Matt Field Unveils World’s First Manual C8 Corvette At SEMA Show

Matt Field transforms a flood-damaged Corvette C8 into the world’s first manual build for his latest drift weapon. But will it be competing in Formula DRIFT?

Formula DRIFT driver Matt Field couldn’t believe his luck when he finally found a flood-damaged C8 Corvette. While the prospect of buying a waterlogged supercar would terrify most of us, Field saw it as the perfect opportunity for an epic drift project.

Not shy about rewriting the rulebook, Field, the owner of Drift Cave, documented the entire build on YouTube as he transformed the former wreck into a one-off drift machine. Yesterday, fans got to witness the C8 Corvette at the official unveiling at the 2024 SEMA Show’s Borla Exhaust booth.

A Unique, Mid-Engine, FD-ready Build

The engine remains under the trunk of this revolutionary C8, housing a naturally aspirated LS engine. This is something a little different from Field’s usual supercharged competition setups. The custom manual gearbox conversion is also a world-first for the C8 Corvette.

Lifting back the covers during the unveiling, Field said the C8 build was “Not without challenges” and “an entirely new learning experience for me,” showing how much he’d pushed the boundaries to make this project happen.

The LS powerplant is engineered to scream up to 9,000 RPM, paired with an innovative 8-to-1 exhaust setup to deliver what’ll undoubtedly be an epic soundtrack.

Instead of the usual supercharger, the power is boosted by a single-solenoid, dual-jet nitrous system with two bottle heaters. The total output is expected to reach over 1,000 horsepower.

Field explains a little more about the innovative nitrous system in this video:

Field collaborated with various automotive industry leaders during the development process. Trophy truck builders lent their expertise to create numerous bespoke components. At the same time, Japan’s Liberty Walk Performance contributed their signature wide body kit, which looks right at home.

Will Matt Field’s C8 Compete In Formula Drift?

Since the unveiling, online discussions have sparked debate about the car’s eligibility in Formula DRIFT, given the mid-engine layout. However, regarding mid-engine cars, the current rules clarify that “The engine must remain in its original mid-engine location,” as seen in the Formula DRIFT rulebook.

Although rarely seen, mid-engine drift cars aren’t unheard of in Formula DRIFT. Old-school fans of the series may remember way back to the 2007/08 season when Tyler McQuarrie piloted a stunning Porsche 993 GT2 drift car.

Unfortunately, despite oozing old-school cool, the Porsche was somewhat of a flop. The turbocharged 3.8-liter flat six insisted on eating valve springs far too often. Hopefully, Field’s LS choice will prove much more reliable!

During the unveiling, Field stated, “What you guys see is like a show car that we’re pretty much going to throw on the wall as soon as possible, so that’s kind of mind-blowing.” This got many fans suspecting it’s ready to compete in FD.

However, Field intends to use the C8 as a demo drift car for now to develop and test the platform for competitive use. If things go well, we may eventually see the C8 debut in FD, but that will be unlikely for the upcoming 2025 season.

A Crazy Year For Revolutionary Drift Car Builds

Between Matt Field turning this flood-damaged C8 into a potential Formula DRIFT competition car and Mad Mike and his team pulling off a crazy feat by constructing the insane MADMAC McLaren build in a matter of weeks, before causing an upset against some of the world’s best shortly after, things are more exciting than ever for the future of drifting.

Who would’ve thought we’d see the latest mid-engine exotics sitting sideways alongside the usual 90s JDM drift cars just a few years ago? The drift scene just got a whole lot more interesting, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 will have in store!

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