Let's lexico-decrypt 'drift'.

[19xx]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=drift

If you go to dictionary.com, you'll see that you will not find the word drift that is used on cars. In other words, it is not offically explained, but rather a made up term to explain the car's manuvers. Who do you think made up that term? Why the word 'drift'?

 

[Duke]

I beleive it's an outgrowth of the term, "four wheel drfit", which describes the slightly crabwise track of a car turning at its limits, but still adhering to the road. The sideways motion is caused by cornering forces making the tire sidewalls deflect to the outside, meaning the car moves along a path that is slightly at an angle to the way it is pointing.

A four wheel drift is not a slide, which is what 'drift' has come to mean.

 

[Ethix101]

I always figured that "Drift" in the most basic form is just loss of traction in a turn..whether that's a huge sideways exhibition drift or a slight loss of traction that an F1 driver gets when flying around a corner. Everything beyond that are just different kinds of drifts...4 wheel drift (which I still don't know exactly what people are talking about when they use this term), braking drift, power-over (or powerslide)...etc.... I could be wrong, but that's just how I always thought of it.

 

[bustwave.]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=drift

 

[milefile]

The new trend all these little Super Street Faggots are catching onto because Rick Chu does it and its "cool"

"Y0! I drift my Civic it was tyte!"
"Silly wabbit, FF cant drift"

Excellent.

 

[Red Eye Racer]

Yesterday,.. I saw a mid-90's buick regal....... with a spoiler mounted over 12" off the trunk,... and an exhaust system that would make the ol' "cherry bomb" sound like a whipper-snapper.

I didnt know whether to laugh or cry........

....................wtf am I doing in here anyway?

 

[Hazard]

oh god regals (looks outside at his broke down p.o.s. regal)