Does drifting slow you down in Mario Kart 8?
Overall, yes – the act of drifting itself will cause your kart to go slower momentarily compared to driving in a straight line when not drifting. However, expert utilization of drifting allows you to take tighter, faster race lines through corners. So by drifting properly, you can actually maintain greater speeds lap after lap. Let‘s break down the underlying mechanics behind drifting to understand why.
The Mechanics of Drifting
In Mario Kart 8, initiating a drift powers up a speed boost called a "mini-turbo." The longer you hold your drift, the further the mini-turbo charges up for a bigger boost:
- Blue sparks – Basic mini-turbo (20% speed increase, lasts 0.35 sec)
- Orange sparks – Mid-level turbo (40% speed increase, lasts 1 sec)
- Pink/purple sparks – Ultra mini-turbo (60% speed increase, lasts 1.5 sec)
While charging up these mini-turbos, your drifting kart‘s speed decreases to about 80% of its max speed stat. So during the drift itself, yes you are indeed moving slower than just driving straight.
However, manipulating these mini-turbo boosts properly is key to mastering drifting. An ultra mini-turbo‘s 60% speed increase for 1.5 secs is a massive acceleration burst out of drift exits.
Taking Corners While Drifting
The main benefit of drifting comes from taking corners. By sliding your kart‘s rear out on turns, you can maintain significantly greater cornering speeds compared to just steering/braking:
- Drifting – Can take 90 degree corner at 50 mph
- Steering – 90 degree corner at 30 mph
For tracks with lots of twisting sections like Dragon Driftway or Mount Wario, efficient drifting results in much faster lap time reduction than focusing solely on top speed.
Proper Drifting Techniques
To utilize drifting optimally:
- Initiate drifts with a "hop" using R button
- Time drift length to charge mini-turbos
- Release drift once sparks turn pink/purple
- Adjust drift angles/radius based on kart used
I personally recommend using higher drift stat vehicles. Wider, more controllable drifts help avoid obstacles and leave room for mini-turbo paths.
Common Drifting Pitfalls
Many players fail to efficiently leverage drifting for speed:
- Poor kart drift ability leads to slow charging
- Releasing drift too early causes weak mini-turbos
- Colliding with other racers disrupts drifts
- Forgetting to use charged mini-turbos coming out of drift
Some tips here: use higher traction tires, take wider drift lines on corners, and match your builds to track technicality.
In conclusion, drifting itself causes a momentary slow-down, but master manipulators utilize it to race faster overall. Perfect your drift game to dominate the competition!
