Every car guy should master the powerslide before he dies.
Nothing, and we really do mean nothing, looks, feels, sounds or smells like a properly executed tire-burning drift. Powersliding, or controlled power oversteer as driving instructors like to call it, is also one of the ultimate measures of car control. If you can put a car into a slide and hold it there all the way through a corner using your right foot and a little opposite lock — without depositing the car into a ditch — then you, Sir, are a competent driver. If not, well, you can think about how much fun you had trying to powerslide while you wait for the tow truck.
The powerslide is a great equalizer among cars, too. No matter how cheap or exotic or crude or refined a car may be, if there's enough torque on tap (and a defeatable stability control system), it will powerslide. Rear-wheel drive is the best starting point, of course, but we've met a few Lamborghini Gallardos that will bend to our will, too.
We've put together this photo and video gallery of all our favorite smoke-billowing slides in some of the most powerful cars on the planet. You'll see plenty of Chevrolet Corvettes and Porsche 911s melting their expensive rear tires down to the wear bars, as well as a few cars you might not expect. Who knew a Lotus Exige liked to get sideways?
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agnh says:
10:02 PM, 09/02/2010
Shame on you all. No one has mentioned the Porsche commericial from the 80's.
It had a red 944 Turbo in a full-on, opposit-lock, smokey-tire powerslide, while Alice Cooper's "School's Out" blared in the backround.
dyzio says:
06:22 AM, 08/24/2010
COOL !
mortal1 says:
09:44 PM, 08/21/2010
*sigh*
Have you seen the size of the tires they put on a miata now days? You have to be hitting it pretty hard for 166HP to break those things loose. The only sideways drift action I've gotten on public roads was with about an inch of snow cover. :^D
Did I mention, however, that law enforcement take a very dim view of such hooliganism?
fasteddiec5 says:
12:48 PM, 08/21/2010
Every car guy should master the powerslide before he dies
well, not all of us have access to a closed course, or the cooperation of the chp, or a vacant airport, or an abandoned parking lot, or a job that all you do is drive cars all day and write about it; some of us have to sneak around at nights, or in daylignt look around for cops and risk getting your car towed and your license suspended
wrinklebump says:
12:07 PM, 08/21/2010
Love the Vettes, the 911 and the -V. Losing the rears and making smoke is comparable is pure sex
dyzio says:
10:22 AM, 08/21/2010
GT500 for me, Vette would be nice if it would look like Viper !
bith GM CARS in black (ctsv, camaro) lokk like beast ...
sportyaccordy says:
07:17 PM, 08/20/2010
"The powerslide is a great equalizer among cars, too. No matter how cheap or exotic or crude or refined a car may be, if there's enough torque on tap (and a defeatable stability control system), it will powerslide. Rear-wheel drive is the best starting point, of course, but we've met a few Lamborghini Gallardos that will bend to our will, too."
I don't know that I agree with this... seemed like the 911 & 350Z were made to slide, whereas the Mustang/Corvette/Camaro had to be coerced. They looked nowhere as fluid in their transitions + weren't drifting as quickly, which shows their lower finesse.
Still a great vid though. That 911 looked awesome.
stwok says:
02:12 PM, 08/20/2010
Awesome! Please keep things like this and the retro car comparisons coming.
eidolways says:
09:28 AM, 08/20/2010
@mdb20
Totally agreed. I think the ZR1 has one of the most glorious large-displacement V8 soundtracks I've ever heard. Now imagine that sound with real headers instead of the goofy stock collectors that GM uses...
typer_801 says:
07:28 AM, 08/20/2010
The drifting videos of the IS-F & M3 over on CarandDriver.com are a lot better IMO. Much more tire smoke.