Drifting, as a motorsport, may have originated in Japan, but the Europeans were going sideways long before that on the rally stages.
On the old continent, European cars are a common sight in drift competitions, which makes sense, as they’re often more affordable than the popular JDM machines these days.
While some of the older models may lack power, gearheads navigate around that by swapping in more powerful engines, turning their Euroboxes into proper drift missiles. Let’s check out some of the best European drift cars!
Volvo 240
To most, the boxy Volvo 240 just looks like an old family sedan, but you have to remember that it performed admirably in various touring car series as well as rally stages. In fact, the Volvo 240 did so well in motorsports, it was nicknamed the flying brick.
Available as a coupe, sedan, and wagon, all variants can be sent sideways down the racetrack. Its 2.1-liter turbo engine isn’t overly powerful in stock form, but that’s easily fixed with some quality aftermarket parts — and there’s a whole industry catering to them in Scandinavia.
Volvo 740
The 240’s bigger and just as boxy sibling, the Volvo 740, was never as popular for racing use, but it’s still a very capable drift missile.
Again, if you need some ideas and inspiration, check out what the crazy Scandihooligans are doing. Extracting 100s of horses from the 740’s turbo engine is simple enough, but some choose to go down the LS swap route instead. Either way, with lots of power going to the rear wheels, the 740 breaks traction at will.
BMW E30
BMW’s E30 3-Series is another motorsport icon. Forget about the M3, as those cost as much as an exotic supercar these days. In fact, even the regular second-gen 3-Series fetches a fortune if it’s in good condition.
The reason it’s so popular isn’t just because of the cool design — it has an excellent chassis, rear-wheel drive, and a decent selection of engines. We’d opt for one of the larger six-cylinder units, but drifters have been known to swap in the turbocharged 2JZ unit from the fourth-gen Toyota Supra.
BMW E36
If you’re on a budget, but desperately want a BMW M3, the E36 is the way to go. It’s a great car, but it never achieved the same status as the E30 and E46, so prices are still “sensible.” If the M3 is too expensive, the 325 or 328 are excellent options that can be modified to produce tons of power.
In Europe, the E36 Bimmer is one of the most common cars on the drift scene, more so than many of the JDM legends, so finding all the parts needed to build a drift car is just a couple of keystrokes and mouse clicks away.
BMW E46
Most BMW enthusiasts agree that the E46 M3 is peak 3-series, but the lesser trims are also excellent drift cars.
The 330 coupe is nearly as good as the M3, but for a fraction of the price, and it’s easy to find every part needed to turn it into a competitive drift build.
Mercedes-Benz CLK
Drifting a Merc CLK makes a statement, just don’t tell anyone that the C208 and C209 generations of the Mercedes-Benz CLK can be bought dirt cheap these days. Like all Benzes of the past, power is sent to the rear wheels — a must for drifting.
Those with a decent budget can look for one of the AMG models with powerful V8 engines, but even the smaller, supercharged four-cylinder engines pack a decent punch, and they’re near-bulletproof.
Mercedes-Benz 190E
Like the E30 BMW, the 190E was a force to be reckoned with in European motorsports back in the 1980s and 1990s. Even today, the 16-valve versions can be seen flying sideways on forest gravel roads as it’s still a popular rally car.
The high-performance versions of the 190E are great, but they’re becoming expensive, so we recommend getting one of the cheaper models. Even the diesel-engined Mercs are commonly found drifting in Europe.
Mk2 Ford Escort
In the 1970s and 1980s, the mk2 Ford Escort was a common sight on the rally stages. In fact, it’s still a popular choice today.
There are almost endless amounts of aftermarket performance parts, and it’s common to swap in the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine from the Sierra or Escort Cosworth. Even the late, great Ken Block had a mk2 Escort for gymkhana use.
Ford Sierra Cosworth
Speaking of the Cosworth, the Sierra dominated motorsports back in the 1980s, and it’s still a force to be reckoned with today.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the rare and expensive whale-tail three-door or the more attainable four-door Sierra Sapphire Cossie, they’re both great at going sideways as the turbocharged 2.0-liter engines can be tuned to produce crazy levels of power.
Opel Manta
Opel, a German carmaker, was under the GM umbrella until 2017, but it’s now part of Stellantis. Back in the day, Opel built some of the best rally cars, such as the Manta.
By now, it’s fairly obvious that the old, rear-wheel drive rally cars from the 1970s and 1980s make great drift cars, and the Manta is no exception to this rule. In most cases, the old powertrain is replaced with a highly tuned BMW engine, or even a 2JZ unit, along with a bunch of custom parts.
Opel Ascona
The Ascona is another classic rally Opel that lends itself well to sliding sideways around a racetrack.
In stock form, the Ascona was never a powerful car. However, drifting enthusiasts have solved that problem with engine swaps and massive turbos. Even in Europe, it’s not common to find Asconas on the drift scene, though, but they’re commonly seen going sideways during hillclimb events.
Ferrari 599
We’ve already mentioned that the Aston Martin Vantage can be used for drifting, so it’s no surprise that some enthusiasts have chosen the Italian prancing horse as their weapon.
Federico Sceriffo drifts a Ferrari 599 with a turbocharged V12 engine pumping out a whopping 1,125 ponies.
