Need For Speed Heat Complete Drifting Guide
Drifting in Heat has a bit of a bad name, but the truth is it can be very fun and satisfying. It just takes time, practice and understanding of the drift parts, builds and tuning. I feel as though the developers put a lot more time and effort in to the performance system than most people realise.
Ok, so I’m not the greatest drifter in NFS Heat but I have done a lot of research, testing and put a lot of time into builds as well as drifting. I’ve put everything together that I have learned into one place in the hope that it can help others.
Cars The RX-7 is definitely the highest scoring car in Heat but in my opinion is not necessarily the best “feeling” drift car.
The highest scoring drift car in each class is, JDM-RX7, Muscle-Mercury Cougar, Truck/SUV-Chevrolet C10, Exotic-Lamborghini Huracan.
Realistically though, it is possible to 3 star all drift zones and win all drift games events, with any car with the rite build.
Builds The main build parts for drifting are, drift, speedcross, showcase and drag. Drag tires being the only drag part used in drifting and also the only part, that doesn’t really seem like it belongs but is one of the most important.
Depending on what parts you use, you will get more drift angle. Drift parts giving the most angle. But in my opinion, a full drift build gives too much angle. As a simple basic rule, showcase is for on road drifting and showcase is for off-road drifting. But each has its own feel and use depends on your personal style. One way to think about is, showcase = more angle speedcross = more grip (for on road drifting)
Engine As far as drifting goes, I always start with an engine swap (if needed) generally the best engine for drifting is the one with the most torque. Though that isn’t always the case, it will in my experience be one of the top 3 highest torque rated engines for that each car. Generally one engine will stand out which will feel the best and score the highest. 0-60 (100kmh) can also play a part but a drift build needs the rite mix of speed and grip, to much speed is definitely a drift killer. A nother thing to consider is maximum RPM’s as they effect gear changes and gearbox choice, RPM can also help with point scoring during a drift.
Gearbox The super 5 speed is more often than not the best option but again not always. It really depends on the car and build. I prefer to use manual, so I generally stay in 2nd gear when using the 4, 5 and 6 speed. For the 7 speed I find 3rd gear the best.
Clutch A softer (lower level) clutch will help to make drifts smoother, when accelerating during a drift a high level clutch seems harsh causing the car to jerk affecting drift angle. As where a lower level clutch applies the power smoother/softer so that the drift isn’t interrupted. Some cars need a bit of a clutch kick, where others don’t but is anywhere from a stock clutch to a super+.
Induction I find the superchargers the best for drifting because they give the smoothest, cleanest acceleration. Compared to the turbochargers the superchargers have no lag, the acceleration is instant and clean. At first it may feel too sensitive but you will get a feel for it. The two superchargers have different feels, the roots seems to have a different torque curve to the screw, which means lower speeds at the same RPM’s. Sometimes the dual turbo charger works better and has the feel I’m after.
Tires I find that drag tires give the best balance of grip, speed and angle. Some tires give more drift angle, drift parts giving the most. For all wheel drive cars I recommend showcase tires and for off-road drifting I recommend speedcross tires. The only issue that takes some getting used to with drag tires is forcing them to break traction, as sometimes when you want to lose traction to initiate a drift, or transition between drifting angles/direction it can be difficult to cause drag tires too break traction, but with practice it will be minimal.
Some cars don’t work well with drag tires, here’s a video show which cars don’t and what tires to use.
Brakes Brakes are similar to clutch, a hard strong brake can interfere with drifts and cause you to brake a drift or spin out. A softer brake, sport, pro and sometimes pro+, will help keep drifts smoother by helping you to control or transition a drift without being to harsh and causing the drift to be broken or end up in loss of control.
Suspension Generally I use showcase (on road drifting) as I find it gives me the a wider cleaner drift angle. But just like other parts, drift will give you even more drift angle. For off-road drifting I use speedcross (off-road drifting) suspension.
Differential I generally choose between the showcase and speedcross differentials depending on if I want more angle or more grip.
Here is a build tread that I started with a few builds I’ve already done. If you’d like a build done just comment on the post.
And here are a few videos that help explain drift parts and engines in Heat. As well builds in general.
Testing
Make sure to have a heap of parts in your inventory, before you leave the garage if your not testing near the parts shop. I also recommend trying lower level parts to really fine tune your car, in general the higher levels are better but not always.
I recommend choosing a drift zone/event, that is close to a garage, gas station or parts shop. That has no or minimal objects and structures to hit or collide with, so as to make testing easier and quicker.
Do a few warm up runs before you even start testing because sometimes if you haven’t warmed up, you might think a part/adjustment is helping or improving your drifting but it’s just that your warming up.
Change one part or adjustment at a time and do three clean consistent runs each
Remember you don’t need to do a full run each time, 2-3 checkpoint gates or corners will let you know if your scoring higher and or improving the feel and style of your drifting in general.
My personal favourite area for testing is the hairpin smoke drift zone.
Live Tuning/Tuning Steering sensitivity more often than not is all the way up/right (+5) but some cars only need +3 or +4. I generally set downforce all the way down/left (-5) some cars need a little downforce around -3 or -4. Traction control is always off. Drift style is personal but I find brake to have a better feel for most builds, though gas to drift can be just as useful. Some cars feel and do better when set to gas to drift. Some events/zones are also more suited to gas to drift, so don’t be afraid to change it up.
Don’t forget live tuning will effect your cars rating.
Dead zone is something I think is overlooked in drift builds, 8% is a good starting point as it gives more control without effecting your controller in the menu. Any lower and your it will be difficult to edit wraps as decals will move even while you aren’t touching the left joystick. Try testing between 8%-20%, 5% is also common.
Lastly, head into settings and switch to manual. It will take some practice but is definitely worth the effort.
Stance These two sections are less important but after extensive testing, I personally do feel that stance tuning does make a difference, all be it a minor one. I recommend testing it yourself.
I set my ride height all the way left/low (-5) rear camber usually with no negative camber (-5) but sometimes -4 or -3 depending on the car. Front camber I always have adleast -3 but sometimes all the way up to full negative camber (+5) in the centre (0) is a good place to start.
Fenders/Body Parts In my opinion not body/visual customisation has any effect on performance, except wide fenders, but as I said this is in the same category as stance. Wide fenders aren’t super important but in my testing and experimenting, I believe they make a difference and have a different feel. I do recommend using the widest fenders but it isn’t necessary. One way too think of it is, by installing wider fenders you are widening your track width.
This is also easy to test, I recommend giving it a go.
Technique There are a few techniques that if learned, will help to improve your drifting not only in Heat but in any game that has drifting.
Counter Steering Counter steering is simply tapping the left stick left to right, to help control both your drift angle and distance.
Throttle Feathering This is where you will notice the difference of a supercharger makes. Feathering the throttle is another great technique for controlling drift angle. Feathering the throttle is using the accelerator (R2) to control your drift by easing the accelerator off and on, or holding the accelerator at half position. Being smooth with the accelerator and holding it in the correct position, will vastly improve and extend drift length.
I’m my opinion feathering the throttle is the most important technique to drifting in Heat.
Coming into a drift at full throttle, can cause loss of control and end in a spinning out.
Some easier techniques to practice are initiating drifts, so that you are starting drifts at the correct drift angle. As well as drift transitions, (changing drift direction and angle) so that they become smoother allowing you to keep your drifting cleaner, while minimising loss of points.
These few videos will cover/show some of the things I’ve covered and maybe a few I missed.
Practice Locations There are quite a few places to practice in Palm City. Here is a video that shows some good spots, especially number 5 if you are new to drifting in heat.
This video shows some great places and ways to practice.
My favourite place to practice is around the abandoned mall. I find drifting around the pylons vey satisfying.
Style In Heat, there are four basic main types or styles of drifting.
Going for maximum points while staying on the track.
Going for maximum points with extensions.
Tandem
A more realistic style, while still earning big points.
Gymkhana, no points required.
All styles can benefit form different builds types and all take a lot of practice. None are really any easier than the other but all can be enjoyable, it just depends on personal preference or taste.
Lastly here is some information on Ghosts break to drift physics and how there work.
If I’ve missed of forgotten anything please feel free to comment.
Posted Feb 7, 2021, 5:12 AM UTC · edited