This isn’t reinventing the wheel; it’s giving it a fresh new set of alloys. Assetto Corsa Rally’s latest update adds 2 new cars, one from an entirely new class for the sim, as well as continuing to innovate and refine the challenges on offer. Let’s dive in and see what’s what.
New Classic Cars & A New Class
The latest update adds two new cars from the flame-spitting era of the 1990s. One joins the Group A roster alongside the Lancia Delta HF integrale EVO, the other a brand-new class for AC Rally as the F2 Kit Cars join the fray.
Subaru Impreza S3 Group A
The Subaru Impreza S3 Group A first joined the WRC in 1993, building on an already dependable platform in the Legacy. Built by the legendary Prodrive outfit in Banbury, this car put the Stars of Pleiades high in the sky as Colin McRae won his first rally and his iconic 1995 title behind the wheel of the Impreza.
In terms of rallying history, the Impreza S3 serves as a good step on the ladder towards the World Rally Cars on offer at the top of the rallying pyramid. It features more trick differentials and a greater range of tunes than the older Lancia offering, meaning that you can dial in the car that extra notch to slide in the snow, ace the asphalt, and glide across the gravel.
Peugeot 306 Maxi Kit Car
And, if the Group A Subaru is Goliath, the Peugeot 306 Maxi Kit Car is David. A giant-killer in its own right, the nimble and lightweight Pug stole the show in the WRC, being driven by French factory drivers François Delecour and Gilles Panizzi. It was so fast that Delecour took 2nd in the Tour de Corse of 1998, with legends of rallying such as Carlos Sainz calling for the car to be banned.
Whilst slightly less powerful than a Group A or World Rally Car, the F2 Kit Car is remarkably light. It can be slower on loose surfaces because it doesn’t have the same turbo power as these rivals, but the high-revving naturally-aspirated 2-litre engine means that it more than matches them on smooth tarmac. Expect to be flying into and out of corners with this machine.
Changes of Surface
Another set of additions has hit the stages in V0.4. However, unlike previous versions, there aren’t any new locations. Supernova have instead elected to add new surfaces to two existing rallies, Winter settings for Wales and the Alsace region of France.
France will arguably be the trickier of the two. With snow tyres coming to this location in a future update, you will need to carefully consider where you’re putting down the power and how heavy you are on the brakes so that you don’t understeer, oversteer, or some combination of the two. This could prove incredibly tricky under the trees, where there isn’t much sun, as well as the deceptive twists and turns that can be treacherous enough in the wet.
Wintery Wales will be a delight for many a rally fan looking to relive the glory days of the RAC Rally. For some rally fans, it will be the first time that they’ve enjoyed a snowy British event in a rallying game since the Mobil 1 Rally Championship over 25 years ago. In addition to extra slipping and sliding over shinier gravel, another element that you will need to consider is how the road weathers as the wear level changes.
Other New Updates
In addition to this new content, Supernova have continued to integrate more peripherals as well as Fanatec’s FullForce and Logitech’s TrueForce software. Doing this allows sim racers to get a more immersive experience, with more devices being added at every update and ensuring that there are no glitches that suddenly stop your experience dead in its tracks.
There are also further updates to already-existing content. This includes fine-tuning some elements of the physics, which has also led to updates to some of the default setups so that they are easier for drivers to get up to speed with. Some bugs have also been ironed out, and pacenotes updated either to add more detail or to remove the occasional wrong call.
On top of this, the online functionality has received further updates. Part of this reflects the new partnerships that Supernova have made, such as with the FIA for the newly announced Global Esports Rally Championship that will take place on the platform!
What’s Next?
We’re not exactly sure what Version 0.5 of Assetto Corsa Rally will feature, but we are expecting it to be released in early summer, around June, with more content and, apparently, more in the way of game modes.
We also know that hotly-requested features such as VR are in the works, but a release date for it is still yet-to-be-confirmed, as well as further refinements and features that will be added to the tyre model.
Final Thoughts
Assetto Corsa Rally continues to impress and surprise us at every turn. The natural next step must be to add some more rallies and stages if they want to keep the player base connected, because people like diversity and thus far, only two rallies are still in the game, whilst the car roster grows at a fantastic rate.
