What does drift mean in Spanish?

In English, to drift means to be carried along by a current. In a car it is the technique of taking it sideways on purpose and under control, with countersteer and throttle. Spanish does not translate it: it uses the same word, el drift.

What does driftear mean?

It means to drift: taking the car sideways on purpose and holding it through the corner. Drifteando is the gerund, being in the middle of a drift, and in English the driver is called a drifter.

It is the English name of the discipline. Drift and drifting are used as synonyms: oversteering on purpose, with loss of traction, while keeping control through the whole corner.

Can you drift an automatic or a front-wheel-drive car?

With an automatic, only in very limited cases: it needs rear-wheel drive and a way to choose the gear, and most road automatics will not let you hold it. With front-wheel drive the tail can step out for a moment, but the slide does not hold.

On the street it can be a crime: article 193 bis of Argentina's Penal Code punishes a driver who endangers people's life or physical integrity in an unauthorised speed or skill trial with 6 months to 3 years in prison and a driving ban for twice as long, and gives the same penalty to whoever organises or promotes it. At a racetrack or on a closed track, with the activity authorised and run by the venue, it is legal, and a class does not require a racing licence.

Nov 8, 20261 min read

What Is Drifting? The Meaning of Drift and Driftear

By Dmitrii McCarthy

What is drifting? The meaning of drift

Drifting is a driving technique: making the car go sideways on purpose, with the tail out of the corner, and holding it under control with countersteer and throttle. In everyday English, to drift means to be carried along slowly by a current of water or air. In Argentina the verb driftear simply means to drift. Drifting was born on Japan's mountain roads, is practised on closed tracks and needs a rear-wheel-drive car.

The full guide, with how a drift works, where it comes from and which car you need, is in the Spanish version.

Frequently asked questions

What does drift mean in Spanish?: In English, to drift means to be carried along by a current. In a car it is the technique of taking it sideways on purpose and under control, with countersteer and throttle. Spanish does not translate it: it uses the same word, el drift.
What does driftear mean?: It means to drift: taking the car sideways on purpose and holding it through the corner. Drifteando is the gerund, being in the middle of a drift, and in English the driver is called a drifter.
What is drifting?: It is the English name of the discipline. Drift and drifting are used as synonyms: oversteering on purpose, with loss of traction, while keeping control through the whole corner.
Can you drift an automatic or a front-wheel-drive car?: With an automatic, only in very limited cases: it needs rear-wheel drive and a way to choose the gear, and most road automatics will not let you hold it. With front-wheel drive the tail can step out for a moment, but the slide does not hold.
Is drifting illegal?: On the street it can be a crime: article 193 bis of Argentina's Penal Code punishes a driver who endangers people's life or physical integrity in an unauthorised speed or skill trial with 6 months to 3 years in prison and a driving ban for twice as long, and gives the same penalty to whoever organises or promotes it. At a racetrack or on a closed track, with the activity authorised and run by the venue, it is legal, and a class does not require a racing licence.

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