Fans of Gran Turismo, rejoice. The elusive Pike’s Peak Suzuki Escudo is on full display here in this shakedown video, which shows owner and driver, Nobuhiro Tajima, demolishing a set of rear tires. The 2.0-liter, 24-valve V6 sits comfortably over the rear axle, and seems to favor said axle as well. With every induced bit of oversteer, the car sits with a lovely balance, spinning the rears gleefully as the front torque is used to help pull the car out of the drift.

Though not the craziest of the giant Japanese driver’s creations, this Escudo marked a serious step forward in privateer hillclimbing. Whereas the previous car he used for Pike’s Peak was no slouch, the featured machine boasted serious downforce from a twin-tunnel underbody and a massive diffuser. The downforce provided by these contraptions helped the car place second that year, during which they still ran on a dirt course.

Changing to a distinctive red livery for event, Suzuki and Tajima put together one of the world’s most iconic rally cars.

Tajima built this car almost entirely himself. Employing the facade of a Suzuki Escudo, known as a Sidekick in the States, the bones of the car were all spaceframe, hence the mid-mounted engine. With the motor mounted in the right place, a decent amount of displacement, and a responsive twin-turbo setup, the powerband is demonstrably wide and usable.

Through a series of figure-eights and impressive slides, the car shows incredible stability and poise. Though Tajima’s moved onto electric vehicles for his latest attempts at Pike’s Peak, this wild-looking hodgepodge of go-fast bits still pulls at the heartstrings of many a racing fan.