Video: Mad Mike Whiddett Drifts South Africa's Franschhoek Pass

Picture drifting up Pike’s Peak, sliding inches from a sheer drop off and certain death, and you have a feel for the vibe Mad Mike Whiddett was looking for during a visit to South Africa. He had just come from England where he had participated in the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a wild ride around one of Britain’s more famous traffic circles. The engine had hardly cooled and Mike and his freshly revamped BADBUL Mazda RX-8 found themselves on a different continent… but the mission was the same, insane speed – sideways.

The New Zealander was in between gigs, having just put on a tire-smoking demo at the Wheels of Fury event in Cape Town and looking forward to SupaDrift in Johannesburg. In lieu of getting bored he took to Franschhoek Pass, a highlight of the R45 highway.

The pass has an interesting history. It started out as an elephant path, was later used for herding domesticated animals, and served as a trail for horseback riders and wagons when the area was settled. It became a more official thoroughfare in 1822 by the order of Lord Charles Somerset. Paved and perfect today, the road is 14.9 kilometers of tight switchbacks and long straightaways, a drifter’s dreamland.

No one had drifted the pass before and Mike had not even seen it, except for spying it via Google Earth. His main sponsor, Red Bull, stepped up and put the hijinks on tape for us… and the short film “Conquer the Cape” was born.

Before you jump in your ride and head for the nearest hill, check out the specs of Mike’s freshened BADBUL RX-8.

ENGINE:

Pulse Performance Race engineering (PPRE) 20B 3-rotor
Monster Bridgeport
Lightened/balanced rotors
Cross-drilled eccentric shaft
Pulse Performance Race Engineering (PPRE) apex seals
Modified stationary gears
Garrett GTX-45 Turbo
Custom merge exhaust manifold
Turbosmart Mad Mike Signature Edition 60mm Power-Gate 60 external wastegate
Redline Performance 6″ intercooler
Turbosmart blow-off valve
K&N air filter
Custom 3.5″ stainless steel exhaust system
Custom fuel cell
2x Bosch Motorsport 044 fuel pumps
Bosch Motorsport lift pump
High-flow fuel lines
Turbosmart adjustable fuel pressure regulator
Custom fuel rails
High-flow injectors
Gilmer belt drives
Custom catch tank and overflow bottle
Redline Performance alloy radiator
2x Setrab oil coolers
Intercooler and radiator water sprayers

ENGINE MANAGEMENT:

Pulse Performance Race Engineering (PPRE) Tuned Haltech Platinum Sport 2000 ECU
Custom loom

DRIVELINE:

HKS 6-speed sequential gearbox
HKS Pro 2 twin-plate clutch
HKS flywheel
Autosport Dynamics / Winters quick-change rear end
Autosport Dynamics limited slip differential
Custom Driveshaft Shop axles

SUSPENSION / CHASSIS:

Custom built Tein Super Drift/Mono Flex suspension
Tein EDFC, FD3S RX-7 steering rack
Megan Racing steering arms
URAS tie-rods
Megan Racing tie-rod ends
MMM steering knuckles
Custom tube frame
Custom rear sway bars

WHEELS / TIRES:

Front: 18×10″ Nessen Forged 8-spoke, Nitto NT05 225/40R18 tyres
Rear: 18×11.5″ Nessen Forged 10-spoke, Nitto NT05 (dry) and Nitto INVO (wet) 265/35R18 tires

CABIN: