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COLIN McRAE RALLY
Written By: Richard Fox
Colin McRae Rally
(Tips, Car guides and handling and Car set-up For Each Stage)

Contents


General Tips (Using The Terrain To Your Advantage & How To Gain The Hidden
Cars)

1.1  Ditches
1.2  Barriers & Walls
1.3  Water Splashes & Streams
1.4  Stay On The Road/Track
1.5  Learn The Car
1.6  Pay Attention To Your Co-Driver
1.7  Don't Slack Off
1.8  Set-up & Repair
1.9  Left Foot Braking
1.10  Night Stages
1.11  Sideways Technique (Sliding)
1.12  How To Gain The Hidden Cars And Where And When You Can Use Them


Car Guide (Novice, Intermediate & Expert)

1.1 Novice
1.2 Intermediate
1.3 Expert (Extra Cars)


Car Set-up

1.1 Gear-Ratio
1.2 Tyres
1.3 Brakes
1.4 Steering Sensitivity
1.5 Suspension


Stage Guides (Recommended Car Set-up For Each Stage)

1.1 New Zealand
1.2 Greece
1.3 Monte Carlo
1.4 Australia
1.5 Sweden
1.6 Corsica
1.7 Indonesia
1.8 UK

 General Tips (Using The Terrain To Your Advantage & How To Gain The Hidden
Cars)


1.1 Ditches

Throughout many of the courses within Colin McRae Rally you will encounter
ditches which can used to your advantage but be warned if you judge them wrong
and go that little extra into the ditch it can severely affect your overall
time for the stage.

If there is a ditch on the inside of a tight bend, with a little practice you
can cut the corner tight and dip the front inside wheel into the ditch. This
makes the car lag and swing out just enough to take it right round the corner.
The advantage of this is that you don't have to slow down you can fly into the
corner and let the ditch do the braking for you. If you use this technique
then be very careful when you hit the ditch because the car can easily go into
the ditch to much and topple over and do server damage to your car which will
leave you with less time to complete the stage.

1.2 Barriers & Walls

On many of the tracks in the game, especially Monte Carlo, Corsica and stages
3, 4 and 5 of Sweden you will find that the majority of the corners have walls
or barriers.  These walls and barriers can be used to great effect, especially
on hairpins and sharp corners. If you take the corner wide the car will scrape
against the obstruction and you will be knocked back onto the road. This does
cause minor damage to the car and take out headlights and brake lights if the
contact is hard enough, this shouldn't affect your performance but in the
night time stages it can be the fine line between winning the stage and losing
it be a few extra seconds. Whatever you do don't take out the lights of your
car or you will be left in the dark and the visibility of the track will be
minimal.

1.3 Water Splashes & Streams

Yet again these are another regular occurrence in the game. These act in a
similar way to the ditches. You should find that when you drive into the
water, the car will lose speed. If the water goes across the road, use this to
your advantage by turning and slightly sliding through the water. When you
come out the other end of the water your car should be facing the correct
direction and you can hit the accelerator and slide right round the corner at
max speed without having to set the car up yourself for the corner, thus
saving vital seconds. You will normally find these streams and water splashes
near to or at the entry of a corner so you can always set-up the car for a
corner using the water as the brakes.

1.4 Stay On The Road/Track

This might seem a pointless section of this walkthrough but believe me there
is more to it than blasting down the road/track and riding over the grass,
snow, sand and ditches. Taking sort cuts across the sides of the road/track to
cut corners and save time (so you would think) is tempting but it will only
end in tears as the areas to the sides of the road/tracks will only slow the
cars down in the majority of the courses. As you have set the car up to handle
the slippery gravel or mud or whatever the surface maybe the car will only
perform well on these surfaces so veering off the road onto the grass or sand
etc. isn't what the car has been set-up to handle.

1.5 Learn The Car

Some of the things you will read in this section may seem pointless and
stating the obvious but when you are playing the game the outside world
doesn't exist anymore and you forget the obvious.

As you may already know a car accelerates faster in a straight line (well
duh!)
A car brakes faster if the car is turning (does it really!)
If you are unfortunate to crash, think about the quickest way out of where you
are. Would it really be to back it out the way you went in and carry on? Or
maybe if you are facing the wrong way, throw the steering full left or right
and hit reverse until you are roughly facing the right way then floor it. Done
correctly, it won't only save you time but it will look bloody amazing in the
replay mode. Use the hand brake sparingly. It works in a totally different way
to the normal brakes as it slides the cars out easier. 
Excessive use of the hand brake will only slow you down and waste time. If you
want to experiment with the different braking styles of the car the best
country to test them out at is New Zealand as this country has every surface
under the sun and it's fast so you can see which car has the best braking
system.

1.6 Pay Attention To Your Co-Driver

Every co-driver message is given to the driver exactly as in real rallying.
Each corner is read out in advance and the driver makes a mental map of what
lies ahead of them and you the player must do the same. General key words are
used instead of exact descriptions of what's coming up. So the co-driver might
say "narrow gate". But this might mean that there is a fence or fencing that
ends very close to the road. Listen to the warnings especially. You may well
be a person who likes to drive off visual recognition alone, but the warnings
will tell you to be extra careful. Many hazards are present throughout the
game and they often blend in with the surroundings so pay attention and you
might be lucky.

1.7 Don't Slack Off

Just because you have built up a considerate lead over the second position
don't ease off the power and speed because each driver has it's own
characteristic's which give them better performances on certain sections of
the course. So you think you have this stage in the bag, think again because
they might just pip you at the post by a few hundredths of a second (it's
possible). Each driver has different cars which have their own advantages and
disadvantages and they all have the ambition to win the stage so keep the
speed going and keep concentration at a high.

1.8 Set-up & Repair

Look at your repair schedule first. That's all. That important win won't
happen if you nacked car looks and handles like a shopping trolley. When
presented with the repair screen, check what damage has been done to the car.
The different sections of the car should be repaired in this order: -

 Engine - for all round speed and acceleration.
 Gear Box - for acceleration.
 Handling - speed is nothing without it.
 Brakes - low priority but still important.
 Electrics - fix this if there is a night stage coming up.

1.9 Left Foot Braking

This technique can be useful on long corners. Simply press the brake button
(not the handbrake) whilst holding the accelerator button and it's as simple
as that.

1.10   Night Stages

These are the worst time you can race a rally car, especially when you get one
in Sweden. Visibility is very low and the car is impossible to handle
especially when you have never seen the course or raced on it. If you haven't
raced in the night races yet I would advise that you turn the brightness up on
your telly to make visibility that little bit easier. But please remember to
turn it back down in the day races.

1.11 Sideways Technique

This has to be the most important technique to master in Colin McRae Rally.
The sideways manoeuvre, once mastered, can mean the difference between champ
and chump. Shaving off vital seconds makes all the difference, so follow these
steps to side swiping your way round the corners: -

 Release the accelerator as you approach the corner on the outside.
 Then turn into the inside of the bend harshly.
 Before slamming the accelerator down and sliding round release the
accelerator if necessary and straighten up the car.

1.12  How To Gain The Hidden Cars And Where And When You Can Use Them

By now if you have been playing on the game for a while you should know how to
get the extra cars but if you haven't here's how you get them. Firstly you
should set the difficulty of the game to intermediate and then start a
championship. When you have started the championship do the rally as normal
and when you reach the special-stages at Greece, UK , Corsica and Australia
beat Colin McRae and you will be graced with the hidden cars. The only problem
with this is that once you spent your hard time getting these cars you can't
use them unless you finish the intermediate championship in 1st (winning on
points) then you will be able to unlock the expert mode which will let you
gain access to the extra cars. Unfortunately there is no other way known to
unlock these cars quicker at the moment but when I find out I will publish the
revised version of this walkthrough/guide on the Absolute-Playstation web site
which you hopefully got this off in the first place.

 Car Guide

1.1 Novice

Below this short sentence you will find descriptions of the cars available in
the novice mode.

RENAULT MAXI MEGANE

Power:  250bhp
Top Speed:  140.0 mph
Handling:  Poor
Braking Power:  Very Good
Wheelbase:  2468mm, Front Wheel Drive

Comments:

The Maxi Megane may have the worst handling of the four cars available in the
novice mode, but it's not noticeable in this difficulty setting. Braking power
is always important especially on the twisty roads like Australia, Sweden and
UK to name a few and the Maxi comes out on top in this respect. Although this
car does have the weakest engine under the bonnet than the rest of the cars in
the novice mode.

SEAT IBIZA KIT CAR EVO2

Power:  230bhp
Top Speed:  150.0 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Average
Wheelbase:  2440mm, Front Wheel Drive

Comments:

Arguably the inferior of the cars in the novice setting. The Ibiza Kit Car
tends to lack the acceleration of it's rivals. This may not be overly apparent
to the novice McRae player, but in time you should begin to notice the finer
differences. In contrast to the poor engine performance, the grip of this
little car is on par with Maxi, which has the best braking system in the
novice setting.

VW GOLF GTI KIT CAR

Power:  250bhp
Top Speed:  145.0 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Very Good
Wheelbase:  2431mm, Front Wheel Drive

Comments:  

Running a very close third with the Seat Ibiza - Although the handling and
braking of the car would suggest otherwise. The colourful little Golf GTI has
very little to offer, except the bright paint job. Although the brake
horsepower is equal to that of the Maxi Megane, the acceleration of this
popular road car lets it down. Plus it's not exactly the best looking car of
the four.









SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR

Power:  240bhp
Top Speed:  145.0
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Good
Wheelbase:  2450mm, Front Wheel Drive

Comments:

Who had the nerve to include the Skoda in a racing game for Gods sake? This is
what many people say when they here that the Skoda is in a game (V-Rally) but
believe it or not, the Felicia Kit Car is almost the best in the rallying
world. Many rally fans will remember the good old Skoda from V-Rally. You can
either love or hate this underrated rally car. With its speed and handling, it
has to be the best novice car in the game.

1.2 Intermediate

Below this short sentence you will find descriptions of the cars available in
the intermediate mode.

SUBARU IMPREZA WRC

Power:  300bhp
Top Speed:  160.0 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Good
Wheelbase:  2520mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

Impressive handling and grip is what makes this Eastern beast the best of the
four intermediate competitors. It's to be expected that this is the best car
in the intermediate as the Subaru is the car of the endorser of this game
(biased ain't it). The brilliant blue Subaru gives you great grip and handling
on almost every surface throughout the rallying calendar. This car is the best
car of the available cars to start with but there are hidden cars, which could
out perform the Subaru with a bit of practise.

MITSUBISHI LANCER E4

Power:  300bhp
Top Speed:  149.9 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Good
Wheelbase:  2500mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

The Lancer E4 may come up a little short next to the Subaru, yet it still
stands out amongst the others. It's high grip and superb acceleration make it
a great drive on any surface. It may not be alluring for 'car spotters' with
its long ugly body-shape, but its what's under the bonnet that counts within
rallying. After completing a few championships with this car I find that it
can take quite a pounding without sustaining considerable amounts of damage.









FORD ESCORT WRC

Power:  290bhp
Top Speed:  149.9 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Very Good
Wheelbase:  2550mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

Ford seem to be getting their grubby paws into every racing championship under
the sun and this car is no exception as it is a good car for new comers to the
intermediate level. Although this car has the best acceleration in the
intermediate level its top speed and grip which lets it down. However this
disadvantage can be turned into an advantage if you master the sliding
technique on every surface.

TOYOTA COROLLA WRC

Power:  290bhp
Top Speed:  170.0 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Good
Wheelbase:  2465mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

The Corolla is evenly equipped to handle any situation that may present itself
during the course of the championship. Although not outstanding in most
aspects, you'll be hard pressed to find a faster top speed amongst the main
cars. It may not have the excellent handling and grip of the Subaru, or the
great acceleration of the Mitsubishi, yet it's worth using it to do a
championship.

1.3 Expert (Hidden Cars)

 Below this short sentence you will find descriptions of the cars available in
the expert mode.

There are four hidden cars within Colin McRae Rally, which are: Ford Escort Mk
II, Ford RS200, Lancia Delta Integrale and Audi Quattro. As I said before to
get the extra cars which are hidden in the game you have to win all the super-
special stages and then complete the championship in first (winning on points)
to unlock the expert level.

FORD ESCORT MK II (GREECE)

Power:  160bhp
Top Speed:  140.0 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Good
Wheelbase:  2407mm, Rear wheel drive

Comments:

This the first of the hidden cars to be acquired, the Escort MK II is a relic
from the Seventies and the Eighties. The old shape is instantly recognised by
most and was a favourite amongst 'boy racers' in the early Eighties. By all
means take it for a ride but don't take this cars rallying capabilities
seriously. Don't get me wrong it's a fun car to race but it is no match for
the rest of the hidden cars.
 FORD RS200 (AUSTRALIA)

Power:  560bhp
Top Speed:  210.0 mph
Handling:  Good
Braking Power:  Outstanding
Wheelbase:  2530mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

This is the car of any joy riders dreams, this powerful beast can hold its own
with the best of them. However, its mighty engine size will often result in
flips and roll-overs if you attempt to take the tighter corners to fast. Its
acceleration and top speed are impressive but on the twisting rally stages
this car will not reach its top speed. 

LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE (CORSICA)

Power:  420bhp
Top Speed:  185.0 mph
Handling:  Very Good
Braking Power:  Very Good
Wheelbase:  2490mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

Anyone already familiar wit rallying will have heard of this car. It was
revered as one of the top rally cars of the past years, although it seems to
have faded from the rally world over the years. The handling and grip of the
rallying legend are unquestionable and combine well with its speed and
acceleration. This car is definitely a must have in any rallying game.

AUDI QUATTRO (UNITED KINGDOM)

Power:  560bhp
Top Speed:  210.0 mph
Handling:  Very Good
Braking Power:  Outstanding
Wheelbase:  2197mm, 4 Wheel Drive

Comments:

The Audi looks like it should belong in the Le Mans 24 Hour rather than the
dusty, muddy and snowy tracks that you find mostly on rally courses. Yet this
car seems to handle well on these all weather tracks. Incredible speeds,
handling, braking and control making this car the ultimate prize for any rally
gamer to aim for.
 Car Set-up

This area of the game can seriously add those extra few seconds. The choice
between tyres can mean winning or losing. In-game advice is given on these
topics, so lets reiterate after a brief word on the terrain ahead and pick the
best set-up configuration they can. On occasion, the stage or stages ahead
will alter in terrain type and weather, so the teams must either pick an
optimal set-up or go for a set-up focused on one stage and hope that the time
made on that stage will make up for the time lost in the stage which the car
isn't set-up for. Look at the view stages screen and decide what the best set-
up for the best performance.

1.1 Gear-Ratio

This category has a larger range than most others do. Be careful when choosing
your settings because time is everything.

MAX ACCELERATION

This setting gives the cars maximum acceleration but limits the cars top
speed. This setting is only useful on very windy and twisty roads and special
stages. This setting is not to be used on an open course or you will lose time
at every checkpoint.

GOOD ACCELERATION

This is another setting that is useful on the twisty stages, although its top
speed isn't as limited as the max acceleration.

BALANCED SPEED

This setting gives the cars a good top speed and acceleration, but it is still
advisable to use this only on stages with minimal sharp and tight corners.

HIGH SPEED

This gives a high top speed without losing to much acceleration - an advantage
on the more open stages.

MAX SPEED

This gear ratio gives the car maximum top speed, but the acceleration is
affected making the car reach top speed slower. This type of setting should
only be used on very open stages.

1.2 Tyres

Tyres are the first step to winning. Apply common sense here and take note of
what type of stage you find easiest - that's where you should pick up those
valuable seconds.

SLICKS

These tyres only give good grip on tarmac stages so you will only need these
tyres when you are at Corsica. They have absolutely no tread on them so don't
take them to Sweden.

DRY GROOVES

A tyre that's oriented for use on loose surfaces. The grooved tread finds grip
on all loose surfaces, from gravel to dusty roads to loose grass.

WET GROOVES

Heavily grooved to perform excellently on wet surfaces. An exceptional tyre in
muddy conditions.

SPIKES

Like the slicks these will only be used in one country throughout the
championship which is Sweden. These tyres are specialised for use on thick
snow and ice. Using spikes to find grip, they're impractical for any other
surface.

TIP:  Although there is thick snow at Monte Carlo don't use spikes but wet
grooves.

1.3 Brakes

FRONT BIAS

This setting gives the car a tendency to understeer. Useful if you find your
car too responsive.

EVEN

This braking gives no extra handling effects.

REAR BIAS

This setting will give the car a tendency to oversteer. Similar to the
handbrake but less drastic. Beware on wet stages.

1.4 STEERING SENSITIVITY

LOW

With low sensitivity, the player has precise control on open stages. This
setting is not recommended for tight, twisty stages.

AVERAGE

For general use on the majority of the courses.

HIGH

High sensitivity is useful for stages with server bends.

1.5 SUSPENSION

The suspension falls into three categories and is worth playing around with
once a player is comfortable with what they do.

SOFT SUSPENSION

Allows the car to ride smoothly and effortlessly over rough terrain, but
causes less precise handling.

NORMAL SUSPENSION

This regular setting is good for all-round performance. Ideal when the road
ahead may change from gravel to mud to tarmac.

HARD SUSPENSION

Good for control and precise handling, but is inadvisable for rough terrain.
Recommended for Corsica and Monte Carlo where the stages are mostly tarmac
based.
 Stage Guide (Recommended Car Set-up For Each Stage)

This section shows the best set-up for each stage at every country. The set-up
is in the order of tyres, suspension, brakes, steering sensitivity and gear
ratio.

1.1 New Zealand

Stage 1

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 2

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 3

Wet Grooves
Soft Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 4

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 5

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 6

Dry Grooves
Soft Suspension 
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

 1.2 Greece

Stage 1

Dry Grooves
Soft Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 2

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 3

Dry Grooves
Soft Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 4

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 5

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity 
Good Acceleration 

Stage 6

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Special Stage

Dry Grooves
Soft Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration 
 1.3 Monte Carlo

Stage 1

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 2

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 3

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 4

Dry Grooves 
Stiff Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 5

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 6

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Rear Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Good Acceleration




1.4 Australia


Stage 1

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 2

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 3

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium sensitivity
High Speed

Stage 4

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 5

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 6

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Special Stage

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Max Acceleration


1.5 Sweden

Stage 1

Spikes
Stiff Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 2

Spikes
Stiff Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 3

Spikes
Stiff Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 4

Spikes
Stiff Suspension
Even Brakes
High Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 5

Spikes
Stiff Suspension
Even Brakes
High Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 6

Spikes
Stiff Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration



1.6 Corsica

Stage 1

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 2

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
High Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 3

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 4

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 5

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 6

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
High Sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Special Stage

Slicks
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
High speed



1.7 Indonesia

Stage 1

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity 
Good Acceleration

Stage 2

Dry Grooves
Soft Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity 
Good Acceleration

Stage 3

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension 
Even Brakes
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 4

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 5

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Good Acceleration

Stage 6

Dry Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Balanced Speed


1.8 United Kingdom

Stage 1

Wet Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
High Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 2

Wet Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
High Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 3

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Balanced Speed

Stage 4

Dry Grooves 
Medium Suspension
Even Brakes
Medium sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 5

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Stage 6

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration

Special Stage

Wet Grooves
Medium Suspension
Rear Bias
Medium Sensitivity
Max Acceleration


Written By RICHARD FOX
Please note that A.P.I shall not be held responsible for the accuracy of this article.

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