Effective Drifting in Forza Horizon 4: Best Cars and Tuning Settings for Drifting

A guide to drifting in the racing game Forza Horizon 4. The action of the latest installment in the Forza Horizon franchise takes place in Great Britain, meaning there are plenty of winding roads that are perfect for drifting. Let's figure out how to score more points and which cars to choose for drifting.

Drifting in designated zones located all over the map is an excellent way to strengthen influence and earn skill points, which can be spent on perks that offer various bonuses.

First and foremost, it's important to choose a car with rear-wheel drive. Vehicles with all-wheel or front-wheel drive will grip the road and experience significant understeer, making drifting nearly impossible. Choosing a rear-wheel-drive car allows all the power to be transferred through the car's rear axle, causing it to slide around corners. We've already discussed the fastest cars in Forza Horizon 4, and a selection of cars for drifting will be at the end of the article.

Of course, some cars may suit your driving style better than others, and that's why we recommend trying out several vehicles to find the perfect one for you. For example, some drifters prefer the quick transitions that can be offered by cars with a short wheelbase, while others prefer the predictability and stability of a car with a longer wheelbase.

After choosing your car, head to the garage to add some power and improve handling. When drifting, it's important to find a good balance between power and handling, as you need plenty of power to kick the car sideways and good grip on turns, otherwise, you might crash. Installing drift springs and dampers on your car is essential for creating the perfect drift car.

You can install a plethora of modifications and upgrades, including engine swaps, but you must ensure you have enough money left after buying the car. It's better to learn how to upgrade a car yourself so you can customize any vehicle and make it perfect for your needs.

For your first car, it's better to upgrade everything to Race type; we recommend settling for about 300 horsepower, which is quite sufficient. If you're a beginner, don't immediately buy high-powered cars, as you likely won't have the skills to control it properly. However, cars with less power are much more predictable, making them ideal for beginners.

You can install a drift suspension, weight reduction, anti-roll bars, race-spec brakes, and maximize everything in the transmission section.

Regarding the suspension, you need to ensure a low center of gravity but make sure you're not scraping the bottom on the bumpy British roads. When choosing tires, opt for medium road grip in a less powerful car and good road grip in a more powerful car. Do not choose racing tires (slicks) as they are not ideal for drifting. The weight of the rims mostly doesn't matter, but you can opt for sport ones to reduce it. Do not choose too large wheels and remember — style doesn't matter here.

List of important improvements in the car upgrade workshop for drifting:

Adjusting the difficulty in the Forza Horizon 4 settings not only increases the prize pool when winning races but is also a good way to find the right level of car control for drifting. Turning off traction control and stability control will significantly simplify the car's sliding on sharp turns in Britain.

If you're using an automatic transmission, try switching to a manual transmission to better utilize power in the middle of a drift. The ability to manually shift gears up and down will give you much more control, which is the most important element of drifting. Lack of control over the car usually ends in a crash.

If you've installed all the important updates but your car isn't drifting the way you wanted or expected, then you'll likely need to make some adjustments in the settings. Tuning will allow you to adjust the advanced car settings to make sure it unleashes its true potential.

If you've already chosen the perfect car for drifting, created the optimal settings, then all that's left is to start practicing. In Forza Horizon 4, there are over 500 British roads to choose from, and you have plenty of opportunities to hone the art of drifting. Pay close attention to the road and watch out for oncoming traffic.

Don't worry if things don't go according to plan right away. We all started somewhere, and mastering drifting often requires a huge amount of practice to perfect.

Forza Horizon 4 has a vast array of cars. It often becomes challenging to choose which car would be perfect when it comes to drifting, so we've selected a few cars for you.

For those just starting out with drifting in Horizon 4, we recommend avoiding Hoonigan / FD cars, as they are more suited for experienced players.

Nissan Silvia (240SX/S14/S15)

This legendary car needs no introduction. The S-chassis are most renowned for their impeccable handling and highly tunable SR20DET engine. However, thanks to in-game upgrades, you'll be able to choose alternative setups such as the Nissan Skyline RB26.

There are three Formula Drift 240SX cars available for 300,000 credits each. However, if you're ready to build your setup from scratch, the 240SX / S14 are available for just 25,000 credits, and the S15 for a bit more, at 35,000 credits. Many beginners in the game choose Silvia as the perfect car to start drifting in Forza Horizon 4.

Nissan Fairlady (350Z/370Z)

Nissan Fairlady has earned its place as one of the most popular cars. If you're unsure which model best suits your needs, be sure to check out both the 350Z and 370Z. You can find the 350Z in the game under the name JDM — Fairlady Z.

The 350Z can be purchased for 35,000 credits, and the 370Z for 40,000 credits. Although these cars are known for their slightly insufficient power and somewhat excessive weight, some engine upgrades (or a swap) will make them fantastic contenders for the best drift cars in the game.

Hoonigan RX-7 FC (Twerkstallion)

The Twerkstallion can be purchased for 50,000 credits. However, this pre-tuned car falls into the S1 class and is not the ideal choice for beginner drifters due to its powerful combination with a short wheelbase.

Once you master the basics of drifting, it will become one of the most useful cars in the game, which also looks and handles incredibly well without any tuning.

Mazda RX-7

With prices ranging from 25,000 credits for the Savanna RX-7 to 250,000 credits for the hard-to-get GSL-SE variant, the Mazda RX-7 can be a great choice. Fortunately, the FD, which we know and love, will only cost you 35,000 credits or 30,000 credits for the Spirit R Type-A.

There's a reason why the RX-7 FD made our list of the best drift cars, and it's the fantastic chassis for both beginners and advanced drifters. The RX-7 FD, with a longer wheelbase than the FC, will be the best choice for beginner drifters in Forza Horizon 4.

Dodge Viper SRT10 (Formula Drift #43)

While FH4 features many models of Dodge Vipers, it's the legendary Formula Drift Viper of Dean Kearney that has earned its place on our list. This car often tops the FH4 leaderboards, definitely not an ideal choice for beginners. However, for experienced drivers aiming to score maximum points, this is arguably the best pre-tuned car in the game. It will cost you 300,000 credits.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

The Mazda Miata is one of the cheapest cars available, costing only 25,000 credits, and represents the perfect choice for those wanting to master drifting on a short wheelbase.

You don't need to use massive power, as the car is quite light. Beginners can dial down the power and use the Miata to master the art of drifting.

Ford Mustang RTR

In FH4, there are three RTR Mustang models, two of which are Formula Drift cars of Chelsea DeNofa and Vaughn Gittin Jr, and the third is the street model Spec 5 / S5.

All three cars will cost you quite a bit — 500,000 credits, so they're not the ideal choice for those of you just starting out.

Nissan Skyline/GT-R

The game features various models of Nissan Skyline, from the iconic Hakosuka to the R31, R32, R33, R34, and also the R35 GT-R. The R33 will cost you 37,000 credits. The most expensive offering is the GT-R LM FE at 1,350,000 credits, but it's not very suitable for drifting.

The R34 GT-R V-Spec II can be purchased for 63,000 credits. From Hakosuka to R35 GT-R, the cars vary significantly from one another, but all of them are incredibly good at drifting. While they may not be the ideal choice for beginners, they are perfect for intermediate or advanced drifters, but don't forget to choose rear-wheel drive.

BMW M3

The BMW M3 is undoubtedly one of the most famous European drift cars, starting from the E30 up to the E92 and GTS. Prices for the E46 M3 start from just 33,000 credits, the most expensive model M3 GTS will cost you 250,000 credits.

All M3 variants are a fantastic choice for drifting, whether you're a beginner or a professional. If you want to take a slightly different route, the BMW M4 is also present in the game.

Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT Apex

The roads of Great Britain are not too dissimilar from the mountain roads of Japan, where the AE86 earned its reputation. The AE86 has become one of the most legendary drift cars in the world, and it fits perfectly with the narrow and winding roads in Great Britain.

The AE86 is a fantastic car for beginners, but be prepared that it will cost you 250,000 credits. For this reason, it won't be the ideal choice for those who have just started playing.

It was quite challenging to limit ourselves to just a few drift cars from Forza Horizon 4, but we tried to gather the most interesting models so you could choose the best one for yourself. Unfortunately, some cars from the selection may disappoint those of you who are just starting out.

Learning the technique of drifting takes time and patience. We recommend trying out a variety of cars and settings. Practice really does help in achieving perfection, and there's a lot to learn before you can truly master this art.