RE: Chris Harris video: drift school
Thursday 31st July 2014
BMW has been allowing people to abuse its very amusing M235i in a publicity stunt called Driftmob, so we thought it time to run a little sliding tutorial.
Chris Harris video: drift school
You wait for one drifty video and then two come along at once; here Harris shares tricks of the trade
Hands-up, BMW helped us with this vid, so it stays on the free DRIVE channel, which is slightly ironic given today's discussions!
I've broken it down into what I hope are logical steps and tried to highlight some common mistakes. Regardless of whether you think drifting is childish or the greatest thing since the sliced loaf, there is no denying that the car control you learn from it will make you a better driver. Extreme car control becomes instinctive and in a sudden emergency you will have an advantage over other drivers.
But really this is about cutting great big slides and learning how to indulge in the sheer fun to be had from spoiling rear tyres. I'm a very lucky chap who gets to do this the whole time, and I never, ever stop grinning through each and every slide. Quite simply it's the best feeling to be had in a car.
And I have to say this bit - do it somewhere safe!
Discussion
Fun little video, and amazing the E39 one was sooo long ago!
I'd say one thing worth noting that perhaps was not fully covered is the importance of "the bung".
Most modern rwd cars are set up to understeer even with significant throttle opening when loaded in a corner. So, and especially in the dry, tend to need a little sharp handwheel input and possible lift of the throttle to "get the front in sharply to help unseat the rear". This also avoids that nasty unexpected gross understeer event when you find the car hasn't got enough torque (or a decent enough diff) to cleanly slide the rear.
In fact, you sub consciously do "the bung" and you can see it in your video, but i suspect most people will start to try to drift from too high a lateral loading, making the resulting break away sharp and sudden (and as a result, difficult to catch).
Driving much slower, and using "the bung" makes it much easier for a beginner to learn to catch and stabilse the drift ;-)
I'd say one thing worth noting that perhaps was not fully covered is the importance of "the bung".
Most modern rwd cars are set up to understeer even with significant throttle opening when loaded in a corner. So, and especially in the dry, tend to need a little sharp handwheel input and possible lift of the throttle to "get the front in sharply to help unseat the rear". This also avoids that nasty unexpected gross understeer event when you find the car hasn't got enough torque (or a decent enough diff) to cleanly slide the rear.
In fact, you sub consciously do "the bung" and you can see it in your video, but i suspect most people will start to try to drift from too high a lateral loading, making the resulting break away sharp and sudden (and as a result, difficult to catch).
Driving much slower, and using "the bung" makes it much easier for a beginner to learn to catch and stabilse the drift ;-)
Excellent Video.
If there's one thing I would add, it's the clutch-kick technique to initialize the drift for cars with not as much torque as these modern day performance cars.
So essentially drop the clutch, big revs and then sudden release to break traction.
Very useful at low speeds too and how I get my RX8 sideways
If there's one thing I would add, it's the clutch-kick technique to initialize the drift for cars with not as much torque as these modern day performance cars.
So essentially drop the clutch, big revs and then sudden release to break traction.
Very useful at low speeds too and how I get my RX8 sideways
Joeguard1990 said:
Excellent Video.
If there's one thing I would add, it's the clutch-kick technique to initialize the drift for cars with not as much torque as these modern day performance cars.
So essentially drop the clutch, big revs and then sudden release to break traction.
Very useful at low speeds too and how I get my RX8 sideways
Just easing out the clutch when changing from 3rd to 2nd whilst turning in should give enough retardation (*smirk*) on the rear to bring it around.If there's one thing I would add, it's the clutch-kick technique to initialize the drift for cars with not as much torque as these modern day performance cars.
So essentially drop the clutch, big revs and then sudden release to break traction.
Very useful at low speeds too and how I get my RX8 sideways
There are plenty of ways to provoke oversteer and the best method of provocation seems to vary from car to car.
Do these M235i's and m135i's run the same rear section tyres as they do at the front? The rears on my 3 series are huge compared to the already wide fronts, these 1 and 2 series must be able to break traction very easily.
Agree with him saying that people always underestimate how much throttle to use to drift, in the dry to provoke the rear of my Z4M you'd need to be pretty savage with the throttle.
Agree with him saying that people always underestimate how much throttle to use to drift, in the dry to provoke the rear of my Z4M you'd need to be pretty savage with the throttle.
Urban Sports said:
Do these M235i's and m135i's run the same rear section tyres as they do at the front? The rears on my 3 series are huge compared to the already wide fronts, these 1 and 2 series must be able to break traction very easily.
Agree with him saying that people always underestimate how much throttle to use to drift, in the dry to provoke the rear of my Z4M you'd need to be pretty savage with the throttle.
Nah I think they're 225 fronts and 245 rears. To be fair it shouldn't be an issue to break traction in 2nd gear with 300+ hp.Agree with him saying that people always underestimate how much throttle to use to drift, in the dry to provoke the rear of my Z4M you'd need to be pretty savage with the throttle.
I hear what you say about the Z4M, the S2000 is even harder again!
russy01 said:
Urban Sports said:
Do these M235i's and m135i's run the same rear section tyres as they do at the front? The rears on my 3 series are huge compared to the already wide fronts, these 1 and 2 series must be able to break traction very easily.
Agree with him saying that people always underestimate how much throttle to use to drift, in the dry to provoke the rear of my Z4M you'd need to be pretty savage with the throttle.
Nah I think they're 225 fronts and 245 rears. To be fair it shouldn't be an issue to break traction in 2nd gear with 300+ hp.Agree with him saying that people always underestimate how much throttle to use to drift, in the dry to provoke the rear of my Z4M you'd need to be pretty savage with the throttle.
I hear what you say about the Z4M, the S2000 is even harder again!
The tyres just don't seem to look very wide on any of the videos.
If you liked this video I seriously recommend this one too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJiZf_7CGBs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJiZf_7CGBs
russy01 said:
Nah I think they're 225 fronts and 245 rears. To be fair it shouldn't be an issue to break traction in 2nd gear with 300+ hp.
I hear what you say about the Z4M, the S2000 is even harder again!
I can confirm the s2000 is very tricky. Easy in the wet when grips lacking anyway but in the dry it requires a huge amount if throttle or I've found the best way is to be a gear lower than you think it should be. Easier to keep it in the powerband but tricky because it reacts a lot quicker. I hear what you say about the Z4M, the S2000 is even harder again!
It's not really drifter to be honest
Hmmmmmm. Do it somewhere safe - like a race track eh? Even if you're very obviously in full control, and maybe have been doing this for years, on your average track day you'll be (at best) subjected to a finger wagging and possibly (at worst) banned. Often by folks who have no idea themselves. Grrrr. So, fine if you have the right car and kit to go on a general test day or have other means of track access - but not as simple for many as it sounds.
Pugsey said:
Hmmmmmm. Do it somewhere safe - like a race track eh? Even if you're very obviously in full control, and maybe have been doing this for years, on your average track day you'll be (at best) subjected to a finger wagging and possibly (at worst) banned. Often by folks who have no idea themselves. Grrrr. So, fine if you have the right car and kit to go on a general test day or have other means of track access - but not as simple for many as it sounds.
My local retail park gets closed off after hours, except for JJB which has it's own car park. I went the a few weeks ago and you can barely make out the surface due to it being covered in rubber. Youths tend to gather in the nearby mcdonalds car park, then venture over to JJB to showcase their skills... y0
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