Richard Burns Rally

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Richard Burns Rally
Windows cover
Developer(s) Warthog Games
Publisher(s) SCi
Platform(s) Gizmondo, PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox
Release date July 9, 2004
Genre(s) Sim racing
Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s) USK: Free for all
PEGI: 3+
Media CD-ROM (WIN)
DVD (PS2, Xbox)
System requirements Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, Windows 98, 64MB Graphics Card With Pixel Shading
Input methods Keyboard, Mouse, Gamepad, or Steering wheel

Richard Burns Rally (RBR) is a sim racing game, published by SCi and developed by Warthog with advice of WRC driver Richard Burns. It simulates both classic and modern rallying, and is best known for its realistic physics engine.

This game is considered by many gamers to be one of the most realistic and difficult racing simulators. RBR was not made to be moddable, but despite this there are mods available due to a very strong online community. The game was originally an offline racing game but user created mods have enabled online play. A sequel to the game is unlikely, due to the death of Richard Burns in 2005. In addition, after the PC release, Warthog was sold to Gizmondo, who went bankrupt in 2006. Since the release, the publisher SCi has been bought by Eidos Interactive.

Contents

[edit] Overview

[edit] Driver Profile

Richard Burns Rally utilizes multiple player accounts dubbed Driver Profiles where multiple accounts can be created and achievements and anything unlocked will be saved exclusive to that account. Any replays saved on any account can only be viewed by that driver profile.

[edit] Rally School

Because of the nature of the game, it is recommended for new players to attend the Rally School. Rally School is split into two sections – Basic Driving and Advanced Techniques. Richard Burns is the main coach throughout the lessons and Robert Reid will act as co-driver. The Basic Driving allows the player to familiarize themselves with the basic handling of the cars such as accelerating, braking and turning. Advanced Techniques focuses on familiarizing methods such as left-foot braking and the Scandinavian flick to attack a rally stage harder.

Basic Driving

Start Up And Basic Controls

  • The player is given a rally car in a large lot and is taught how to start a rally car (by holding down the clutch, keeping the transmission in neutral, and then pressing the ignition). The player can do anything they want and can drive around the stage for as long as they want.

Basic Driving And Changing Gear

  • The player is placed on a rally stage and is told to drive slowly to feel what the car is like on a rally stage at slow speeds. Each corner is marked by a certain speed limit and the player must obey to that limit.

Brake Test: Gravel

  • The player must accelerate and brake before hitting any tickertapes if possible. The lesson focuses on the fact that rally cars use no ABS, so the braking relies heavily on the driver’s ability to brake without locking up the tires to stop the car in the shortest distance possible.

Road Positioning and Gears

  • This lesson is similar to the Basic Driving And Changing Gear lesson, except the player is told to attack the stage harder. Richard Burns emphasizes the importance of setting up your car’s line for a good corner entry.

Qualification Trial

  • This lesson will be the first time the player is given the chance to attack a short full rally stage. The player is guided by pace notes through the stage where color-marked cones are set up throughout the stage to guide the player and to teach them the right line.

High Speed Passenger Ride

  • The player is put in the passenger’s seat this time and Richard Burns will drive through the rally stage. The player is to observe where Richard brakes, the lines he takes to maximize the car’s speed through a rally stage.

Advanced Techniques

Handbrake Turn: Gravel

  • The player is set in a yard with cones simulating a short rally stage with two hairpins and two 90-degree turns on a gravel surface. The player must familiarize themselves with turning the car with the handbrake to make the car oversteer. The handbrake turn is a very basic way of forcing the car into oversteer and is very effective at killing understeer. The handbrake also allows the player to turn the direction of the car extremely quickly as opposed to the other techniques taught later on. The player is taught where to pull the handbrake and how long to pull the handbrake, plus how much the player must turn the steering wheel. Turning the steering wheel harder will cause the car to react faster and pulling the handbrake longer will determine how far the car turns. The player must then propel the car through the rest of the turn using the throttle. Richard teaches the player that the steering wheel doesn’t need to be turned as hard in a 90-degree turn as you would in a 180-degree turn.

Oversteer: Left Foot Braking

  • This technique focuses on causing the car to oversteer by pressing the throttle and the brake pedals at the same time. It is to be used on high-speed bends. This is not an easy technique to get used to and will take practice and effort. The player depresses both the gas and brake pedals at the same time before the turn and uses the steering wheel to turn. The player should notice that the car is easier to turn with this technique. With practice, the player will notice that if you take the foot off the brake pedal while depressing the gas pedal the car will begin to slide. The player will eventually learn that depressing the brake pedal first and then the gas pedal and vice versa will have different effects to the car’s oversteer. Left foot braking is a very advanced technique and should be practiced thoroughly. A driver can cut several seconds off a stage time using this technique.

Oversteer: Throttle Control

  • This technique also focuses on causing the car to oversteer but it is a different method than left foot braking. The player eases off the gas pedal as he turns into a bend. The car’s weight shifts to the front of the car, allowing the car’s front tires to gain more traction, therefore enabling the driver to steer into the corner. This technique doesn’t create as much oversteer as left foot braking and is to be used on high-speed corners.

Powerslide

  • The player starts on a gravel surface again and must travel through two wide hairpins. The player is taught to steer hard and brake hard in order to cause the car to slide. Once in a slide, the player must give the car enough throttle to power the car through the corners. The player learns that shifting the car’s weight with the brakes and steering helps to attack corners.

Basic Handling: Tarmac

  • Similar to the first lesson in Basic Driving, the player must familiarize themselves with the car on a tarmac surface.

Brake Test: Tarmac

  • Similar to the earlier brake test, the player must accelerate the car to a certain speed and brake at a certain point. The player must manage to stop the car before a certain distance and must do so without locking up the tires. The main purpose of this test is to allow the player to experience how much grip the car has on a tarmac surface under braking.

Handbrake Turn: Tarmac

  • Like the handbrake turn before, the player must drive through the exact same stage except with a tarmac surface. The car reacts faster to the handbrake on a high-grip surface such as tarmac, so the time the player needs to pull the handbrake is shorter.

Soft Suspension

  • The player is set to drive through a figure-8 course with the car set with soft suspension. Soft suspension settings give the player a slower response when the steering wheel is turned, but in a turn, the car can turn sharper. Soft suspension is mostly used for gravel and snow surfaces where the road may be cambered and where grip is difficult to find.

Hard Suspension

  • The player is set to drive through the same figure-8 course as above but with harder suspension settings. These settings are mostly used for high-grip surfaces such as tarmac where grip is easier to obtain. Hard suspension also provides quicker steering response, but the angle at which the car can turn in a corner is wider.

Scandinavian Flick

  • This technique is to be used on low-grip surfaces and is used to attack sharp corners at high speeds. The player swings the car in the opposite direction from the corner, and then swings the car back to enter the corner by tapping the brakes to shift the car’s weight to the front. The player must use the pendulum effect created to swing the car into the corner. This is not an easy technique and, similar to left foot braking, must be practiced in order to master its usage.

Special Stage Trial

  • All the important techniques have bee taught and the player must drive through a full rally stage by himself with Robert Reid acting as co-driver. The player must complete the stage within a certain time limit using all the techniques taught above.

[edit] Quick Rally

The player selects a country where a rally takes place and in that rally selects individual rally stages. The player can decide to choose between good rally conditions, random rally conditions, or poor rally conditions for the rally stage. Next, the player chooses a rally car to use on the stage. The player is then given an option to choose between a manual or automatic transmission. The final menu that appears before a player is able to rally allows the player to tune the car, select the level of car damage, to load a pace car or to enable pace cars. Car tuning will be described below. The level of car damage dictates how much damage the player’s car takes during a crash. The more realistic the damage the easier it is for the player’s car to break down. A pace car is a ‘ghost’ of the player’s previous runs on that stage. Once the player completes a stage, he can choose to save a pace car for that stage. During the next run on that same stage the player can enable the pace car and he will be able to himself driving the car in the previous run in the form of a blue ghost.

[edit] Rally Season

Rally season can only be unlocked if you completed Rally School.

When starting a fresh rally season, the player can choose between Rookie, Professional, or Champion difficulty levels. The player can then choose between which rally team he would like to race for. Each rally team has their own distinct name and drivers and cars. The player then chooses the level of damage the car would sustain throughout the career. An option to choose between automatic or manual transmission will also appear. The player is then given a chance to tune the car and test the settings on a rally stage or a rally yard. After all these settings are complete the player may begin the rally season.

Recce

In the WRC rallies, recce is a single day for the drivers to drive through each rally stage slowly and to let them write down proper pace notes for the next few days. In the game, recce day is mainly used for the player to familiarize themselves with the rally stages before setting off for the real rally where times will be recorded.

Tune Car

In Richard Burns Rally, the tune car option allows the player to tweak the car’s differentials, suspension, tires, brakes, and gears. The settings are extremely realistic and require high-level knowledge of mechanics to be able to understand what many of the settings do. The game comes with a manual where many of these settings are described in detail. It is highly recommended not to alter the settings unless the player is confident and has background knowledge to the settings. Usually, a default set up will be available for gravel, snow and tarmac conditions where the settings are suitable for the rally stages.

Service Park

Throughout the course of a rally, the player is able to return to the service park after driving through a few rally stages to let the player repair any damaged or missing parts of the car. The service park allows the player to fix minor damage such as dented bodywork or damaged windshield, to more complicated parts such as dampers and engine parts. The player is limited to a certain amount of time in which the player can repair his car. The player is given a list of which parts can be repaired, but the player can only select parts that can be fixed in the given time limit. If the player selects too many parts to repair and exceeds the time limit the player will be given a time penalty of 10 seconds every minute exceeded be will added to your final rally score.

Gameplay

The in-game rally season simulates a real-life rally season. Every time the player enters a rally, he is given the chance to tune his car and familiarize the rally through recce. After the first day (recce day) the player begins the rally. The player drives to the beginning of each rally stage and must complete that stage. After a few rally stages the player can return to the service park to repair their cars and go back out to another rally stage. The player continues to do this until all rally stages have been completed. Depending on what difficulty level the player chose in the beginning of the rally season he may or may not struggle through the season. The times recorded on all the stages will be added up in the end of that rally and the driver with the quickest overall time will be the winner. The winner is awarded points for the rank he placed in that rally. At the end of the rally, the driver with the most points win.

[edit] Multiplayer

The multiplayer in Richard Burns Rally does not take place online. Instead, multiplayer has two modes: Hot Seat Stage or Hot Seat Rally. In Hot Seat Stage, a total of four people can take turns driving a single stage and the person with the quickest time wins. In Hot Seat Rally, the four people can drive through a whole rally and the person with the least overall time wins. All the settings available in quick rally and some from rally season are also available, such as pace cars, tune car, car damage, etc.

[edit] Richard Burns Challenge

Richard Burns Challenge lets the player choose a specific rally stage to compete against Richard Burns himself. When the player has selected the proper stage and settings, he starts the rally stage. Richard Burns’ car appears as a blue ghost, similar to that of a pace car. The objective is to beat Richard Burns before he crosses the finish line.

[edit] Rally Stages

[edit] Great Britain: Gravel Rally

The Pirelli International Rally is set among forests and farmland near Gateshead in northeast England. It is an all-gravel rally run mainly on country and forest roads, and is often subject to hazardous weather conditions.

Harwood Forest & Harwood Forest II:

Length: 6.1 kilometers

The Harwood Forest stage is curvy throughout as it cuts through densely wooded areas and fields left open after recent felling. Extra care should be taken in the middle of this stage as the track is riddled with potholes.

This stage contains very few sharp corners, but many small turns that requires the player to react quickly. The player must find his pace on this stage and there are very few areas where the player is able to open the throttle fully. The stage contains many small pumps that can throw the driver off his line. Many fallen trees, logs and tree stumps line the sides of the stage.

Falstone:

Length: 6.6 kilometers

The Falstone course starts off in an open area of felling. Several bridges cross the course creating hazardous bottlenecks. Towards the end of the stage the landscape changes from firtree forest to mixed woods.

The early section of the stage contains many grass fields easy for drivers to cut corners, but some areas are littered with bridges, rocks, ditches and trees on the edges of the stage so determining where you can cut corners will be difficult. The speed increases as the driver enters the middle section of the course and where high speed straightaways often end with sharp 90-degree turns. The last section of the stage is similar to the first section where grass fields allow the players to cut corners, but some have ditches.

Chirdonhead & Chirdonhead II:

Length: 7.0 kilometers

While the middle section of this stage is fast with sweeping curves, Chirdonhead begins and ends with a series of sharp curves as the track runs through a mix of thickly wooded areas and open felling areas.

There are many high-speed section in this course, even in the slower-speed areas. Drivers will find some tricky areas where they must reduce speed. Many drivers crash in the high-speed sectors because of a small area of that sector must be approached with caution.

Shepherds Shield:

Length: 4.8 kilometers

The Shepherds Shield stage meanders through green pastures and country farmland. Ditches and stone walls provide an ever-present danger by the edge of the road.

This stage contains many ditches, bridges, obstacles and grooves in the road where drivers can easily spin and crash if they misplace their cars. Bridges are difficult to see and some corners have low visibility due to crests and trees.

[edit] Japan: Gravel Rally

Held for the first time in 2002, the Hokkaido Rally is the newest rally of the season. Hokkaido’s gravel stages have been carefully arranged in the splendid forests and beautiful agricultural landscape of Tokachchi.

Noiker & Noiker II:

Length: 13.8 kilometers

The Noiker stage runs through the varied woodland of the Hokkaido National Park. This long stage varies greatly and contains both sweeping curves and sharp twisty areas. Expect visibility to be limited in places due to thick vegetation.

This is the longest stage in Richard Burns Rally and contains some of the most varied conditions due to its immense length which will test drivers’ abilities to adapt to high and low speed environments. Drivers may experience fatigue towards the end of the stage due to the length and difficulty of this stage. The first sector opens up to wide, high-speed areas where drivers can open their throttle up fully. The high-speed section abruptly comes to an end at the end of a large field and the slow, twisty, low-visibility sector begins. Throughout the stage drivers will adapt to alternating high and low speed sectors and braking is especially important when approaching a sharp bend at high speeds. The stage also runs through up and downhill sections. During poor weather conditions the road becomes extremely slippery and it is very easy to lock up the tires under braking on a downhill section.

Sipirkakim:

Length: 8.7 kilometers

The Sipirkakim course begins and ends with tight twisty corners as it climbs up and then down woodland hills. The main part of the course however is wide and fast with sweeping high speed curves running across open farmland overlooking the green valleys of Hokkaido.

The main sector of the stage contains many high-speed corners, with large open fields. Many areas on this field is covered with trees which limits visibility in many areas. The drivers must cope with the decreasing amount of visibility as the course becomes narrower. Bridges are difficult to spot and a slight miscalculation in speed can cause a large crash. Towards the end of the stage drivers must navigate through thick woods and cliffs. It is very easy to find grip on this stage even in poor weather conditions.

Pirka Menoko:

Length: 6.7 kilometers

The Pirka Menoko stage is extremely twisty and tight as it snakes through the thick of the primordial Hokkaido forest. The generally narrow track, thick vegetation and twisty layout of the course severely limits visibility.

This stage will test how well drivers are able to decipher pace notes. Because of the extreme low visibility due to tall trees and tall grass, drivers must rely more on their pace notes than on any other stage. This is perhaps the most narrow, low-visibility stage in the game. Many small bumps may cause drivers to crash. Rivers on the edge of the road, even though they may seem invisible, covered up by the thick vegetation, can cause drivers to get stuck.

Tanner & Tanner II:

Length: 3.9 kilometers

The short and twisty Tanner stage has plenty of crests and dips as you drive over the beautiful Japanese mountains. The course runs through almost jungle-like vegetation with steep hazardous banks.

Don’t let its short distance fool you. This stage will test how well drivers can force their cars to react quickly enough to cope with the short, hard turns on this stage. Drivers may have to rely heavily on the handbrake to cause their car to oversteer quickly enough through the short corners. There are very few straightaways and similar to Pirka Menoko, there are many areas where visibility is poor. Unlike Sipirkakim, any bridge is secured with guardrails so drivers will not have to worry about crashing over bridges. The road is bumpy with large dips in corners that may throw drivers off their line. Trees line the edges of the stage closely.

[edit] Finland: Snow Rally

The Arctic Lapland Rally is the only remaining international rally which is guaranteed snow. It was first held in 1937, and is set in the area of Rovaniemei, the city of the Arctic Circle. The rally spans across miles of untouched forests and reaches the shores of the rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki.

Kaihuavaara & Kaihuavaara II:

Length: 6.1 kilometers

The Kaihuavaara stage is a relatively short opening stage that snakes around the frozen lakes of the Iso-Kaarni.

This is perhaps the most basic stage in Finland. There are many consistent corners where drivers will have fun sliding their cars through. There are very few tricky areas where drivers will need to watch out for. There are few obstacles on the banks of the stages and visibility is fairly well throughout the stage as trees are a good distance away from the stage.

Mustaselka & Mustaselka II:

Length: 7.9 kilometers

This stage is set on the forest road between the villages of Jyrhämäjärvi and Vanttausjärvi, and has several fast straight sections where you can put your foot down.

This stage is very different than Kaihuavaara, as sharp corners will come suddenly after long straightaways. There is an uphill and a downhill section which will test drivers’ abilities to use their throttle and brake. This stage is a good overall snow stage for drivers to test their abilities on snow.

Sikakama:

Length: 10.2 kilometers

The Sikakama stage takes place on the twisty forest roads between the villages of Sika-Kämä and Saari-Kämä. This is the longest of the Arctic stages, and requires plenty of concentration.

Due to the long distance this stage has drivers must be able to maintain a good level of concentration. Corners are sharp and many are long. Like many snow rallies, not a lot of obstacles line the edges of the road, but compared to other snow rally stages, this one has a few areas where visibility is poor. Drivers must be good at driving on snow along with a strong-stamina in order to set a good time.

Autiovaara:

Length: 6.1 kilometers

Starting off in the outskirts of Pirttikioski, the short Autiovaara stage ends near the village of Autti.

This stage contains many crests and high snow banks making for a difficult stage due to low visibility. Drivers will have difficulty using the car’s full power because of the bumpy roads. Large boulders are hidden in the snow banks so any small error that sends drivers into the snow banks may cause large amounts of damage to the vehicle. Drivers must rely more on handling than power on this stage due to the many tricky corners.

[edit] USA: Gravel Rally

Rally USA takes place in the forests and mountains of Arizona and Southern Nevada, and is set in the Hualapai Indian reserves, near the world-famous Grand Canyon.

Fraizer Wells:

Length: 5.0 kilometers

Fraizer Wells goes through the wooded area of Pine Spring, west of Launa Lake. The stage has a fast beginning, cutting straight across cattle pens and open flat brushland. As the short stage enters the forest covered hills, the road narrows and becomes twisty with steep dangerous slopes in places.

The first half of this stage is extremely fast, perhaps the fastest players will be able to drive in this game. Even though this section offers a high-speed ride, drivers will have to slow down in some areas, testing them in their braking abilities. Grooves and potholes in these high-speed areas make for a hazardous drive. As the second half of the stage begins, drivers must begin to slow down for blinding crests where reliance on pace notes is essential to prevent a crash. The second sector is still relatively fast, so driving over crests can easily cause drivers to spin out due to the combination of crests and high speeds.

Prospect Ridge & Prospect Ridge II

Length: 7.8 kilometers

The narrow and twisty Prospect Ridge stage runs through the mountain pine woods just west of Laguna Lake. On the summit of the ride, just before a sharp corner, a spectacular view opens up on the left side. Towards the end of the stage, the road surface gets rockier as the pine trees give way to juniper trees and pinion woods.

This stage is unique because of the way the course changes in the second half. The first section of the stage is a relatively slow-speed section, testing drivers’ capabilities to navigate through a basic gravel stage. Visibility begins to narrow as the player enters an uphill section where many sharp corners begin to take form. During this second section, the gravel road becomes harder, allowing the player to find grip easier, but when players push beyond that grip it is easy to spin out if proper throttle application is not applied appropriately. The second sector goes uphill, plateaus out, and then a short downhill section follows. This short downhill section then opens up to the third sector of the stage – the steep and fast downhill straightaways. Drivers here will have a chance to floor the throttle but only for a few seconds before sharp corners at the base of the hill force drivers to test their braking techniques. Should drivers lock up their brakes here, they may be sent hurling into the trees.

Diamond Creek & Diamond Creek II:

Length: 7.1 kilometers

Starting off down in the Grand Canyon, Diamond Creek is a fast uphill stage with sweeping curves and turns between the towering cliffs. The surface is rough throughout this stage, and drivers should watch out for fist size rocks and deep potholes.

This is an extremely fast stage where drivers should be able to fully open the throttle for most of this stage. There are a few sharp corners, but most of the corners are long sweeping curves. Drivers must be able to react quickly to these corners due to the high-speed nature of this stage. Large rocks line the edges of this stage and if drivers aren’t careful the edges of the stage themselves can easily throw drivers off.

Hualapai Nation:

Length: 8.6 kilometers

Crossing through the vast Hualapai Nation brushland just west of the Grand Canyon, the ‘buck and doe road’ that makes up this stage is very fast, wide and has long sweeping curves. Drivers have to watch their speed however, as the course gets more and more twisty towards the end.

This stage shares many characteristics as Diamond Creek. Large rocks and cacti line the edges of the stage and the edges of the road can easily throw drivers off. Furthermore, most of this stage is fast like Diamond Creek where drivers can floor the throttle. Hualapai Nation contains many small crests difficult to spot and misinterpretation of the pace notes before any jumps can throw drivers off the stage. The corners in this stage are sharper than the ones found in Diamond Creek, but the stage opens up towards the end.

[edit] France: Tarmac Rally

The prestigious all-tarmac Mont Blanc rally dates back to 1966. Set in the striking alpine area of south-east France, the Mont Blanc rally offers both high-speed racing and dangerous mountain hairpins.

Cote D’Arbroz & Cote D’Arbroz II:

Length: 4.5 kilometers

This, the shortest stage of the rally, runs through the village of Cote D’Arbroz on the road from Morzine to Foron. The Cote D’Arbroz stage alternates between fast and twisty roads and has good visibility in parts and dense mountain forest in others.

The first section of the stage contains numerous uphill hairpins as it leads through villages. The road plateaus out as the speed increases, but visibility also decreases. The roads begin to run slightly downhill and braking becomes more important as drivers face sharper turns on cliffs.

Joux Verte & Joux Verte II:

Length: 7.9 kilometers

Starting and ending with tight hairpin turns, the major part of the Joux Verte stage features fast sweeping curves and varied road conditions. The course ends in the village of Ardent.

No other rally stage in this game contains so many hairpin curves – 27. There are three main sections to this stage. The first section is a long uphill section, containing many hairpins. Drivers will have to find the fastest way around the corners and may have to rely on the handbrake. The second section flattens out and the corners become larger and wider with small crests and dips in the road. The last section contains the second half of the hairpins – this time on a downhill. Drivers will find it more difficult to brake before a hairpin curve on this downhill section and throttle, brake, clutch, steering wheel and handbrake applications will vary slightly than that of an uphill hairpin.

Bisanne:

Length: 5.6 kilometers

The L-shaped Bisanne stage twists and turns steeply up and down the mountain between the areas of Villards-s-Doron and Le Cernix near the village of Bisanne. As the Bisanne stage snakes through deep unpopulated forests, its tarmac roads are rougher than the Mont Blanc courses.

This stage is split into three sectors. The first sector contains numerous uphill hairpins similar to that of Joux Verte, but not as frequent. As the uphill section flattens out, the second section appears and drivers will have to cut short corners with no straightaways in between them at all like the corners found on the Tanner stage in Japan. Drivers will have to cut corners and use dips in the side of the road for grip during this sector, but without crashing into the trees. Should drivers spin out in this section, getting the car pointing in the right direction will be difficult due to the narrow road. The third section is the final section and opens up to a village with large grass fields.

Joux Plane:

Length: 11.1 kilometers

Joux Plane is an extremely long stage, running between the villages of Samoens and Morzine. The stage is a mix of wide, high speed stretches and narrow curvy road sections. Keep an eye out for the splendor of lake Joux Plane near the end of the course.

Being the longest stage of the tarmac rallies, drivers must be able to maintain good concentration throughout this stage like that of Noiker in Japan. This stage is mostly a high-speed stage with very few sharp corners except towards the end. Drivers will find it easy to spin out unless the suspension settings are softened.

[edit] Australia: Gravel Rally

The Subaru Rally of Canberra is held among the hills and ridges of the vast forested area west of the Australian capital. Recent forest fires have turned large areas of woodland near the Molonglo river into a charred wasteland.

NewBobs & NewBobs II:

Length: 10.1 kilometers

Criss-crossing the dry Canberra outback, the long opening NewBobs stage initially passes through newly planted forests before continuing over sun bleached hillsides left barren from recent forest fires.

This stage was artificially cut out by fire crews during the forest fire, so there are many uneven edges on the sides of the road where small crests used to be, making the edges of the road extremely hazardous and can throw drivers off the stage easily. The stage begins to get rougher as the uphill section proceeds and visibility becomes poorer. This stage contains many varying terrains including small cliff walls.

Greenhills:

Length: 6.0 kilometers

This stage starts off narrow and twisty with limited visibility due to the thickness of the forest. Having cross the Molonglo river the landscape opens up and the course continues across the summits of several hills overlooking the surrounding forest.

This is an extremely tricky stage due to the way the road curves around crests, it makes predicting where the road will be over the crest very difficult. The road gets bumpy and very difficult to brake for some corners. Many areas in this stage is slow and it’s very difficult to open the throttle fully. The last section of this stage is very fast and allows drivers to go full throttle.

Mineshaft:

Length: 8.2 kilometers

Set in mixed woods between the Cotter and Murumbidge rivers, this stage turns and climbs upwards in intervals until it reaches the infamous and often lethal 30 foot mineshaft drop. After the drop, the final section of the course twists violently through the acacia forest.

Throughout most of this stage drivers will drive on the edges of cliffs and rock walls on the other side of the road, making for a narrow and treacherous stage. Drivers with skill can navigate through these areas rather quickly depending on the lines their take. There are a few sharp 90-degree turn corners in this stage, and drivers will need to listen to their pace notes to locate where these corners are. Drivers will need to find the best technique to attack this stage with until they reach the mineshaft drop. Drivers must be aware of their speed as they approach the jump, for if the cars jump too high the landing could break the car’s engine, suspension and transmission.

East-West & East-West II:

Length: 9.5 kilometers

The long East-West stage is the most hazardous stage of the Canberra rally. Twisting and turning violently, the stage runs along steep hillslopes to the east of Canberra, often with a dangerous rock bank on one side and a steep downward slope on the other.

This stage resembles characteristics from Mineshaft and Noiker from Japan. It is similar to Noiker because of the variety this stage offers. This stage contains many long sharp corners where drivers must find a way to drift through, and there are many long, but narrow straightaways where a small mistake can land your car at the base of a cliff. Furthermore, there are many small corners found on the Bisanne stage of France or the Tanner stage in Japan. It shares many characteristics with Mineshaft as well, the way the stage curves around cliffs and rock banks on either side. This is one of the toughest gravel stages in the game.

[edit] Cars

[edit] Subaru '03:

Model: Subaru Impreza 2003

Horsepower: 300 at 5500 RPM

Torque: 600 Nm at 4000 RPM

Engine: 1996cc

Tires: Pirelli

Weight: 1230kg

Transmission: 6 gears, 4WD

[edit] Mitsubishi:

Model: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII

Horsepower: 300 at 5500 RPM

Torque: 550 Nm at 3500 RPM

Engine: 1996cc

Tires: Michelin

Weight: 1230kg

Transmission: 6 gears, 4WD

[edit] Toyota:

Model: Toyota Corolla

Horsepower: 300 at 5250 RPM

Torque: 520 Nm at 4000 RPM

Engine: 2000cc

Tires: Michelin

Weight: 1080kg

Transmission: 6 gears, 4WD

[edit] Hyundai:

Model: Hyundai Accent

Horsepower: 300 at 5300 RPM

Torque: 520 Nm at 3500 RPM

Engine: 2000cc

Tires: Michelin

Weight: 1230kg

Transmission: 6 gears, 4WD

[edit] Peugeot:

Model: Peugeot 206

Horsepower: 300 at 5250 RPM

Torque: 540 Nm at 4000 RPM

Engine: 1998cc

Tires: Michelin

Weight: 1250kg

Transmission: 5 gears, 4WD

[edit] Subaru ’00:

Model: Subaru Impreza 2000

Horsepower: 280 at 6400 RPM

Torque: 380 Nm at 4000 RPM

Engine: 1994cc

Tires: Pirelli

Weight: 1230kg

Transmission: 6 gears, 4WD

[edit] Citroen:

Model: Citroen Xsara

Horsepower: 300 at 5500 RPM

Torque: 530 Nm at 4000 RPM

Engine: 1998cc

Tires: Michelin

Weight: 1230kg

Transmission: 6 gears, 4WD

[edit] MG:

Model: MG ZR Super 2000

Horsepower: 215 at 10000 RPM

Torque: 190 Nm at 7800 RPM

Engine: 2000cc

Tires: Michelin

Weight: 960kg

Transmission: 6 gear, 2WD

[edit] See also

[edit] External links