Last week, the Tokyo Auto Salon gave the automotive universe a glimpse of upcoming trends from the far east. Subaru showed off another WRX STI concept, Honda unveiled its high-performance Prelude model, and ItalDesign showed how it’s done with an modern re-imagining of the Acura NSX.
An interesting note was the presence of American actor Sung Kang at the Tokyo Auto Salon, there to promote his upcoming movie called “Drifter”. Best known to gearheads as Han Lue (AKA Han Seoul-Oh) from the Fast & Furious movies, Sung Kang is like automotive royalty in Japan, despite being a Korean kid from Gainesville, Georgia. His breakout role in “Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift” helped bring worldwide attention to this Japanese automotive subculture.
With “Fast X: Part 2” still years away from release, Sung Kang has stepped in to fill the void with the movie “Drifter” a personal project which he wrote, directed, and starred in. focusing on authentic drift culture, featuring real drivers (like Adam LZ, Chelsea DeNofa) and events, and telling the story of a custodian finding purpose through drifting, with a tentative 2026 release after filming took place at real drift events
Drifter tells the story of a lowly janitor) who discovers purpose in his life through the car community, using motorsport as both metaphor. Undoubtedly “Drifter” will be compared to “Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift” but the film aims to be a more personal story for Sung Kang, being set in the town of Barstow, California where Sung Kang moved to in high school.
The film aims to be an authentic depiction of drift culture. Kang’s co-star in the film is a red 1986 Toyota Corolla GTS named ‘Lola’ that follos his character from humble beginnings to the top-tier of drifting. Live filming took place at a ‘Legends of Drift’ event in August 2025 at Raceway Park, New Jersey. While Sung Kang himself did not really drive in the event ‘Lola’ most certainly did. Using a real-life event allowed “Drifter” to showcase real racers like Adam LZ and Chelsea DeNofa, and real fans in the stands for action scenes.
The film is tentatively set for theatrical release in summer 2026, and will definitely be the focus of Demaras Racing’s ongoing Fast Film Fest but hopefully at a drive-in movie theater.