What makes a drift car / Can any car be a drift car?

What is Drifting

Drifting is a driving technique where the driver will intently break traction in a controlled skid, sideways, through a turn with the front wheels pointing in the opposite direction of the turn. This requires a chassis that has good rear weight bias and the ability to turn at high steering angles. With different chassis, drive types, and setups, it can be difficult to choose the best RC drift car for a specific driving style, track surface, and budget. So, what makes an RC drift car? Can any RC car be a drift car? Let's take a look at the ins and outs of RC drifting and find answers to these questions and more.

Drift Chassis vs Non-Drift Chassis

RC drift car manufacturers build their cars with added steering angle to allow the driver to help control the slide through the entire corner. The chassis of these cars will feature cutouts around the front control arms to ensure that the tires do not rub against the chassis. Non-drift specific chassis do not require the same amount of steering angle. These types of RC cars can allow for some sideways fun, however, they can struggle when approaching larger drift angles.

Tires!

In the RC world, tires make a huge difference depending on the surface each driver is drifting on. The most common surfaces are Asphalt, Polished Concrete, Carpet, and VCT-Tile. Each surface requires a different compound of tire to get the best sideways action. For grippy surfaces like carpet, drivers will want to use a harder tire to ensure drivers have the right grip, or lack of grip, to slide properly across the surface. For slick surfaces like polished concrete, drivers will want a softer tire to provide more grip on the surface to properly slide the car around. The best way to choose tires is to first identify the surface the car will be drifting on, and choose a tire that is advertised for that type of surface.

2WD Drifting

For 2WD chassis, drivers rely on an electronic steering gyro to initiate the countersteer. As the RC car starts to drift, the gyro will feel the forces being applied to the chassis and move the tires automatically to start countersteering. This initial "flick" of the tires makes 2WD drifting much easier and allows the driver to focus on varying throttle and making small steering inputs to control the direction of the slide. Most modern performance gyros feature a gain to allow the driver to make adjustments to how much the gyro is helping. This enables drivers to have more control over the way the car handles through corners. 2WD chassis' are a great option for those looking to get into drifting and having the most realistic experience. 4WD chassis' do not require a gyro as the front tires are trying to pull the front of the chassis around to get the car driving straight again. This allows for a more easy drift to control and is a great option for entry-level drifting.