In racing, it is the clipping of the apex of a turn to attain higher corner exit speeds. This achieved by breaking the tire traction limit and putting the car into a controlled skid. As the vehicle slides, the weight shifts from each tire to another, and causes the car to circle around and clip the apex.

Popularized by the anime "Initial D."
They call keiichi tsuchiya the Drift King because he drifted in touge battles.
by davey November 29, 2003
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A motorsport in which a car is sliding lateraly through a turn of a series of turns. During a drift (not a powerslide), the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction of the turn (example: Front wheels pointing left during a right hand turn). Drifting takes place under total control of the vehicle. Drifting is the slowest way around a corner because of the extra friction on the wheels slows the vehicle down (friction=slow).

Types of Techniques to induce a drift: Hand Brake Drift is the most common and a beginner technique. This is done by approaching a corner at the desired speed, downshifting while keeping the clutch in and pulling the hand brake quickly and stongly for a moment while turning into the corner. Let down the hand brake and release the clutch and counter steer. Just because this is a beginner techinique, doesn't mean that proffessionals can't use it.
Power-over: not going to go over this one because it don't like it.
Shift Lock: Down shifting very quick without heel-and-toeing which causes the wheels to lock suddenly and momentarily to induce the drift. Sort of like the Hand Brake.
Clutch Kicking: I learned on this as well as Hand Brake. This is done by "kicking" (hence the title) the clutch to send a jolt or shock throught the powertrain which causes the rear wheels to slip. I don't exactly know why.
Braking Drift: This is one of the weight shift techinques. It is done by shifting the weight to the front of the vehicle which is followed immediatly by the gas which makes the rear wheels to lose traction.
Feint Drift: Another weight shift techinique. This is done by turning very quickly away from the turn a little then swinging or flick it back into the corner to get the rear to lose traction. Hit the gas and continue with the drift.
Kansei Drifting: Don't know how to do this so i will take straight from wikipedia: "By letting off the accelerator while cornering at very high speeds, cars with relatively neutral handling will begin to slide, simply from the weight transfer resulting from engine braking. The drift is controlled afterwards by steering inputs from the driver and light pedal work, similar to the Braking drift."
There.
Thats about it. Have fun. I'm not going to go over the cars used because you can basically use any rear wheeled drive vehicle. All-Wheeled drive cars are able to drift but due to their pulling of their front wheels, will pull out of it. Same with Front-Wheeled cars.
"I drift not because it is a quicker way around a corner, but the most exciting way."
-Tsuchiya Keiichi
by Charlie Dango November 28, 2007
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I personally would not know what a true drift is because I live amongst a bunch of idiots who think not dying after taking a turn at forty is a drift.
People misconceive a drift as, "woaaaah...yeah dogg! for real i showed my tires who's da boss...yo dogg...how do we get out of dis ditch??"
by livingWithIdiots October 7, 2003
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the slowest possible way to turn a corner if you are not 80 years old.
yo, that civic just pulled off a mad drift! i bet he's a street racer!
by aeroshinobi June 20, 2007
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An advanced driving technique used mainly for show in which the driver maintains oversteer through balance of throttle and steering inputs. there several ways to execute this manuver, from using the e-brake to send thet car into a controlled slide to using the cars own inertia to keep one moving foward in direction while power sliding.
also is a side effect of whatching Initial D.
"He is a tak wannabe, he screwed is drift and got himself wraped around a tree.
by Jace March 22, 2005
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An insulting way to ask someone to leave.

Used frequently about 10 years ago among street kids in Toronto, Canada.
"Hey can bum a smoke?"
"No."
"What about 3 lines?"
"Are you deaf? Drift"
by Andrew July 3, 2004
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