Audi Sport Has No Interest In Drift Mode For Its Cars

While an increasing number of automakers are adding so-called ‘Drift’ modes to their performance vehicles, Audi Sport says it has no interest in such a feature.

Ford arguably brought the feature into the mainstream with the Focus RS and soon after, the new Mercedes-AMG E63 S received a similar driving mode. What’s more, Ferrari offers a similar system for its models as does McLaren for the 720S. What’s more, even the new-age BMW M5 will have a mode to disconnect the front wheels and to send the rears spinning.

While speaking with Motoring recently, Audi Sport’s head of development Stephan Reil said that the company has no interest in making its vehicles go sideways.

“No drift mode. Not in the R8, not in the RS 3, not in the RS 6, not in the RS 4. I don’t like them. I do not see the reason for them. We do not see the sense in sitting there burning the back tyres. It’s not fast.

“It’s much faster the way we do it, and drifting also does not really suit the architecture of our cars,” Reil said.

According to Reil, there is simply no need for a drift mode as a similar result can be achieved by switching off the vehicle’s ESP system.

“Then it will not intervene for you even when it (the car) is fully out of control, because that’s what you asked it not to do. You wanted the full control by pushing that button. You got it,” Reil said.