Go drifting in a Toyota AE86 that hasn't been modified since the '90s

The furious pace of automotive evolution means that cars today feel radically different from those 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. This is especially true of performance cars, and it's what makes this video so thoroughly fascinating.

What you're seeing here is a drift-prepped Toyota AE86. That in itself is not unusual - the hachiroku is a legend in the drifting world, after all. But what makes this car particularly impressive is that it hasn't been modified into a modern drift machine. It's carbureted, for one, and retains most of the stock suspension and power steering. Plus it's rusty as hell and covered in period stickers. It is, as Alexi from the drifting site Noriyaro explains, a car that hasn't been significantly changed in over 20 years. A time machine, if you will, that transports the driver to the early days of the sport. So what happens when someone that's been driving modern drift cars gets behind the wheel of a performance antique? Spins. Quite a few spins.

Most of the eight-minute, 45-second video takes place on Japan's Ebisu Circuit, where Alexi comes to grips with the old-school setup, pointing the car the wrong way a couple times in the process. It's interesting to watch him adjust to a car that hasn't really been updated since Bill Clinton was in office, and then really get into the swing of things as the video goes on. You can see it's a more physical drive, too, and Alexi even says he's tuckered out by the time he pulls back into the paddock. Still, lapping this AE86 looks like a hell of a lot of fun.

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