Drift your car like a pro driver

First time I thought drifting was really cool was when I was sitting in a friend's '92 Mitsubishi Lancer. It was a stickshift, but it was slow slow slow. But he drifted on the open road for me and at that moment I thought it was a cool thing to do. He did warn me not to try it on open roads though. So I practiced, with manuals and automatics (it's always easier with a stickshift) until I got the hang of it. I'm not a pro and I'd probably finish last in a competition, but I've always tried my best and to me the satisfaction is in the adrenaline rush that I get.

The art of drifting is a racing secret. Drifting is a driving technique and a motor sport where a car slides at an angle, with its side moving forward. If you've seen the movie 'Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift', you'll know what drifting really is. The Japanese love drifting, and they have perfected the art. They usually use their Jap-rockets (Skyline GT-R's, Fairlady's, Sylvia's, Evo, Imprezza, TRD, Type-R's, etc.). The Americans, on the other hand, have caught up. Perhaps the best known drifting competition in the world is at Sonoma, and Asians and Americans alike compete in this event. The line-up of cars is a mix of Jap-rockets and American rear-wheel drive V8 muscle cars (Mustangs, Camaros, possibly even Corvettes and Vipers). The art of drifting is simple. Follow the simple steps listed below, courtesy of information I gained from the net and from my own experience.

Drifting with Rear Wheel Drive Manual

1. Find a car with both rear-wheel-drive and a manual transmission.
2. Find an open area (i.e. an empty parking lot) safely free of pedestrians and motorists.
3. Accelerate and shift to second gear, which allows the widest variance of speed and is best for harnessing the engine's torque without overly stressing the mechanicals.
4. Push in the clutch to let the engine rev.
5. With the engine revving, flick the steering wheel to the outside of the turn and steer strongly inside toward the turn.
6. Simultaneously release the clutch. If you are uncomfortable with this method of sliding, try pulling the hand brake to further reduce traction (never pull brake while accelerating). While that won't kill your car initially, it is a bad habit to get into.
7. Immediately steer the car in the direction of the slide. You're drifting!

 Drifting with a Rear Wheel Drive Auto

1. Find a large and open space 
2. Accelerate to a speed of 20-30mph
3. Turn the wheel hard and floor it. You should feel the rear end slide around if this is done correctly. Repeat until comfortable with sliding.
4. Set up a cone in the middle of the lot. Drive up on the cone and turn around the cone. when you begin your turn accelerate hard to get the rear end loose.
5. Counter steer to control where your car will go after turn.(opposite lock)
6. Increase speed until comfortable
7. Note that if your vehicle of choice doesn't have enough power read the FWD directions but remember to release hand brake before accelerating.

Drifting with Front Wheel Drive

1. Go to a large, open area.
2. Accelerate then pull the handbrake or use the parking brake, riding it out the first time or two to get over your initial fear.
3. Set up a cone in the middle of the lot.
4. Drive up to it at speed (between 20-30mph).
5. Hit the brake and turn toward the cone. Immediately after you feel the back end come around, turn to the opposite direction. This is known as opposite lock.
6. Repeat the opposite lock at that speed until you can control your car well. Practice this for at least several weeks regularly until it becomes second nature. (Don't do this on public roads)
7. Slowly increase speed until you are proficient in a speed you are comfortable with. Get to know that speed - you should never drift above that speed unless you are practicing.
8. At the same initial speed, flick the steering wheel opposite of the turn and swing it all the way into toward the cone (not turn, you aren't ready yet). As before, when you feel the rear end come around, go to opposite lock. It takes time and practice to successfully use the Scandinavian flick, especially on under powered cars.