Is Drifting In Assetto Corsa Realistic? Debunked!

I get a lot of questions about whether or not drifting in Assetto Corsa is realistic. 

Let’s jump right in to explain.

Is drifting in Assetto Corsa as realistic as real-life drifting?

First, the simple answer, NO drifting in Assetto Corsa isn’t as realistic as in real life, but it comes close.

Now for a more elaborate answer. Drifting in a sim racing rig that is stationary on the floor can never give you the same sensation of G-forces and the feeling when your car starts to lose grip to going into a skid.

Even if you have a motion rig it will never be able to convey the G-forces you experience during real-life drifting.

So So you will never be able to answer with a confident yes when wondering if drifting in Sim Racing games is realistic.

What’s it like drifting in Assetto Corsa?

If you aren’t bothered about experiencing the G-forces then drifting in Assetto Corsa is very fun and the physics of the game come close to real-life drifting.

It isn’t easy to master, but once you get good at drifting it is really fun to do and you will spend many hours behind the wheel drifting the Japanese Touges or other tracks.

I personally spend weeks before I was able to drift through corners without spinning out every corner I tried to tackle. So don’t get discouraged when you still can’t drift well after a few days, hang in there and keep practicing, you WILL get better, trust me. 

Settings for drifting in Assetto Corsa

This is personal preference and you can play with the settings until they are at your liking, but here are some general settings for drifting in AC. 

These settings are only applicable if you have a wheel and pedal setup, NOT if you drive with a controller or Keyboard. These settings are for the Assetto Corsa Content Manager, which you can download for free HERE.

Go to SETTINGS –> ASSETTO CORSA –> CONTROLS –> AXIS

Wheel Settings

Degrees: 900° – This means from full lock to full lock the steering wheel will rotate 900 degrees, just like in real drift cars.

Scale: 80

You can play with these settings but this is a good starting layout.

Throttle Pedal Settings

From 0 to 100%: This means you can use the full throttle from very little to full throttle. In drifting you need to play with the throttle all the time to maintain a drift.

Brake Pedal Settings

From 0 to 52%: This means that the brakes will brake a full force from 52% or half the pedal that is pushed. This means you won’t need to apply to much force to get full (locking) brakes. Perfect for putting your foot on the throttle faster after braking.

Clutch Pedal Settings

From 0 to 55%: This means that the clutch will only need to be pushed down 55% which is the ideal setting for clutch kicking to initiate a drift, very handy.

E-brake Settings (Optional)

From 0 to 50%: You guessed it: this means that the E-brake will only need to be pulled down 50% to fully lock the back wheels, for obvious reasons this makes it easy to keep in a drift or to initiate a drift.

Other Settings

Go to “FORCE FEEDBACK” and put “GAIN” to 100%.

Under “EFFECTS” “KERB EFFECT” should be at 40% and “ROAD EFFECT” should be set to 50%. “ABS EFFECT” is set to 21%

Which cars are best for drifting in Assetto Corsa?

First off we need to set some ground rules. These aren’t set in stone, but they are widely common in the (online) drifting community. Your car should have:

1. A rear-wheel driven car. Front-wheel drive cars are a big no-no, and 4-wheel drive car is ok but the best results are to be had with an RWD car.
2. Manual transmission. It’s easier to drift a manual car than an automatic, that’s just how it is.
3. Enough horsepower. Anything above 200hp is ok if it’s a lightweight car, above 400hp is where the fun begins. And there is no such thing as too much horsepower 🙂

Ok with that out of the way, let’s dive into some of the best cars for drifting in AC. This is personal taste of course, but these are also the most used for drifting in the game.

1. The BMW F82 M4. This beast is the newest M4 in BMW’s line up and it packs a punch, all while being fairly manageable when going sideways. This one is a real joy to drift (and race)
2. The Nissan Silvia S15. A classic in the world of drifting and a very fun car to drift around the twisty bends of the touge. It doesn’t have a lot of horsepower out of the factory but can be tuned to big HP numbers with little mods/tuning.
3. The Toyota GT86. Another classic in the drift scene, both IRL and in Sim Racing. This lightweight RWD car is perfect for drifting, especially when you are just starting your drifting journey.
4. The Toyota Supra 2JZ. This very powerful car is not for the faint of heart, but very rewarding once you have this beast under control. You won’t regret it when choosing this awesome drift car.
5. The Dodge Challenger SRT8. This American muscle car is quite heavy but has enough power to go sideways with ease. This big girl is a lot to handle but when you tame her you can stay sideways the whole track.

Conclusion

There isn’t one “best” Sim Racing game that will be as realistic as drifting in real life. But with all the mods and community content for Assetto Corsa, you can get pretty close to a “real-life” experience when drifting. 

And a big benefit to drifting in a game like Assetto Corsa is that you won’t need to buy a drift car, tune it, buy lots of tires and fuel, and wrench during the weekends. You just start the game and go, from the comfort of your home, what’s not to like about that, right? 

FAQ

Which Assetto Corsa is best for drifting?

The regular AC is best for drifting. Assetto Corsa Competizione is geared towards F3 racing and doesn’t really lend itself to drifting. 

The regular Assetto Corsa can be modded with all sorts of drift tracks and cars so that game is perfect for Sim drifting

Is drifting easy in Assetto Corsa?

If you have experience in real-life drifting or Sim drifting in other games like for example Forza Horizon 4 or 5, then YES, drifting is easy in Assetto Corsa.

If you don’t have experience in sim drifting and this is your first time then NO, drifting isn’t easy in Assetto Corsa. It depends from one person to another how long it will take you to learn it but count 2 to 4 weeks to get good at drifting in a Sim game like AC.