How to Make a Drift Car in Forza Horizon 2

Forza Horizon 2, with its stunning open world and realistic physics engine, offers an exhilarating platform for automotive enthusiasts to explore various driving disciplines, including the art of drifting. If you’re looking to master the sideways slides and intricate car control that define this exciting sport, knowing how to make a drift car in Forza Horizon 2 is your first crucial step. This guide will walk you through the essential upgrades and tuning adjustments needed to transform any suitable vehicle into a precision drifting machine, ready to tackle corners with style and finesse.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Drifting in Forza Horizon 2

Drifting in Forza Horizon 2 isn’t just about pure power; it’s a delicate balance of control, grip, and momentum. A successful drift car allows you to maintain a controlled slide through corners, balancing throttle input with steering and counter-steering. The game’s physics engine, while arcade-like in its accessibility, still demands a nuanced approach to vehicle setup. The goal of building a drift car is to create a vehicle that can intentionally break traction in the rear wheels while maintaining forward motion and steerability. This involves specific modifications to the engine, drivetrain, suspension, and tires, all working in harmony to deliver a predictable and controllable slide.

Why Forza Horizon 2 is Great for Drifting

Forza Horizon 2 provides an excellent environment for drifting thanks to its diverse road types, from winding mountain passes to open coastal highways, and a vast selection of cars. The game’s tuning system offers deep customization, allowing players to fine-tune almost every aspect of their vehicle’s performance. This flexibility means that whether you prefer high-horsepower slides or technical, low-speed drifts, you can build a car tailored to your specific style. The accessible nature of the game’s driving model, coupled with detailed visual and performance upgrades, makes the process of creating a drift car both rewarding and enjoyable.

Choosing Your Base Car for Drifting

The foundation of any great drift car begins with selecting the right base vehicle. While almost any car can technically be made to drift, some are inherently better suited due to their factory layout and characteristics. For Forza Horizon 2, rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicles are paramount for drifting, as they allow power to be sent directly to the wheels that need to lose traction.

Ideal Car Characteristics

When choosing a car to learn how to make a drift car in Forza Horizon 2, look for the following:

• Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD): Absolutely essential. Front-wheel drive (FWD) cars are unsuitable, and while all-wheel drive (AWD) cars can drift, they require heavy modification and often don’t provide the same classic drifting feel.
• Good Power-to-Weight Ratio: Enough power to break traction easily, but not so much that the car becomes uncontrollable. Mid-range power and torque are often ideal.
• Balanced Weight Distribution: Cars with a relatively even front-to-rear weight distribution (e.g., 50/50 or slightly front-biased) tend to be more predictable during a slide.
• Ample Aftermarket Support: In Forza, this translates to a wide variety of upgrade parts available for the chosen model, especially in the engine swap and drivetrain categories.

Recommended Drift Car Models in Forza Horizon 2

Many cars are popular choices among the Forza Horizon 2 drifting community due to their inherent suitability and tuning potential. Some excellent starting points include:

• Nissan Silvia S13/S14/S15: Classic drift platforms, known for their balance and tunability.
• BMW M3 (E30, E36, E46): Powerful RWD machines with excellent handling characteristics.
• Toyota Supra (MKIV): A powerhouse capable of massive slides, though it can be a bit heavy.
• Mazda RX-7 (FC/FD): Lightweight and agile, with a unique rotary engine sound and feel.
• Ford Mustang (various generations): Offers raw power and a traditional muscle car feel for wide, smoky drifts.
• Nissan 350Z/370Z: Modern drift platforms known for their reliability and balance.

Picking one of these will give you a solid foundation when learning how to make a drift car in Forza Horizon 2.

Essential Upgrades: Engine & Drivetrain

Once you have your base car, the real work begins. The engine and drivetrain are crucial for generating and delivering the power needed for controlled skids.

Engine Swaps and Power Upgrades

• Engine Swaps: For many cars, a complete engine swap might be the best route. Look for powerful V8s or turbocharged I6 engines (like the 2JZ-GTE or RB26DETT if available as a swap) that offer significant horsepower and torque. The key is to find an engine that provides a broad power band, making it easier to control throttle input during a drift.
• Turbocharging/Supercharging: Adding forced induction is almost always beneficial for drifting. Turbochargers offer immense power gains, while superchargers provide a more linear power delivery. Experiment to see which suits your style. For most drift builds, aiming for a power output in the 600-800 horsepower range is a good starting point, but don’t overdo it. Too much power makes the car uncontrollable.
• Weight Reduction: Reducing the car’s overall weight improves its agility and responsiveness, making it easier to initiate and transition drifts. Opt for race weight reduction if available.

Drivetrain Modifications

The drivetrain components are critical for transferring engine power efficiently and controllably to the rear wheels.

• Race Differential: This is arguably the most important drivetrain upgrade. A race differential allows for precise tuning of the acceleration and deceleration locking percentages. For drifting, you typically want a high acceleration lock (70-100%) to ensure both rear wheels spin together under power, providing consistent traction loss. Deceleration lock can be lower (around 30-60%) to allow for some wheel speed difference during coasting or transitions.
• Race Transmission: A race transmission offers adjustable gear ratios. This is vital for maintaining engine RPM in the power band during a drift. Often, you’ll want to shorten the gears slightly, especially 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, to keep the car responsive.
• Race Clutch and Driveshaft: While less impactful on tuning than the differential or transmission, these upgrades improve power delivery and durability.

Suspension & Handling Tuning for Drifting

The suspension setup profoundly influences how a car handles a slide. Precision adjustments here can make all the difference in your ability to control angle and speed.

Race Suspension (Springs and Dampers)

Install Race Suspension as a mandatory upgrade. This allows you to adjust:

• Ride Height: Lowering the car’s ride height improves stability and reduces body roll.
• Springs: Softer springs in the front (around 50-60% of max) and slightly stiffer in the rear (around 70-80% of max) can help the car transfer weight and initiate slides more easily. Some prefer a stiff rear and soft front to help rotate.
• Dampers (Rebound/Bump Stiffness):
  • Rebound Stiffness (Front): A higher front rebound (around 7-10) helps the front wheels quickly regain traction after weight transfer, maintaining steering response.
  • Rebound Stiffness (Rear): A slightly lower rear rebound (around 5-7) helps the rear suspension compress more freely, promoting traction loss.
  • Bump Stiffness (Front/Rear): Generally, keep bump stiffness lower than rebound (e.g., front 4-6, rear 3-5). This allows the suspension to absorb bumps without unsettling the car too much during a drift.

Anti-Roll Bars

• Front Anti-Roll Bar: A softer front anti-roll bar (around 15-25% of max) allows for more body roll, transferring weight to the outside wheel and increasing grip on the inside. This can help with initial turn-in.
• Rear Anti-Roll Bar: A stiffer rear anti-roll bar (around 70-90% of max) helps the rear end break loose more easily. It reduces grip in the rear, which is exactly what you want for drifting.

Alignment (Camber, Toe, Caster)

Alignment settings are critical for tire contact patch and steering response.

• Camber:
  • Front Camber: Negative camber (around -3.0 to -5.0 degrees) improves grip during cornering, helping with steering angle.
  • Rear Camber: Slightly negative (around -0.5 to -1.5 degrees). Too much negative rear camber can reduce the size of the contact patch and make the rear unpredictable.
• Toe:
  • Front Toe: Slight toe-out (0.1 to 0.3 degrees) can make the car more eager to turn in and initiate a drift.
  • Rear Toe: Slight toe-in (-0.1 to -0.3 degrees) can help stabilize the car during a slide and make it more predictable. Too much toe-in can cause understeer, while too much toe-out makes the car very twitchy.
• Caster: A higher positive caster angle (around 5.0 to 7.0 degrees) increases self-centering steering, which is invaluable for fast counter-steering during a drift. It also increases dynamic negative camber on the outside wheel during turns.

Braking System Enhancements

While drifting is often about throttle control, the braking system plays a role in initiation and managing specific situations.

Race Brakes

• Race Brakes: Upgrade to race brakes to gain the ability to adjust brake balance and pressure.
• Brake Balance: Shift the brake balance slightly to the front (around 55-65%). This allows you to use the brakes more aggressively to induce weight transfer to the front and lighten the rear, helping to initiate a slide.
• Brake Pressure: Adjust to your preference. A lower pressure prevents locking up, while a slightly higher pressure can be useful for light taps of the brake to adjust angle. Avoid too high pressure, as it will lock the wheels too easily and pull you out of a drift.

Tires & Wheels

The tires are the direct interface with the road, and their characteristics are paramount.

Tire Compound and Width

• Tire Compound: While “drift tires” are not explicitly available as a compound in Forza Horizon 2, the goal is controlled loss of traction. Street tires provide less grip, making it easier to break traction but harder to control. Race tires offer more grip, making initiation harder but slides more controllable once established. Many drifters find a good balance with Sport tires or sometimes even Race tires with lower tire pressure. Experimentation is key here to find what works for your power level and style.
• Tire Width:
  • Front Tire Width: Keep front tires relatively wide to maintain grip and steering authority during a slide.
  • Rear Tire Width: This is where many misconceptions lie. Wider rear tires provide more grip, making it harder to initiate a drift but potentially more controllable once sliding. Narrower rear tires make it easier to break traction but can make the car very snappy and difficult to hold at angle. A common approach is to use rear tires that are wide enough to provide some control, but not so wide that initiation becomes a struggle. Often, matching the front width or going slightly wider in the rear is a good starting point.
• Tire Pressure: Lowering tire pressure (e.g., 20-25 PSI / 1.4-1.7 BAR) in the rear can increase the contact patch and generate more heat, which can actually increase grip, making the car more stable in a drift. Higher pressure can make it slide more easily but be less controllable. For the front, around 28-30 PSI (1.9-2.0 BAR) is typical.

Wheels

• Wheel Size: Go with a wheel size that looks good and fits the car, but generally, larger wheels (within reason) can offer slightly more stability.
• Wheel Offset: Adjusting the wheel offset (if available in FH2, often through widebody kits) can change the track width, which affects handling and aesthetics. A wider track can sometimes offer more stability.

Putting It All Together: Tuning and Testing

Once all the upgrades are applied, the real finesse comes in through fine-tuning and extensive testing. This iterative process of adjustment, driving, and re-adjustment is crucial to understanding how to make a drift car in Forza Horizon 2 truly effective.

Initial Tuning Steps

After installing all race parts, start with the recommended baseline settings provided in this guide. Take your car to a drift zone or an open area with suitable corners.

Test Driving and Fine-Tuning

• Initiation: Does the car break traction easily with a handbrake, clutch kick, or power over? If not, consider more power, softer rear anti-roll bar, or slightly narrower rear tires.
• Angle Hold: Can you maintain a consistent drift angle without spinning out or losing the slide prematurely? If spinning out, you might have too much power, too little rear grip (check tire pressure/width), or an overly aggressive differential lock. If losing the slide, you might need more power, softer rear springs, or different camber/toe settings.
• Transitions: How easily does the car switch from a left-hand drift to a right-hand drift? This often involves clutch kicking, throttle modulation, and quick steering. Your caster and anti-roll bar settings heavily influence this.
• Feedback: Pay attention to how the car feels. Is the steering too heavy or too light? Is the throttle too sensitive? Make small, incremental changes to one setting at a time and re-test. This systematic approach will help you pinpoint the effects of each adjustment.

Remember, every car and every driver is different. What works perfectly for one person might not be ideal for another. The best drift setup is the one you are most comfortable and consistent with. For more in-depth car care tips and automotive advice beyond gaming, visit maxmotorsmissouri.com.

Drifting Techniques in Forza Horizon 2

Having the perfect drift car is only half the battle; the other half is knowing how to drive it. Here are some fundamental techniques:

• Handbrake Drift: The simplest way to initiate. Approach a corner, turn in, and tap the handbrake to break rear traction. Counter-steer and apply throttle to maintain the slide.
• Power Over Drift: For powerful cars. Approach a corner, turn in, then apply a burst of throttle to overcome rear tire grip. Counter-steer and manage throttle.
• Clutch Kick: With a manual transmission, approach a corner, turn in, depress the clutch, rev the engine, then quickly release the clutch. The sudden surge of power to the rear wheels breaks traction.
• Weight Transfer/Feint Drift: Shift the car’s weight to initiate. Swerve slightly one way, then quickly turn the opposite way (into the corner) to throw the car’s weight to the outside, unweighting the rear and inducing a slide.
• Throttle Control: The most crucial aspect. Use small, precise throttle inputs to modulate the drift angle and speed. Too much throttle, and you spin out; too little, and you straighten up.
• Counter-Steering: As the rear of the car slides, turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the slide to catch it and maintain control. The speed and angle of your counter-steer are vital.

Troubleshooting Common Drift Car Problems

Even with a comprehensive guide, you might encounter issues. Here are some common problems and their potential solutions when learning how to make a drift car in Forza Horizon 2:

• Car spins out too easily:
  • Solution: Reduce rear tire pressure, soften rear springs, increase rear toe-in, reduce differential acceleration lock, or decrease engine power. You might also need to be smoother with your throttle input.
• Car won’t initiate a drift:
  • Solution: Increase engine power, stiffen rear anti-roll bar, narrow rear tires, or increase differential acceleration lock. Practice initiation techniques like clutch kicking or handbrake.
• Can’t maintain angle or the drift dies:
  • Solution: Increase engine power, adjust gear ratios to keep RPM in the power band, soften rear springs, or slightly reduce rear tire pressure. Focus on consistent throttle control.
• Car understeers heavily (doesn’t turn in):
  • Solution: Soften front anti-roll bar, increase front toe-out, increase front negative camber, or stiffen front springs.
• Car is too twitchy/unpredictable:
  • Solution: Reduce front toe-out, reduce rear toe-out (or use slight toe-in), soften anti-roll bars, or ensure tire pressures are balanced. Higher caster can also help stability.

Learning how to make a drift car in Forza Horizon 2 is a rewarding experience that combines mechanical understanding with driving skill. By carefully selecting your base vehicle, applying strategic upgrades, and meticulously tuning each component, you can create a personalized drifting machine. Remember that practice is key, both in the garage with your tuning settings and on the tarmac refining your driving techniques. Embrace the trial-and-error process, enjoy the challenge, and soon you’ll be chaining together impressive slides across the beautiful landscapes of Forza Horizon 2.

Last Updated on October 10, 2025 by Cristian Steven