MAD i MAX
MOTOR Magazine Australia|March 2020
FACTORY-BUILT, 300KW, TWIN-TURBO, REAR-DRIVE AND SEATING UP TO EIGHT, WE GO ALL ABOARD THE 'DRIFT BUS'
SCOTT NEWMAN
MAD i MAX

OH CRAP, NOT AGAIN. The flap-flap-flap of rubber strands hitting the inner wheel arch is the death rattle of yet another tyre. Hyundai’s usually affable technician (let’s call him Safety Pete) won’t be happy at the prospect of having to get the jack and rattle gun out again, but the Drift Bus is merely doing what it was built to: convert rubber into fluffy white clouds.

But let’s rewind to the beginning of the story. On April 1, 2019, Hyundai Germany released computer-generated images on Instagram of an iMax N. Now, the date should provide a clue as to the veracity of those images, but while the Germans were chuckling into their weissbeer, Hyundai Australia was rolling up its sleeves and getting to work. A little over six months later the real-life iMax N ‘Drift Bus’ was revealed.

It was a risky move. The Drift Bus was built in complete secret and there was a small chance those responsible would be loaded into said iMax and sent packing. Of course, history had shown that the idea of a tyre-shredding 300kW eight-seater van could practically blow up the internet, leading Hyundai Australia to give the Drift Bus its public debut at the 2019 World Time Attack event. Now it’s our turn.

The first thing that strikes you about the iMax N is the quality of the build. One-off prototypes can be pretty ropey, even at OEM level, but the Drift Bus clearly wasn’t cobbled together over a weekend in some dingy workshop. From start to finish the project took seven weeks, project lead Geoff Fear saying “the hardest part was to make it look as factory as possible”.

The Drift Bus started life as a humble standard diesel iMax. Like Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins, it had enjoyed a quiet, comfortable existence, yet was about to be thrown into a life of adventure through no fault of its own.

Bu hikaye MOTOR Magazine Australia dergisinin March 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye MOTOR Magazine Australia dergisinin March 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MOTOR MAGAZINE AUSTRALIA DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Ged Bulmer
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Ged Bulmer

THE ACCOMPANYING YARN WAS A RIB TICKLER, BUT THE SUITS AT PORSCHE DIDN'T SEE IT THAT WAY

time-read
5 dak  |
July 2022
Dylan Campbell
MOTOR Magazine Australia

Dylan Campbell

WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM. WE ALL WANTED TO WORK FOR MOTOR AS TEENAGERS

time-read
5 dak  |
July 2022
HONDA NSX
MOTOR Magazine Australia

HONDA NSX

Honda's alloy missile - a friendly firecracker

time-read
8 dak  |
July 2022
TESLA MODEL S
MOTOR Magazine Australia

TESLA MODEL S

Looking back on the automobile's iPhone moment | TESLA AIMS TO ELEVATE THE ELECTRIC CAR FROM INTRIGUING CURIOUSITY TO A VIABLE MEANS OF EVERYDAY TRANSPORT

time-read
5 dak  |
July 2022
PORSCHE 959
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PORSCHE 959

Weissach rethinks the supercar

time-read
6 dak  |
July 2022
PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022
MOTOR Magazine Australia

PCOTY LEGENDS - 1996-2022

HOW THE ANNUAL QUEST FOR AUSTRALIA'S BEST PERFORMANCE CARS HAS DELIVERED A ROLL CALL OF EXCELLENCE

time-read
10+ dak  |
July 2022
THE UNDEFEATED
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THE UNDEFEATED

HONDA'S FK8 CIVIC TYPE R IS OUR LINEAL CHAMP, WINNING EVERY MOTOR COMPARISON AS WELL AS BOTH PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR AND BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS. WE PAY OUR RESPECTS WITH A FINAL DRIVE IN THE END-OF-THE-LINE LE SPECIAL

time-read
6 dak  |
July 2022
THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE
MOTOR Magazine Australia

THESE ARE OUR PEOPLE

IN A CULTURE OVERFLOWING WITH POSERS AND TRY-HARDS, WE FIND A HAVEN FOR THOSE THAT LOVE DRIVING ABOVE ALL ELSE

time-read
8 dak  |
June 2022
OPEN WIDE, SAY R
MOTOR Magazine Australia

OPEN WIDE, SAY R

VOLKSWAGEN'S GOLF R LANDS IN AUSTRALIA AND IT ALREADY HAS THE SWAGGER OF A GIANTKILLER ABOUT IT. WE LINE UP SOME ASYMMETRIC ALTERNATIVES TO SEE IF THE GOLF HAS THEIR RESPECTIVE TALENTS COVERED

time-read
10+ dak  |
June 2022
SING FOR YOUR DINNER
MOTOR Magazine Australia

SING FOR YOUR DINNER

As the motoring world undergoes seismic shifts in focus, Rob Dickinson's vision for Singer remains clear

time-read
3 dak  |
June 2022