Can anyone tell me how the new mazdaspeeds 3 handle in drifts. Ive searched the web extensively only to find the same report about thier overall handling. Anyone have any hands on experience with sliding these bad boys?

 

[:'(] No offense man, but drifting is the slow way through a corner. To drift FWD, you have to apply the rear brakes (e-brake) i.e. slow yourself down.....Drifting is really a rear wheel or all-wheel drive deal (steering the car through the corner with the throttle to modulate rear tire spin.)

Handling on the MS3 is incredible, take a look at the latest Car & Driver or Motortrend for comparisons between the MS3 and the Subaru WRX (not Sti), the MS3 beat it around the autocross track.

If your intent is "drifting", get a RWD car. You'll be much happier with it.

 

Yeah. I know all about the RWD and how its better to drift in. I just recently sold my AE86. I was simply curious on how these things handle in a drift.

 

You can slide the *** end of a FWD car around a corner, but unless there's power going to the rear wheels and they're pushing the car around the corner then it isn't a drift, just a slide.

Like he said if your intent is "drifting" then buy a RWD car instead.

 

true story....in front wheel drive cars, you slide from using the ebrake or brake pedal, while with RWD cars, you power over and balance the gas and brake and stuff like that....well, this what i learned after countless times watching Tokyo Drift.....

 

Ah. That was a good movie. (Tokyo Drift) Waaaaay better than the previous two. I just wish they would have shown the vin diesel race in the end.

 

I can't stand any of the F&F movies. The cars are cool, don't get me wrong (way overdone on the graphics, but to each his own.) Vin Diesel is one of the worst actors ever, and they couldn't have done a worse job on keeping things reality based. (Calling Nitrous "NOS", 10 second qtr mile cars that take over 1.5 minutes to run the quarter, and the main actor guy acting like he was on crack for 1, no 2 bottles of NOS.....Ugh.

I get to hear all this drift crap from my brother-in-law who's a "street racer", Ugh again....His license just got restricted due to the number of tickets he has gotten. I feel no sympathy for him at all as I warned him time and time again to keep it on the track. (Who cares if you can out drag a 15 second qtr mile car. You beat a slow car, whoopty friggen doo.)

 

well, first off, i think this may be a little bit of a post hijack,
second, if a quarter mile race in the movie actually took 15 seconds, the movie would be over in half an hour and it wouldnt be nearly as exciting
third, if they kept the movie(s) based on reality, they wouldnt be half exciting as they are right now....
fourth, i believe they call it "NOS" becuase of the company name, being NOS, now i guess that everybody calls nitrous NOS, for one reason or another...
fifth, i agree with you on Vin Diesle being a terrible actor....i hated how at the end he contradicts everything he said in the first fast and the furios.

 

i dont watch fast and the furious for the story line. it sucks. in all three. the actors usually blow as well. except in the thrid one. the main character is a pretty good actor. i dont know if anyone has seen him in friday night lights. but my point is that its a movie. its suppose to be overplayed, dramatic, and dragged out. just like any other fiction based movie.

 

In deference to sstlaure, Drifting is the slow way around a corner in any type of car, with the possible exception of AWD on slippery surfaces (there I'm no expert). However, I read an article in C&D or R&T more than 10 years ago about how the Swedes were drifting FWD SAABs in ice races.

With FWD, you right foot brake with your toe and gas with your heel simultaneously to neutralize the braking on the front, and get some braking action in the rear. This does not slow the car much at all, but it reduces the lateral traction of the rear tires to allow some drift. It sounds like you found some refernces to this, but maybe had it backwards? I don't think it would provide any benefit for RWD.

This "Toe/heel" is used in racing on all cars to blip up the engine revs when you downshift and brake in the beginning of a corner. Takes a lot of practice to be any good at it, and you definitely SHOULD NOT try it on public roads!!!!

VASpeed3