We recently saw Kyle Conner, host of Out of Spec Studios, borrow a Rivian R2 from its very new owner to run some tests, including range and charging trials. While its highway range wasn't stellar, it did charge incredibly well for a 400-volt battery system. Now, though, Conner's latest video shows a very different side of the R2, one that even Chris Harris would probably appreciate: drifting.
You'll be forgiven for not associating Rivian with big, smokey slides. That's not what the brand is known for. Rivian makes electric pickups and SUVs that are famous for their off-road prowess. So watching one drift around a track like an old-school BMW M3 is shocking to say the very least. Despite such incongruity, the R2 is a wildly capable drift machine and Conner puts it to the test in this new video. So much so that a tire explodes.
To be fair, Conner didn't set out to destroy a tire. The idea was just to test the R2's dynamic abilities to see how fun it can be on pavement. Few Rivian owners will ever take their cars to a track of any kind, but it's a good indicator of how much the R2 can handle when the going gets twisty. What he found might shock you.
In the softest, calmest settings with stability control on, it's a very safe, easy car to drive quickly. Its traction control systems manage power output so you can keep your right foot pinned to the floor through corners and, at reasonable speeds, shouldn't run into any pants-ruining moments. However, as you dial the stability control back, it starts to allow for more and more tail-out fun.
