Irrefutable Proof That Drifting Is Big And Clever

Do you think oversteer on the public road is bad? The police do. The Highway Code does. Common sense says so. But it officially isn't, so sit back and relax, because here's why.

For starters, if drifting wasn't legit, why the hell would manufacturers shoot endless smokey press shots? Then comes the most compelling, downright convincing argument that everyday hero oversteer is sexy; the world's three best car makers want you to drift their cars. Take a bow, BMW, Ferrari, and Porsche.

Why these guys? Because they make expensive, rear-drive cars, you cynically assume! Well, no. It's because they've each invented systems to help you slide their hottest cars. And if three of the world's slickest carmakers have worked that out, then why shouldn't oversteer be cool?

Porsche's new 991 GT3 locks its rear-steer system to allow monstrous drifts. Meanwhile, its engineers realised that a PDK-only transmission would deny the driver the ability to clutch-kick the car, kicking the tail out. So, pull both paddleshifters together and the twin-clutches disengage, allowing monster throttle blips in your 468bhp track day special.

The new BMW M3 and M4 don't just have an official 'Smokey Burnout' mode - they also encourage oversteer in the most hardcore M Dynamic driving mode. This brings out the sharpest throttle response and most severe behaviour from the adaptive locking differential. Exactly the thing to make your M car dance, in other words.

And then there's Ferrari. The Italian stallions don't hide from it. SSC (Side Slip angle Control) actually enhances the ability of a Ferrari 458 Speciale driver to hold the car in a heroic but controlled powerslide. For a committed carmaker like Ferrari, usually obsessed with serious stuff like lap times, this is hilarious news, and I'll take no argument on that.

There you have it; three cars, three badges and three official endorsements of drifting. In my book, that makes oversteer legit, mainstream, and approved.

Happy slides, y'all.