Abstract A control scheme to stabilize rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicles with respect to high-sideslip cornering (drifting) steady-states using coordinated steering and drive torque control inputs is presented in this paper. The choice of coordinated control inputs is motivated by the observed data collected during the execution of drifting maneuvers by an expert driver. In addition, the steering and drive torque input variables directly correlate to a human driver's steering wheel and throttle commands. The control design is based on a comprehensive vehicle model with realistic tire force and drive-train characteristics, and validated in a high-fidelity simulation environment.