Scion iM And Oversteering

Most people don’t think about intentionally oversteering in a Scion iM but, it is possible to do it in a front wheel drive hatchback.

A bit of background information first about this oversteering business. To put it simply, oversteering occurs when the car turns more than what the driver has inputted via the steering wheel and understeering occurs when the car turns less than commanded by the driver. Generally, oversteering is associated with rear wheel drive vehicles and understeer is normally done with front wheel drive cars but, that doesn’t mean it’s not possible with the Scion iM.

You can perform big slides in an iM using the lift-off oversteer method; also known as snap-oversteer, trailing-throttle oversteer, throttle off oversteer, or lift-throttle oversteer. Essentially, you’re shifting the weight forward, increasing the grip at the front tyres while unloading the back axle by agitating the car with the steering wheel slightly and reducing the throttle input mid corner. The combination of a heavy front and reduction in grip can cause the back end to lose traction and start to slide towards the outside of a corner. Just make sure to reapply the throttle and accelerate to straighten out the car once the oversteer is completed. By continuing to reduce throttle, you can cause the car to spin.

Here’s a video on how to perform a lift-off oversteer.


This method has been tested by forum member blueBallz and he says the car can sometimes oversteer by itself towards the end of a turn. So it is possible to do it in a stock Scion iM but, we’re not saying you should go to the track right now and try it out, especially if you’ve never oversteered before. Be careful about it and consider your surroundings before intentionally performing an oversteer maneuver because safety comes first.