CarX Technologies built this drift physics model with the CarX Motorsport racing team and put it on Steam on 17 November 2017. Over 120 cars, 19 built-in tracks and five categories of modification with more than 50 adjustable settings sit behind a tandem scoring system called XDS that grades runs out of 100 points. Nine years on it still holds a 95 percent positive rating across more than 40,000 English reviews.
Starting CarX Drift Racing Online can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
CarX Drift Racing Online is a simulation game built around XDS tandem scoring out of 100 and Five modification categories. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo drift scoring | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Tandem lead | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Tandem chase | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| TOP-32 elimination | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Time Attack | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Tandem lead. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Time Attack as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn XDS tandem scoring out of 100
Tandem runs are judged on a 100 point scale, once with you leading and once chasing. The lead run rewards angle and line, the chase run rewards proximity, so a car set up purely for maximum angle often scores badly as the follower.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how XDS tandem scoring out of 100 works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Springstone
The community's default testing ground and the track almost everyone uses to farm experience and money. Wide, forgiving corners make it easy to compare two tunes back to back without the track itself getting in the way.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Falcon RZ: it's the most accessible early upgrade. The Mazda RX-7 FD equivalent, light on its feet and quick to change direction. It rewards clean inputs and punishes sloppy ones, which makes it a good second car rather than a first.
Step 4: Understand Five modification categories
Parts are split into five modification types covering engine, drivetrain, suspension, wheels and body, feeding into more than 50 individual settings. Swapping an engine changes power delivery enough that a tune built for the stock unit stops working entirely.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Kami Road
A mountain downhill run that has been in the series long enough to be a fixture across CarX titles. Long corners, elevation changes and unforgiving edges make it a momentum track rather than a power track.
Essential Mechanics Explained
XDS tandem scoring out of 100
Tandem runs are judged on a 100 point scale, once with you leading and once chasing. The lead run rewards angle and line, the chase run rewards proximity, so a car set up purely for maximum angle often scores badly as the follower.
Five modification categories
Parts are split into five modification types covering engine, drivetrain, suspension, wheels and body, feeding into more than 50 individual settings. Swapping an engine changes power delivery enough that a tune built for the stock unit stops working entirely.
Suspension and steering geometry
Camber, caster, Ackermann, steering angle, anti-roll bars, spring rates and differential lock are all exposed. Steering angle usually maxes out between 56 and 60 degrees depending on the car, and differential lock commonly sits between 0.35 and 0.70.
TOP-32 elimination brackets
TOP-32 runs a knockout bracket of tandem battles across dozens of track configurations, with a judge's decision screen at the end of each round. It is the closest the game gets to a real competition format.
Steam Workshop maps and liveries
Beyond the 19 built-in tracks, the Workshop carries hundreds of community maps and a livery editor deep enough that most online lobbies run custom designs. Downloading a map takes effect without leaving the game.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Buying the Atlas GT or another high-power car early, then blaming the physics when it snaps on every entry
2. Cranking front camber to 3 or 4 degrees because it looks aggressive, which makes the car fight back at full lock
3. Adding heavy Ackermann on tight tracks and spinning out repeatedly without connecting it to the setting
4. Changing four suspension values at once and losing any idea of what actually helped
5. Practising only solo runs and then losing every tandem battle because the chase position was never rehearsed
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand XDS tandem scoring out of 100 and Five modification categories
- Choose Tandem lead as starting build
- Clear Springstone main content
- Acquire Falcon RZ or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Kami Road
- Start every tune with steering angle at the car's maximum, usually 56 to 60 degrees, and Ackermann at 0 percent. That combination is stable, and you can add Ackermann later once you know how the car behaves without it.
- Keep front camber between 0 and 1 and match caster to it. Values from 1 to 4 make the car feel bouncy and actively push back toward a lower angle when you reach full lock.
Tips for New Players
- Start every tune with steering angle at the car's maximum, usually 56 to 60 degrees, and Ackermann at 0 percent. That combination is stable, and you can add Ackermann later once you know how the car behaves without it.
- Keep front camber between 0 and 1 and match caster to it. Values from 1 to 4 make the car feel bouncy and actively push back toward a lower angle when you reach full lock.
- Add Ackermann only for tracks with long corners such as East Touge. It helps the car hold speed at big angles and widens the drift, but too much of it spins the car on entry.
- Use the anti-roll bar to fix body roll, not to add grip. If the car wallows and takes too long to settle after a transition, stiffen it before touching springs or dampers.
- Low caster makes a car smoother, high caster makes it twitchy but faster to catch. Pick based on the track: smooth for tight technical layouts, twitchy for fast sweepers where quick self-steer helps.
- Farm money and XP on Springstone rather than the track you enjoy most. It is the community default for a reason, and Navaro Base A is the alternative when you want runs that finish in under two minutes.
- Set the rear camber so the rear wheels sit flat on the road or very slightly negative. Excessive rear camber cuts the contact patch and makes the car unpredictable at the exit of a slide.
- Test one setting at a time and drive the same corner after each change. Changing camber, differential and springs together tells you nothing about which one fixed or broke the car.
- Practise the chase run, not just the lead run. XDS scores proximity when you follow, so a car set up only for maximum angle will lose battles it should have won.
- Subscribe to Workshop maps before joining lobbies rather than during. Hundreds of community tracks exist and most competitive rooms run one, so arriving without it wastes your session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cars and tracks are in CarX Drift Racing Online?
Over 120 cars and 19 built-in tracks, plus hundreds of community maps through the Steam Workshop. Cars carry invented names such as Spector RS and Falcon RZ because the game holds no manufacturer licences.
Which car should a beginner buy first?
The Spector RS, based on the Nissan Silvia S15. It has balanced weight, generous steering lock and more community tunes written for it than any other car in the game.
What is XDS?
The CarX XDS Evaluation System scores tandem drifting out of 100 points. You run each battle twice, once leading and once chasing, with the lead run judged on angle and line and the chase run judged on proximity.
Does it support wheels and VR?
Yes. Steering wheels, controllers and keyboard all work, and the game supports SteamVR and Oculus headsets alongside the standard display.
Is it still worth playing in 2026?
The 2017 release still sits at 95 percent positive across more than 40,000 English reviews and its Workshop stays active. Newer CarX titles exist, but the online population and community map library here remain the deepest in the series.
More CarX Drift Racing Online Guides
- CarX Drift Racing Online CarX Drift Racing Online Overview
- CarX Drift Racing Online Best Builds
- CarX Drift Racing Online Tier List
- CarX Drift Racing Online Walkthrough
- CarX Drift Racing Online Tips & Tricks
- CarX Drift Racing Online Weapons Guide
- CarX Drift Racing Online Combat Guide
- CarX Drift Racing Online Boss Guide
- CarX Drift Racing Online Maps & Locations
- CarX Drift Racing Online Crafting Guide
- CarX Drift Racing Online Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy CarX Drift Racing Online, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Beginner's Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Beginner's Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Beginner's Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
