Database · Tutorials
Advanced Techniques
Advanced Techniques – entry from the Cyberpunk 2077 database. So, think you’ve got the basics down? Then it’s time for a few pro tips. Pay Attention to Your Tires If you push your tires to the limit, they’ll start to squeal and smoke.
Entry
So, think you’ve got the basics down? Then it’s time for a few pro tips.
Pay Attention to Your Tires
If you push your tires to the limit, they’ll start to squeal and smoke. Take this as a warning sign you’re about to lose traction. If you notice the front wheels squealing first or more than in the rear, this means the vehicle will experience understeer if you continue to push it. If the rear tires are squealing more, then expect oversteer instead. Recognizing these signs early may mean you’ll have time to counter the effect. If your main objective is pure speed, try not to smoke your tires as that creates too much friction, which slows you down, and adds resistance to your engine.
Listen for Chassis Impacts
Night City has many drivable surfaces, everything from smooth roads to bumpy roads to fully off road. Some vehicles are more suited for a given road surface because of their suspension type and ground clearance. If you’re going over bumpy desert terrain in a low-clearance exotic car, for example, you may hear crash-like sounds, notice the vehicle bouncing and find it difficult to control. This is because the bottom of the car is hitting the ground.
The Handbrake: Emergency Braking vs Drifting
The Handbrake is a versatile tool depending on what you use it for. Of course, pressing it while not accelerating will lock the rear tires and bring you to a halt. You can also turn at the last moment for a sharp turn or spin. But if you continue to accelerate while using the Handbrake, it acts more like a drift button, halving the brake power and creating a smoother slide. You can continue to hold it for as long as you like, but typically a quick tap to initiate a slide is enough for a simple drift.
Free Rev with Grip Boost – Forward and Reverse
From Burn Out Mode you can only launch forward. However, you can still perform a High-Grip Boost from a standstill in both forward AND reverse if you launch while using Free Rev and your tires haven’t cooled yet. To Free Rev, hold Accelerate or Brake while holding Handbrake to make your engine rev up, then release just the Handbrake to launch. If you’re holding Brake, you’ll perform a High-Grip Boost in reverse!
J-Turns (AKA Rockfords)
A J-Turn is a driving maneuver that allows you to drive in reverse, then quickly rotate the vehicle 180 degrees and continue driving in the same direction but now facing forward. It can also be performed from forward to reverse. To go from reverse to forward, go as fast as possible in reverse with Brake, turn sharply to face the direction in which you are already moving, then press Accelerate. Going from forward to reverse works in a similar way, although you will need to use the Handbrake to perform the sharp 180-degree turn. The vehicle’s computer will know if you are attempting a J-Turn and will do a super quick flat-shift from reverse to first gear (or vice versa) once the turn is complete.
Maximizing Burn Out Mode
We encourage you to experiment with Burn Out Mode at different speeds and to combine different maneuvers. One example: Use the Handbrake to start an aggressive slide, then engage Burn Out Mode by simultaneously pressing Accelerate and Brake at lower speeds, slide to face any direction, and release the Brake to launch with a High-Grip Boost.
Another example: Say you’re moving in reverse then decide to go forward. Ordinarily, you would stop pressing Brake and start pressing Accelerate, which would slow the car to a complete stop and then smoothly shift from reverse to first gear. Instead, you can engage Burn Out Mode, which immediately flat shifts the vehicle into first gear, smokes the tires and provides immediate forward thrust.
Remember – Burn Out Mode also works on bikes, but with a couple preem differences. A High-Grip Boost on a bike can trigger wheelies, and the much increased grip you get off the line can be used to do things and get places that aren’t possible in other vehicles!
Pay Attention to Your Tires
If you push your tires to the limit, they’ll start to squeal and smoke. Take this as a warning sign you’re about to lose traction. If you notice the front wheels squealing first or more than in the rear, this means the vehicle will experience understeer if you continue to push it. If the rear tires are squealing more, then expect oversteer instead. Recognizing these signs early may mean you’ll have time to counter the effect. If your main objective is pure speed, try not to smoke your tires as that creates too much friction, which slows you down, and adds resistance to your engine.
Listen for Chassis Impacts
Night City has many drivable surfaces, everything from smooth roads to bumpy roads to fully off road. Some vehicles are more suited for a given road surface because of their suspension type and ground clearance. If you’re going over bumpy desert terrain in a low-clearance exotic car, for example, you may hear crash-like sounds, notice the vehicle bouncing and find it difficult to control. This is because the bottom of the car is hitting the ground.
The Handbrake: Emergency Braking vs Drifting
The Handbrake is a versatile tool depending on what you use it for. Of course, pressing it while not accelerating will lock the rear tires and bring you to a halt. You can also turn at the last moment for a sharp turn or spin. But if you continue to accelerate while using the Handbrake, it acts more like a drift button, halving the brake power and creating a smoother slide. You can continue to hold it for as long as you like, but typically a quick tap to initiate a slide is enough for a simple drift.
Free Rev with Grip Boost – Forward and Reverse
From Burn Out Mode you can only launch forward. However, you can still perform a High-Grip Boost from a standstill in both forward AND reverse if you launch while using Free Rev and your tires haven’t cooled yet. To Free Rev, hold Accelerate or Brake while holding Handbrake to make your engine rev up, then release just the Handbrake to launch. If you’re holding Brake, you’ll perform a High-Grip Boost in reverse!
J-Turns (AKA Rockfords)
A J-Turn is a driving maneuver that allows you to drive in reverse, then quickly rotate the vehicle 180 degrees and continue driving in the same direction but now facing forward. It can also be performed from forward to reverse. To go from reverse to forward, go as fast as possible in reverse with Brake, turn sharply to face the direction in which you are already moving, then press Accelerate. Going from forward to reverse works in a similar way, although you will need to use the Handbrake to perform the sharp 180-degree turn. The vehicle’s computer will know if you are attempting a J-Turn and will do a super quick flat-shift from reverse to first gear (or vice versa) once the turn is complete.
Maximizing Burn Out Mode
We encourage you to experiment with Burn Out Mode at different speeds and to combine different maneuvers. One example: Use the Handbrake to start an aggressive slide, then engage Burn Out Mode by simultaneously pressing Accelerate and Brake at lower speeds, slide to face any direction, and release the Brake to launch with a High-Grip Boost.
Another example: Say you’re moving in reverse then decide to go forward. Ordinarily, you would stop pressing Brake and start pressing Accelerate, which would slow the car to a complete stop and then smoothly shift from reverse to first gear. Instead, you can engage Burn Out Mode, which immediately flat shifts the vehicle into first gear, smokes the tires and provides immediate forward thrust.
Remember – Burn Out Mode also works on bikes, but with a couple preem differences. A High-Grip Boost on a bike can trigger wheelies, and the much increased grip you get off the line can be used to do things and get places that aren’t possible in other vehicles!
