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drift
n 1: a force that moves something along [syn:
impetus,
impulsion] 2: the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane) 3: a process of linguistic change over a period of time 4: something heaped up by the wind or current 5: a general tendency as of opinion: "not openly liberal but that is the tendency of the book" [syn:
trend] 6: general meaning or tenor: "caught the drift of the conversation" [syn:
purport] 7: (mining) a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine; "they dug a drift parallel with the vein" [syn:
heading,
gallery] v 1: be in motion due to some air current; "The leaves were blowing in the wind"; "the boat drifted on the lake" [syn:
float,
be adrift,
blow] 2: wander from a direct course or at random [syn:
stray,
err] 3: wander about aimlessly; "The gypsies roamed the woods" [syn:
wander,
swan,
stray,
roam,
cast,
ramble,
rove,
range,
vagabond] 4: be driven or carried along [syn:
waft] 5: live irresponsibly or freely [syn:
freewheel]
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Definition number 2 of drift (the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences), would be the best suited for the discussion at hand.
My basic point is, a drift is a drift is a drift...although they are meaning to do it, drifters are basically taking the car away from its intended path as suits its purpose and engineering. The drive wheels have nothing to do with the term.
Cars aren't designed from the factory to lose traction. Most accidents are caused by drifts. You slipping on ice is a drift. "Drifters" are just basically doing a controlled form of it.
BTW, watch rally-racing for more than five minutes, and I guarantee you'll see one of the most beautiful things in automotive racing, a controlled, 4-wheel drift. You've probably done it yourself, playing the rally courses in GT A-Spec.