Franschhoek Pass is the twisty mountain road that takes tourists away from Cape Town. Built in 1822, it’s believed to be South Africa’s first engineered road. For drifter Mad Mike Whiddett, that makes it the perfect place to get mind-blowingly sideways in a ludicrously boosted Mazda RX-8.
Behold the sweet drift stunt Mad Mike claims to be his scariest ever. Speeds of up to 154 mph at 8,800 rpm made this such an insane feat, Mad Mike told Red Bull. Mad Mike’s “Badbul” 2004 Mazda RX-8 features a turbocharged three-rotor 20B engine, built extra stout to produce 812 hp that turns tires into smoke. (You can find the full specs on this build here.)
“The drive itself is just crazy. There’s not much space to error,” Whiddett told Red Bull.
When the only thing separating you from a tumble down a steep mountainside is a narrow guardrail or some shrubs, you have all the permission in the world to form a ridge in the driver’s seat with your buttocks.
Here are some more surreal images of Mad Mike’s ultimate mountain drift. Enjoy.