drifting going mainstream = not good

[F.Zamataki]

as in the last 3 years, weve had the drag racing/street racing "crave/fad/revolution". now it seems we are dawning on a new mainstream introduction....drifting.
i for one do not look forward to this inevitable fact, that drifting is now going to be in the next "fast and the furious" movie.
this is a sad thing to some, yet a good thing to others.
introductions of "drift" products in ads by APC, drift comp banners on local teen chat websites, even now on the news.
the initial D craze has come overseas as most things from japan do, as we are about 2 years behind them(maybe more).
people will now attempt drifting instead of street racing.
this will cost more lives, this will also increse laws on driving.
accelerating in a straight line, shifting quickly, to a drifter, is merely icing on a cake. the most basic thing. and to think, people were dieing doing that.
already we see videos of kids attepmting drifts in ff's, and if the craze becomes big enough, car manufacturers might even introduce rear wheel drive cars again, just like the rise of sport compacts in the FnF age. driftings roots were based in the mountains of japan, and they were kept there, in all there sanctity for many years. initial D, in japan, sparked the fuse that now lit up the upcoming drift craze due to hit north america.
i give it till next summer, and drifting will be in the same stage ast the FnF era was about 10 months ago.

 

[battle_stage]

I didn't even finish reading the first sentence but the way I see it is just keep yourself unknown and underground, and keep to your small group. Don't attract attention to yourself. And when this fad goes away you'll still be doing your thing without catching the heat from the morons. Just seperate yourself from them.

 

[Ryen49]

nah drifting has been here for awhile its not going to mess up society or the whole car world. just something more to do . plus lots of street racers street drift so...

 

[Delphic Reason]

Ive already said to much on this topic in other threads. I'm just going to say that I agree with battle_stage on this one.

 

[Thio]

Here's one way to look at this whole drifting thing:

Driving a car has started to evolve, much like dancing. People break dance, rave, ballrom dance, and slow dance. Drifting is just the ballet of driving like the way ice skating is a form of dancing

 

[Bbandit]

no worries..
as soon as those wannabe kids realized that it takes skills,determination, and lotsa money to drift, they will just give up..
i ate a set of tires (yes a set meaning 4 tires corded) on one drift event (www.dailydrifter.com) last month...
and the next drift event will be this december on the 21st.. i need tires

it was fun considering we dont have any touge here in TX

 

[nk4e]

don't worry man drifting will get boring to the ricers

 

[pergatory]

Bbandit said it. As Zamataki pointed out in his first post, going in a straight line is the most basic of things. If the ricer/poser group starts trying to fit in with the drifting crowd, I'm going to laugh my head off just like the rest of you, and all the other drifters. I'm not worried at all. Posers won't last long in the drifter scene. =) They'll buy a RWD, and crash it before they even have a chance to rice it out. Then they'll get insurance money for it, and buy another one, and put all the magazine stuff on it immediately (rims, intake, exhaust, springs/shocks, spoiler, body kit, etc). Then they'll be really careful and not wreck it for a month and a half, then go and try to drift again and wreck it, and give up and get a Honda again.

 

[xsyorra]

I'm in agreement with Bbandit & Nightkids........Once a ricer's parents catch a bill for a new set of Toyos, that'll be one less Honda on the streets.
Seriously, this FnF "OMYGOD Look what they're doing!!!! I gotta do it now!!!" will stop soon....Much like Vin Diesel's career. If not by parents, then by police and public safety lawmakers.
I know for damn sure I wouldn't want my son trying this on public streets, and I've seen what happens to those that do. You can't outrun the law.....and you forsure can't avoid the law of averages.

 

[Der Alta]

I don't think that Drifitn going mainstream is a bad thing. It's certianly a step in the right direction for motor sports.

You should take a read of this thread: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/t-33459.html

Yes, there will be kids that get killed doing that, but more likely far less than illegal street racing. The difference in speed alone is a saving grace. Drifting takes more than just hanging the abck of the car out, and it's tougher to do than street racing. With street racing, all you need is open road (or for some idiots, not even that). With drifting you need a bit more room to move. Thus less people doing in in the midst of traffic.

Yes, you'll see a movie about it starring the latest flash in the pan actor, but it'll slowly take on more respect than Street racing has.

AO

 

[layzeeboi]

Originally posted by Der Alta
Yes, there will be kids that get killed doing that

sad but true, there was news about someone trying to drift a turn doing 80mph in a focus. ended up crashing into a pole and killing himself..

 

[XzifT]

Ricers will go through 2 sets of 'dubs', and then realize they should just stick with their little integra. You'll see..

 

[kikkoman]

drifting, street racing, acting like complete eff wits should be kept off the streets. save it for track days boys. i dont want to be driving around a blind corner when some uber turd coming the other way decides to be a mad cunnnn and rip a hand brakie drift, taking up both lanes and collecting me, my car and my passenger in the split second act of stupidity.
a big 'up yours' to all those jerk faces who over estimate their public road driving ability.

 

[19xx]

People should learn what traction is, and more importantly, how it works, before they start putting their daydreamings into reality.

sad but true, there was news about someone trying to drift a turn doing 80mph in a focus. ended up crashing into a pole and killing himself..

That was soooooo Initial D Arcade Stage.

 

[Der Alta]

Originally posted by layzeeboi
sad but true, there was news about someone trying to drift a turn doing 80mph in a focus. ended up crashing into a pole and killing himself..

This person most certainly, would not have passed the plastic bag test.

In all essence. This guy probably cleansed the gene pool a bit.

AO

 

[Bryan C.]

I'll tell u straight out I dont have the guts to get my car sideways unless I have like a freakin runway at my disposal ^_^. I love drifting, but I think I am gonna keep it in GT3 personally. My AE86 is being tuned as a track car, not a drifter Dont get me wrong, I love racing,but I prefer to keep it on the track. I might try it once or twice at the track, but other than that, it stays in GT3. Its alot scarier than people think. I tried it two or three times in my 86, and I got sideways for sure, but it scared the living heck outta me, I just kinda pressed the brakes and stopped, lol.

 

[milefile]

Originally posted by battle_stage
I didn't even finish reading the first sentence but the way I see it is just keep yourself unknown and underground, and keep to your small group. Don't attract attention to yourself. And when this fad goes away you'll still be doing your thing without catching the heat from the morons. Just seperate yourself from them.

Too late. You are one of them, like it or not. Now you see how ridiculous it really is. You're no different. It reminds me of my aunt who thinks saying she was into Michael Jackson before he was popular made her cooler somehow.

 

[nk4e]

plus ricers will make drifting into a bad thing with its illegal racing

 

[Famine]

Originally posted by F.Zamataki
just like the rise of sport compacts in the FnF age

Correct me if I'm wrong, but:

"The Fast And The Furious" was released in 2001.

The first "sports compact" (i.e "hot hatch" - a small, FF car with a little extra power) was the Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTi, built in 1974.

Not really seeing a connection between the "rise of sport compacts" and the Fast and the Furious film here...

XzifT - little Integra? I take it you've not driven an Integra Type-R then?

 

[XzifT]

I've been in one, sure. They're nice, but lets be honest. They rice out Integras quite a bit.

 

[Famine]

As far as I'm aware, in the USA there has never been an official Integra Type-R - so it's not a shock that they're all "riced" out.

In the UK, since 1995, there has never been an official Integra that wasn't a Type-R, and I've yet to see one riced out. The owners take them for what they are - a bare-bones, stripped-out track car, which may well be FF but you'd be hard pressed to tell.

Fun fact: Drifting of any kind is illegal in the UK. If you allow ANY tyre to lose traction - even skipping one a little in a hurry to get off the line - it's classed as "Failing to be in control of a vehicle".

 

[pRaHjeC]

come to america, rice is plentiful when it comes to integras. not 5 minutes goes by while driving that i dont see some idiot in a lime green, orange, or electric blue integra LS non vtec with a 7" tip exhaust, body kit, and chrome rims who thinks hes some hot ****...

 

[F.Zamataki]

Originally posted by Famine
Correct me if I'm wrong, but:

"The Fast And The Furious" was released in 2001.

The first "sports compact" (i.e "hot hatch" - a small, FF car with a little extra power) was the Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTi, built in 1974.

Not really seeing a connection between the "rise of sport compacts" and the Fast and the Furious film here...

XzifT - little Integra? I take it you've not driven an Integra Type-R then?

i meant the sudden intrudoction of the sport compact tuning scene.
all of a sudden enveryone wanted a honda hatchback, the RSX came out, intergras were prowling the streets everywhere. the price of these cars all shot straight up. up here in vancouver, the people follow trends very thoughrolly, i cant remember how many lime green eclipses i saw a month after fnf came out....it was sickening.
and companys see this happening, so they introduced more cars suited to that demand. even recently dodge released there new little 4door FF sport sedan, with 300+hp in the average model.
i was just saying i hope that drifting dosent undergo the sudden boom that the FF spprt compact world underwent.

 

[battle_stage]

As far as I'm aware, in the USA there has never been an official Integra Type-R - so it's not a shock that they're all "riced" out.

We do have Integra Type R's.

 

[Famine]

Originally posted by F.Zamataki
i meant the sudden intrudoction of the sport compact tuning scene.
all of a sudden enveryone wanted a honda hatchback, the RSX came out, intergras were prowling the streets everywhere. the price of these cars all shot straight up. up here in vancouver, the people follow trends very thoughrolly, i cant remember how many lime green eclipses i saw a month after fnf came out....it was sickening.
and companys see this happening, so they introduced more cars suited to that demand. even recently dodge released there new little 4door FF sport sedan, with 300+hp in the average model.
i was just saying i hope that drifting dosent undergo the sudden boom that the FF spprt compact world underwent.

I don't know... I'd say the Golden Age of Hot Hatch was around 1985. We've always had the Golf GTi, of course, but there were cars like the Peugeot 205 GTi (1.6/1.9) and the Renault Clio Williams knocking around.

There was another little surge in the early 1990s, with the Astra GTE, Citroen Saxo VTR/VTS, Peugeot 106 GTi/Rallye, Peugeot 306 GTi-6 and such like. One of the most commonly "riced" (I prefer "Barry Boy") cars on the UK's roads is the Citroen Saxo - and why not? It's cheap, flimsy and can barely be made any worse...

True, there's been a renaissance of late - with a power race going on with the FFs. 200hp was always the theoretical FF limit, but the 212hp Focus RS has blown that apart. The 172hp Renaultsport Clio 172/Cup is one of the best cars on the market full stop. There's the 190hp Civic Type-R (new shape) and the new Integra Type-R (but that's a coupe rather than a hot hatch), the 160hp Mini Cooper S, with 200hp Works version, the simply insane Alfa Romeo 147 GTA with 253hp stock. Not to mention a fairly nuts version of the Mini Cooper S with 275hp (!). The Dodge is 4WD, I believe - ponces!

None of the owners of the latter cars "rice" them up - they're generally kept totally stock, with maybe the odd wheel change going on - because they are fundamentally excellent cars (all of them) stock. The Focus RS will keep up with an Impreza III, amazingly, even round a track!

Originally posted by battle_stage
We do have Integra Type R's.

I'll take your word for it - I know no better, 'cause I'm not there

 

[battle_stage]

If you're talking about the Dodge SRT-4 it's FWD.

 

[Famine]

Originally posted by battle_stage
If you're talking about the Dodge SRT-4 it's FWD.

Again, I'll take your word for it. We don't, and won't, get it.

Still - seen many riced to hell and back?

 

[battle_stage]

Nope.

 

[F.Zamataki]

Famine, you are right. i was recently in europe(germany,austria,croatia) this last summer so i had a chance to check out the car scene there, and there are tons of powerful little compact cars, the peugot 206 is a beautiful car, and the new renault megane is also quite desirable. The design of european sport compacts definetly surpasses that of most of the north american crowd, and some japanese. however, in europe, i hadnt seen one "riced out" compact. save for a few opel/vauxhall astras. but they werent riced. even some citroen saxo's.
but these cars looked nice, no stickers, no fancy kits, just nice wheels, lowered, tinted with a fat exhaust.
hell when i got there 2F2F was just coming out, and this was in JULY!!
and as well none of the people i knew showed interest in it. in europe its a totally different view on performace cars, in europe, they dont have everything coming to them from japan, all the european companys are competing with eachother, and so the image they have is different. nicer i would say
but anyways, back to my point, here in north america, we are deeply influenced by japan and hollywood, so as soon as people saw big stickers on cars and gaping bdykits in the movies, they followed suit.

 

[Shadow Drifter]

Just my two pennies (maybe more)

I seriously don't think that people started drifting/street racing because of movies and/or japan. I mean, yeah, after the movie the rice scene boomed but I've been street racing for a long time and I hang out with a lot of seasoned street racers (racers from 1980 and down) and what I've noticed is that just as quickly as the scene went up, it quickly died down. The only reason you still see some cars with bleechers strapped to their trunks is because they don't have the money to get another car and maybe they like it.
As far as drifting is concerned, living in Japan has tought me that drifting is a culture and a way of life that requires a lot of money and a lot of time, and, as mentioned before, most "kids" will pick drifting up as a "hobby", realize that it's "hard" and pricey, then drop it.
Drifting isn't anything like street racing besides from the trend.
I hate to admit it, but anyone with 4 wheels and an engine can street race, they may lose, but they can street race.

On the other hand, not anyone can drift. Trust me!
I've been drifting for a year and a half and I still can wreck a car with the best of them. It takes determination that is out of this world. Most ricers/racers will try drifting, wreck their cars, and say to hell with it.
Now I will admit, that there will be a bunch of people who will try to drift, but let's say 5% of the racing poplulation tries it, of that percentage only 20% will probably stay with it because 60% of the racers who try drifting drife FFs and the other 20% will realize that tires are more expensive to maintain than a T88 boosting 20. (if that's possible)

All I'm trying to say is that this is going to have to be waited out, yes, I can see this being the highlight of the next Fast and Furious, hell, I can see a movie being made soley for the purpose of showing off drift skills, more and more magazines are highlighting drifting as a recreation and it's even made its way to car tv shows.
What I don't see, however (comma, pause for effect) . . . is drifting remaining as big as street racing for the reasons mentioned above.

Difficulty and Cost.

I'm sorry if I seem confusing, I just had a lot to say and it was all rushing out at once and I just went through a lot of crap in the past two days. But I just had to get it off of my chest.
Semper Fidelis
Shadow Drifter