Monster Energy has just built what it claims to be the world’s first Lamborghini drift car, set to be raced by D1 Grand Prix Drift champion Daigo Saito. And there you were, thinking that drifting was the sole domain of Japanese metal, or that Lamborghinis couldn’t get any more ludicrous. This car—a 650-horsepower Murciélago, converted from all-wheel to rear-wheel drive, with a custom suspension and lime green wheels—will disabuse you of those ideas.
Culturally, Lamborghinis have a specific location: They are billionaires’ playthings, hip-hop video ornaments, even movie stars. Nothing shouts “I made bank!” like scissor doors and a V12; in the words of the great philosopher Fetty Wap: “We just set a goal/matching Lambos.” As pop cultural icons, Lamborghinis reign supreme. In motorsports, though, they lag far behind Ferrari—and nearly every other major automaker. But maybe that’s just right. Lamborghini was the upstart, the original disruptor, a company that conceived of the spaceship Countach and be-winged Diablo. Leave elegance to other marques; Lamborghini doesn’t need an illustrious racing history. The lurid sliding and copious smoke of drifting will be a perfect fit.
