Jesse Adams Breaks record in Toyota 86

Although the record still needs to be verified, all signs point towards seasoned motoring journalist, Jesse Adams having broken the Guinness World Record for the longest drift, using a 2017 Toyota 86.

In a feat that must have taken a tremendous amount of concentration, focus and driving skill, Adams went on to complete 1000 laps of the Gerotek skid pan, sideways!

The Toyota 86 used is the standard 2017 model with just one change. A much larger fuel tank to allow Jesse to drift continuously for 5 hours and 46 minutes.  The air pressures were also changed with the rear being pumped up for extra slip, and the fronts being deflated for extra grip. Other than that the car was bog standard and all equipment, including the testing facility have been vetted by Guinness World Records.  Inside the car, Adams used two way communication, similar to what rally drivers use to communicate to the project manager, Adrian Burford.

Shortly, the feat will be completely verified by the record company and Jesse Adams and Toyota South Africa will have there names etched into the record books.

Most would struggle to drive normally for over 5 hours, especially without food.  Adams and his team opted to put snacks inside the doors so that the drifter could grab food on the fly, as the record needed to be set without stopping. In fact the car was not allowed to stop spinning the rear wheels during the entire attempt. Unbelievable as this meant the 86 literally drifted for over 5 hours.  The engine and drive train must have been put under enormous strain but this just shows the durability and toughness of the little Toyota 86, as it needed no mechanical modifications to the engine, gearbox, and more importantly the hardworking differential.

The old Guinness World record, set in 2014 totaled 144km but now the current record stands at a whopping 165km.