Nowadays, the words ‘powersliding’ and ‘drifting’ are used interchangeably, as if they mean exactly the same thing. They don’t.
As this latest video from Car Throttle aims to explain, there are a variety of key differences between these two forms of getting a car’s rear end to lose traction around a corner.
Powersliding is often confused with drifting. If you see a car with its wheels spinning while exiting a corner, you could be forgiven for thinking it is drifting. However, if the driver takes the corner as usual and simply applies enough throttle to spin the rear wheels on exit, it’s classified as a powerslide.
The real art form of the two is drifting. Originating in Japan, it is not only a hugely popular sport but involves entering the apex of a corner with the rear wheels already having lost traction and maintaining that slide throughout the entirety of a given turn. Drifting can also be initiated by pulling the handbrake, kicking the clutch or doing the good ole’ Scandinavian flick.
The more you know…