Rovanperä x Takumi – The Drift Collab We Never Saw Coming

You don’t want to miss this surreal tandem between Kalle Rovanperä and “Takumi Fujiwara” on Japan’s mind-blowing 69-turn Mount Iwaki touge.

In a collaboration we never imagined in our wildest dreams, rally superstar Kalle Rovanperä joins forces with his childhood comic book hero, Takumi Fujiwara, for the most unlikely Corolla showdown imaginable on Japan’s ultimate touge road, Mount Iwaki, featuring 69 twisty corners.

The viral video from Red Bull features Rovanperä going head-to-head with Initial D’s Fujiwara in his Toyota AE86, along with many other drifting legends along the way, including Manabu (Max) Orido and Hokuto Matsuyama. There’s even an appearance from Wataru Kato in the widebody Liberty Walk Ferrari F40!

Rovanperä, who is no stranger to the drifting scene, first showcased his skills at Drift Masters in Mondello Park, Ireland, behind the wheel of his MK5 Toyota Supra before going on to win his Formula DRIFT Japan debut in 2023 with the Toyota GR Corolla drift build seen in this video.

Later that year, he put on a breathtaking display at the final Drift Masters event, scoring an incredible 99/100 point run in qualifying in front of a packed stadium of 50,000 fans.

After a relatively quiet 2024 on the drifting scene for the Finnish driver, this unexpected collaboration provides some hope that Rovanperä might return for his biggest drifting season yet in 2025.

For those that (somehow) aren’t already aware, Rovanperä is best known for his incredible rally achievements, including becoming the youngest-ever WRC Champion at 22 and amassing two championships, 15 wins, and 25 podiums despite being just 24 years old.

Please keep this kinda content coming, Red Bull. We could watch it all day long!

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Photography credits

Thanks to Jason Halayko and Kunihisa Kobayashi at Red Bull Content Pool for the use of their photography.

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