how to drift a Front-drive?

How doy ou drift a fwd car? I know it's easy to do in snow of loose gravel or something, but how about on the pavement......also...is it possible to do doughnuts in a fwd.....someone told me this guy was doing doughnuts in a sunfire....i find it hard to picture.

As someone else has put it, FWD don't drift, they drag ass. The only way to drift a FWD is to E-brake it. Now doing donuts in a FWD, if I am correct you have to go in reverse to do a donut

Originally posted by dbartoschek
How doy ou drift a fwd car?

2 words: you can't.

ass dragging.

much agreed.

you can get a fwd car to oversteer, but it's not drifting...

you can control the "spin" that would occur, but you can't induce it and control it the same ways you can with rwd.

you can look like you're drifting, and use some of the same techniques, but an fwd car does drift, b/c you can't use the gas to control the rear wheels, which means you "drift/slide" until they grip, instead of like a rwd car where you can control it...

yes there is a technique to drift FWD cars, its called left foot braking. though this technique is mainly used for rallies its possible to use it on pavement. granted that this technique is very hard to learn but none the less it is possible to drift in a FWD.

It's possible to inertia drift a FWD car using the left foot braking technique as Ragnarok explains. There isn't any real benefit to it most of the time, except on some hairpins or loose surfaces.

It's simple enough, you set up your suspension for a more or less even balance, and brake to transfer weight to the front wheels, allowing the rear wheels to lose grip before the front wheels, and inducing drift.

Actually, the ironic thing is, FWD cars can only do true inertia drift(aside from ebrake lock), wheras most RWD "drifters" are just using power to overcome the traction of the rear tires :hehehe:

finally someone agrees that FWDs can drift, im tired of people preaching that FWDs cant.

handbrake feint brake throttle lalalala very difficult. its an FF drift. There's a link to a drifting tips page in this forum somewhere just search for it

it's still not drifting. it's just dragging. drifting is using power to overcome the loss of traction in the rear wheels (the drive wheels) and an FF car can't very well do that, now can it?

here we go again... haven't we went over how many different types of driftin there is? I understand monkey's point, if you can get a FWD to drift without e-brake, that is a true inertia drift, but if you use the e-brake, that is ass draggin. Overpowering the car over is a different type of drift than an inertia drift.

ok, the point is that you can't overpower the rear wheels of a fwd car.

that's the point.

you can't control the rear wheels by stomping the gas and keeping them spinning.

so you're not drifting the car.

it may look like it, but you're not if you're going by the definition.

if i drive my fwd car hard into a corner and it oversteers, i'm not going to say i was drifting, b/c i can't really control it and keep the ass out there.


that's the point.

I think there are different defintions of what a drift is. My first answer to this question was, no you can't drift a FWD, but after a few people comments, I have changed my mind, and I agree with them. You can drift a FWD, just takes a lot more skill.

in the true defintion of a drift, you can't get a fwd car to drift.
i feel the same way you do, but i don't consider that drifting.
drifting means you can control, usually with modulation of the gas pedal, the rear wheels, which are being driven by the engine.
in that case, fwd can't drift, b/c the rear wheels are just along for the ride.

my major keypoint here is that if you're drifting a rwd car, and wish to prolong the drift, step on the gas and keep em spinning.

you can't do that in a fwd car. so it's not really drifting.

Originally posted by flylwsi
in the true defintion of a drift, you can't get a fwd car to drift.
i feel the same way you do, but i don't consider that drifting.
drifting means you can control, usually with modulation of the gas pedal, the rear wheels, which are being driven by the engine.
in that case, fwd can't drift, b/c the rear wheels are just along for the ride.

my major keypoint here is that if you're drifting a rwd car, and wish to prolong the drift, step on the gas and keep em spinning.

you can't do that in a fwd car. so it's not really drifting.

read up on Left Foot Braking and come back to me;)you dont need to over power the rear wheels to drift. as long as you can break traction without the use of the hand brake.

http://www.modernracer.com/tips/leftfootbraking.html

I've personally done it myself, with our minivan, reason why is there is hardly anything in the rear so it's quite light back there so it gave a nice little swing out but it tucked right back in, now if that were rear wheel you could control it and keep it out for a few extra seconds. It is definately possible when there isn't much weight over the rear axle. I will stand behind this, and prove it if I have to!

thats a good page there ragnorak, too bad left foot braking is the only page there that works. that page proofs a very good point too.

hi guys i'm knew here and i was just reading through this forum and the only true definition of a "drift" is "a controled sideways slide", meaning, it's the fine driving line between over steer and under steer (or something to that affect). I have never heard of a "drift" "controling the power to the rear wheels". flylwsi, do you have a car? it doesn't say you do in your profile, and if you don't have a car how can you know what you are talking about? i'm not trying to start stuff, but you seem to be making waves.:)

Originally posted by RyNoSeRuS
hi guys i'm knew here and i was just reading through this forum and the only true definition of a "drift" is "a controled sideways slide", meaning, it's the fine driving line between over steer and under steer (or something to that affect). I have never heard of a "drift" "controling the power to the rear wheels". flylwsi, do you have a car? it doesn't say you do in your profile, and if you don't have a car how can you know what you are talking about? i'm not trying to start stuff, but you seem to be making waves.:)

you're the one coming in here as a "newbie" and starting stuff with veteran members...you may not be TRYING to start stuff, but stuff gets started without trying you know.

FWD cars CAN get sideways, sure, i'll give you that. but it is NOT DRIFTING!!! it's SLIDING or ASS-DRAGGING. drifting is the combination of getting your car sideways and being able to control it using the power to the rear wheels.

do i have a car?
and you are whom to ask?

i've got 2.
89 prelude si. built
94 s10 xcab 5spd. lowered and fast.
anything else?

i'm pretty sure i know how to drive.

s13 understood my point.

im not making waves.

simply pointing out that you cannot control a car that has been left footed into a turn. you can't keep it there with the gas, so it's not drifting.

make sense?
do i have to explain it some more?

you can get a fwd car to swing around with the e brake, left foot, whatever, but you can't sustain the slide with the gas like you can rwd car. so it's not drifting.

i'm not doubting anyone's method here, but it's not a method of drifting b/c you can't drift a fwd car.

keep in mind that the methods mentioned are used by rwd cars with one subtle difference.
they keep it going with the gas. you can't do that with fwd.

wow. i'm repeating myself again.

and did i mention i've got 2 cars? and driven more than enough fast cars to know what i'm talking about?

I think all this is what your definition of a drift is, either it is a controlled slide, or a slide controlled using your rear wheels. I have seen both definitions everywhere. So see, really this is just a never ending arguement. I, myself, I got by the definition of a controlled slide, whether it is controlling it with the rear wheels, or left foot braking, they both take an amount of skill to accomplish a good drift. Doesn't matter if some do not consider it a drift or not, to others it might.

Originally posted by flylwsi

simply pointing out that you cannot control a car that has been left footed into a turn. you can't keep it there with the gas, so it's not drifting.

yes you can keep your foot on the gas and brake at the same time, thats the whole point of left foot braking. your not stomping on the brake the way through, just lightly to keep the weight up front to let the rear swing out.


make sense?
do i have to explain it some more?

you can get a fwd car to swing around with the e brake, left foot, whatever, but you can't sustain the slide with the gas like you can rwd car. so it's not drifting.

i'm not doubting anyone's method here, but it's not a method of drifting b/c you can't drift a fwd car.

keep in mind that the methods mentioned are used by rwd cars with one subtle difference.
they keep it going with the gas. you can't do that with fwd.

wow. i'm repeating myself again.

and did i mention i've got 2 cars? and driven more than enough fast cars to know what i'm talking about?

but you can substain a drift with left foot braking, you right foot is planted on throttle the way through. instead of countersteering with the steering wheel you control it with your left foot on the brake. if it understeers apply the brake harder, if it oversteers release the brake. no matter how much you deny it or change the standards you can drift in a FWD with left foot braking, nothing is impossible.

did you even read the article i linked

Originally posted by Ragnarok043


but you can substain a drift with left foot braking, you right foot is planted on throttle the way through. instead of countersteering with the steering wheel you control it with your left foot on the brake. if it understeers apply the brake harder, if it oversteers release the brake. no matter how much you deny it or change the standards you can drift in a FWD with left foot braking, nothing is impossible.

did you even read the article i linked

if you go around a corner long enough, eventually the FWD is going to lose it's momentum because it's not being driven through the turn using the accelerator. meanwhile, the RWD is using the drive wheels to power through the corner, so it could keep going as long as possibly. meanwhile the FWD, which is being controlled by braking, will eventually lose it's momentum and/or have to pull out of the drift. FWD's car slide sideways, but it is NOT drifting. i feel like i'm talking to a brick wall.

We are all talking to brick walls. Apparently everyone has their own opinion of what a drift is, and no one can change each others opinion.

Originally posted by S13_Iketani


if you go around a corner long enough, eventually the FWD is going to lose it's momentum because it's not being driven through the turn using the accelerator. meanwhile, the RWD is using the drive wheels to power through the corner, so it could keep going as long as possibly. meanwhile the FWD, which is being controlled by braking, will eventually lose it's momentum and/or have to pull out of the drift. FWD's car slide sideways, but it is NOT drifting. i feel like i'm talking to a brick wall.

how do you know that an FWD wont have enough momentum to drift through a corner, have you tried it yourself, do you got any solid proof that left foot braking doesnt work. this technique was developed in rally racing so that you wont loose as much momentum. i already stated that with left foot braking your right foot is on the gas the whole way through, youre not stomping on the brake to slow down just massaging it to transfer weight to the front. its not like e brake where youre ass draggin the whole way through. plus you only have to do it til you hit the apex and that only lasts for a few secs then you can floor the throttle. youd have to stomp on the brakes the whole way through to loose so much momentum that you cant drift.

Originally posted by Tony
We are all talking to brick walls. Apparently everyone has their own opinion of what a drift is, and no one can change each others opinion.

you tell me, i show proof and some people keep trying to push the standards up for what is a drift. i explain how it could be done with left foot braking but nobody wants to accept the fact that it works. but it doesnt matter to me if anybody wants to believe it or not. atleast i made a believer out of you.

s13 understands...

rag...

i know what you're saying, but what happens when the corner is long enough for the fwd car to lose momentum?
b/c it'll happen.

and if you're left foot braking, you'll burn the brakes, slow the car, and not do much else.

no one is elevating the standard, but it's getting more defined.

you don't left foot brake through a corner, you left foot into it.
if you had to continually left foot through a corner, then you'd get a jerky slide, not really a clean smooth drift...
left foot is more for rally and dirt...
and yes, i know you can use it on a street course, but not to the same effect and efficiency.

Originally posted by flylwsi
s13 understands...

rag...

i know what you're saying, but what happens when the corner is long enough for the fwd car to lose momentum?
b/c it'll happen.

and if you're left foot braking, you'll burn the brakes, slow the car, and not do much else.

no one is elevating the standard, but it's getting more defined.

you don't left foot brake through a corner, you left foot into it.
if you had to continually left foot through a corner, then you'd get a jerky slide, not really a clean smooth drift...
left foot is more for rally and dirt...
and yes, i know you can use it on a street course, but not to the same effect and efficiency.

So there, are you saying, that in its own way, a FWD can drift? a drift is a drift, no matter if its a little drift or a giant drift, if you can get the car in a controlled slid, its a drift, no matter how long you hold it, or how smoothly it goes though. I'm sure at first a FWD drift will look really crappy until the person figures it out completely and knows how to control the car better.

in it's own way, yes, fwd can "drift".

for all practical purposes, i've never called it drifting, b/c i associate drifting with the driving style and rwd or awd cars, not necessarily small drifts that an fwd car can accomplish.

drifting to me is something that you can accomplish on a whim, do whenever, and hold for an unset amount of time, something you, not the cars grip (as in fwd) determines..

Alright, so we sort of came to an agreement, technically a FWD can drift, but in some people's eyes it can't. I will agree, a FWD can't drift like a RWD or AWD car can, but it can drift.

Originally posted by Tony
Alright, so we sort of came to an agreement, technically a FWD can drift, but in some people's eyes it can't. I will agree, a FWD can't drift like a RWD or AWD car can, but it can drift.

i can accept that too

Fuel to the fire :D

If you have to rely on overpowering the rear wheels, you're not drifting, you're powersliding. As I said, the only way a FWD car can drift(aside from e-brake lock) is to manage the weight transfer so that the rear end gives up before the front. This is an inertia drift, specifically braking drift, but often combined with feinting and e-brake techniques. Of course, you should only need the e-brake if you haven't bothered to tune your suspension for drifting.

If you want to know the definition of a drift, it's the lateral momentum of the car overcoming the resistance of the tires. If you burn out and start pulling donuts, that is not drifting, that is power sliding. It doesn't matter whether your powersliding around a cone in a parking lot, or powersliding around a corner, it's not drifting.

man, and i was just getting them to come to an agreement Cbass, you just gotta come and F'k shit up don't you :flipa: :D

Originally posted by Cbass
Fuel to the fire :D

If you have to rely on overpowering the rear wheels, you're not drifting, you're powersliding. As I said, the only way a FWD car can drift(aside from e-brake lock) is to manage the weight transfer so that the rear end gives up before the front. This is an inertia drift, specifically braking drift, but often combined with feinting and e-brake techniques. Of course, you should only need the e-brake if you haven't bothered to tune your suspension for drifting.

If you want to know the definition of a drift, it's the lateral momentum of the car overcoming the resistance of the tires. If you burn out and start pulling donuts, that is not drifting, that is power sliding. It doesn't matter whether your powersliding around a cone in a parking lot, or powersliding around a corner, it's not drifting.

keep preaching but i dont think youll get to these guys.

i understand the difference b/n a powerslide and a drift, but the fact of the matter is that even the most accomplished drifters control the cars slip angle with the throttle.
drifting does include powersliding in its basic elements.

for example, in the advan neova test video i have, there are multiple accomplished drifters from the d1gp in it, and they are all (through the turn, not the initial entrance into the drift) are powersliding, as the rear tires are definitely spinning, and that is helping control the cars angle on the track.

also, you can hear the throttle and see the speed of the wheels change, as they modulate the "powerslide" within the drift.

Yes, they are throttle steering, which happens to spin the rear tires, but it isn't to help the car rotate on it's lateral axis, it's to transfer weight to the rear tires, just as letting off the gas will transfer weight to the front wheels.

The same principle is applied in a FWD car, except the front wheels are supplying the power.

Originally posted by Cbass
Yes, they are throttle steering, which happens to spin the rear tires, but it isn't to help the car rotate on it's lateral axis, it's to transfer weight to the rear tires, just as letting off the gas will transfer weight to the front wheels.

The same principle is applied in a FWD car, except the front wheels are supplying the power.

True CBass, but what your missing is the reason WHY they do this. Through the combined forces of the driving torque and the weight shift to the rear, the rear wheels reach the limit of adhesion before the front wheels so therefore the rear slip angle increases. in other words the car rotates along it's axis.

The angle of the vehicle, in other words how sideways it is, is governed by the front and rear slip angles. If alpha(front slip-angle) is greater than beta(rear slip-angle) then the car will understeer(or plow). If the inverse is true(beta > alpha) then the car will oversteer. How much it oversteers, or how sideways it gets, is governed by the values of the of the slip-angles. It's all just basic geometry.

So yes, it is to control the orientation of the car. Spinning the tires and transfering weight to the rear are both used to accomplish the same goal; increasing the rear slip-angle. When you apply a driving torque you are using of some of the tires total potential adhesion. This leads to the limit of adhesion being reached sooner and therefore increasing the rear slip-angle. When you transfer weight to the rear you increase the weight over the rear axle and therefore increase the component of the centrifugal force acting on the rear tires, again increasing the rear slip-angle.

the direction of the car can be controlled/helped with the throttle though...

if you're pointing in a direction and you stomp on the gas and the car comes around, it's rotating on it's axis.

i think we all are saying the same thing here.

Originally posted by flylwsi
the direction of the car can be controlled/helped with the throttle though...

if you're pointing in a direction and you stomp on the gas and the car comes around, it's rotating on it's axis.

i think we all are saying the same thing here.

Yeah, I was supporting your argument Fly. CBass has the same idea, I think he's just a little confused on the why part.

:confused: I don't that much about drifting yet so I wanted to ask some questions about it before going any further. I got a civic HB and and Ive been trying to drift, so far I down shift to 2nd gear and turn the wheels into the curve pull the e-brake as soon the back gives up and starts going side ways I turn the front wheels the opposite direction and spin the front tires according to to the spped and how I feel about controlling the car I gain controll but my speed after that is'nt fast enogh. as far as suspension goes all I got are tokico struts and ground control coil-overs and a front strut bar, rear strut bar, lower tie bar and thats about it, any suggestions would be great. I also want to know if there is any special technique too front wheel drifting I got to know to get better.
My e-mail is oneseyespy@hotmail.com

I don't mean to jump in all late into this argument....But FWD's cannot drift..No matter what you do to the car..you CANNOT drift a FWD car..technically it can't be sustained, and no "going sideways" isn't drifting...going sideways is going sideways.
Excuse my while I preach on it for a bit here.

drift
v. drift·ed, drift·ing, drifts
v. intr.

To be carried along by currents of air or water:
To proceed or move unhurriedly and smoothly:

Here's where we break this down and settle it.

These are the exact word for word definitions of "drift" in the dictionary, and it relates to the automotive aspect of drifting as such. "To be carried along by currents of air or water" would be to be carried along by the engine within your vehicle....In MR and FR, such a thing is true, you are carried along by the power your engine creates, however the same cannot be said for FWD drivetrains. Durring an alleged "drift" in a FWD car the thing powering the car through the corner is the built up intertia the driver has created in a car, not the engine..The only thing the engine does is take the car out of it's motion. As far as "To proceed or move unhurriedly and smoothly" Those aspects can be related to, Drifting not being the fastest way to get from point A to point B, however it is consistant in it's actions and styles (I hope you understood that) a FWD car follows only 1 characteristic, and that is that it doesn't take the fastest way from point A to point B, simply because it is TRYING to lose control. However in a FWD car the E-brake is used to stop the rear wheels so that the inertia can send the rear end of the car sliding outwards, but this cannot be sustained..If the e-brake is on the gas isn't pressed, meaning there is no power, meaning you're going to stop in the middle of a corner facing the wrong way...However if you release the ebrake once your rear end is at a desired position it will whip the car right back around to the direction the front wheel's are facing, completly wasting the time of E-braking, so in order to get around a corner using such a style the driver must constantly revert from his/her E-brake to his/her gas pedel, and every time that transition is made there will be a instantaneous whipping affect to the car and will be fully aparent from both the inside and the outside as the rear end of the car slowly slides back into it's place, following the front wheels...Meaning it is not a smooth motion..It doesn't matter how fast the driver is with his/her hands and feet, there will always be that motion of the rear end jerking back to re-align with the front/powered wheels which throws the concept of "Smoothly" out the window..I'm well aware that some/alot of drivers using FR MR and AWD drive layouts use their Ebrake and such things can occur with those aswell, but with those drivelayouts it can be avoided depending on the driver, with a FF car there is no way to get around it.

Don't go into this arguement again, we have had it enough and all of us have decided to leave it alone, we know we all have our own opinions, if you do not believe a FWD can drift, then fine then go for it. But don't try bringing down the guys who do believe a FWD can drift.

I'm not bringing them down..I'm just showing them the light....they can continue to azz drag around corners...I dun care..I have a FWD car too by the way if you didn't notice..I love it to death...But I know it won't/can't/never-will/never-could drift...

Originally posted by Shinez
I'm not bringing them down..I'm just showing them the light....they can continue to azz drag around corners...I dun care..I have a FWD car too by the way if you didn't notice..I love it to death...But I know it won't/can't/never-will/never-could drift...
yes because that 98 BMW M3 you have listed as your car is FWD:rolleyes:

Originally posted by Shinez
I'm not bringing them down..I'm just showing them the light....they can continue to azz drag around corners...I dun care..I have a FWD car too by the way if you didn't notice..I love it to death...But I know it won't/can't/never-will/never-could drift...

If you wish to call it showing them the light, then call it that, but I call it something different, because I realize a FWD can drift, it used to actually be included in drifting competitions, then the RWD just outclassed it by so much, it got dropped from the comps, but just because it got dropped doesn't mean they can no longer drift. Either way, believe what you wish, just don't try stiring up anything on it anymore. This arguement has gone on ever since I have learned about drifting, lets try and end it.

Originally posted by Neutrino

yes because that 98 BMW M3 you have listed as your car is FWD:rolleyes:

I don't know if you've read the LONG SIGNATURE OF MINE....but i wasn't reffering to the BMW as my FWD car...smartness there huh?

Originally posted by Shinez


I don't know if you've read the LONG SIGNATURE OF MINE....but i wasn't reffering to the BMW as my FWD car...smartness there huh?

this is the kind of stuff you get when you try to reopen the flaming....

no one reopened the flamming......I just put out the fire..if someone else sparks it up don't blame me..I put it to a close

Originally posted by Ragnarok043


how do you know that an FWD wont have enough momentum to drift through a corner, have you tried it yourself, do you got any solid proof that left foot braking doesnt work. this technique was developed in rally racing so that you wont loose as much momentum. i already stated that with left foot braking your right foot is on the gas the whole way through, youre not stomping on the brake to slow down just massaging it to transfer weight to the front. its not like e brake where youre ass draggin the whole way through. plus you only have to do it til you hit the apex and that only lasts for a few secs then you can floor the throttle. youd have to stomp on the brakes the whole way through to loose so much momentum that you cant drift.

Because the easiest way to steer out of an oversteer situation is to apply the power. Hence, no matter how much momentum you have, the moment you apply a force at the pivot point of a slide, you accelerate that pivot, pulling the tail back into line.

"drifting" is "four-wheel drift", which originated in the early days of racing (from around 1925 on up to the early 60's) to describe a technique of negotiating a turn. To some extent, you see this employed by ralliers today, on dirt.

AS you approach the turn, you give the car a sudden steering input, tossing it sideways and getting all four wheels to slide, while steering into the slide. As you reach the apex of the turn, you apply the power and straighten the wheel, pointing in the direction you want to go (usually out of the turn).

This technique allows you to carry more speed into the turn by using a controlled slide (and yes, I've seen "powerslide" applied to this as well) to get the car pointed the right direction. This technique also deals with the limitations in early suspensions, and more importantly, tires (old tires couldn't stick for nothin').

So, ricers didn't invent the terms, the concepts, or the technique. It's older than Japan, even (or at least Japanese cars).

Also, as far as modern machinery is concerned, drifting is actually a bad thing in most circumstances becasue modern tires stick so well that by the time you get yourself sliding, you're already way too fast to control the slide, and off into the weeds you go. The only place it's applicable today, as I said, is in dirt racing.

Correction: "powerslide" is what the dirt trackers with modifieds and midgets do, hang the tail out in a controlled power-on slide. At least that's the modern definition. Doing a handbrake slide is faking a true powerslide, or perhaps an attempt to get a car to drift, but it doesn't work so well, again, becasue modern tires and suspensions create a shitload of stick.

First off, I think this thread is screwed right up. No offense or anything, and I certainly don't want to try to flame anyone, but there is a yes and no answer to the FWD drifting. I'd like to point out that a 'true' drift, more like 'race' drift, is in fact drifting back in the early 20's to the 60's, and to a much lesser extent, now. Micheal Shumacher ring a bell? Then there is the 'show' drift.
So the answer to this is simple.
Yes, a FWD can race drift.
No, a FWD can't show drift.

It's that simple.

Flame me all you want, but fact is fact. I'm just surprised that there's only a rare few on this forum that know what 'real' drifting is.

This is getting old fellas...read my sig quote.

This is getting old fellas...read my sig quote.
i read your quote... so what? you still cant show drift a FWD, get a proper car, RWD. to prove it, try drifting through a corner that tightens up in one direction then opens out in the other, do it smoothly and without it looking like a dog dragging its ass on the ground. You often see touring/racing FWD cars having a sideways moment but usually due purely to excessive speed and not power related.

after reading the whole thread and the many posts supporting and degrading that fwd can/can't drift it all boils down to one thing: point of view.
just b16 sirII said in his signature of squall from final fantasy 8, it all depends on one's perception and view.
and like FCN86 said:
So the answer to this is simple.
Yes, a FWD can race drift.
No, a FWD can't show drift.

it all depends on your point of view, if you had read the previous posts in this thread there is enough evidence to support that yes a fwd CAN drift...but of course that is MY point of view and MY perception
you take it anyway you like it

i would like to make a comment....wat ragnarok said is true....u can't drift with a FWD car....it may seem like drifting but the proper term for this isn't drifting its called "POWER SLIDING"

Ever hear the phrase "there's more than one way to skin a cat?"

Believe it or not fellas, there's more than one way to drift - you do not have to overpower the rear wheels to induce an oversteering drift - and if you belive that this is the only way you should really try and get out more. Also, towards the powersliding comments, a powerslide in a FWD car would result in understeer which is not considered by most as a form of drift. Anybody who's ever driven a FF car knows that if you step on the gas mid turn, the result is understeer.

i would like to make a comment....wat ragnarok said is true....u can't drift with a FWD car....it may seem like drifting but the proper term for this isn't drifting its called "POWER SLIDING"
Stop...bringing...up...threads...about...drifting. ..in...the...INITIAL D FORUM

you don't always use power in a rwd car to break loose, you can use load shifting, braking drifts, clutch kicking, throttle lifting, etc.

and i also don't understand how an FF could "drift," unless it had ice for rear wheels lol. but you still couldn't change the angle of the drift while drifting anyways.

Yea I’m a newbie to this sit this forum so what I been drivin for a while so hers som knowledge for your punk a@@es aight I drive an 01' Prelude and I'll admit that an ff car is not able to drift by applying power to the rear wheels but inertia drifts braking drifts and clutch kicking can be applied when taking hairpin corners. To be honest most true pro (tour, le mans, Indy, hell even stock car) racers will agree that power drifting is not the most efficient way to take any hairpin corner whether your car is FR FF AWD or mishap. I love mountain racing and love any road that has hairpin curves. I detest drag racing because I my mind its more machine than man but in a downhill race or in a street race with tight carvers and hairpin corners the true driving ability of the driver becomes apparent. I'll never say that my prelude can power drift cause it can't but in a downhill or uphill race my prelude can take a corner as fast as any s13 AE86 evo or 240. Not cause I drift but because I took the time to learn other cornering techniques that can be applied to my FF car. Since this is an initial d forum maybe some of you idiots should read issue four of the manga series the one with the civic si yea stupid a@@es it’s a ff car and it takes the corners like a rally pro. In case you wondering the people who wrigth the series had professional racer as technical advisors when it came to every race depicted thought the series. The situations are realistic the techniques used real. I even took the time to find out if a ff car ad a chance in a downhill or uphill race against an FR guess what it does and further more its harder to learn how to maneuver a FF around a hairpin curve because of the oversteer with ought loosing to much momentum or speed but it is possible. It just takes skill and in a race who gives a damn if you can power drift in your RWD car it makes no difference if you can’t beat me to the finish line. In fact I had a RWD 240 I got rid of it for the prelude because of the 4 wheel suspension system. The prelude is actually a touring class car why cause it can take a corner fast as hell with our with out the ATTS personally the ATTS (torque shifter) hinders a highly skilled driver at extremely high speeds its reaction time is to slow. That why its not used or disabled by pro tour and rally racers. Drifting aint everything. So to you dudes who wish your FF could drift First thing I got say is check out modern racer.com look at the left breaking article. It only one of a few real applicable techniques used for approaching hairpin turns in an FF. Here’s’ a link to a website that has info on real drifting techniques used in initial d and information on left foot braking and how to approach a corner when racing properly. Check it out you fools might learn something. :banghead: http://www.vinceandjessica.com/mini/driving_tips.html

For you idiot who don't trust the previously mentioned sight ,here is anoter, http://www.garagedori.com/tech/drifttech.html, and here is a copy of the drifitn techs it list most of which can be performed on an FF CAR.

Drifting is a technique used through a turn to change a vehicles attitude for a proper exit. Practicing this technique is good for a vehicle that has under or over-steer problems in cornering. (This is used in Rallying but also useful in Road Racing!) There are so many types of drift techniques, so here I just introduced some of them.

Kansei (Race) Drift
This is performed at race speeds, when entering a high speed corner a driver lifts his foot off the throttle to induce a mild over steer and then balances the drift through steering and throttle motions.
the car that is being used for this style of drift should be a neutral balanced car therefore the over steer will induce itself, if the car plows through any turn this technique will not work

Braking Drift
This is performed by trail braking into a corner, then loss of grip is obtained and then balance through steering and throttle motions.
this is mainly for medium to low speed corners

Feint Drift
This is performed by rocking the car towards the outside of a turn and then using the rebound of grip to throw the car into the normal cornering direction.
this is heavy rally racing technique used to change vehicle attitudes during cornering, mainly tight mountain corners (Scandinavian flick)

Clutch Kick
This is performed by depressing the clutch pedal on approach or during a mild drift to give a sudden jolt through the driveline to upset rear traction.

Shift Lock
This is performed by letting the revs drop on downshift into a corner and then releasing the clutch to put stress on the driveline to slow the rear tires inducing over steer.
this is like pulling the E-brake through a turn - this should be performed in the wet to minimize damage to the driveline etc

Emergency Brake Drift
This technique is very basic, pull the E-Brake or (side brake) to induce rear traction loss and balance drift through steering and throttle play.
this can also be used to correct errors or fine tune drift angles

Dirt Drop Drift
This is performed by dropping the rear tires off the road into the dirt to maintain or gain drift angle without losing power or speed and to set up for the next turn.
this technique is very useful for low horsepower cars

Jump Drift
In this technique the rear tire on the inside of a turn or apex is bounced over a curb to lose traction resulting in over steer.

Long Slide Drift
This is done by pulling the E-brake through a strait to start a high angel drift and to hold this to set up for the turn ahead.
this can only be done at high speed

Swaying Drift
This is a slow side-to-side faint like drift where the rear end sways back and forth down a strait.

FF Drift (Front Wheel Drive Drift)
The E-brake as well as steering and braking techniques must be used to balance the car through a corner.
the E-brake is the main technique used to balance the drift

Power Over
This performed when entering a corner and using full throttle to produce heavy oversteer (tail slide) through the turn.
needs horsepower to make this happen
:iceslolan