World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä fulfills years-long dream of returning to drift his Toyota GR Supra through the streets he grew up on
Published on Oct 18, 2026 at 8:09 PM (UTC-4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Oct 18, 2026 at 8:09 PM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä got to return to the streets he grew up on with a Toyota GR Supra.
And this was no flying visit either.
He drifted his way through the streets of Jyväskylä in Finland, putting his 1,000hp Supra to good use.
It was a drifting dream come true.
It’s always nice to see a different side to motorsport legends
We’re often used to seeing motorsport drivers in one forum – out on the racetrack.
So it’s always nice to see them in a different light.
It allows us to view them in a broader scope, as happened when Lewis Hamilton sold off his car collection to pursue another passion.
And sometimes it’s just nice to see them in a more casual setting, like the time that Lando Norris was seen driving his Ferrari F40 through the streets of London.
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Kalle Rovanperä let rip in his hometown with a Toyota GR Supra
Kalle Rovanperä has come a long way from his childhood days growing up in Finland.
But he’s never forgotten his roots, as this stunt demonstrated.
A day after the World Rally Championship departed his hometown of Jyväskylä, Rovanperä took to the streets in a big way.
He was going to take a Toyota GR Supra drifting, bringing a whole lot of smoke and Fast & Furious style cinematography with him as well.
In an accompanying video shared to YouTube, he’s seen whipping up a storm on the roads, in a sharp contrast to the urban surroundings.
What was the inspiration behind this stunt?
Why this World Rally champion took a Toyota GR Supra to his hometown
This endeavor was an idea that was years in the making.
“It felt really nice to be drifting around Jyväskylä. All of the locations we picked would be, let’s say, the dream places to drift,” Rovanperä told DirtFish.
“When you are drifting, it’s just a way of driving a car without needing to compete or needing to try to be fast or something. You can just drive as you feel. And you can just enjoy the driving. It’s a bit like art.”
It’s surely a fantasy all of us have had at one point or another.
What if all the roads near us were empty and we could drive to our hearts content?
When you’re a big name like Rovanperä, you can make such a daydream into a reality.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
