Long-known for his enthusiasm for the AE86, D1 winner Tetsuya Hibino has moved on from the outdated Corolla and onto a bigger, meaner and gruntier replacement. That new steed comes in the form of the JZA80 Toyota Supra, a car which is beginning to gain traction as a viable drifter in this day and age. Frankly, this car shows that what the naysayers have maintained for decades as untrue, since with the right steering angle and some weight reduction, the big Toyota GT car has what it takes to hang with any of the established drift platforms.

Perhaps it’s because the MKIV Supra is becoming more affordable with time, or perhaps the legions of drifters are looking outside the established Silvia circles for a drift car. Maybe the success of the big Toyota sedans have illustrated how effective the JZ motors are, and simply to be competitive, a smaller, lighter platform is needed. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of talented drifters pouring their resources into refining the big Supra once dismissed as too heavy to compete.

The smooth lines of the Supra are accentuated with angular add-ons, making it look like some sort of mutant beetle.

Hibino’s Supra is, at first glance, terrifying. It is at second glance, too. An all-black aesthetic, Ridox bumper and angular add-ons give this car a look that’s somewhere between a shark and a scarab. Adding to the intimidation factor is the roar from a 3.4-liter 2JZ  making 800 horsepower.

Hibino’s shakedown involves lots of slaloming, which puts the car’s outrageous negative camber on full display. Shimmying back and forth, this car possesses a nimbleness and high-speed poise most would be surprised to see. As ever, Toyota’s former-flagship shows that with a bit of tuning and a deft hand, this platform is as capable as any when it comes to turning heads and smoking tires.