Choosing the right car for controlled drifting in Forza Horizon 6 is half the battle. The other half is hours of practice, because drifting, frankly, is not an easy skill. Even if you install the best Formula Drift car, you won’t immediately become a virtuoso. But VPEsports has prepared a few tips and a selection of vehicles that will make starting out much more fun.
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Best Drift Cars in Forza Horizon 6
Here are five solid options that are good out of the box:
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Any car from the Formula Drift lineup
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DeBerti Toyota Tacoma TRD “The Performance Truck”
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Lotus Evija Forza Edition
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Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX Forza Edition
All of these allow you to drift without any unnecessary tuning. The main requirement is rear-wheel drive (look for RWD in the car selection menu). Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive won’t work here; they’re just out of the question.
How to Set Up Drift Tuning in FH6?
Arrived at the Horizon Festival, opened the “Upgrades and Tuning” section—and don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Click “Find Tuning Settings” and enter the keyword “Drift.” There’s a 99% chance that some local FH6 fan has already put together and posted a ready-made drift configuration for your model. All you have to do is apply it and hit the drift zones. By the way, manual tuning is also possible: install drift tires, a special differential, and ready-made body kits are available for some cars. The most important thing is to push the torque closer to 800–1000 Nm. At this level, the car begins to slide more readily.
And finally: don’t expect everything to work out on the first try. Even with the best drift car in FH6, you’ll initially end up flying into the barriers. But once you find the rhythm, that’s when the real fun begins.
How to Drift Correctly in Forza Horizon 6?
Drifting in Forza Horizon 6 is a capricious thing. It’s not just a matter of pressing the gas and turning—it requires intuition to control a car that’s literally trying to fly off the road. If you’re just starting out, don’t struggle blindly. Play through the Drift Club storyline—it explains the basic mechanics better than any guide.
In a nutshell: sharply turn the steering wheel to the side, sometimes apply the brakes to break the rear axle, and then it’s a dance with the gas, handbrake, and steering wheel. The goal is the same: keep the car sideways for as long as possible. This is how you score high scores in drift zones.
Secrets of Drift Control
A couple of simple tricks for getting three stars on any surface.
Letting Go of Stabilization and FH6 Assistance Systems
Can’t drift? It’s likely the FH6’s electronic assistance systems are stifling your initiative. Go to the control settings and disable everything related to stabilization and braking. You must steer and press the pedal yourself, otherwise the car will straighten out at the most inopportune moment.
Controlling the Gas Pedal While Sliding
The golden rule is to find that sweet spot where you’re going fast enough to maintain momentum, but not so fast that you fly off the track or pirouette. Feel like the car is drifting too much and starting to swerve? Release the gas for a split second, correct the trajectory, and press it again. It’s like rocking a swing: miscalculate just a little, and that’s it.
Adjusting the Drift Angle with the Handbrake
This depends on the steepness of the turn. On a gentle curve, it’s enough to turn the steering wheel slightly in the opposite direction from the drift—this keeps the car sideways without changing direction. On sharp turns, you’ll have to turn in the same direction you’re facing. If that’s not enough, gently apply the handbrake. And yes, sometimes you need to combine both methods right inside the same turn.
Scoring Technique in FH6 Drift Zones
The scoring system in drift zones is simple: speed x drift duration. You’ll earn three stars not for a bunch of short “squeals,” but for long, coherent slides. The score increases exponentially when you hold a drift for seconds rather than in bursts.
Choosing a Drift Car for Asphalt and Gravel
In FH6, drift zones are available on both asphalt and gravel. And they’re fundamentally different stories. Light and powerful cars like the Lotus Evija are a disaster on dirt. They don’t grip; they’re thrown from side to side. Large, heavy vehicles—like the DeBerti Toyota Tacoma—feel right at home on dirt. The weight and uneven surface stabilize the drift, and you just have to keep up with the points.
How to Accumulate a Points Multiplier on Straights
It sounds strange, but it’s true: in the drift zone, even driving on a straight line still earns you points. Start turning the steering wheel left and right—on a properly set-up car, even such a small movement will cause micro-sliders. Connect them between long arcs, and your score will increase noticeably. It’s a small thing, but it’s nice.
Errors When Passing Drift Zones in FH6
Many people get stuck on a measly two stars in the FH6 drift zones, and the problem here is clearly not the gamepad. The counter is cut off due to a couple of unobvious mechanical jambs. They devour your hard-earned multiplier in a split second, leaving you without the coveted three stars in the seasonal event. It looks like it’s time to dismantle the base.
Going behind the flags or lightly kissing the wall is a fatal verdict. In the new part of the series, the combo immediately goes to absolute zero (which, by the way, is terribly annoying). It is better to go through a section with a smaller angle, but cleanly in the center of the track, than to try to show off and lose everything. The story is similar with gas. Did you release the trigger for a split second? The game will immediately reset the continuous slide timer. It is a prolonged drift on even gas that adds exponentially to the points. Keep the pedal steady. Even if it seems like the car is about to turn around.
Another classic trap lies in the belated counter-steering. The stern was blown, panic, a full throttle reset, and now the car is already spinning a shameful pirouette. To avoid this, the steering wheel must be twisted to the side of the skid instantly, simultaneously reducing traction by only 20-30%. It is worth throwing the pedal entirely only in the most extreme cases. Plus, be sure to keep an eye on the speedometer at the entrance (this is really important). If you fall into a turn sluggishly, the multiplier will creep up for an excruciatingly long time. The optimal start for most zones is 80-100 km/h. Not enough acceleration before the start of the section? Go wider in front of the first apex and pick up speed.
And the most insidious technical detail in tuning lies in the standard open differential. This thing is desperately trying to align the wheelbarrow, killing the angle of the transmission itself. Without a proper drift-diff with a 75-100% lock (for both acceleration and deceleration) all other methods will not work at full capacity.
Why the Combo Resets
And finally: do not pull the gears directly in active sliding. The upshift on the mechanics abruptly changes the torque and stupidly throws it out of the skid. Are you not delaying timings? Feel free to set up the machine or click gears strictly on straight sections.
What to watch next: Guide to Hakone Nanamagari Race (Location, Setup, Win).
