What is this drifting business really?

it's mostly about the show and technique...............controlling a car that's out of control......

if you don't get it/like it, don't watch.......seems pretty simple to me.

 

Drifting strikes me as the automotive version of synchronized swimming. It's about form (or maybe art) over substance.

 

Best described as taking the 1 corner of a lap where you can induce oversteer (who doesn't think that is fun?) and just doing it on every corner. In that regard it's all about the fun of car control. Once things get to a high level, speed, angle, and line are all criteria to be judged on.


Remember when the most popular thing was Skiing. Downhill, Slalom, etc. Now, even in the Olympics, one of the most popular things is Snowboarding. And not racing or timed runs, either. Freestyle and halfpipe, at that.

That's what drifting is. Kind of a "Freestyle" motorsport. Its a lot more than bald rear tires (common misconception) and doughnuts.

 

Here is a video of some friends/teammates...

http://www.heavy.com/video/37501


I designed the 787B-looking RX8. That's my roommate, he was the highest ranked Mazda driver in Formula D last season, and is/has been sponsored for this drifting stuff by Mazda/Mazda Motorsports for the last couple of seasons. When we were designing his car, we asked Mazda if we could use the Renown Le Mans scheme on his RX8. At first they were a little hesitant but after I did some renderings for them, they were completely on board. Now, for '08 and beyond, they are requesting to keep the "diamond scheme" even if on the new car there are title sponsors with their own colors. Mazda still wants us to use the scheme.

So I dunno, maybe that's insignificant on a Ferrari site in a section where we mostly talk about F1, but that is my personal anecdote about my first hand experience, also showing that while drifting is scoffed like freestyle snowboarding was to downhill skiers at some point, its so much fun and exciting. Enough so that Mazda will offer support (in a HUGE way in 2008, actually) for a close friend of mine. It's just a different kind of thrill. It's 100mph, not 200mph. And its judged, not timed. I appreciate both.

 

I will say this for it - it has kind of created a renewal of interest in RWD from the Japanese automakers.

But it seems to me that you could do much the same thing on an ice track with far less damage to tire & machine.

 

These guy's make it look easy...http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4b0lnxoIdIY

 

I was drifting back in the 60s. A lotus 7 just had to be sideways as often as possible, it was easy to do especially in the wet! Always remember faces of people as you went around the outside of them on roundabouts. My mini worked well in the wet have a dangerous driving ticket for it, hard to disappear when you're totally side on, full opposite, full power sliding.

B.

 

It is easy. Like Lexia so clearly said, liken it to snowboarding. The learning curve on a snowboard is so damn small and easy that everyone is now doing it. The same goes for drifting. Why would you want to kart race, when you can hop in a Ford Mustang and roast the **** out of the rears going sideways. I don't know about you, but I am much better at doing slides in a parking lot than I am at setting truly fast laps at a track.

If you like it, do it. You'll probably pick it up quickly and be decent at it.

 

Drifting on dirt, snow, ice, etc: fun.
Drifting on gravel: rallye.
Drifting on asphalt: tire sales galore.

 

Drifting is a form of racing developed by the tire companys. The main idea is to burn up as many tires in the shortest period of time.

 

Just a waste of tires thats all.

 

Drifting is to racing as figure skating is to speed skating.

I don't watch figure skating either.

 

Close, but actually it's more like:

Drifting : Racing
Figure Skating : Hockey

 

Hmm...

Having played hockey, raced, and drifted (no figure skating though!) I can relate it more to:

Drifting : Racing
Figure Skating : Speed Skating.





Or, perhaps more appropriately:
Drifting : Racing
Figure Skating Hockey Players : Speed Skating.

 

Not another anit-drifting thread.

Don't knock it until you've tried it - it involves talent & skill... and usually the people knocking it have neither

 

Although drifting is not my 'cup of tea' my first Toyota back in '85 was an '85 Corolla GTS which is the drifting king. I never understood but just enjoyed the chassis and the enjoyment of a drift while being in total control. There are very few joy's that are greater than completely having control of a more or less 'out of control' vehicle than drifting.
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Awesome Japanese drifting video. Download and enjoy.

http://rapidshare.com/files/89964859/Drifting_Video_From_Japan.asf

 

I remember you handbraking the Mini into the garage at Brands at about 60mph!

Brian

Then there was the 2CV automatic stopping system.....

 

Although Speed Skating is the NASCAR of competitive skating--all left turns

 

It's a fad and i can't wait till it dies out.

 

The more interesting part may be the "Gymkana" which came with "Drifting" from Japan. Or, maybe I should say, came back from Japan.

I'm not sure what it's mutated into, but back in the '70s, it was a series of precision maneuvers -- putting the car *exactly* where you want it (so you need to know where your corners are).

 

I think Borg Warner may also have a hand in the vast right wing conspiricy (clutch & transmission?)

 

I saw a display for the first time at B-J last month, and have to admit I was impressed by the car control the two drivers had. They would run smoky figure eights around cones and each other sometimes just inches apart and never really screwed up. Not my cup of tea, but credit where it's due they could really manage their vehicles.



(And I love the smell of tire smoke)

 

The history of drifting, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drifting_(motorsport).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6i2oe86LU4