This Drift Kart Is The Coolest Thing You’ll See All Week

When life gives you a crashed Corvette, why not build a mind-blowingly insane nitrous-equipped LS-powered single-seater drift kart?

In the automotive customization scene, there are builds that turn heads and creations that completely redefine what’s possible. This Corvette-turned-drift-kart that we spotted on Cars & Bids is the perfect example of the latter.

The story begins with a C5 Corvette that met an unfortunate (or fortunate; we’re not quite sure) end in May 2018 with “minor to moderate” rear-end damage after an unfortunate encounter with a concrete barrier. Rather than restoring it to stock, the owner saw it as the perfect opportunity to create something truly unique, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

What’s Left Of The C5?

As you can see, the stock fiberglass Corvette body is long gone, replaced by a custom aluminum frame. There’s a custom steering setup, front crash bars, and a roll bar. The side frames are professionally mig welded aluminum, and the crash structure is (tig welded) chromoly steel.

At 82 inches wide, it’s nearly 10 inches wider than a stock C5.

While at first glance, you’d be hard-pressed to identify any traces of the original Corvette, a few key components remain. These include front and rear suspension cradles, wheel bearings, and the OEM brake rotors and pads behind the upgraded 18″ Weld wheels, assisted by a Wilwood brake booster.

Given the weight (or lack of), which is just 1,550 lbs, the need for upgraded stopping power is probably not too essential!

“Built To Rip The Tires Off”

The owner states the above in the listing, and looking at the rubber shows he isn’t kidding! Given the custom kart’s insanely low weight, just a fraction of the original C5’s 3,245 lbs, he didn’t insist on downgrading the engine to make the power manageable.

Quite the opposite, in fact, which will come as absolutely no surprise if you’ve seen those sketchy-looking giant nitrous bottles that reside just above the driver’s head! After all, there’s a reason he named it “The Suicide Booth.”

The powerplant of choice is a mid-mounted upgraded 6.0-liter GM Performance LS V8, which appears to be the LS2 from the later 2005 model C5. Obviously, that wasn’t powerful or ridiculous enough in stock form, so the upgrades began, including:

• LS3 cylinder heads for improved airflow and higher RPMs.
• LSXHR high-rise intake manifold from Fuel Air Spark Technology.
• A massive 103mm Nick Williams Performance throttle body.
• 8-2-1 stainless steel exhaust. The crazy-looking custom setup, complete with a giant muffler, makes it look as though it’s ready to launch into space.

The owner states, “The engine is rated by GM at 450hp. With the nitrous installed and tuned I expect power at the wheels to be considerably higher than that.”

These upgrades, especially with the nitrous engaged, likely push the output beyond 500 hp. In a vehicle weighing only 1,550 pounds, this creates a power-to-weight ratio that would put most supercars to shame.

Here’s how it looked (and sounded) when an earlier version of the build headed to the track for a tire-shredding session:

Built For Sideways Action

The heart of the drivetrain is a built Hydra-Matic 4L65-E 4-speed automatic transmission. While drifting purists are likely upset at the lack of a manual and clutch, we can’t deny that it suits the single-seater kart vibe pretty well!

Already capable of handling massive torque loads, the gearbox also features upgraded internals to ensure lightning-fast gear changes that can be controlled via paddle shifters. The owner also states in the comments that it could be converted to manual with various transmissions.

The transmission is paired with a 4.10:1 limited-slip differential (LSD), which provides aggressive gearing and tire-destroying explosive acceleration. The aptly named Terminator X Max engine and transmission management system tie it all together.

While there’s limited information on the suspension setup, we can see aftermarket arms, and the listing includes an “aftermarket coilover setup.” It’s certainly sitting low!

As for top speed, the owner reports hitting 110 mph; he wisely chose not to push further. However, he says his “Best guess it around 150 although I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Street Legal? Not Quite

While technically still titled as a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette “Convertible” (they got that part right!), the creation isn’t quite road-legal currently, but it’s surprisingly close.

The seller notes that headlights, mirrors (included), and other basic equipment must be added for street use in some states. Emissions compliance may pose a greater challenge, though, likely requiring 5″ catalytic converters at the very least. However, it may be easier to register as a kit car rather than a Corvette.

Given the crazy low ride height and the fact that it only has a tiny amount of clearance under the 3D-printed carbon fiber front splitter, you certainly wouldn’t want to take it over any speedbumps!

It Sold For Way Less Than It Was Worth

The final sale price of just $10,300 is crazy cheap, considering everything included in the package.

Not only did the buyer get this one-of-a-kind, LS-powered drift machine, but the owner also threw in a MaxJax 2-post car lift, various tools, the forged Weld wheels pictured, and an additional set of wheels with new tires (plus two extra new tires).

We absolutely love this crazy creation and wish we could’ve snapped it up. It’s awesome to see what eventually emerged from what most would consider a total loss, proving that not everything should end up in the junkyard in the sky!

More Footage Of “The Suicide Booth” In Action

If you’re like us and can’t get enough of this beast, here are a couple more videos. It also shows why it might not be the most convenient daily driver!

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