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Grip Driving versus Drift
Author: Travis Andrade
Drifting is a technique that requires lots of practice and an efficient suspension and drive train setup. For those underpowered cars drifting is definitely the technique you want to use. Depending on the difficulty of the course and conditions, the suspension/tire setup you have, and the kind of vehicle you drive are all factors of the grip or drift style. Let us take an example of an all wheel drive car and apply its attributes to a downhill course.
- The Evolution VII is a grip and drift driving monster. The inline four, cast-iron block, and aluminum head that it is equipped with, does it justice. Depending on what style best fits your machine, the monster Evolution VII is in some cases capable of both. The Evo's superior power allows it to brake hard at corner entry, letting the front end suspension tighten up a bit, making it a little difficult to turn in, but feeding the throttle slowly should allow you to stay on track and not hurl yourself of a cliff into a shadowy abyss of razor sharp rock. Entering the corner at full throttle and braking hard is of course going to cause you to drift, this is where you eliminate the grip driving factor. The Evo's light weight body and superior horsepower allows you to drift or grip depending on the situation. I feel the Evo is a better drifter because of its overall short frame and engine displacement. If you were looking more into the grip driving side of things then make sure you have anything but stock brakes and it might be nice to have adjustable coilovers. You are going to need superior braking, which will allow you to brake later and accelerate quicker, because a good opponent that is using the drifting style will enter a corner at a much higher speed. All the Evo can be groomed into either a drifter or grip driving machine; it is totally at your disposal.
- Why not look at the Nissan Skyline R32. Yes, let's talk about skylines for a few minutes, just because Takeshi Nakazato of the Night Kids and his GT-R R32 lost to Takumi in his AE86 Sprinter Trueno does not mean that the Skyline is not a good car for downhill racing. First of all, the R32 is superior for uphill and on the downhill it is an effective grip driver. Everyone wishes they had a skyline; no one wants an AE86, because no one really possesses Takumi's God-like driving skill. With that said, let's move on. The R32 comes equipped with the standard RB26DETT that produces 280bhp at 6,800rpm and 271 lb-ft at 4,400rpm. Now, catch your breath and think for a second, when you pay nearly 60K for a skyline you better know how to handle this beast. You cannot drift in a skyline, it produces too much torque and is virtually impossible to handle if you throw it into a drift, so unless you want to spin out and die, use the grip driving technique. The R32 or any GTR for that matter makes so much horsepower that it will compensate for loss ground when racing a drifter. Again, have very good brakes, it takes a lot to slow a skyline down. It will probably take time to gain full control of the R32 and learn its strengths and weaknesses, but applying the right technique with an adjustable suspension and strong braking calipers, the R32 is yours to wield.
- An effective drifter is the Toyota SW20 MR2, its transverse rear-mid engine and rear wheel drive setup is more than the perfect ingredients for an excellent drift car. The MR2 is a well-balanced car which makes it ideal for drifting. Its strong center of gravity allows it to enter corners at high speeds and exit at roughly the same amount of throttle. Depending on whether you have a decent tire/suspension setup, the MR2 should be easily groomed into a drift machine. Having bucket seats and five point seatbelts might help you withstand the G-force when drifting. The MR2 is known for coming out of corners hard because of its little understeer / oversteer factor. This allows it to accelerate directly, without having to fight with the steering wheel. This little guy will really toss you around if you don't know how to handle it properly.
Author: Travis Andrade
Drifting is a technique that requires lots of practice and an efficient suspension and drive train setup. For those underpowered cars drifting is definitely the technique you want to use. Depending on the difficulty of the course and conditions, the suspension/tire setup you have, and the kind of vehicle you drive are all factors of the grip or drift style. Let us take an example of an all wheel drive car and apply its attributes to a downhill course.
- The Evolution VII is a grip and drift driving monster. The inline four, cast-iron block, and aluminum head that it is equipped with, does it justice. Depending on what style best fits your machine, the monster Evolution VII is in some cases capable of both. The Evo's superior power allows it to brake hard at corner entry, letting the front end suspension tighten up a bit, making it a little difficult to turn in, but feeding the throttle slowly should allow you to stay on track and not hurl yourself of a cliff into a shadowy abyss of razor sharp rock. Entering the corner at full throttle and braking hard is of course going to cause you to drift, this is where you eliminate the grip driving factor. The Evo's light weight body and superior horsepower allows you to drift or grip depending on the situation. I feel the Evo is a better drifter because of its overall short frame and engine displacement. If you were looking more into the grip driving side of things then make sure you have anything but stock brakes and it might be nice to have adjustable coilovers. You are going to need superior braking, which will allow you to brake later and accelerate quicker, because a good opponent that is using the drifting style will enter a corner at a much higher speed. All the Evo can be groomed into either a drifter or grip driving machine; it is totally at your disposal.
- Why not look at the Nissan Skyline R32. Yes, let's talk about skylines for a few minutes, just because Takeshi Nakazato of the Night Kids and his GT-R R32 lost to Takumi in his AE86 Sprinter Trueno does not mean that the Skyline is not a good car for downhill racing. First of all, the R32 is superior for uphill and on the downhill it is an effective grip driver. Everyone wishes they had a skyline; no one wants an AE86, because no one really possesses Takumi's God-like driving skill. With that said, let's move on. The R32 comes equipped with the standard RB26DETT that produces 280bhp at 6,800rpm and 271 lb-ft at 4,400rpm. Now, catch your breath and think for a second, when you pay nearly 60K for a skyline you better know how to handle this beast. You cannot drift in a skyline, it produces too much torque and is virtually impossible to handle if you throw it into a drift, so unless you want to spin out and die, use the grip driving technique. The R32 or any GTR for that matter makes so much horsepower that it will compensate for loss ground when racing a drifter. Again, have very good brakes, it takes a lot to slow a skyline down. It will probably take time to gain full control of the R32 and learn its strengths and weaknesses, but applying the right technique with an adjustable suspension and strong braking calipers, the R32 is yours to wield.
- An effective drifter is the Toyota SW20 MR2, its transverse rear-mid engine and rear wheel drive setup is more than the perfect ingredients for an excellent drift car. The MR2 is a well-balanced car which makes it ideal for drifting. Its strong center of gravity allows it to enter corners at high speeds and exit at roughly the same amount of throttle. Depending on whether you have a decent tire/suspension setup, the MR2 should be easily groomed into a drift machine. Having bucket seats and five point seatbelts might help you withstand the G-force when drifting. The MR2 is known for coming out of corners hard because of its little understeer / oversteer factor. This allows it to accelerate directly, without having to fight with the steering wheel. This little guy will really toss you around if you don't know how to handle it properly.
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