Going sideways: Try drifting at indoor kart circuit at Velocity @ Novena Square

SINGAPORE – Inspired by the street racing culture portrayed in Japanese anime Initial D, a group of Singaporean motoring enthusiasts have set up an indoor kart “drifting” circuit at Velocity @ Novena Square’s carpark.

Spanning more than 14,000 sq ft, occupying 50 parking spaces, Dorifto! – which is the Japanese transliteration of “drift” – has a track lined with Japanese road signs, fake trees and yellow street lamps.

For those interested in drifting – a unique way of driving where the car is intentionally set to skid around the bends – the circuit has six hairpin turns and a roundabout for drivers to pull doughnut turns in.

It looks like a scene from Initial D, where drivers drift through mountain passes – known as touge (pronounced “toe-gay”) – late into the night.

Fans familiar with the series will recognise the murals of a petrol station, a convenience store and a tofu shop.

Instead of turbochargers and fire-spitting exhaust, drivers tackle the circuit in custom-made electric go-karts. Keeping the Initial D theme, they are styled after the Toyota AE86 finished in black and white “panda” theme and the yellow Mazda RX-7.

The China-built drift karts are designed by race driver Shane Ang, 40, one of five co-founders behind the drifting kart track business. It cost $40,000 to commission the mould to produce the 20 drift karts. The group invested about $300,000 to set up the business.

Other investors in the circuit include three drivers in his race team – Ms Gladys Lam, 30, Mr Roy Tang, 36, and Mr Kenneth Ho, 36 – and his brother, Mr Shawn Ang, 31. The Shane Ang Racing team competes in a range of circuit race events, from the production car categories to the supercar GTC classes.

The track is lined with water barriers and the drift karts are fitted with thick rubber bumpers.

The drift karts are made for spinning and not speeding. The speed is limited to 6kmh, which is no quicker than a brisk walking pace, but that does not take away the realism or fun of powering out of chicanes, sideways.

Based on how the attendees drove at a launch event on April 15, it is easy to spin out of control without the finesse needed for drift driving.

Physical trainer Frederick Law, 32, found the experience thrilling, even when spinning out of control.

While a driving licence is not needed, participants must be at least seven years old and 1.2m tall.

Prices start from $23 for an eight-minute session. Beginners take an average of one minute to clock one lap, although Mr Ang quips that his time to beat is 30 seconds.

From May, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7 and 10pm, it hosts special Touge Nights, when drivers will race in the dark, relying on the kart’s head- and tail-lights to illuminate the course.

Dorifto! is located at carpark level 6A, Velocity @ Novena Square, 238 Thomson Road. Opening hours are from noon to 10pm on weekdays and 10am to 10pm on weekends. Go to @doriftosg on Instagram for more information.