Trabant Turned Into a Beast: It Drifts, Makes 120 HP, and Has Suspension Worth Hundreds of Thousands of Crowns
A roaring Trabant slides sideways, performing moves that were once unthinkable for this humble East German car. It finally reveals a sporting potential few people ever associated with the original Trabant, while its modifications bring it closer to a purpose-built racing machine.
It might sound like a dream come true for a character in a children’s animated movie about cars, but this story is real and took place in neighboring Germany. There, professional drifters have built a unique race car called the “Driftpappe.”
“Pappe” is a popular German nickname for the Trabant, referring to its duroplast body panels, which local drivers often mockingly compare to paper or cardboard. Yet this lightweight platform has now become the ideal foundation for a unique new project.
Drift Brothers, a professional team sponsored by energy drink brand Red Bull, decided to turn it into a drifting monster. The car has already made its public debut at the Sachsenring race circuit.
However, the “Driftpappe,” or drifting Trabant, has little in common with the humble two-door Trabant 601 sedan. Only the original car’s body was retained during the conversion, with completely new mechanical components installed underneath.
The team revealed on social media that the Trabant had been converted to rear-wheel drive and fitted with an unspecified air-cooled four-stroke four-cylinder engine beneath the front hood. Its maximum output is approximately 88 kW (120 PS). The video released by the team captures its spectacular, addictive roar.
The lightweight Trabant can now throw its tail out and maintain controlled drifts. Helping it do so is a sophisticated KW V6 Racing suspension setup of the kind typically used by purpose-built circuit racers competing in championships such as DTM and GT3.
This is no ordinary set of adjustable coilovers of the kind readily available online, including in the Czech Republic, but a highly advanced racing system that can cost more than CZK 300,000. This type of setup is generally ordered directly from the manufacturer.
The best news is that the “Driftpappe” is not a boring static show car that has to remain parked to avoid falling apart. It is a genuine driving machine built for fun and sideways action. Fans of the drifting team had the chance to see it in action even before its official debut, during recent events at the Sachsenring, where it finally appeared in its full racing livery. Its enormous GT3-style rear wing also attracts plenty of attention.
