Drift tyres, explained: why that chunk of plastic costs £14

Nine drift problems out of ten are a tyre problem wearing a gyro problem's clothes. Before you buy another hop-up for the car, read this once and save yourself £200.

Compound, in one sentence

The tyre compound is a number — often a shore hardness reading, sometimes a letter code like CS or P6 — that tells you how much grip the tyre is trying to have on your surface. Higher number, harder tyre, less grip, faster rotation. Lower number, softer tyre, more grip, slower rotation, more throttle needed.

The two common families

CS (Competition Spec) tyres are hard plastic sleeves, often with no visible tread, designed to slide in long predictable arcs on carpet. They are the dominant choice at UK indoor tracks. Typical shore is 38–42.

P6 tyres are slightly softer, with a little more mechanical grip, and are forgiving for new drivers. If you are building your first car and do not know your track, buy P6 first.

ABS inserts

Most competition tyres run with an ABS insert — a hard tube inside the rubber — to stabilise the sidewall. Without it the tyre walks, judders and rolls on fast transitions. Budget for inserts when you buy the tyres. They are not optional.

How often to change

On carpet a set of CS tyres will last about 8–12 sessions before the leading edge glazes enough to lose angle. On tarmac they last one weekend. On concrete, a night. This is why most UK drivers run carpet.

The short shopping list

Four tyres, four inserts, one tube of tyre cleaner, one roll of masking tape for wheel marking. £50 and you are sorted for two months.