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Drifting with the NSX

MvM

Legendary Member
Joined
12 February 2002
Messages
3,021
Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Yesterday, I had my first drift training which I attended with the NSX.

Now, one day later, I can still feel my shoulders from all that fast wheel turning all day long.

What I found out is that the NSX is a difficult car to drift with. Most other cars in the training where BMW 3-series, one McLaren MP4-12C, a Lotus Elise and a Nissan 350Z race car.

Even the trainer had difficulty with the NSX, spinning it several times in a row.
Getting the rear to break out is not that difficult (with some speed), but counter-steering and using the throttle to keep the tail of the car out is very difficult. Either the car snaps back to normal and the tires simply grip again, or the car spun very quickly the other way.
Was told that my tires (semi-slick Federals) had too much grip, so we increased tire pressure tot 3.3 bar. Made things a little bit easier, but not much.
The MP4-12C had the same problem. Car either did not want to break out in the rear (too much understeer) or would snap around.
The guy in the Lotus however did an excellent job. But after some laps in his car, he told me he had following about 25-30 lessons before he finally managed it because the Lotus also is a difficult car to drift.

For comparison, I did some laps in one of the BMW 3-series, at in that car, drifting was a lot easier. Just step on the gas, have the rear break out, counter steer and then hold the car in a drift using the throttle.

In was a fun day and I learned something about the car and how in handles again. Very tired at the end of the day, but definately something I will do again next year.

Anyone else have any luck with drifting in the NSX?
 
I broke loose the other day. Out door temps may have been +2 degrees Celsius. Once I broke sideways I got nervous and got out of the gas lol. I fear that I'll just go right into the ditch hahaha.
 
Mid engine cars are difficult to drift in general. Mainly due to where the weight is. There is a video of a professional drifter drifting the NSX. Not the ideal car to use.
 
I remember reading an article where the author was comparing the performance of a Porche 944 to the same vintage 911 on the skid pad. The 944 could be held in a nice stable power induced oversteer condition whereas the 911, which ultimately had a higher skid pad speed before breaking loose on the back end, was exceedingly hard to manage at its limits. Somebody referred to it as 'vicious final oversteer' with the emphasis being on vicious and final.

There is probably a reason why all the successful rally cars that come to mind seem to be front engine!
 
I agree completely with the difficulty of drifting in a NSX.
All the instructors present at the course were stating the same thing. They also told me that he usual way of playing with the throttle pedal as they do with the BMW's didn't work very well in the NSX because the difference in weight distribution.

The drifting was done on a continuously wet track at temperatures around 9 degrees Celsius.
I was amazed at how easy the BMW's managed to break their tail loose where I really had to work up some speed, turn in sharply and stomp on the accelerator.
Everything was done mostly in 2nd gear, but I tried first gear which made starting the slide much easier but correcting it more difficult again.

I am most certainly going try this again. Even though it's difficult, it is also much fun.
Next time I'm going to inflated my tires even more and set my rear suspension on full hard. Should make things easier :)

After all, if a Lotus guy can learn how to drift his Elise, it is possible with a NSX too. Just hope that I will not take another 20 lessons though..
 
Hi,

the NSX has 2 drift angles, depending of speed.... but what scares is that it snaps off in a way that seems unrecoverable....but then it stops in one of the angles and it's only a question of using the throttle...

Nuno
 
I only remember 1 awd (Imprezza) and nsx drift in my stay in japan. I even remember a Z32 drifting, which was painful as he'd wreck it each time, only to be magically repaired a week later. Not your typical drift car at all, but if you got the funds, and if you've seen awd drifting youve seen it all. If i can pass on anything (which is near nothing), power is not your goal, bone stock Silvias/180SX's drifted just fine, if not sexxy (S15!)

Not a pro here, I used to spend weekends weekends drifting myself (when the pros took breaks). Most help came when I sat on the passenger seats of the pros cars (japan drifting is nothing like here). Find a huge parking lot where cops dont attend (seems like you already have a track), get some friends for some tips as needed. Have at it. Dont bring new/grip tires. I tossed not just wheels, but tires+rims on the back seats when i used to drift my Z32 (heavy up front, friend said to put weight in the back to help slide the car). I practiced whenever I could, rain, snow, before drifting w/ others. Again, these are big parking lots in empty industrial areas (weeknights & weekend day/nights). Not hard, but definitely doable, just need time, and welcome tips as they come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAt_LGlh8JA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSHJD0P7I8s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z16GOIgf1bo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQalIxskC4Y&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a106YVjTXHk&NR=1&feature=endscreen
 
Last edited:
the NSX has 2 drift angles, depending of speed.... but what scares is that it snaps off in a way that seems unrecoverable....but then it stops in one of the angles and it's only a question of using the throttle...

What exactly do you mean by the NSX having 2 drift angles?


@Lamini

Nice movies. At least I know now that it can be done :)
 
Our car can drift. At the XPO in Las Vegas Billy Johnson was black flagged for pass in a turn while drifting pass a car. No on was in danger form his driving. Billy could drift with a school bus. Don't let him fly your 747.

Lance
 
Hi,

What exactly do you mean by the NSX having 2 drift angles?

if you are at a circle, then you can drift the NSX with 2 different angles, depending on speed: one more perpendicular and aimed to the center of the circle and the other is more tangencial to the circle.... i don't know if i explained myself good enough...

at least this is my experience...i love to drift the NSX..... not as much as a friend of mine that made drifts in it at about 180km/h :eek::eek: like it wasn't a big deal (he is up in a level of his own).

Thanks,
Nuno
 
Yesterday, I had my first drift training which I attended with the NSX.

Now, one day later, I can still feel my shoulders from all that fast wheel turning all day long.

What I found out is that the NSX is a difficult car to drift with. Most other cars in the training where BMW 3-series, one McLaren MP4-12C, a Lotus Elise and a Nissan 350Z race car.

Even the trainer had difficulty with the NSX, spinning it several times in a row.
Getting the rear to break out is not that difficult (with some speed), but counter-steering and using the throttle to keep the tail of the car out is very difficult. Either the car snaps back to normal and the tires simply grip again, or the car spun very quickly the other way.
Was told that my tires (semi-slick Federals) had too much grip, so we increased tire pressure tot 3.3 bar. Made things a little bit easier, but not much.
The MP4-12C had the same problem. Car either did not want to break out in the rear (too much understeer) or would snap around.
The guy in the Lotus however did an excellent job. But after some laps in his car, he told me he had following about 25-30 lessons before he finally managed it because the Lotus also is a difficult car to drift.

For comparison, I did some laps in one of the BMW 3-series, at in that car, drifting was a lot easier. Just step on the gas, have the rear break out, counter steer and then hold the car in a drift using the throttle.

In was a fun day and I learned something about the car and how in handles again. Very tired at the end of the day, but definately something I will do again next year.

Anyone else have any luck with drifting in the NSX?
The reason the nsx is hard to drift is because its a road racing car! I guess I am that old guy that just doesn't get drifting.
 
Isn't there an issue with clock-wise drift starving the the engine of oil? (without oil pan baffles)
 
This is my favorite NSX drift vid (excluding the pink schtuff on the dash)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2OEDG3iadKY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
there are 2 reasons the NSX is difficult to drift.

1. the rear weight bias: being a mid-engine car, the rear tires have more weight on them which means they grip better than a front engine car (and can thus, in general, power out of corners better). as a result, the car needs more power/torque than it has to keep the slip angle up to drifting levels.

2. the stock diff in the car is a torsen diff. when then car is at high slip angles, especially on higher grip tires, it unloads the inside rear tire significantly... which causes the torsen diff to act basically like an open diff. this means that getting on the gas causes inside rear wheelspin instead of overloading both rear tires to keep the slip angle going.

point being...

in order to successfully drift the NSX you either need less grippy rear tires, or more power and a better diff.
 
One word: polar moment of inertia. think of a figure skater spinning with their arms open they spin slow(front engine) as they bring their arms in they speed up (mid engine) the more concentrated the mass the easier it changes directions.
 
there are 2 reasons the NSX is difficult to drift.

1. the rear weight bias: being a mid-engine car, the rear tires have more weight on them which means they grip better than a front engine car (and can thus, in general, power out of corners better). as a result, the car needs more power/torque than it has to keep the slip angle up to drifting levels.

2. the stock diff in the car is a torsen diff. when then car is at high slip angles, especially on higher grip tires, it unloads the inside rear tire significantly... which causes the torsen diff to act basically like an open diff. this means that getting on the gas causes inside rear wheelspin instead of overloading both rear tires to keep the slip angle going.

point being...

in order to successfully drift the NSX you either need less grippy rear tires, or more power and a better diff.



So another way around it is to slap some skinnier tires and wheels in the back ;)
 
I remember reading an article where the author was comparing the performance of a Porche 944 to the same vintage 911 on the skid pad. The 944 could be held in a nice stable power induced oversteer condition whereas the 911, which ultimately had a higher skid pad speed before breaking loose on the back end, was exceedingly hard to manage at its limits. Somebody referred to it as 'vicious final oversteer' with the emphasis being on vicious and final.

There is probably a reason why all the successful rally cars that come to mind seem to be front engine!

Expand your mind with the Lancia Stratos :biggrin:
 
I cringe thinking about drifting the nsx. Just get another car to drift in; The wear that drifting puts on every part on the car is phenomenal. I have an ae86 that I take to drift events. No powersteering and no tq or hp teaches you a LOT about momentum and control. I am fixing all sorts of stuff after every event.
 
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