CarX Drift Racing Online is a highly addictive game. Once you start smoking your tyres, it’s hard to stop! But there’s something I can’t quite figure out. Why include the Bathurst Mount Panorama circuit?
Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst
Milton Drive in CarX Drift Racing Online is clearly based on the legendary Australian location. Mount Panorama is the host of the Bathurst 1000 race, part of the Supercars Championship, and the Bathurst 12 Hour GT3 race.
One of the key features of the Mount Panorama Circuit is the long and narrow straights. Slipstreaming down the Conrod is great in a touring car or a GT3 machine but it certainly isn’t the ideal circumstance for drifting. The best you can really do is waggle your tail while trying to avoid the turf and walls.
Don’t get me wrong, the mountain is a wonderful place to race. I can happily waste a day trying to perfect the route up and down the hill in Forza Motorsport 7. But its place in CarX Drift Racing Online seems a little strange to me.
Getting the most out of the mountain
The CarX developers do know what they're doing, of course. There's a reason "Milton Drive" is one of the locations in the game. While the straights may be a confusing place in single player mode, the treacherous mountain section is a great place to team up with friends and tandem through the twisty stuff.
Maybe then there's an argument that the Bathurst circuit deserves its place in CarX Drift Racing Online, but it's not one I've enjoyed spending any time on in the single player modes. Completionists will get the gold and move on.
Alternative locations
If we’re looking for a famous circuit with great corners to get sideways, I’d suggest Suzuka. The Casio Triangle chicane at the end of the tour may not be ideal for drifters, but the middle of the lap would provide myriad challenges for the tyre smoke enthusiast.
Or for something with some elevation changes, how about the Brands Hatch Indy layout? I can imagine going full send into Paddock Hill Bend in CarX would look pretty heroic!