GT3 Drift Glossary and Guide (mirrored)
Intro: I've been a drifter since I bought my first car, a Mini, and changed the shocks to Spax Gas Adjustables. I soon discovered that I could increase lift off oversteer through making the back end solid. Two sets of tires and a bent rear subframe later, the fun was over. GT3 however, lets you learn easily, and without the potential for extensive bills. I strongly suggest that anyone who wants to get into drifting checks out the many sites devoted to the Japanese scene. It can be initially a little impenitrable, so to smooth your entry into drift culture, here is a glossary of some of the terms you'll see thrown about.
Power Oversteer:
The daddy of drift techniques, in my humble opinion. This is performed by exceeding the traction of the rear tires simply by virtue of putting down too much power through the rear tires. Fortunately, Gran Turismo allows us plenty of access to that, and without the nasty cost the of engine rebuilds and tires that would likely result in getting a car capable of doing lengthy power slides on tarmac in real life (R/L). Essentially, as you enter a corner, floor the throttle, and be ready to contain the back end with armfuls of opposite lock. Done correctly, youll create plumes of smoke, and navigate the corner in a graceful arc, facing all but perpendicular to the direction you are travelling. If you want to see it in real life, hunt out some 70s rally footage of Ford Escort MK1s and 2s. The best place to practice in Gran Turismo 1 and 2 is Deep Forest, on the corner between the first two tunnels. In GT3, I recommend Complex Strings expanding circles section, and for the hardcore Super Speedway. Using sim tires, I can slide cars the whole way around both corners. The lowest HP Ive managed it with, without modding the suspension, is 550 odd in the AMG CLK55. The most Ive managed to get round on sim tires is 1123 in the Pagani Zonda C12S, but it was a handful to say the least. The easiest to cope with are the Ford Mustang Cobra and the Aston Martin Vanquish.
Kansei Drift:
This is performed at high speeds, such that when entering a high speed corner. Essentially, you lift off the throttle to induce a mild over steer, and if you are going fast enough, youll have the momentum to enter the drift. You then balance it using steering and throttle. This is the form of drifting most commonly seen in Gran Turismo, and should be considered an introduction to the art as far as RWD cars are cocerned. To most effectively perform the kansei drift, the car that is being used should be at least neutrally balanced, but preferably a bit pointy, and therefore the oversteer will induce itself. If the car naturally understeers through turns, youll not get much out of applying this technique. An ideal place to attempt this is on the high speed chicane after the first lefts on Midfield. This is the best way to drift FWD cars, though, and a hot lap in an ITR or FTO can look great using it.
Braking Drift:
This is performed by braking into a corner, such that loss of grip is obtained. Subsequently steering and throttle are used to balance the drift. This technique is best for medium to low speed corners. I find that I naturally employ it through the exit of the downhill chicane and into the tight left hand hairpin into the tunnel near the end of Midfield.
Feint Drift:
This form is achieved by rocking the car towards the outside of a turn and then using the rebound of weight to throw the car into the desired cornering direction. It was all but vital in Gran Turismo 2 if you wanted to get a decent time on Pikes Peak, and I tend to use it on the right hand corner going under the L-tracks at Seattle just before the chicane at the end of the lap, particularly if Im in a 4wd car. A related form is the Scandinavian flick.
Scandinavian Flick:
This is also referred to as a pendulum turn. The main aim of this technique is to provide a quick oversteer turn-in to a corner. It is mainly used in rallying, and even then is mainly limited to slippery surfaces such as gravel or snow. As you are approaching a corner, if you are on a loose surface it is necessary ensure that the car will turn into the corner when you need it to. If you do not use this technique and just drive fast up to the corner and then turn in, without feinting, the car may well understeer. Instead, put the car into a brake drift pointing away from the corner and let the car flick into the corner at the last minute thus inducing instant oversteer and providing grip to the front wheels. However, WRC guys do it with more flair and usually send it back and forth multiple times to ensure the car is properly unbalanced. The essentials are as follows. Put the car into a skid traveling straight down the road but pointing the car away from the corner. For example consider a right hand bend on a slippery surface. If there is convex shape to the road with the road dropping off to the left and right. This is ideal for setting up a pendulum. By slight steering to the right and then to the left you will guide the car slightly right and then turn the front of the car left, leaving the rear wheels in the trough of the forest gravel road on the right. At the point when the car is traveling in the correct direction (down the road) and the car is pointing to the left you can do one of two things. By winding on some opposite lock and feathering the brakes you will be knocking off some speed and holding the tail out. The other method is to stand on the brakes and lock up all four wheels putting the car into a complete skid. This will knock off lots more speed on gravel as the gravel builds up in front of the tyres and improves braking. You should still wind on the appropriate opposite lock, even though the direction of the front wheels are not really important at this point. When you reach the point you want to flick the car to the right you just need to come off the brakes and the car will flick round to the right and you will then be in an oversteer power slide maneuver. You then use a good combination of acceleration and understeer to guide you round the corner and then fully accelerate once the car has straightened up. Sadly however, GT doesn't model locking wheels under normal braking, so the nearest approximation is combining a brake drift and feint drift. IMO the best place to do this is the hairpin left into the last tunnel at midfield.
Clutch Kick:
In R/L this is performed by depressing the clutch pedal on approach or during a mild drift, then you pop the clutch to give a sudden jolt through the driveline to induce loss of rear traction. The nearest equivalent in Gran Turismo is to approach a corner at low revs, then drop a gear. I use this technique all the time in heavily tuned turbocharged cars, particularly at Super Speedway and Complex String.
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. In my opinion, Gran Turismo doesnt model this well, in that although you hear the engine smacking up against the rev limiter, there is no deceleration beyond that you would expect from lifting off the throttle. Compared to the epic tail out action Ive had in a Vauxhall Chevette in the snow using this technique in R/L, its quite disappointing.
Handbrake or Long-Slide Drift:
This technique is not pretty. Yank on the handbrake to momentarily lose the back end, then balance the slide through steering and throttle play. Because of the way GT models the transmission, specifically the length of time between releasing the handbrake, and letting you get back on the power, this one is pretty tough to do effectively, and isnt that pretty anyway. Ive managed to get nice drifts out of it, but thats despite the technique, not because of it. Only worth bothering with if you are using an underpowered car in GT in my opinion.
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. Ive seen some videos that illustrate this with lower power cars, and Ive used it in R/L once or twice, but given its easier in GT just to buy more mods, its not really that useful.
Jump Drift:
This technique involves getting the rear tire on the inside of a turn or apex over the curb to lose traction resulting in over steer. If you are at Midfield II, the long right after youve gone up the hill is the perfect place to practice this.
Swaying Drift:
This is a slow side-to-side faint drift where the rear end sways back and forth down a straight. If you are putting down 800bhp through sim tires, you might find it happens all of its own accord.
Intro: I've been a drifter since I bought my first car, a Mini, and changed the shocks to Spax Gas Adjustables. I soon discovered that I could increase lift off oversteer through making the back end solid. Two sets of tires and a bent rear subframe later, the fun was over. GT3 however, lets you learn easily, and without the potential for extensive bills. I strongly suggest that anyone who wants to get into drifting checks out the many sites devoted to the Japanese scene. It can be initially a little impenitrable, so to smooth your entry into drift culture, here is a glossary of some of the terms you'll see thrown about.
Power Oversteer:
The daddy of drift techniques, in my humble opinion. This is performed by exceeding the traction of the rear tires simply by virtue of putting down too much power through the rear tires. Fortunately, Gran Turismo allows us plenty of access to that, and without the nasty cost the of engine rebuilds and tires that would likely result in getting a car capable of doing lengthy power slides on tarmac in real life (R/L). Essentially, as you enter a corner, floor the throttle, and be ready to contain the back end with armfuls of opposite lock. Done correctly, youll create plumes of smoke, and navigate the corner in a graceful arc, facing all but perpendicular to the direction you are travelling. If you want to see it in real life, hunt out some 70s rally footage of Ford Escort MK1s and 2s. The best place to practice in Gran Turismo 1 and 2 is Deep Forest, on the corner between the first two tunnels. In GT3, I recommend Complex Strings expanding circles section, and for the hardcore Super Speedway. Using sim tires, I can slide cars the whole way around both corners. The lowest HP Ive managed it with, without modding the suspension, is 550 odd in the AMG CLK55. The most Ive managed to get round on sim tires is 1123 in the Pagani Zonda C12S, but it was a handful to say the least. The easiest to cope with are the Ford Mustang Cobra and the Aston Martin Vanquish.
Kansei Drift:
This is performed at high speeds, such that when entering a high speed corner. Essentially, you lift off the throttle to induce a mild over steer, and if you are going fast enough, youll have the momentum to enter the drift. You then balance it using steering and throttle. This is the form of drifting most commonly seen in Gran Turismo, and should be considered an introduction to the art as far as RWD cars are cocerned. To most effectively perform the kansei drift, the car that is being used should be at least neutrally balanced, but preferably a bit pointy, and therefore the oversteer will induce itself. If the car naturally understeers through turns, youll not get much out of applying this technique. An ideal place to attempt this is on the high speed chicane after the first lefts on Midfield. This is the best way to drift FWD cars, though, and a hot lap in an ITR or FTO can look great using it.
Braking Drift:
This is performed by braking into a corner, such that loss of grip is obtained. Subsequently steering and throttle are used to balance the drift. This technique is best for medium to low speed corners. I find that I naturally employ it through the exit of the downhill chicane and into the tight left hand hairpin into the tunnel near the end of Midfield.
Feint Drift:
This form is achieved by rocking the car towards the outside of a turn and then using the rebound of weight to throw the car into the desired cornering direction. It was all but vital in Gran Turismo 2 if you wanted to get a decent time on Pikes Peak, and I tend to use it on the right hand corner going under the L-tracks at Seattle just before the chicane at the end of the lap, particularly if Im in a 4wd car. A related form is the Scandinavian flick.
Scandinavian Flick:
This is also referred to as a pendulum turn. The main aim of this technique is to provide a quick oversteer turn-in to a corner. It is mainly used in rallying, and even then is mainly limited to slippery surfaces such as gravel or snow. As you are approaching a corner, if you are on a loose surface it is necessary ensure that the car will turn into the corner when you need it to. If you do not use this technique and just drive fast up to the corner and then turn in, without feinting, the car may well understeer. Instead, put the car into a brake drift pointing away from the corner and let the car flick into the corner at the last minute thus inducing instant oversteer and providing grip to the front wheels. However, WRC guys do it with more flair and usually send it back and forth multiple times to ensure the car is properly unbalanced. The essentials are as follows. Put the car into a skid traveling straight down the road but pointing the car away from the corner. For example consider a right hand bend on a slippery surface. If there is convex shape to the road with the road dropping off to the left and right. This is ideal for setting up a pendulum. By slight steering to the right and then to the left you will guide the car slightly right and then turn the front of the car left, leaving the rear wheels in the trough of the forest gravel road on the right. At the point when the car is traveling in the correct direction (down the road) and the car is pointing to the left you can do one of two things. By winding on some opposite lock and feathering the brakes you will be knocking off some speed and holding the tail out. The other method is to stand on the brakes and lock up all four wheels putting the car into a complete skid. This will knock off lots more speed on gravel as the gravel builds up in front of the tyres and improves braking. You should still wind on the appropriate opposite lock, even though the direction of the front wheels are not really important at this point. When you reach the point you want to flick the car to the right you just need to come off the brakes and the car will flick round to the right and you will then be in an oversteer power slide maneuver. You then use a good combination of acceleration and understeer to guide you round the corner and then fully accelerate once the car has straightened up. Sadly however, GT doesn't model locking wheels under normal braking, so the nearest approximation is combining a brake drift and feint drift. IMO the best place to do this is the hairpin left into the last tunnel at midfield.
Clutch Kick:
In R/L this is performed by depressing the clutch pedal on approach or during a mild drift, then you pop the clutch to give a sudden jolt through the driveline to induce loss of rear traction. The nearest equivalent in Gran Turismo is to approach a corner at low revs, then drop a gear. I use this technique all the time in heavily tuned turbocharged cars, particularly at Super Speedway and Complex String.
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. In my opinion, Gran Turismo doesnt model this well, in that although you hear the engine smacking up against the rev limiter, there is no deceleration beyond that you would expect from lifting off the throttle. Compared to the epic tail out action Ive had in a Vauxhall Chevette in the snow using this technique in R/L, its quite disappointing.
Handbrake or Long-Slide Drift:
This technique is not pretty. Yank on the handbrake to momentarily lose the back end, then balance the slide through steering and throttle play. Because of the way GT models the transmission, specifically the length of time between releasing the handbrake, and letting you get back on the power, this one is pretty tough to do effectively, and isnt that pretty anyway. Ive managed to get nice drifts out of it, but thats despite the technique, not because of it. Only worth bothering with if you are using an underpowered car in GT in my opinion.
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. Ive seen some videos that illustrate this with lower power cars, and Ive used it in R/L once or twice, but given its easier in GT just to buy more mods, its not really that useful.
Jump Drift:
This technique involves getting the rear tire on the inside of a turn or apex over the curb to lose traction resulting in over steer. If you are at Midfield II, the long right after youve gone up the hill is the perfect place to practice this.
Swaying Drift:
This is a slow side-to-side faint drift where the rear end sways back and forth down a straight. If you are putting down 800bhp through sim tires, you might find it happens all of its own accord.
