Fans Are Left Stunned At Secret ‘Red Bull Tokyo Drift’ Underground Car Meet
Table of Contents
Take a behind-the-scenes look at a secret, invite-only underground car meet featuring one of the most epic drifting demos we’ve ever seen. Only a handful of unsuspecting, hand-picked invitees received word to head to a secret warehouse location in Tokyo Bay, and they had no idea what awaited them.
With over 100 incredible cars packed into the location, it featured just about every JDM legend you can think of, and much, much more.
Alongside some of the most recognizable cars from Tokyo Drift were modern-day-inspired replicas and some of the finest builds that legendary Japanese tuners have to offer.
Liberty Walk brought their Nissan Skyline R34, as well as the incredible widebody Ferrari F40, which had everyone’s jaws on the floor.
Other recognizable builds included Red Bull’s own Honda NSX, which recently featured in a viral video with F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda.
A car nobody expected to see was the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, proving this meet wasn’t messing around.
As you’d probably expect, it was a JDM car fan’s dream, with row after row of Japanese classics filling every corner of the warehouse.
If that wasn’t enough, a variety of motorsport celebrities were also hanging out among the crowds, including rotary legend Mad Mike.
He joined Formula DRIFT driver Hiroya Minowa to experiment with VR glasses while driving RC versions of their real-world drift cars.
Then, just when fans thought things couldn’t get any better, the drivers put down the VR glasses, and the real action got underway.
Just when the fans thought it couldn’t get any better…
Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a four-rotor destroyed everyone’s eardrums as one of Mad Mike’s (many) insane builds echoed through the warehouse.
That’s right, Mad Mike and Hiro weren’t just there to play with the toy cars. They had the real things lying in wait.
As Mad Mike lined up in his rotary-powered Mazda 3, he was joined by Hiro Minowa in his 2JZ-powered Toyota GR Corolla.
Let’s face it, no Tokyo Drift event would be complete without some multi-storey car park drifting. Fans were in for a treat as the pair stunned them with live door-to-door hatchback drifting action as they climbed up the eight-level parking area. Just imagine the sound of that insane combo!
What the event meant to Mad Mike
Mad Mike Whiddett says the event had a deeper meaning to him than just another drift demo. His 17-year journey with Red Bull came full circle, bringing the spectacle back to “the motherland of drifting.”
The New Zealand driver originally made the jump from freestyle motocross after watching Option DVDs and early D1 Grand Prix footage, delivering the same underground energy that filled the Tokyo Bay warehouse.
Bringing that same energy to an invite-only Tokyo meet, with some of the rarest JDM builds surrounding him and Hiroya’s 2JZ screaming alongside his rotary, was a full-circle moment that captured everything he fell in love with all those years ago.
Written by:
Published on:
Bill is a writer and photographer who has been part of the Drifted team since 2015. His work extends to various print and online publications, including Wangan Warriors.
As part of the King of Nations team, he traveled extensively for several years, capturing top-tier international drift events worldwide. His hands-on experience, including rebuilding his own Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, gives him unique insights into drift car building and global drift culture.
When not behind the lens or keyboard, Bill can be found browsing classifieds for his next JDM project or shredding virtual tires on popular simulators like Assetto Corsa, CarX, and Forza.
You can learn more about Bill’s story here or follow his socials on X (formerly Twitter), Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
