Fastest drift ever recorded: Nissan GT-R breaks Guinness world record - plus video

A Nissan GT-R has broken the Guinness world record for the fastest drift ever recorded, with a 30deg drift at a speed of 189.5mph/303.2kph.

Professional drifter Masato Kawabata drove the GT-R, which was specially tuned to develop 1361bhp and deliver it all to the rear wheels, at Fujairah International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates.

Kawabata broke the previous record by more than 53mph/84.8kph, and even exceeded Nissan's own 186mph/297.6kph target. 

The location was chosen for its 3km runway, while Kawabata was selected because he is the current title holder of the Japanese drift series and a leading drift racer in Team Tokyo. The car was specially prepared before the record-breaking run by tuners GReddy, in collaboration with engineers from Nissan's in-house tuners Nismo. 

Previously, the record for the fastest drift was set by Jakub Przygoński in a 1068bhp modified Toyota GT86. The Polish rally driver achieved an average of 136mph in September 2013. 

The record-breaking car GT-R is based upon the pre-facelift model, albeit heavily modified, despite the new Nissan GT-R having been revealed at the New York motor show in March. 

Also read: 1451bhp Hennessey Venom GT sets new top speed world record