Going unreasonably fast on routes both technical in layout and surfaces, surrounded by cliffs and trees, sometimes getting all four wheels off the ground, and with the odd climatic hostility, rally racing is not exactly easy for newcomers. But worry not, fueled by my love for antilag, Martini stripes and opposite lock, I have devised a guide to help.

Welcome to my DiRT 3 Rally Guide. It should help you make the most out of your racing experience, with tips on various crucial matters such as "how to scandinavian flip", or "the reason Group B contains such large ammounts of turbolag". While practice remains the best way to perfect your driving, knowing what the game has in store, and how to master it, is a good place to start.

With stage information and strategy, vehicles overview as well as the odd driving tips, you should be ready to go, be it for setting the best times over the jumps of Finland, or just for having some fun torturing your rear tires.

Please check out my guides on the other disciplines : Trailblazer

Ladies and gents, ready your pacenotes, and start your engines!

If in doubt, flat out. -Colin McRae

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It is a bit hard to pinpoint the exact origins of rally. But early on, a short timed race was held in Monte-Carlo. The short, point A to B, against the clock formula lived on, and rallying grew in popularity. DiRT 3 covers the sport's long history from the 60's to the early 2010's, but even if the cars changed quite a lot, the basis of rallying remained the same.
Welcome then, to the part of this guide that I call the Rally School. My most nostalgic readers may remember 1998, a pixelated Skoda hatchback and a muddy forest. The Rally School from the first Colin McRae game was a great way to learn how to drive, but instead DiRT 3 decides it's better to throw you into a Punto's bucket seat and hope for the best. Worry not: in this section, you'll learn everything there is to know about driving a rally car, and driving it fast. Pace notes, car setups and rally techniques, class is in session.



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A rally car, unlike most racecars, seats two. The driver, which is your job in the game, and the co-driver. Since a rally stage is unprepared and unpredictable, the co-driver announces what lays ahead, corners or hazards, using pace notes. These include the following mentions:

• A direction followed by a number: Indicates the direction of the turn, and its angle. A 6 is the smoothest corner, while a 1 is the sharpest. Square turns or hairpins can be mentionned as well.
  
• A number: Any number not following a turn indication indicates the distance before the next point mentionned in the notes. A "150" refers to a 150 meters long straight.
  
• A hazard: Hazards are too many to be listed, but will always be mentionned by the co-driver.
  
  It's best to be careful approaching crests, since the car will lose traction or even contact with the ground in the event of a jump. Crests and jumps can also hide the road. Other hazards include rocks and trees, which can be avoided by following inside , middle or outside lines, indicated in the notes.

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Before each race, you'll get the opportunity to set up your car's various components to make it best suited for the stage, or simply for your driving style. Here is an explanation on what each component does:

• Gear Ratio: A short ratio provides quicker acceleration for going out of corners, while a long ratio provides a higher top speed, to fly down straights. Study the stage to choose.
  
• Downforce: Downforce uses aerodynamics to push the car against the road, to increase grip. Low downforce generates no air resistance, and won't change the car's handling. High downforce allows for higher cornering speeds, but also reduces top speed due to drag.
  
• Suspension: Stiff suspension gives the best handling, but can be less responsive on tough terrain and jump landings. It's better for tarmac than gravel or snow. Soft suspension produces body roll, which means worse handling, but gives good traction on loose surfaces.
  
• Ride Height: Ride height should be as low as possible to lower the center of gravity, but high enough to clear obstacles, especially if you like cutting corners.
  
• Differential: Especially useful in four wheel drive cars, the differential lets you choose how the power is sent to the wheels. A loose differential leads to understeer, while a strong differential means oversteer.
  
• Brake Bias: A front brake bias gives more stable braking, while a rear bias lets you use the brakes to initiate a slide by locking the rear wheels briefly. A rear bias can also reduce the risk of front wheel lock.

Understeer is when the front tires lose traction, resulting in the car turning less than the input given to the wheel. To stop understeer, release the throttle. Braking before turns, even lightly, helps put more weight over the front tires, giving grip, and mitigating understeer.

Oversteer is when the rear tires lose traction, resulting in the car turning more than the input given to the wheel. Using the throttle will generally increase wheelspin and worsen the situation. Countersteering is the best way of dealing with oversteer, while the gas can be used to control the angle of the slide.
In a front wheel drive or four wheel drive car, the throttle may help get out of oversteer.

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The way a rally car is driven is very different from the way you would drive on a track, because of the reduced traction. Even a tarmac rally has less grip than a racetrack, since the roads can be dusty or badly maintained. This results in a driving where weight balance is crucial, and that is more prone to slides, hence the sometimes spectacular driving we see in rallying. But it all serves a purpose, and slides are not just for show.

• Slowing down: Since the traction is reduced, braking in a straight line won't be that effective. Most rally drivers throw their cars sideways in turns to get the tire sidewalls against the dirt and help them slow down. This also puts the car in a better position to exit the turn while minimising steering input, since a single turn of the wheel, along with a tap on the brakes, is needed to start the slide.
  
• Sliding through the turn: Once in a slide, steering the car with the wheel is not as efficient. Instead, shifting the weight to the front or back will change grip on the front and rear tires, meaning the brakes and throttle can be used to control the angle of your slide, and adjust your trajectory. Braking will provide front grip, and bring the line to the inside of the turn, while throttle will provide rear grip and bring the line to the outside of the turn. In rear wheel drive cars however, using the throttle during a slide can lead to spinning out, so precise inputs are needed.
  
• Advanced turning techniques: We've seen that braking and turning can be achieved by sliding. However, entering the slide fast enough is critical to not losing time. Using the inertia of the car, by turning in the direction opposite of the turn, and then suddenly back to the right one will upset the balance of the car, allowing for a quick slide. This technique, called a scandinavian flick, can help enter corners faster. In slow turns where this is impossible, the handbrake can be used to briefly lock the rear wheels up, making the car pivot around its front.
  
• Jumps: Jumps are a fun part of rallying, but need to be driven a certain way to not end up in a ditch. First, your car should be aligned with the road, so avoid sliding at the approach of jumps to prevent your car from losing balance. If the jump lies just before a corner, it's best to align the car with the turn before takeoff, otherwise you risk landing into the corner, not facing the road. Lastly, avoid putting weight to the front of the car, as that would result in a dive, which rarely ends in a good landing. Never brake before a jump, accelerate instead.

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Rally Finland is one of the most prestigious rallies since the 70's. Stages run through the forests and along the lakes of central Finland, with wide gravel roads, fast corners and numerous jumps and crests. This results in Finland being the fastest rally of the season, making it very difficult for unexperienced drivers. The constant jumps and the trees surrounding the roads are the most common hazards.





Recommended Setup

• This setup maximizes top speed in the fast sections with long ratios and low downforce.
  
• Since downforce grip is low, mechanical grip must be created. Soft suspension gives
  great traction on gravel sections, and the
  differential isn't set too strong to avoid
  loss of grip.
  
• To counter the neutral handling created
  by the differential, a bit of rear brake bias
  allows to enter medium speed corners
  faster with a little bit of sliding.
  
• The ride height is high enough to cut
  slow corners and chicanes without
  compromising stability on asphalt sections.

Rally Kenya has always been a bit different from other rallies. Known as the safari rally, it features much longer stages and rougher terrain than your regular rally. Cars were often modified specifically for the rocky savanna path and the water crossings they would encounter. Though do not worry, in game Kenya is not that unforgiving. It consists of beaten up roads, and slippery gravel with medium speed turns, and obstacles such as railway crossings, wildlife grids and river crossings. Beware of the dirt banks surrounding some of the turns as well.





Recommended Setup

• This setup is made for Kenya's tricky third
  gear slalom turns, without sacrificing too much speed for the asphalt straights.
  
• The soft suspension gives traction on gravel
  sections as well as the pothole-ridden roads,
  and the differential is neutral to maintain
  control in the slippery gravel turns.
  
• A bit of rear brake bias allows to enter
  medium speed corners faster with a little
  bit of sliding.
  
• The ride height is set up to cut corners and
  avoid scrapping on tough tarmac, elephant
  grids and during the occasional
  off-the-road racing line.

Organized on the shores of the great north american lakes between the US and Canada, the Michigan Rally is a leg of Rally America. It's a good mix of clean, smooth mountain roads and twisty trails, in settings such as forests, coastal towns or abandonned mines. Fast and slow, technical sections follow each other, forcing drivers to constantly adapt their pace, while the views tend to be quite picturesque, making it a very enjoyable rally for either a relaxed or spirited drive.





Recommended Setup

• This setup helps with speed retention on the
  fast road sections, with high downforce and
  a ride that's both stiff and low.
  
• With the roads wide enough for a clean
  racing line, and the other half of the stages consisting of gravel, the differential setting aims for grip on gravel, without too much understeer on asphalt.
  
• Should the car run wide, the brakes can be
  used to slide the rear and align the car back
  with the turn.
  
• The gearbox is set to compromise between
  the different sections and their respective speeds.

Monte-Carlo is rightfully considered as the Mecca of rallying: the mountain roads in the Alps between France and Monaco have hosted rally races for over a century. It is known to be the most mediatised rally of each season, and cars and pilots are often judged from their performances there. With not much space to spare, surrounded by cliffs and deadly drops, the Monte-Carlo rally is one of the toughest in DiRT 3, with patches of snow on the road only worsening things.




Recommended Setup

• A setup adapted to twisty mountain roads, which favors handling and acceleration over top speed.
  
• The differential is set up for stability on asphalt, but when driving on snow covered sections, the car will tend to slide more than desired.
  
• The brakes are especially useful in the many tight hairpins, sliding the rear of the car.
  
• If driving a slower car, and top speed is reached, the gear ratios can be lengthened.

While Sweden traditionally hosts the snow covered rally of the season, Norway has seen some racing action as well, becoming an official World Rally event in the late 2000's. Organized around a winter olympics venue, this rally runs through mountain-side forests, on snow covered paths. The corners are surrounded by compact snow, and are often bumpy, which requires precise car control.




Recommended Setup

• This setup maximizes grip in the tight bumpy corners with high downforce and a loose differential.
  
• Soft suspension copes with the bumps and jumps, while short gear ratios get you back
  to speed quickly.
  
• Along with the differential, the brakes are set up to avoid slides, but can still be used on
  hairpin entries.
  
• The ride height is low, but a little ground clearance remains to avoid getting caught
  by the snow banks.

The 60's class contains three dominant rally cars that competed before the first World Rally Championship. With front wheel drive and rear wheel drive ; but not too much power, and weight kept to a minimum, these cars are a good place to start learning how to drive on a rally stage.

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• History: In 1964 at Monte-Carlo, Morris created quite a surprise with its Cooper S. A small front wheel drive economy car completely annihilated much more powerful rivals such as Porsches and Ford Falcons. '33EJB', with Paddy Hopkirk at the wheel, was only the first of four winners the following years, proving the dominance of the small british compact.
  
• Gameplay: In DiRT 3, the Mini is an ideal car to learn how to navigate a stage. Its feather-like weight and short wheelbase make it very nimble, while the front wheel drive prevents any unwanted oversteer. As any front wheel drive car, it will understeer, but a quick tap on the brakes usually fixes the issue, as the weight moves to the front to give the wheels more grip. On the other hand, the engine lacks a bit of power, which means you'll have to maintain high speeds by taking corners smoothly. This kind of driving will teach you how to follow the best racing lines intuitively, and is guaranted to put a smile on your face while you're at it.

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• History: In 1965, Lancia took over privateer rally team HF Squadra Corse, and introduced its elegant sports car, the Fulvia Coupé, to the world of rallying. Constantly being improved, be it through weight reduction or engine upgrades, the Fulvia soon became a force to be reckonned with. Its portfolio includes first place in the Italian Rally Championship for four consecutive years, and even a win in the International Championship with a spectacular Monte-Carlo victory in 1972. It was quite successful in african safari rallies, too.
  
• Gameplay: The Lancia is quite similar in its characteristics to the Mini, although there are a few differences that make the two very distinct cars to drive. First of all is the power: while not being as light as the Mini, it's still under a ton, and its V4 engine packs a punch. In uphill sections, and out of corners, it will blast past the Mini. However, the coupe's longer wheelbase means it won't turn as quick as its british competitor; but thanks to a sublime chassis, understeer is minimal, and it can be flicked into corners with a touch of lift-off oversteer.

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• History: Introduced in 1962 as a more powerful successor to the A108, the Alpine A110 had a very light fiberglass body, keeping its weight at a minimum. This meant that even with the modest 50bhp engine from a Renault R8, it could top 170 km/h. Following the generally successful recipe of "small car, big engine", Alpine constantly upgraded the A110's powerplant, the car reaching its penultimate iteration with the 1600 S.
  Entered in the International Championship of Rallies in the early 70's, and capable of reaching over 200km/h, the 1600 S quickly became a legendary racecar when it won at Monte-Carlo in 1971.
  
• Gameplay: Compared to the predictable front wheel drive Mini and Lancia, you would think that the rear drive Alpine would spend all of its races sideways. But even on the Turini's snowy roads, the french coupe maintains its composure. This is due to the engine, placed in the rear, and adding weight over the drive wheels. The most modern and powerful car of its class, the Alpine flies through most stages. Its only shortcomings are the lack of weight over the front wheels, meaning understeer happens a lot during corner entries, and the risk of spinning out in the slowest of corners, would too many power be sent to the rear tires. Both of these issues can be easily countered with either more or less throttle.

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In the early 70's, rallying welcomed the newly formed World Championship, which established Group 4 as its main category. With over 200 bhp and rear wheel drive, the 70's class cars are a bit trickier to drive than the 60's classics, but they also allow for much faster stage times, and the huge amounts of oversteer makes them spectacular to watch.

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• History: Although the Fulvia was succesful in its own right, Lancia needed a much faster car if it were to compete in the newly created World Rally Championship. Bertone, an italian car design studio, knew that all too well, and created a bespoke rally car for Lancia, the Stratos. Starting with the Fulvia's internals, the Stratos quickly inherited a Dino V6 from sister company Ferrari. Penned by the same designer responsible for the Miura and Countach, the Stratos looked unlike any other rally car of the time. With a powerful mid-mounted engine sending nearly 300 bhp to the rear wheels, and a lightweight fiberglass body, it won the WRC from 1974 to 1976, with first place at Monte-Carlo from 1975 to 1977.
  
• Gameplay: A lot of power, and rear wheel drive: some skill is required to prevent the Stratos from spinning out. It's also not that tough, so any unfortunate collision would mean the end of the race. But then its low weight and centre of gravity means it's one of the most nimble cars in its class, and the soundtrack from the Ferrari-sourced V6 can't disapoint.

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• History: Observing the Mk. I's success in various rally and touring car races, Ford developped rally spec upgrades for the Mk. II as well: flared arches to house a wider wheelbase, upgraded engine and suspension. The Escort became a frequent winner in events all over the UK, and was sacred Rally World Champion in 1979. Colin McRae, Rally World Champion in 1995, and one of the most famous rally drivers, hired DJM Motorsport to build a special Escort. With the rear suspension swapped from live axle to independent, and various weight shaving measures, its performance on gravel is impressive.
  
• Gameplay: With the Escort being an America Open Class car, it has much more advanced components that other cars in its class, making driving it at high speeds a lot easier, especially on loose surfaces. However, the engine tune is on par with its Group 4 competitors, and the powerful Stratos would still beat it in a straight line race.

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• History: As a successor to its 124 Spider, Fiat chose the 131 to compete in the WRC. Teaming up with Bertone and Abarth, the 131 Rallye received a plastic hood and boot lid to keep weight down, while independent suspension was installed at the rear, providing excellent stability. It was one of the most succesful rally cars of the late 70's, winning the World Champion title in 1977 and 1978, then again in 1980 with Walter Röhrl at the wheel. It was also driven by Michèle Mouton at the start of her career. These two drivers happen to be part of the Rally Hall of Fame.
  
• Gameplay: While the 131 is the heaviest in its class, and thus may lack power, it's more balanced than its competitors, and behaves well on any surface thanks to its suspension. The DOHC engine is a high-revving one, allowing the Abarth sharp and nervous lines through twisty sections, while its aerodynamics keep it stuck to the road, making it the best choice if you don't want too much oversteer.

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• History: The third generation of Kadett, the type C, competed with the Golf GTI on the road. It was entered in its first rally in 1975; and while it failed to win any World Championship, Walter Röhrl having a hard time keeping up with the Lancias, it saw some success in national level races all over Europe, while its Vauxhall cousin competed in the UK.
  
• Gameplay: With close characteristics to the Ford Escort, the Opel behaves like a typical rear-wheel drive. While it begs to be driven hard, it will oversteer if too much throttle is applied as it has quite a high power to weight ratio. Make sure to brake hard on corner entries to allow the tires to bite into the ground and get some grip as well.

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With a mix of rear wheel drive early Group B and Group A cars, the 80's class is home to cars from this era that were overshadowed by more modern four wheel drive competitors. With huge differences - chronological or technological - between the cars, it still manages to provide balanced competition. Of course, vehicle choice according to the location remains a crucial matter.

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• History: While the E30 generation M3 is better known for its huge success in touring car racing, a rally version was developped by Prodrive in the late 80's to compete in Group A rallying. While its rear-drive layout didn't exactly give it the edge over four wheel drive competitors, its excellent chassis made up for it on tarmac rallies. It won in Corsica in 1987, and continues to be popular nowadays.
  
• Gameplay: Just like its real life equivalent, the E30 in DiRT is not at home on gravel, and will struggle for traction. However, on tarmac its powerful engine will propel it down the straights, while the very neutral chassis behaviour gets you around corners without too much trouble. It's a bit harder to make it oversteer than other rear wheel drive cars, so don't forget to tap the brakes to shift the weight to the front.

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• History: As a successor to the Kadett and Ascona, Opel picked the massive Manta. With its already powerful engine tuned by Cosworth, allowing for huge power gains over stock, the car was entered in Group B, but as soon as four wheel drive was introduced it lost any chances of international success. However, it was powerful enough to perform on tarmac, and won the British Rally Championship in both 1984 and 1985. It was also efficient in rough african rallies, with first place in the Safari Rally and fourth place in the Paris-Dakar in 1984.
  
• Gameplay: The first thing that comes to mind when driving the Manta is how big it is. Even with the use of lightweight materials such as kevlar, its dimensions don't help much in cornering. To avoid ending in a slide, it's crucial to manage the balance of the car, but it is quite good at shifting its weight mid-corner, useful for those closing curves. Once a straight comes, the powerful engine should be able to make up some time.

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• History: Unlike on the track, were most cars were rear drive as well, the Group A Sierra wasn't so competitive on rally stages. Against the much more powerful and four wheel drive Lancia Deltas, it only managed to win in Corsica, a tarmac rally, in 1988. It was succesful against other rear drive competitors in national events though.
  
• Gameplay: One of the easiest to drive in its class, it lacks the power of the M3, but is not as floaty as the Manta, or as tricky as the Renault. The chassis shines in corners, but it will still oversteer. It's a bit of a heavyweight, which means slow acceleration out of turns, but on the other hand improved stability.

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• History: Developped in the early 80's as a rival to the Lancia Stratos, the Turbo 5 had nothing to do with a regular Renault 5. The engine moved from the front to a mid-mounted position, while there was a switch from front to rear wheel drive. Powerful, light and short in wheelbase, the nimble R5 was victorious on twisty tarmac rallies such as Corsica and Monte-Carlo, with Jean Ragnotti at the wheel. The Cevennes version was used primarily in Group 4. Of course, it couldn't perform as well when facing four wheel drive cars in Group B.
  
• Gameplay: With its turbo-induced acceleration and minuscule size, the R5 is truly a pocket rocket. It's best used in tight and twisty stages, where it can easily distance the larger cars in its class. While the rear drive layout applied to such a small car proves to be immensely fun, it is very prone to oversteer, which can prove tricky on slippery surfaces such as snow. But this means full throttle is an excellent way of countering understeer in hairpins.

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In the mid-80's, rallying went a bit mad. Following a rulebook change in 1982, Group B became the main category for global level rallying. It is known for the dawn of technologies such as four wheel drive, and turbocharging, which allowed cars huge ammounts of power. This meant the average speeds on stages rocketed, resulting in deadly accidents that were followed by the ban of the regulation in 1986.

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• History: Introduced for the last leg of the 1985 World Championship, Great Britain, the Lancia started off its career with a 1-2 finish. Inspired by the short wheel base, four wheel drive and mid-engined Peugeot 205 T16, it proved successful the next year, and was frequently seen on the podium. However, in Corsica Toivonen lost control of his car and crashed, whith the crew dying shortly after. Group B was cancelled, ending the Lancia's short career with only second place in the World Championship.
  
• Gameplay: The Lancia is unreasonably powerful, with its engine providing unreal acceleration. Its short wheel base and high power helps in tight cornering, but can also lead to disaster if you overcompensate for understeer too much. The throttle should only be fully applied in the straights.

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• History: As Audi was dominating Group B with its four wheel drive Quattro, Peugeot entered the 205, a small hatchback. Shorter than the Quattro, and with its engine in the middle, it was intended to be more nimble. During its first World Championship outing in 1984, Ari Vatanen's Peugeot won three times, and was world champion the next year. This was thanks to the second evolution of the car, which added power, along with a large rear wing and front dive planes to achieve higher levels of downforce. The 205 received once again top honours in 1986, the last year for Group B, making it the most successful Group B racer.
  
• Gameplay: In DiRT 3, the Peugeot is one of the best Group Bs, as while not as powerful as the Lancia, it's far easier to drive thanks to smoother action from the turbo, and a more neutral drivetrain. The downforce is also greater than on the Lancia, giving the 205 the edge in fast tarmac corners where following an accurate racing line is key to shaving a few seconds off.

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• History: With the Quattro being successful in Group 4, it was an obvious choice as an entry for Group B as well. However, with purpose-built mid-engined Group B racers such as the Peugeot 205 T16 threatening Audi's reign, the Quattro had to evolve. With more power, and a shortened wheelbase giving it its strange look, the Sport Quattro came second and third during the 1985 World Championship, before the downforce-clad E2 took its place.
  
• Gameplay: The only front engined car in the Group B class, the Quattro suffers from understeer. However, this issue can be solved by using left foot braking, or even tweaking the differential so that the rear slides a bit more. While it is more powerful, it is also heavier and longer than its rivals, so it's not the best suited for tight turns.

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• History: After the retirement of its more traditional Triumph TR7, the British Leyland looked for a replacement that would be entered in Group B. The Audi Quattro's four wheel drive and the Renault 5's short wheel base and engine placement were to be key characteristics of the Metro 6R4 (6 cylinders, Rally, 4 wheel drive). Equipped with a Rover V8 amputed of two of its cylinders, the MG differed from other Group B cars in its lack of turbocharging. Its best result was obtained during its first outing in the Great Britain Rally, with third place. It failed to get any other podiums, but remained a regular competitor to the much more powerul Lancias and Peugeots.
  
• Gameplay: While underpowered and lacking a turbo, the Metro is one of the most agile Group B racers thanks to its short wheelbase. It it therefore able to turn on a dime, with the naturally aspirated V6 providing peak power at all times, without the turbo lag that plagues its competitors. The massive front spoiler, and power distribution biased to the rear allow for great turning ability, and no understeer at all. This means the Metro can shine on tight tarmac stages such as Monte-Carlo.

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• History: After abandonning the development of an Escort-based Group B racer in 1983, Ford lacked time to ready another car. Still, it was decided that a bespoke vehicle would be created, using four wheel drive and a mid-mounted engine to compete with contemporary Group B machines from Peugeot and Lancia. While the suspension, designed by F1 engineers, would make the Ford the best handling Group B car, its Cosworth engine was underpowered, and the car failed to achieve victory. Of course, Ford set up to develop said engine, but with Group B being cancelled the year after, the RS200 could not live to its full potential.
  
• Gameplay: Compared to the sheer brutality of the other Group Bs, the RS200 offers a more efficient and smoother power delivery, which allows for more precise driving. Therefore, even with less power than the Peugeot, Lancia and Audi, it is able to clock fast stage times by allowing constant changes of direction, and great reaction times. The brakes are a delight as well, able to correct the car's angle through a curve.

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After the cancellation of Group B, Group A became the new regulation followed by world rallying. Four wheel drive and turbocharging were still allowed, but engine power was limited to 300 bhp. While not as dramatic as their predecessors, with simple front engine layouts, Group A cars were much more refined, and proved faster, safer and more reliable. Group A would later evolve into the Word Rally Car regulation, WRC, without much changes to its formula.

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• History: Conceived as a replacement for the Group A Legacy, the Impreza would become Subaru's rally car of choice for the 90's and 2000's, and remains one of the most famous names in rallying. The Subaru proved successful as soon as it debuted on the global scene, and went on to win the World Championship in 1995 and 1996 with Colin McRae at the wheel. Its good performance is easily explained by Subaru's prior experience with four wheel drive, and the involvement of british preparator Prodrive to help ready the car.
  
• Gameplay: At ease on gravel, where its four wheel drive system gives it great traction, the Subaru is a great contender thanks to its boxer engine and low centre of gravity. But while its turn in ability is acceptable, the front tends to run wide in long corners. This undesirable understeer can be corrected by easing off the throttle, and sending some more weight to the front wheels, while the handbrake can be applied in hairpins to help the car pivot.

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• History: Contrary to a majority of constructors, Lancia had the right car to race in Group A when Group B was cancelled. Sticking with its Delta hatchback, Lancia was dominant until its competitors switched from two to four wheel drive, winning the World Championship from 1987 to 1992. The car was constantly improved until it reached its final itteration, the Evo II in 1993. With second place as its best result, the Delta was outdated by more modern racers from Toyota and Ford, and left the World Championship.
  
• Gameplay: As the lightest and smallest Group A racer, the Delta has above-average acceleration and agility. However, it lacks the refinement of its rivals, and is best driven the same way as its Group B equivalent, with precise and careful inputs. Tricky to drive fast, but it can lead to very fast stage times if handled well.

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• History: As the rear-drive Sierra failed to perform in the early Group A days, Ford set up to develop a four wheel drive succesor. While still using the Sierra chassis, and engines from Cosworth, the body panels matched those of the Escort Mk. V. With its distinctive "whale tail' spoiler, the Cosworth was fast both in Group A and WRC, winning five rallies in 1993, but not enough to beat Toyota.
  
• Gameplay: The most powerful but also heaviest car in the class, the Escort RS is powered by a raging Cosworth engine that is responsive, allowing for great car control in the curves. The huge rear spoiler keeps the rear wheels in check, while the front is surprisingly nimble; making for the most balanced car in the 1990's class.

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• History: Very successful in the early 90's, especially in safari rallies, the Celica was world champion in 1992 and 1993 under Group A regulations. The ST205 was developed for WRC, and was the most powerful Celica to date. It proved efficient against Subaru and Mitsubishi, winning the Corsica rally in 1995. However, the discovery of illegal modifications on a Celica during the Spain rally led to the expulsion of Toyota from the competition. When they came back, they had switched to the smaller Corolla hatchback as their rally car.
  
• Gameplay: Because it is based on a sports car rather than a saloon or hatchback, the Celica posseses excellent dynamics, and is quick on its toes. The rear is quite light, and willing to slide, but it never gets out of hand. However, keep in mind that the Toyota has a rather long wheelbase, which requires care in the tightest corners.

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Created as a cheaper alternative to the WRC regulation, the Super 2000 class allows for up to 2000cc displacement, with four wheel drive but no turbocharging. This means that the contenders in this class are very close in performance, and racing is much more skill-based than at higher levels, since the cars can't give much advantage. Therefore, vehicle choice is not so important. Note that the cars in this class are the first you'll get to drive during your career.

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• History: Making its debut in 2006, entering french and belgian national rallies, the 207 S2000 was developped both for asphalt and dirt. It was succesful, winning the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 2007 to 2009, with both constructor and driver prizes that year, with Kris Meeke at the wheel. It has since been used in a lot of european national rallies, with great success.
  
• Gameplay: Very nimble at low speeds, the 207 has more trouble in fast bends due to an understeering chassis. While this makes the car safer than an oversteer oriented setup, corrections using the brakes are tricky as the car is both light and short in wheelbase. Heavy braking will see the car spin out as the rear loses all weight, so light and precise inputs are best.

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• History: The closest competitor to the 207, the Punto won the first Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2006. It was a good contender in S2000 races, with four european championship wins and various national rallies.
  
• Gameplay: More balanced than the Peugeot, the Punto is more prone to understeer, but not to the same braking balance issues the Peugeot suffers from. It is therefore an easier car to drive, but the handbrake will be required to throw the car in hairpins and tight turns. In faster sections, the four wheel drive setup allows for great grip and traction, favouring grip-based driving rather than slides.

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The main class in Rally America, the Open Class allows for a certain degree of modifications over production cars, but downforce levels are far from WRC ones. A good transition between the S2000 class and the Pro class, since turbocharging is allowed, but the cars remain simple and fun to drive.

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• History: With a rich heritage in rallying, the Impreza's third generation debuted its carreer in 2008. The same year, economic issues affecting Japan forced Subaru to retire from the scene it had dominated an entire decade. While it wasn't used in the WRC anymore, the Impreza was entered in the Rally America by Subaru Rally Team USA, and failed to win only once, in 2010.
  
• Gameplay: With average power and weight for its class, the N13 Impreza is quite easy to drive thanks to lots of grip and a precise chassis. However, it's still heavy and four wheel drive, which means it understeers a lot if too much throttle is applied in the turns. Fortunately, while remaining very balanced, the Subaru loves to slide and a simple way to clear a turn is to throw the car into a four wheel drift. The turbo provides great acceleration once the road straightens back.

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• History: Even if the first generation Impreza had a taste of WRC after the Group A days were over, the second generation is the rally car that is most associated with Subaru. Racing from 2001 to 2007 with various facelifts, its blue and gold livery became part of the sport's history, and made the car very popular with rally drivers. Subaru developped a Group N version of its Impreza, a very capable machine driven all over the world, including Rally America, which it won in 2006 and 2007. This is the car Colin McRae drove in the 2006 Summer XGames.
  
• Gameplay: Worth a drive for the turbo whistle alone. But then the N12 is perfectly balanced, and the neutral chassis will only drift if asked to, either with the brakes or with a very predictable lift-off oversteer. Of course it won't be as fast as a more focused rally car, but as an approachable car, it's near perfect.

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• History: With its tough Lancer rally car, Mitsubishi was successful in safari rallies. The Evolution variant was born in the early 90's, and was entered in Group A and later WRC, with World Championship wins from 1996 to 1999. The Evo X, the tenth generation of Lancer Evolution, was never entered in WRC, but is able to race under Group N regulations. It keeps up with the Imprezas, and won the 2010 Rally America, with canadian rally champion Antoine L'Estage at the wheel.
  
• Gameplay: Not as much a drift machine as the Subarus, the Evo is more in favour of control. Turn in is quick, and the car shows great agility for a four-wheel drive heavyweight. This means it has the edge over the Subarus in twisty sections, while it is not as fast in long, flowing turns.

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• History: Designed by DJM Motorsport with the help of Codemaster's 3D designers on a Ford KA base, and using parts that proved their worth in Colin's Escort, the R4 focuses on low weight and safety. With a very short wheelbase, and a mid-mounted engine, it is reminescent of the Group B rally cars, minus the danger. Unveiled during the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed, it can be used both on track or a rally stage, with different powerplant and drive options.
  
• Gameplay: The R4 appears to be flawless compared to the other cars in its class, much lighter and more powerful. The lightweight body and mid-mounted engine make for a nimble car, capable of turning on a dime. However this also means it's less predictable than a front-engined layout in a drift. In the end it's more suited to a precise driving style, while agressive drivers might find it too technical to drive.

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• History: Developped from a rallycross Fiesta by Olsbergs MSE, this Ford Fiesta was used by Ken Block in the 2010 Rally America. It suffered from mechanical issues, but came first the only race it finished. Block then replaced it with the Fiesta HFHV.
  
• Gameplay: While not as light as the McRae R4, the Fiesta still benefits from a short wheelbase, and drives somewhat the same; but the chassis is set up to avoid loss of traction, and therefore can understeer. Using the brakes or even the handbrake in some cases is required to help the car pivot. Following the tightest racing lines helps in shaving seconds off when against the Impreza and Lancer, as the Ford suffers from less body roll.

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• History: Acquired in 2008 by Ken Block for use in tarmac rallies, this Escort uses a modern 4 cylinder engine and carbon fibre parts, which makes it both powerful and light. Contrary to Block's other vehicles, it is rear wheel drive only. It was later used in Gymkhana events.
  
• Gameplay: Much lighter than most of the Open Class cars, the Escort should get the edge in technical sections such as chicanes. However, because it lacks four wheel drive, traction is hard to find, meaning efficient corner exit is difficult to master, especially on loose surfaces. This, plus the lack of turbo, means acceleration is sluggish compared to its competitors. To put it simply, a fun car rather than a competitive one.

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With modern WRC racers, the Pro class hands over the keys to rally cars that were the most sofisticated and technologically advanced when the game came out. Four-wheel drive, turbocharging and advanced aerodynamics allow for very fast times, while the cars demand very precise inputs. With cars from the late 2000's and the early 2010's, the class offers a good diversity of contemporary machinery, along with close levels of performance.

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• History: Replacing the first generation Focus rally car in 2006, the Mk. II Focus started its career very successfully, with World Rally Championship constructor titles for its first two years competing. Up until 2010, design and performance tweaks were made to the car, but as competition caught on, the Ford was less effective. With a total of 29 rally wins, it was replaced by the smaller Fiesta RS.
  
• Gameplay: A good all-rounder for the Pro Rally class. Very predictable and stable, understeer is not really an issue, and it turns smoothly as long as oversteer is kept at a minimum. This makes it a perfect choice for gravel stages. The brakes are quite good, and can be used to correct the car's path in a turn. However, the light rear is hard to keep in check on tight tarmac corners.

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• History: After a brief absence from WRC, Citroën came back with a replacement to the successful Xsara: the longer and wider C4. With the very talented Sebastien Loeb still at the wheel, the C4 competed with, and quickly beat the Focus, and won each year from 2008 to 2010, when it was replaced by the DS3. It happens to have won each of the tarmac rallies the WRC calendar offers.
  
• Gameplay: The C4 is best suited for precision based driving. With the rear glued to the road, it's a bit hard to fight off understeer, meaning wide turns on slippery surfaces can be technical to manage. However, the car is very sharp when changing direction, and has great traction, making it quite adept at twisty tarmac stages.

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• History: Making its debut in the 2011 WRC season, this Countryman-based rally car marks the return of the Mini name to rallying after being taken over by BMW. With its engine developped by the german firm's Motorsport division, it won a few rallies, with two of them in its first complete season in 2012.
  
• Gameplay: Lighter than the Focus, the Mini has a similar behaviour, with the rear of the car pivoting rather than the front. This helps providing good corner entries, especially on loose surfaces, while the lower weight helps preventing unwanted oversteer. However, the center of gravity seems to be quite high, since the Mini will experience body roll on fast winding roads. Tapping the brakes before curves to stabilize the car, and avoiding sudden change of direction may help in getting rid of that.

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• History: Introduced in 2011 to replace the aging Focus, the Fiesta was a much smaller hatchback. It was fast, winning three rallies in 2011 and another three the following year. Just like the Mini, it struggled to compete with the DS3, driven by Loeb, and later the Polo, which dominated WRC during its entire career.
  
• Gameplay: Thanks to its short wheelbase, the Fiesta is agile, but it lacks traction when coming out of turns. This is an issue, as the car tends to slide a lot due to a rear-biased power delivery, especially on tarmac. It might be best for tight gravel corners, where a well-managed throttle can help clear each turn in no time.

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Raid cars are a bit different from other rally cars. Because they take part in endurance races that are thousand of kilometers long, they're bigger, tougher, and put reliability before speed. The Raid class includes modern raid racers, which might be tricky to drive on tight rally stages.

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• History: Developed for the 2009 Dakar race, the first to take place in South America, the Racing Lancer follows many successful Mitsubishi cross-country racers such as the Pajero, which dominated during the 2000's. With a lightweight frame, a turbo-diesel engine and a low centre of gravity thanks to an extended wheelbase, it finished 10th in its class that year with Joan Roma and Lucas Cruz at the wheel. While that may sound unimpressive, finishing the race alone is a great feat. After miles of gruelling terrain, only one of four Lancers that were entered crossed the finish line.
  
• Gameplay: The Racing Lancer manages to feel quite close to a conventional rally car in spite of its weight and size.Because of the low centre of gravity, handling is quite good, with minimal body roll and a lot of control during slides. The engine is responsive, and allows for quick corrections of pace and direction.

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• History: In the early 2000's, Volkswagen started working on a rally raid racer powered by its turbo-diesel engine. After early experimentations with a two-wheel drive buggy, a four-wheel drive vehicle based on the Touareg made its race debut in the 2004 Dakar, achieving sixth place.
  With aerodynamic upgrades, the Race Touareg 2 made its debut in 2007, and only two years later, in 2009, two Volkswagen got first and second place. The Touareg won the next two Dakar races, before Mini took over.
  
• Gameplay: Lighter than the Lancer, the Touareg feels more agile, and has better turn in abilities. However, less weight means less grip, and while corner entries are faster, corner exits can be slower if an effective line isn't adopted through the turn.

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• History: Produced by Bowler, an offroad preparation company that worked on Land Rover Defenders back in the 80's, the Nemesis is a development of the Wildcat, a succesful offroader that competed in the Paris-Dakar throughout the 2000's. The Nemesis features independent suspension, a more stable chassis and lightweight body, which makes it a weapon of choice for offroad races, and a good alternative to the factory teams' machines.
  
• Gameplay: With a short wheelbase and a front mounted V8, the Nemesis is one of the most responsive cars in its class. Because it has a low centre of gravity, it handles quite well, and is able to post fast stage times. The Nemesis gives excellent feedback to its driver as well.

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• History: Designed in 2006 by NASCAR and offroad racer Robby Gordon to compete in Dakar, this H3-inspired machine features a lightweight carbon fiber body, and rear wheels powered by the same General Motors V8 that was used in GT1 Corvettes. While the american didn't finish his first Dakar in the H3, he finished 3rd in the 2009 race.
  
• Gameplay: In DiRT 3, the H3 is modeled with four wheel drive instead of rear wheel drive, probably to keep it even with other Raid class vehicles. Still, the heavy rear mounted engine causes a lot of oversteer, which helps in getting the long wheelbase around medium speed corners. However, all this weight means it's harder to switch directions quickly, so chicanes and twisty sections should be handled carefuly.

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Whith this guide over and done, I thought I would write down a few more paragraphs, to tell you why I decided to write that guide, and what I might do in a close future.
Back in November of last year, DiRT 3 went free for a limited time, which greatly enlarged the player base. I had played the game the year of its disk release, and then dropped it to get into some other cars around some other tracks.
But among the new players being acquainted with Delta Integrales and the sound of gravel under the tires, were some close friends of mine. Naturally, I switched back to the game to show them a trick or two. We competed in sessions of time attack, and getting some competition as well as getting back to DiRT 3 after the much more hardcore DiRT Rally meant I was much faster, and enjoyed the game in a renewed way. I figured newcomers to rally games would appreciate some tips, and that was that. I started furiously test driving, reading through web pages and writing a guide that would make me proud.
While I poured my passion for racing into creating this guide, a lot happened in both real and virtual rally worlds. Peugeot won the Dakar once again, and the 2017 WRC season kicked off in Monte-Carlo with brand new exciting regulations and cars. Meanwhile, DiRT 3 got unlisted from the Steam store, and I boarded the DiRT 4 hype train. I mean, procedurally generated stages, woah!

After all this hard work, I hope you found that this guide was able to provide you with the information you needed, and can't wait to try doing more guides for this game and others.

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Many thanks to:

• Lukas, who might be the fastest keyboard racer in Ireland.
  
• Marcel, proud slovenian rallycross driver, and excellent intercontinental friend.
  
• Olivier, for all the quali-tea times. Also "Non, 3 secondes, Kenya".

Special thanks to the DiRT community, and to you in particular for keeping on reading.
And of course, extra special thanks to Codies for many great racing games.

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