A 50/50 platform means the front and rear wheels rotate at the same rate. This gives an even distribution to all four wheels. This would be commonly known as a beginner platform as it is also the best entry level coming into drifting. This will help understand how the car will react.
A counter steer platform is your entry to intermediate skill level. Counter steering platforms let the rear wheels of the car rotate faster than the front wheels. When this effect happens you must steer the car as if you are fighting to slide straight.
When talking about the power plant of drifting, there are two directions to take. Some of the competition drifters will drift with a brushed motor only that is between 12 to 20 turns. Others prefer the power and consistency of brushless motors and a lipo battery combination that will last near 25 minutes of run time. Most drift cars also are equipped with a fast steering servo to be able to handle tight turns. The tires used for drift come in a wide variety of hard plastic tires for a multitude of surfaces. The tires are also cambered from front to rear to keep the best angle on long sweeps.
The last major type of drift is under steering vs. over steering. You must practice to find the right balance between over and under steering.Over steering on a drift car will cause you to either spin out before the clipping point or guide you into the clipping point. Under steering your drift car will give the car a tendency of sliding very wide angle and it will be harder to ma it closer to the clipping point.
What is the “clipping point”? The clipping point for drifting is essentially the apex of the turn. The object is to drift the car at a 90 degree angle towards the apex. In drifting you try to have the best looking race line around the track. Too shallow around the clipping point and the car will exit the turn to wide and spin out.
To find out more about a drift car and drifting in general see your local hobby store or go to http://hobbymasters.com.
