A racing car making a counter-fly.
The contravolante is a colloquial term that refers to the deliberate use of the oversteer with the intention of turning a car quickly without losing movement. It was very common to use it in rallies, when most cars were used with rear-wheel drive, where the driver got the car to move sideways in tight corners. It is also a technique currently used in drifting, to avoid losing control over the vehicle.
This technique works best on loose surfaces, where the friction between the tires and the road is not very high, but can also be used on asphalt or cement if the engine has enough power to maintain the speed of the wheel. In that case, a low air pressure is recommended in the tires to avoid problems during and after the maneuver.
Before reaching the curve, the steering wheel is turned smoothly but quickly to cause the rotary movement to cause the rear of the vehicle to slide outwards. Power is applied to cause greater lateral movement. At the same time, the steering wheel is turned completely in the opposite direction to maintain the car by the desired route. When the car reaches the curve, it will have turned much of the necessary angle, moving laterally but with a tiny loss of speed. Giving gas smoothly, the vehicle will accelerate towards the turn and then through it, gradually lowering the lateral component of the trip. In the end, the spin will have been negotiated at a much higher speed than if it had been taken in a normal way. In experienced hands, the result is a drastic and fluid movement that appears to be very natural. When it does not run correctly, it seems quite the opposite.
In front-wheel-drive cars, there is very little natural tendency for the rear wheels to lose traction, since they do not transmit power. Consequently, many times these vehicles are regulated with a braking deflection with much force in the rear brakes, allowing the driver to control the traction with the brake. This deviation can be controlled by the same driver using a hand lever. The left foot brake is the preferred technique for using the counter-wheel on front-wheel drive vehicles. In the movies
Learning the contra-wheel is part of the Pixar Cars movie's plot.
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