BMW Shows Us How To Drift RWD And AWD Cars

Done intentionally – on a race track or other controlled environment – drifting can be great fun. While it may not be the fastest way around a circuit, it’s a great way to push your vehicle over the limit of adhesion. As such, BMW M’s latest YouTube video features a brief tutorial on drifting RWD and AWD vehicles.

As the BMW M8 Competition can switch from all-wheel-drive to rear-wheel-drive, it’s the perfect demonstration vehicle. Driving instructor Stefan Landmann begins by showcasing how the car behaves with power sent to the rear wheels only – while changing driving mode, he also disengages the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system.

Keen readers may know the drill here, but the drifting process essentially boils down to three phases: entering the slide, controlling the rear end, and exiting the maneuver without stuffing your pride and joy into the wall. It involves a delicate balancing act between how much throttle and steering input you provide; unsurprisingly, as Stefan is a driving instructor, he’s brilliant at it.

Just like many automotive journalists who talk about BMW’s having a slightly vague steering feel, Landmann had the steering in comfort mode. He briefly made a comment about the engine being in a sportier setting, but both the suspension and steering were biased towards comfort.

RWD done and dusted, he switches to all-wheel-drive which is a little bit more involved. With power going to all four wheels, the driver inputs are completely different; rather than steering in the opposite direction of the corner, AWD requires a lot more steering input into the corner to keep the car balanced. With all wheels being driven, the car keeps a much shallower angle while sliding around the corners.

We’ll let you decide which technique looks more impressive, but one thing’s for certain, it’s tough to beat a day on the skidpad.

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