New cars and an array of new features define a popular 0.6 update for Supernova Games’ Assetto Corsa Rally! Whilst there aren’t new stages or surfaces added in this update, there is still more than plenty for you to sink your teeth into.
A Franco-Prussian 4WD Alliance
The headline addition to AC Rally in this update is three shiny-new cars. Although only one is technically shiny. And only one is relatively new, if you count 2018 as new.
Audi Quattro
The oldest car in this pack is perhaps the most iconic – the Audi Quattro. Joining an already-competitive Group 4, this car revolutionised rallying by proving unquestionably that you can get the grip and consistency of four-wheel-drive without having to attach it to a literal tank.
The version that features in AC Rally is the 1980 edition, the same that would win the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 1982 and deliver iconic wins for the likes of Hannu Mikkola and Michèle Mouton. It may not be as striking as the Quattro As or Ss of Group B’s heyday, but it is arguably the most revolutionary of any rally car in the history of the World Championship.
Peugeot 206 WRC
The shiniest is arguably the Peugeot 206 WRC. First appearing on the WRC’s stages in 1999, where Gilles Panizzi nearly took top honours in Sanremo during what was meant to be a part-time testing season for the car, the 206 hit the ground running in 2000 with a Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ double thanks to Marcus Grönholm in what was also his first full-time season at the sport’s highest level. It would then double up in the Manufacturers’ in 2001, before once again sweeping the trophies with “Bosse” in 2002.
Peugeot had stepped away from the top class of rallying with the end of Group B but, after the success of the 306 Maxi Kit Car that you can also enjoy in the sim, they decided to step back up to the top flight. Whilst the 206’s run at the top was halted by the Citroën Xsara WRC, a car that you can enjoy in the sim as well as being the four-wheel-drive version of the car that bested the 306 in the F2 Kit Car leagues, this car went on to score points in the WRC as recently as 2008 – until the driver got disqualified for being found to wear illegal gloves.
Volkswagon Polo R5
The newest car is the Volkswagen Polo R5. Befriending the Hyundai i20N Rally2 machine, this car was grandfathered into the Rally2 class when it got renamed from R5 back in 2021. The car would make its competition debut in 2018, with Petter Solberg delivering third place on the then-mixed-surface Rally Catalunya.
“Hollywood” would then deliver the car a class win in his final WRC start in 2019, but would be beaten to getting the car its first class win by fellow countryman Ole Christian Veiby in Sweden earlier in the season. This car only has a front and rear differential, whilst the others also feature a central differential, but the car with the smallest engine in the V0.6 roster can be expected to be the fastest of the three no matter the surface.
Private Lobbies join Multiplayer
Multiplayer first arrived to Assetto Corsa Rally in 0.4, and the 0.6 version builds on a good starting point.
When multiplayer first arrived, you were able to join an array of lobbies hosted by developers Supernova Games. It was promised that you could go on to set up your own lobbies in the future, and this is now present in 0.6. You can now set up the stages, conditions, and cars of your choice for the ultimate rallying experience against new friends and old.
A Photo Mode and Custom Liveries
Amongst the updates and new bits and pieces for AC Rally are two features that fans are sure to love: a Photo Mode and support for Custom Liveries.
Whilst the latter was already possible in previous versions of the game, this update makes it easier for you to create and save your own liveries for in-game use. Better yet, Supernova have included a detailed guide in the game folders, where you can find the templates for the cars already in the sim. And what’s more, Supernova have teased that “this is the first step towards broader modding support, with more planned in future updates.”
The former has been another of the most-requested features for Assetto Corsa Rally, with sim racers having to make-do with the already-impressive Replay camera shots up until this point. The Photo Mode will allow you to add more of a personal touch to your snaps, including making sure that your car is perfectly-framed and that your focus and rotation and colour-grading is exactly as you want it.
Other New Updates
There are a raft of wider updates to the sim in 0.6 that don’t grab the same headlines, which are little details that fans of AC Rally may notice but may go unnoticed to the more casual player.
Most of these are physics updates. The thermal tyre model, which is designed to affect the tyre performance over the course of the stage as the tyre temperatures change, has been reintroduced. There are further tweaks to the suspension and force feedback qualities to further immerse the driver, whilst Greece and Wales will diverge in terms of surface qualities further and will require a driver to potentially adjust their driving style to perform better on the smoother gravel of Wales to the rougher gravel of Greece.
Further refinements have also been made to the graphics and audio engine. The 60FPS cap in Replays has now been removed, whilst vibrations in the cabin will now start to be noticeable depending on the damage that the car has sustained. And, on top of that, this is a work-in-progress feature that will only develop further with following updates.
What’s Next?
With 0.6 now here, Assetto Corsa Rally now seemingly is a handful of updates from the awaited 1.0. Expect more cars, rallies, and features as Supernova barrels towards the big 1.0. Oh, and now we know to expect more modding support!
Final Thoughts
Assetto Corsa Rally continues to go from strength to strength, staking its claim to the throne that still holds Richard Burns Rally as the standard in immersion and modability. Three more cars are welcomed, now it’s time to add depth with far more rallies and stages. Let’s see what the next updates have in store!
