The i-MiEV was one of the first electric car projects to hit the European market. The project put together with Peugeot and Citroen. It was built for lightness and efficiency, which skinny tires and a narrow body, not exactly the epitome of sportiness.
But because Ekaterina wanted a lightweight machine to compete at Krasnoyarsk, she bought the i-MiEV shell for about 2,700 euros and tried to install the K3 engine from her older Toyota Starlet drifter. We don't quite understand what went wrong, but this wasn't the right thing to do, most likely having something to do with the gearbox. So she changed it for the 4G15T from a Cold Ralliart.
In case you're wondering, that's a 1.5-liter turbo with 160 horsepower and a 5-speed Getrag gearbox, all of which now sits at the back for optimal balance. Other goodies include R15 wheels from the Silvia, wrapped in Nokian Hakka 8 studded tires, fender flares, a roll cage, racing fuel tank, and even the Silvia's suspension arms.
The total cost comes to 359,900 rubles or just under 5,000 euros. Everything was put together in only 15 days and saw its racing debut in January. Only in Russia! We think the drift category has a price or restriction, which is why you see the swapped EV going up against a Lada wagon.
