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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11A hand-operated brake can do more than keep a car parked: in the right setup, it can give a driver a quick way to manage rear-wheel traction. The Mustang RTR’s reported drift-brake feature is a vivid example—but it is not a conventional parking brake, and it does not suggest that pull-handle brakes are returning across the car market.
What is the difference between a drift brake and a regular hand brake?
Both controls use a handle to apply the rear brakes, but their behavior and purpose differ. A conventional hand brake latches so it can stay engaged after the driver lets go. The Mustang RTR drift brake described by The Drive’s Byron Hurd is non-latching: it applies the rear brakes while pulled, then springs back to “off” when released.
| Control | Does it latch? | What job is it discussed for? |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional hand brake | Yes; it can remain engaged after the handle is released. | Holding a parked car, including on a hill. |
| Mustang RTR drift brake described by Hurd | No; it returns to “off” when released. | Brief rear-wheel traction management during performance driving. |
| Electronic parking-brake switch | Not described in the source in terms of latching behavior. | Ordinary parking; Hurd considers it less useful for traction management than a hand-operated control. |
These are different tools, not interchangeable versions of the same feature. The drift brake is not a replacement parking brake.
Can a drift brake hold a car on a hill?
Not the non-latching system Hurd describes. Because the handle springs back to “off” when released, it cannot remain engaged to hold a stationary car on a hill. A conventional latching hand brake is the type discussed for that parking task.
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Why do drivers want a handbrake for drifting?
A driver can pull the handle to apply the rear brakes briefly, helping break rear-wheel traction on command. That momentary control can be useful in a tight maneuver, while its direct, physical operation is part of the appeal for enthusiasts. Hurd presents this as his assessment and preference, not as the result of instrumented testing or a comparison of braking performance.
What made Hurd appreciate the control?
About a decade before his October 2026 article, Hurd bought a Ford Fiesta ST and attended Ford’s day-long ST Octane Academy at Utah Motorsports Park. During the timed autocross, event cars had custom-fabricated drift brakes. In a tight 180-degree turn, instructors expected participants to attempt a J-turn. Hurd initially resented being asked to drive sideways; he finished third in a timed best-of-three runoff. Looking back, he says his view softened and that he misses the hand brake as a driver control.
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His enthusiasm is personal commentary. It explains why a pull handle can appeal even when an electronic parking-brake switch handles ordinary parking, but it does not establish that drivers broadly want conventional hand brakes back.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are hand brakes disappearing from new cars?
Hurd describes pull-handle brakes as nearly extinct, but his article gives no market count or survey. The Mustang RTR example shows one current use of a hand-operated control; it is not evidence of a wider return to conventional hand brakes.
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The Drive’s Oct. 1, 2026 feature reports no price, detailed technical specification, production volume, or broader rollout for the RTR feature. It also does not establish public-road suitability. Hurd sums up the appeal as: “Everybody wants to save the manuals; I say save the hand brakes.”
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