Drifting vs Powersliding vs Fishtailing

[Sohcahtoa]

What exactly is the difference between drifting, powersliding, and simply fishtailing?

I picture fishtailing as simply swinging your car's rear end around a sharp corner, with the rear end swinging out up to around 45 degrees past the exiting direction. There is a huge loss in speed in the maneuver. Fishtailing would be what you see in action sequences during movies.

As for powersliding and drifting, I'm not sure.

 

[inferno]

well there sort of the same. fishtailing is usualy agreed to be accidental. in other words, the rear steps out when you dont want it to. powersliding is when you purposly break the rear end lose to swing the car around a tight turn, and drifting is when you purposely kick the car sideways just before a turn and then keep it that way all the way onto the next strait, where you then straiten out. at least style drifting is that way.

I call it artistic driving. drifting that is.

 

[Gen.]

Drifting is the new term for powersliding (at a greater extent), and fishtailing is sliding left and right before you lose control of your car on the straight.

 

[JW31]

lol, isn't powersliding from NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND! haha.

 

[F310B]

Fishtailing is simply when the back end steps out, I believe.

 

[RX-7_FC_DrIfteR]

lol, isn't powersliding from NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND! haha.

yeah. They made drifting look so easy.

 

[180sx_DrifterX]

Yeah but they put oil on the road or somethin.

 

[Swift]

lol, isn't powersliding from NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND! haha.

That's the best description of powersliding I've ever heard.

 

[Delphic Reason]

"Power Slide" means just that, using the power of the car to swing the tail out... It's just an outdated term for "drifting"...

"Fishtail" means the back end of your car slips out from under you (usually from side to side) while you struggle to regain traction... This usally happens at the exit of a corner...