Drifting glossary: thirty terms, defined the way this game uses them
Drifting has its own vocabulary, and drift games borrow most of it. This glossary defines thirty terms in plain English and notes how each one applies in Slipline Garage, with the game’s own numbers where they exist.
Driving terms
Angle (slip angle). The angle between where the car’s nose points and where the car is actually travelling. Zero when driving straight. The game scores slides between 12° and 75°.
Apex. The point where a car passes closest to the inside of a corner. Drift lines usually reach it later than racing lines.
Countersteer. Steering opposite to the corner, into the slide, to control rotation. Also called opposite lock. See countersteering explained.
Donut. Circling a fixed point with the rear sliding. Allowed endlessly in academy lessons and Free Drive on Academy Yard; capped at about one and a quarter turns in challenges.
Drift. Deliberately sliding the rear tires through a corner while keeping control. The broader motorsport is described in Wikipedia’s article on drifting.
Entry. The approach to a corner, where the slide is started.
Exit. Leaving the corner. Where most chains are lost.
Feathering. Small, repeated throttle adjustments to hold a steady angle.
Figure eight. Alternating circles around two points, switching direction each time. The standard transition drill.
Handbrake (e-brake). Locks the rear wheels. Here it cuts rear sideways grip to roughly 36–42% of normal.
Initiation. Starting a slide. See three ways to start a slide.
Lift-off oversteer. The rear losing grip when you release the throttle mid-corner, as weight shifts forward.
Line. The path a car takes through a corner. See drifting lines.
Lock (steering lock). The maximum angle the front wheels can turn. Between 34° and 38° on the default cars; adjustable in tuning.
Oversteer. The rear sliding more than the front; the car turns more than you asked. A drift is sustained, controlled oversteer.
Power-over. Starting or holding a slide with engine power alone.
Snap (snap oversteer). A sudden, fast rotation, usually after grip returns abruptly.
Spin. Rotating past the point of control. Here: slip angle beyond 100°, or rolling backwards.
Tank-slapper. The rear swinging violently from side to side after an over-corrected catch.
Transition. Switching directly from a slide one way to a slide the other. See drift transitions.
Understeer. The front sliding more than the rear; the car turns less than you asked and runs wide.
Weight transfer. Load moving between the axles under braking or acceleration, changing how much grip each has.
Yaw. Rotation of the car about its vertical axis — the nose swinging left or right.
Scoring terms in this game
Bank. Moving a chain’s points into your score. Happens after 1.2 seconds of calm driving.
Chain. Points that are building but not yet banked. Lost to a wall hit, a spin, or leaving the road.
Clean drift time. Total seconds spent in a valid, scoring slide during a run.
Clipping zone. A marked circle at a corner’s edge that pays a bonus when crossed sideways. See clipping zones.
Grace. The 1.2 seconds a chain survives between slides; also the 1.5 seconds after a recovery when nothing scores.
Multiplier. A factor from ×1 to ×3 that rises by 0.25 for every 1.5 seconds a chain stays active.
Recovery. Returning the car to the last gate with R. Clears the live chain; never removes banked points.
Game terms
Assist. An optional setting that makes slides easier to catch. Assisted results are stored separately.
Garage credits. Points earned by playing that unlock cars at fixed totals. They cannot be bought or spent.
Ghost. A replay of your own best run, shown as a translucent car. See ghost replays.
All of the scoring numbers above are explained in context in how drift scoring works. For the game as a whole, start at the drifting games overview.