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Just when you think car customisation in South Africa can't get any more insane, a creation totally out of the ordinary moves the bar way out of reach for the rest.
According to a feature done by Speed and Sound Magazine towards the end of last year, nothing says the first letters of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday quite like a V8-powered, drift-ready Toyota Auris.
Surely takes the cake
This monster of a car is piloted by SupaDrift 2019 champion Christopher Long and is the fruits of almost two years' work to the finished product.
WATCH | This rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered VW Golf GTI should have come out of the factory for SA
The shell is that of a first-generation Auris and, as you would have guessed, has undergone plenty of cosmetic surgery. It features a Rocket Bunny V2 body kit together with the entire front of the facelifted second-gen model. But that is only where the party begins.
It makes plenty of power from a supercharged 5.0-litre Ford V8 engine sitting snug in the small bay, while kitted with a whole host of goodies to hurt eardrums and shred tyres. Over 700kW is sent to the rear wheels.
Image: Speed and Sound Magazine
As one would expect with a conversion such as this, plenty of work went into the build process with major fabrication work required. Everything from Polycarbonate windows to custom roof vents, and the use of other car parts brings this beast together in a cacophony of noise.
Not your average
Chris and his dad, Ian, had the backing of Mikes Place Engine Importers as well as a few other petrolhead geniuses to help put the Frankenstein together.
There's just something about Capetonians and V8's. Drifter Juan Stemmet has one crammed into his Nissan Silvia as well.
What next, seems to be the logical question to ask at this point because someone, somewhere out there is hard at work to raise the bar even higher than this 'not so little' hatch did with so much aplomb.
Watch these videos of the Auris V8 in action:
