So where has top kiwi drifter Mad Mike Whiddett been lately? In Onuma, Hokkaido — the northernmost tip of Japan that’s where and he’s been working on a secret film project dubbed Red Bull Drift-n-Ice.

In a freshly built replica of his MADBUL Mazda RX-7, engineered by Japanese drift tuning shop Magic, and rolling on skinny, studded snow tyres, it’s been Mike’s first taste of sliding on ice. Along for the ride, however, was D1 star Toshiki Yoshioka, an experienced snow drifter who joined the project as Mike’s adviser.

We have just got our hands on a some ‘Drift n Ice’ footage for you to check out below. But before that check out what Mike had to say about the whole experience.

“This project was really great! It was the biggest challenge in this year — no, make that in my whole motocross and drifting career!” says Mike. “I was able to succeed because the best team helped set up the vehicle, and the choice of tyres was optimal for drifting on the snow and in the climate of this cold region. Although I have tried to express what it is like to drive on the ice, I cannot compare it to anything. It requires a technique completely different from driving on tarmac. I experienced the traction of spike tires for the first time, but four days of driving helped me get used to driving on the ice and I was able to speed up on the fourth day. I really enjoyed it.”

We’ll have more on Mike’s wild Red Bull-fuelled ice-capade in the next issue of NZ Performance Car. But in the meantime see the video and images below.