Owning an RC Drift car will give you the thrill and experience of playing with toys in your days as a kid but at an advanced level.

Updated June 2021: RC drift cars are only getting better each year and an increasing number of car enthusiasts are catching on and getting into this affordable and exciting sport. 2020 has been a fruitful year for many RC car manufacturers, allowing us to update this list with 4 new amazing ready-to-run drift cars that are ideal for both beginners and serious drifters.

In drifting, cars are driven and over-steered at corners, which causes them to lose traction whilst maintaining balance without causing an accident. These RC drift cars are controlled with minimal traction and differ in sizes, brands, and features. This sport delivers insane amounts of fun but requires high-quality cars with good tires and other parts to avoid breaking down easily.

RELATED: Top 10 Entry-Level Drift Cars, Ranked

Remote-controlled cars for drifting are either nitro-fueled or electric, with low-grip tires for easy drifting. Choosing the best RC drift cars for beginners depends on different factors including stability, quality, performance, durability, cost, and other features.

There are RC cars made specifically for drifting. Listed here are ten of the best RC drift cars for beginners.

14 HPI RS4 Sport 3 Drift Dai Yoshihara Subaru BRZ RTR

dai yoshihara
via amazon

Dai Yoshihara doesn't need an introduction to anyone that's even remotely interested in drifting (pun intended)! This is every drift fan's chance to take control over Dai's Subaru BRZ with the official Turn 14 Distribution race livery. Such is the attention to detail that it even sports official replicas of the actual Falken Azenis RT615 tires that Dai Yoshihara runs on his Subaru BRZ. This 1:10th scale Subaru has full-time shaft-driven AWD, a fully sealed drivetrain, waterproof 2.4 GHz electronics/radio gear, fully independent double wishbone suspension and adjustable oil filled shocks. Those looking for high speed and extreme drift angles could do a lot worse than this bad boy.

13 HPI Racing RS4 Sport 3 1987 Warsteiner BMW E30

warsteiner-1
via amazon

If RC drift cars were judged on looks alone, our vote would definitely go to HPI Racing's Warsteiner BMW M3 E30. There's no need to take our word for it, even Johnny Cecotto, who raced the E30 M3 in DTM for many years, says it's the most beautiful touring car ever made. The car was famous for its domination in various touring car series back in the 1980s and '90s, but now the Warsteiner Bimmer is ready to take on the drift tracks as a 1:10th scale model.

It's built on the HPI Racing Touring Car chassis, also known as the RS4 Sport 3, and features shaft-driven AWD, a fully sealed drivetrain, waterproof 2.4 GHz electronics/radio gear, fully independent double wishbone suspension and adjustable oil filled shocks. That's one serious setup, and the best part is that it won't set us back a fortune like the original car, making this a real bargain no matter how you look at it.

12 FTX Banzai

ftx banzai
via amazon

The FTX Banzai features a Nissan S15-style pre-printed drift body and a hard compound drift tyre on scale finish wheels. With its bargain-basement price tag, the Banzai is considered the perfect entry to some sideways action. The Banzai has AWD with metal-geared differentials front and rear, oil-filled adjustable shock absorbers, front CVA universal driveshafts, ball bearings, adjustable suspension turnbuckles for tuning and a center drive slipper to protect the transmission. It also comes with waterproof electronic speed control, servo, and receiver to allow for use in a variety of conditions, and thanks to the 2.4ghz radio, there's no need to worry about signal interference.

11 Maverick Strada DC

strada-1
via amazon

The Maverick Strada DC offers an AWD touring car chassis with a shaft drivetrain. It has a fully adjustable racing suspension and locked rear diff. And of course it has an import racer-style bodyshell and huge rear wing, just like a proper drift car. The MS-22 servo uses a dual-point steering system with an integrated servo saver to protect it from crash damage. The drivetrain uses ball bearings throughout to provide maximum runtime and efficiency, and a molded gear cover helps keep dirt and debris away from the gears.

10 HSP Flying Fish Nissan Skyline GT-R

Nissan GTR Flying Fish RC Drift Car
via Amazon

This is a serious 1:10 size drift car that comes with 4WD and a top speed of 20 to 37 mph (if you opt for the brushless speed version). Still, we suggest sticking with the regular one as it offers the best value for your dollar. The drift car is fully ready to run, controlled via a pistol remote, and features a 2000mAh 7.2V battery. Although thanks to its affordable price, it's a bit more fragile than similar RC drift cars, it also offers adjustment capabilities on everything from the ride height to the camber and tilt angle. For a beginner, it's hands-down one of the best bang-for-the-buck RC drift cars on the market in 2020.

9 HPI Racing Micro RS4 Drift Fail Crew Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R

HPI Racing Micro RS4 Drift Fail Crew Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R
via Drifted

If you're a beginner, you might be drawn to try out a smaller 1:18 scale RC car first, so we've included probably the best one on the market right here. And if you're a massive fan of the classic R34 GT-R like we are, this thing has pretty much everything you'll ever want in an RC drift car. Sure, it may be smaller than the usual RC car, but the 4WD is still there, as are the 2.4Ghz radio system, 1200mAh battery, and cool features such as the double-wishbone front suspension with coil-over shocks and a belt drivetrain that makes it feel like the real deal.

related: 10 Drift Cars That Won’t Break Your Bank

8 HPI Racing RS4 Sport 3 VGJR Ford Mustang

HPI Racing RS4 Sport 3 VGJR Ford Mustang
via Modelsport

The Mustang is the real deal, rated for 16 years and older, but that doesn't mean it's not a great starter RC car if you're willing to pay a bit extra. Why? Because it's one of the best ready-to-run 1:10 RC drift cars currently on the market. Plenty of upgrades are available, with a list of features it offers too long to include here. We're talking 4WD, oil-filled shocks, adjustable double wishbone suspension, double-bellcrank steering, and 4-gear metal differentials—all controlled thanks to a 2.4Ghz waterproof radio system.

7 Tamiya TT-02D

Tamiya Mazda RX7
via TamiyaBlog

Tamiya has made sure it caters to a wide range of car enthusiasts by offering the TT-02D in 8 different iconic JDM cars such as the Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra, and Mazda RX-7. All that aside, the TT-02D would be our pick for the best 1:10 scale ready-to-run RC drift cars on the market in 2020. In line with the brand's reputation, the quality of the TT-02D is on par or superior to almost all other RC cars. The aftermarket support with easily-installed upgrades is insane, and all the spare parts are readily available. The TT-02D also offers staple features of a great RC drift car such as the double-wishbone suspension, 4WD, with adjustable wheels and even gear ratios.

Another upside is that it's a great entry-level drift car that doesn't require much tinkering and is ready from the box. The downside is the premium you'll pay, including the electronics such as the charger, battery, and steering servo which are all sold separately.

RELATED: Every Drift Car in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift

6 Redcat Racing EPX RC Drift Cars

Redcat Racing EPX RC Drift Car
via Amazon

Redcat Racing EPX RC drift car is battery-operated, strong, fast, and easy to handle with rubber drift tires. It is ideal for beginners and comes in colors of metallic red and blue or metallic blue flames. The motor has multiple options and they come in parts to be assembled out of the box.

The body is made of polycarbonate, while the transmission mode is the forward and reverse option. Excluding the battery charger that comes with the drift car, other accessories can be purchased separately.

The top speed of the Redcat Racing EPX drift car with an electric brushed motor is 27mph, and 51mph with an upgraded brushless motor, although it is claimed that the top speed is 40mph with LIPO. This car has a transmitter frequency of 2.4 GHz and battery capacity of 7.4V 3500mAh with 6-8hrs charge time which may last up to 20 mins. This is also a great choice for beginners.

5 Exceed RC 2.4 GHz MadSpeed DriftKing Brushless Edition

Exceed RC 2.4GHz MadSpeed DriftKing Brushless Edition
via Retro Groups

Exceed RC MadSpeed DriftKing Brushless drift car is lightweight with a detailed and attractive body. It is another great option for beginners with a friendly budget. It has good stability, thanks to the low centralized center-of-gravity.

This brushless RC drift car has a high-performance motor and is RTR (Ready to run). The brushless motor enables drifting at high speed whilst maintaining stability at sharp corners. This popular and attractive four-wheel-drive vehicle has a moderate price and a top speed of 5-10mph although this can be upgraded to 15mph.

For more protection, it comes with a foam bumper to avoid visible damage. It has a high-performance motor of 380 3000KV and a Pistol radio system of 2.4 GHz.

To crown it all, it is a good-looking car with aluminum-capped, oil-filled shock and independent suspension, operated with a 7.2V Ni-mH 1800mAh.

4 HPI Racing Sprint 2 Drift RC Cars

HPI Racing Sprint 2 Drift RC Cars
via Aprale

This RC Drift Car is another superb option for beginners. It has a waterproof design to enable drifting in snow or rain. It is durable with a double-deck chassis and shock tower, and a foam bumper that protects the car from damage when hit.

The Sprint 2 Drift is easy to drive with simple maintenance and designed for constant drift actions. Everything needed to start driving right away—such as a wall charger, battery for the car and radio is included in the package.

RELATED: 10 Modified Cars That Look Like Real Life Hot Wheels

There is a 2.4 GHz waterproof receiver enclosed in a box with a steering servo of SS-20WR water-resistance and an electronic speed controller (SC-3SWP2 waterproof) to allow drifting at any time.

The rechargeable plasma battery for the drifter is 7.2V 2000mAh NiMh, and the transmitter uses HPI plasma AA batteries. It also has an adjustable body post to allow different bodies to be mounted without trimming.

3 Super GT RC Sport Racing Drift Car

Super GT RC Sport Racing Drift Car
via Amazon

This RC Drift car is made with durable and flexible high-quality plastic. It is very fast with a high-performance motor and can perform a U-shaped and figure 8 drift with its 4-DRIFT tires and 4-SPEED tires. It is controlled by a 2.4 GHz remote control.

Touring with the Super GT RC Sport Racing Drift car will give you a perfect insight into real drifting. It has a running time of about 15mins when fully charged for 90 mins and uses a 1.5V 700mAh Ni-Cd Rechargeable AA battery.

This RC drift car is sold at a moderate price, thus making it a gift for young sports lovers and beginners.

2 Exceed RC Mad Pulse Brushless Drift Car

Madpulse Mini RC Drift Cars w SICK DRIFTING ACTION
via alseebclub.com

The Mad Pulse brushless drift car has a durable PVC body, and it is a Ready-to-Run (RTR) car that comes with a full package of battery and transmitter.

It is a 4WD vehicle that can drift in any direction easily on all surface types with constant drift movement, and its small size makes it ideal for narrow spaces. Its suspension can be fully adjusted for optimum performance thanks to the high electronic system.

RELATED: 10 Best Drift Cars Which Won't Break The Bank

It is controlled by a 2.4 GHz radio system which eliminates all forms of interference. Also, the brushless engine of 4000KV helps promote speed. The battery has a capacity of 1000mAh, which only runs for a short time, but its power may be enhanced by the charger to enable it to run faster and for a long time.

1 Exceed RC Electric DriftStar 350Z

Drift Star 7 110 Exceed RC Brushless Nissan 350Z - Long Drift
via YouTube

The Exceed RC Electric DriftStar 350Z has a similar design to the Electric DriftStar 350 but with special drift-tires mounted on high-performance wheels.

It has a good battery life that gives maximum satisfaction when in use, and one of the best RC drift cars for beginners since it is easy to drive. Also embedded on this car is a great front and rear camber, a toe-in feature, and extra-large bumper foam for protection against damage.

It can operate on different surfaces with the powerful RC 540 motor and anti-skid drift tires. The battery has a capacity of 7.2V 1800mAh Ni-Mh which is decent for its price. It is also controlled by a 2.4 GHz radio controller.

NEXT: 10 Best Drift Cars (With Zero Mods)