s2kpdx01

first of all the viper is not front heavy. the weight distribtion of the viper is:
48/52
http://dodge.jbcarpages.com/Viper/2002/index4.php

so it is actually a bit rear heavy. The reason the viper doesn't make a good "drift" car is because it has a very stiff suspension and huge rear wheels. That means it has a small slip angle. This means it either has traction or it doesn't. A good drift car would have a large slip angle because of sloppy tires, soft suspension, etc. A good amount of HP is never going to hurt a drift car. Having a real suspension tuned for actually driving fast will.

Actually have a very light nimble car is not the ideal drift car either. A lighter car many times has a smaller slip angle in the rear do to it's light weight. This makes it harder to sustain a drift. Many light RWD cars that are used for drifting make up for this "problem" by running low psi or soft goofy suspension setups.

Just because the drift scene uses light weight RWD japanese cars does not make them the best drift cars.

240sxSR20det

hmm....i stand corrected, i didnt research at all.......just made a conjecture....good information!

diGital.James

whats odd about it to me is that, agility to me is teh key in a dirft car. being numble i guess you could say. while almost any car can be made to "momentum" drift, it may not be very natural. oh and a powerslide is NOT a drift.

steve c

[QUOTE]whats odd about it to me is that, agility to me is teh key in a dirft car.

diGital.James

[QUOTE]Originally posted by steve c

steve c

I don't buy it.

My lightweight Mr2 makes me the drift king when there is snow on the roads, but it can't perform the same feats of magic when the roads are dry.

The first necessity to drifting is the power to kick the rear end around. Whether the car weighs 2500 pounds or 3500 pounds probably plays very little into the ultimate ability of a driver to drift -- given enough skill.

I've seen videos of "heavy" 911 GT2's, M3's and M5's drifting around race circuits....

This is all beside the point that organized drifting, and the SCCA

s2kpdx01

To the uninitiated it's a wild display of controlled chaos. But when professionally executed, a drifting vehicle is a thing of beauty and grace not unlike figure skating (albeit much faster and louder)[insert] and just as gay[/insert].

240sxSR20det

i'm not a drift expert......nor do i claim to be able to in my 240sx, but i know that it doesnt take a huge amount of power to be a good drift car, and if you can drift a car in the snow....thats not too tough. and if you cant drift it in the dry, then your not good at drifting. I would also trust the D1 website....they are the somewhat authority on drifting in the states.

steve c

LOL. Okay I suppose you are referring to my comments. Tell you what, because we are both in St Louis, I will give you a first hand chance to "drift" my 198,000 mile (80hp?)1986 MR2 because you are "better at drifting."

Meanwhile, as someone who has owned a stock 93 240SX SE, I can say with complete confidence that a stock 240 will never be a drift car either. While the KA24 is in fact a truck motor, the car does not have enough power to get out of its own way -- maybe with the SR20DET swap things change ...

Authority? Is there really an authority on somthing so stupid?

comets

BMW, Lexus Altezza's, all driftable!