'Toyota hybrid' we really want…

The demise of Toyota Australia's hot-rod operation, TRD, was unfortunate but perhaps the company needed a little more punch to the line-up. Toyota's little-sister brand, Scion, has done just that with its new-for-2009 entry in the American Drifting series.

Drifting isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some view the tyre-smoking, power-sliding sport as a waste of rubber but the sport remains popular in the United States, both with fans and manufacturers. Just as importantly it remains one of the last racing categories around the world with a thin technical rulebook leaving engineers and designers to get creative.

Scion has lured reigning champion Tanner Foust from his two-time title winning Nissan 350Z for this season. And the car they have used would have made a great addition to the TRD range.

While a regular Scion tC is front-wheel drive and powered by a 120kW 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine Foust's is not. American drift and drag racing car builder Steve Papadakis and his team have given the tC a major makeover.

Under the bonnet lurks a 6.0-litre V8 engine sourced from Toyota's leading NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing. While it doesn't have the 600kW used for NASCAR it still packs a massive 485kW punch. It has been specially tuned by Advanced Engine Management to make it more flexible in the rev range to help Foust hold his drifts perfectly for the judges.

Of course front-wheel drive doesn't work in Drifting so the crew has rebuilt the car to send the drive to the rear. That means a whole new floor and enough rollbar to build a small zoo. A racing four-speed gearbox is used to handle all that grunt and the differential has been sourced from a Toyota Supra.

So while there may not be a lot of Scion left in the Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored car at least there's plenty of Toyota parts.

But Toyota isn't the only major manufacturer getting involved this year. Hyundai has partnered with New Zealand-born Drifting World Champion Rhys Millen for 2009.

His team has built a Genesis Coupe into his Drift weapon to take on Foust's Scion and the rest of his rivals. Based on the 'Art of Speed' concept Millen built for the SEMA Show last year, the Drift Genesis looks at home on a racetrack.

Millen has made extensive use of carbon fibre to cut weight and give the car its aggressive new look. The bonnet, boot, roof, doors, fenders, front fascia and side sills are all made out of the lightweight material.

A stroked version of Hyundai's 3.8-litre V6 will power the Coupe. In addition to increasing it to 4.1 litres, the team will also turbocharge it to boost output to 410kW.

"The Genesis Coupe Concept inspired me to seek out a relationship with Hyundai and it has developed into multiple projects," says Millen. "The immediate focus is developing the RMR Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe into a drift car with a 550-horsepower engine and a lightweight, rigid chassis. We are applying everything we know about fabricating into building this car."

The resulting car only makes us more interested in the Genesis Coupe and more annoyed at Hyundai Australia's decision to tease us with the car at the Melbourne International Motor Show!

In addition to the foreign brands, America is also represented in the field. Former Volvo test driver Sam Hubinette won the opening round of the series last weekend in his Mopar-backed Dodge Viper. He plans to upgrade to a new Challenger drifting machine later in the season.

Ford's 2010 Mustang GT is also represented with Faulken-tyred sponsored Vaughn Gittin Jnr driving the pony car.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi