ‘cause those rounder models got dubbed some of the ugliest cars out there—which yeah, I get, totally subjective—but this car’s honestly a low-key solid pick for a first and cheap drift car, and here’s why.

For starters, these American muscle cars don’t have the fan-favorite appeal of the Fox Body or S197, so prices aren’t jacked up. You can scoop a V8 muscle car for cheap, which is rare these days. Sure, the early V8s only made around 215 horsepower, but they packed nearly 300 lb of torque. Not exactly track-breaking, but enough to go sideways, trust me.

And let’s be real—the chassis is developed like a tank. Tons of used parts and spare roller bodies are out there since they sold loads of V6s. If you blow the engine? Swapping it’s easy; parts work across a few Ford models. Plus, some of these fast cars under 10k have already been modded by past owners, so you’re likely saving some cash on performance upgrades.

Mustang SN95 Specs:

• Model year: 1994-1998
• Powerplant: V8 OHV 16 valves
• Displacement: 4,998 cc
• Drivetrain: RWD
• Horsepower: 215 hp @ 4200 rpm
• Torque: 285 lb-ft @  rpm
• 0 to 60 miles per hour: 6.9s
• Max velocity: not available
• Price: from $4000 to over 10K for the 1994 Mustang GT SN95

4. BMW E36, E46 and M3 Variants

German cars are often tagged as unreliable, complicated, and high-cost in repairs. But to me, the engineering behind them is seriously impressive. Toyota even slapped its badge on BMW’s new Supra—it’s that much respected. The E36 and E46, for example, bring performance and durability, with precision-focused handling. They’re designed with a 50/50 weight balance, making every turn sharp and responsive.

Now, both models come with a variety of engines. You could go for the modest 120-horsepower 318i, or even bump up to the 230-horsepower 328i. The E36 M3 and E46 M3 are even spicier with 240 hp and 338 hp. And while power isn’t essential for drifting, it sure doesn’t hurt, so if you can, shoot for over 200 hp—maybe a 330 if you’re lucky.

Even though all these different versions, like the 318i and 328i, can be confusing, they mostly share parts, meaning used components are affordable. Definitely worth a look, if you’re ready for it.

Specs for E36 M3:

• Model year: 1994 – 1999
• Powerplant: S50B30US
• Displacement: 2,990 cc
• Drivetrain: RWD
• Horsepower: 243 bhp @ 6,000 rpm
• Torque: 225 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm
• 0 to 60 miles per hour: 5.5s
• Max velocity: 155 mph
• Price: around $5,000 for E36, making it one of the best drift cars under $5k. The M3 goes for around $10K-$20K.

5. Nissan 350Z

The Nissan 350Z, to me, feels like the S chassis reincarnated, in today’s world. Go to any drift event, and you’re bound to see ‘em everywhere – because these things come almost drift-ready from the factory. With a welded diff and some track time, you’re all set to burn rubber. Stock suspension? Yeah, it might feel a bit loose, but hey, it’s still sport-tuned, giving you 290-plus horses and roughly 270 lb-ft of torque. The VQ engine, though it has an odd sound, proves itself over and over, even when pushed to the limit, bouncing off the rev limiter like it’s nothing.

As for the transmission, the later CD models? Reliable as ever. You’ll even find folks throwing ‘em into LS swaps just ‘cause they handle power that well. Used parts? Super easy to come by – I know if someone dented my door tomorrow in a tandem, I could find another door at a decent price by the next day. The aftermarket for this car? Massive.

Yes, prices are creeping up for 350Zs and parts because of drifting demand. But it’s still affordable compared to the insane prices of S chassis stuff. And while I did consider an E46 BMW initially, my 350Z just felt like the right call, stock-for-stock. For someone’s first drift car? Hard to beat the 350Z.

Nissan 350Z Specs:

• Model year: 2003 – 2008
• Powerplant: VQ35DE
• Displacement: 3,498 cc
• Drivetrain: RWD
• Horsepower: 287 bhp @ 6,200 rpm
• Torque: 274 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm
• 0 to 60 miles per hour: 5.5s
• Max velocity: 155 mph
• Price: $5000 or more depending on the condition and the model year

6. Nissan Skyline

The Nissan Skyline’s got a history as deep as its thrill factor. It’s right up there with the classic Nissan ‘Z’ cars. So, the model I’m diving into? The R33 GTS-T. Made from ‘93 to ‘98, this one’s ready for anyone with a need to drift.

Under the hood, it’s a 2.5-liter RB25DET straight-six, turbo-charged to perfection. Power moves through a five-speed stick, then hits a limited-slip diff. Stock power is 280hp, but with some bolt-ons, you’re looking at 400hp easily.

Already fast enough to learn on, and lots of room for more speed.

Nissan Skyline Specs:

• Model year: 1993-1998
• Powerplant: RB25DET
• Displacement: 2.5-liter
• Drivetrain: RWD
• Horsepower: 280hp @  rpm
• Torque: lb-ft @  rpm
• 0 to 60 miles per hour: 5.3 seconds
• Max velocity: 156 mph
• Price: starting from around $8000, making it one of the best drift cars under 10k

Wrap-up & Honorable Mentions

That about wraps up our main list. Few honorable mentions do come to mind, though, like the BRZ and GT86. They’re fun, no question, but just a bit pricey for the value. I figure one day, they might show up all over drift events—a decade or so from now—once they’ve depreciated a bit more.

I didn’t include the G35, 37, or 370Z either, which I kind of grouped with the 350Z. What about the S13 and S14? These are legendary drift cars, for sure, but with today’s demand, they’re just not worth the cost anymore.

Our main list covered the most popular and reliable drift cars. Drifting itself, though, blends speed, accuracy, and that elusive style factor—which Dodge Viper owners might nail with V10 power and zero traction control. Tricky to manage? Definitely, but thrilling or maybe you’re eyeing German V8s, like an E55 AMG or M5 E39.