What's The Difference Between Powersliding vs Drifting A Car?

There are two main ways to keep a car in a controlled slide - drifting and powersliding - but there are some subtleties that differentiate the two...
What's The Difference Between Powersliding vs Drifting A Car?

Yep, we’re going to prise open this can of worms. It might seem like drifting and powersliding are the same thing and can be used interchangeably, but there is a small but distinct difference between the two. Let’s have this discussion, and then you can tell us which is your favourite in the comments: powerslides or drifts.

Let’s start with powersliding, and the clue here is in the name. It’s the act of using nothing but power to overwhelm the rear tyres and get the wheels spinning. If you’re cornering hard enough, the natural momentum of the car will result in the back swinging out. Due to the fact you need that natural momentum, powersliding can only commence after turn in, with the bulk of the sideways action happening beyond the apex.

You can powerslide for giggles, but you can also use it as a way of changing the angle of your car on the exit of a corner to straighten you up, dancing just beyond the levels of lateral grip to give you a faster exit. The video below explains this really well, and I highly recommend you watch the whole thing.

Remote video URL

The key is that powersliding can only happen after turn-in. Drifting, on the other hand, is about getting sideways as early as possible and sustaining as big an angle as possible. Powersliding is all about using your speed to your advantage, whereas drifting focuses on the actual act of sliding.

The main differences, though, are that a drift begins well before a corner begins, and requires a number of techniques to be employed to hold the slide. There’s braking to initiate the slide, ‘Scandinavian Flick’ weight shifting, yanking the handbrake, clutch kicking, modulating the throttle, and steering into the slide. All of these actions are intended to initiate and/or hold the slide for as long and as fast as possible, from before the corner begins to well after it’s ended.

What's The Difference Between Powersliding vs Drifting A Car?

So to summarise, powersliding happens after turn-in, and is caused by using nothing more than your momentum and power to get the back out. Drifting begins well before the corner even begins, and requires a number of techniques to be combined with the sole intention of keeping the car in the drift. Hit the comments and tell us where you agree and disagree, as this subject’s certainly a contentious one…

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Comments

Anonymous

Powersliding also needs technique so that you don’t crash your car after turning-in by loosing control

02/26/2016 - 17:05 |
42 | 4
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

easy there, he’s not diminishing the powerslide, he’s just stressing on the fact that most people powerslide their cars around a corner, not drift them, and he’s right powersliding a car is way easier then drifting the car and making it point to the desired angle before entering the corner.

02/27/2016 - 20:10 |
8 | 0
🇮🇩Mk7Golfer 🇦🇺

One thing that powerslide and drifting have in common: it will make every car guy smile

02/26/2016 - 17:05 |
210 | 0

It will also burn tires

02/26/2016 - 17:30 |
50 | 0
Nicolas Escobedo

Cool… Now I can properly slide into her dm’s now

02/26/2016 - 17:06 |
70 | 0
Anonymous

The difference between the two is what happens after it is initiated.

02/26/2016 - 17:09 |
0 | 0
Austin Babayan

power sliding is what happens to idiots leaving car meets

02/26/2016 - 17:14 |
22 | 6

Nah, that’s called crashing.

02/27/2016 - 08:06 |
44 | 2
Anonymous

I’ve been wondering about the differences for awhile

02/26/2016 - 17:18 |
152 | 2
Michal 2

MOAR articles like this! So refreshing to actually find a post, which is not about the GT-R :) (Sarcasm) Please, more of this

02/26/2016 - 17:32 |
6 | 0
ramses rizal

I thought powerslide is old term of drifting. I’m so wrong.

02/26/2016 - 17:34 |
2 | 0
That Geo Metro Guy

So they are kind of like frats. The feeling is the same but the only difference is in the initiation.

02/26/2016 - 17:44 |
28 | 2
every fanboy

topgear said they were the same

02/26/2016 - 17:45 |
0 | 6