Every car manufacturer is moving from the classic handbrake to electronic ones. Every new car launched on the market comes with this improvement. But there are clients who are not satisfied by this decision, loving the idea of having a car with a classic handbrake, that can be drifted.
Knowing that, Ford announced its all-new Ford Performance Drift Stick, the first-ever, rally-inspired electronic handbrake, developed and designed for Focus RS and approved by rally and stunt star Ken Bock.
The Drift Stick – internally called Project Wicked Stick and led by Ford Performance program manager John Wicks – was born out of the Focus RS industry-first Drift Mode and developed by the same team.
The Drift Stick is an aluminum lever between the driver’s seat and manual transmission, which uses the innovative Ford Performance all-wheel-drive system in conjunction with the antilock braking system, opening up the rear-drive unit clutches and applying hydraulic pressure to lock the rear wheels to induce drift with the simple pull of a lever. The results are clutch-free drift turns very similar to the experience of a real rally car.
Since a hydraulic handbrake would have required substantial modifications to the car that couldn’t be easily reversed, the Ford Performance Drift Stick was developed as an entirely electronic technology.
Like the RS’s exclusive drift mode, the Ford Performance Drift Stick is intended for track use only. It is available for customers in the United States and Canada, and priced at $999. The kit includes the Drift Stick lever, mounts and circuit board with professional calibration functionality.
