Auto Drifting.....?

[OllieB]

Is this possible? Anyone do it? I'd imagine its a lot harder cos you don't have the throttle control. My dad has an E-class estate and sometimes in the wet I turn off the traction control and have a wiggle but its a bit scary tbh. Also can you fit an LSD to an auto? I presume the slushbox E30 sports have them. Some guy said it was impossible, but I can't see any reason why not.... Please discuss.

[Rearwheel_nick]

why dont you have throttle control?

just lock the fucker into second and chuck it at a roundabout, then use the throttle like normally, and you'll probably have to use the handbrake a bit more.

[johnono]

oh dodgy dodgy dodgy!


dont rty in on any roads mate, the auto box doesnt like to come off throttle in the same gear, and will flip u right round the opposite way (usually into the nearest railing / lampost)

get in a field and give it a roasting , ull be surprised how hard it will be to do

[Rearwheel_nick]

....flip you right round? why. ive never had that happen. just keep it in second and its all good.

http://www.alleyjax.co.uk/jamestemp/p1010020.wmv not the best video, but a mate driving an auto... looks like its drifting to me(once you get your eyes used to the darkness )

[johnono]

yeap, smart driftin, but thats not my point..

1. what engine are we talking about as it helps to have a 2.5 and a heavy foot

2.tourque converter will try and sus a gear if the revs drop low enuff.. meaning if he lowers power/brakes in mid slide and the box shifts down he will suddenly have alot of unexpected grip and if heԚ´s countering, the inertia will throw him over the opposite way

3.your mates skill and Ollies skill may not yet be matched.. telling him to "drop second and floor it on a roundabout" is inviting the poor sod to kill himself , someone else or at the very least his car..

drifting is a skill, not a friday night chav adventure

[Rearwheel_nick]

ah well, whatever you choose to do play safe try findsomewhere safe to do it. or at a practice day. drifting an auto is definately possible though and used to be all the rage.

but johnonononoyoko-ono is right, dont kill yourself.

[johnono]

yeah mate ;) make love not war

[georgen]

Auto's are a pure bugger to drift, and really hard to control on a slide. I miss the manual sport for the drifting big time, but I still love the auto touring with a vengance. Must replace this missus 518i with a manual 325i he he

[OllieB]

My sport is manual, I was trying to explain to a pal that its not really an option. Is there anyone on here with an LSD equipped auto out of interest?

[Toby_Unna]

i guess my view might be skewed as my car was my m535i when it was still auto, lots of torque, long wheelbase, LSD...

but that was easy to drift, no easier now it's a manual. just click it into first (50-60mph on an m535i 4sp!) and go. great fun!

oh and it's more failsafe because when you eventually push your luck and spin, it doesn't stall so you can make a quick getaway

[MONSPORT42]

Mine's an Sport auto with an lsd as standard as they all did. Maybe I'm just a boring old fart, but I have never gone out to deliberately drift it particularly on the roads. That just makes me slower from A to B! I take mine round the track as often as I can and have spent a lot of money on the suspension and tyres to try and keep it going as fast as possible round bends without the back coming out of line! It's a 2.7 with loads of torque and so it is possible, but as Johnono says you need to stop the gearbox/torque convertor from hunting. The sports autobox helps. Putting it in sport mode will make it less likely to change but is not foolproof. Driving in 3-2-1 will do it but in my experience that boils the gearbox. I'm just about to put in an extra oil cooler for the gearbox for this very reason.