Championship mode
Successfully complete Arcade in Amateur mode (four stages). Note: Arcade is mush easier than Career mode because you only have to be in time to each checkpoint.
World Pro mode
Successfully complete Championship mode (eight stages). In World Pro mode, the cars are a lot quicker but the brakes are more efficient.
Bonus cars
Successfully complete World Pro in Arcade mode (twelve stages) to unlock three classic cars: the Mini Cooper, Lancia Stratos and Audi Quattro. You can only use the classic cars in Quick Race mode.
Recommended cars
Privateer: Skoda Felicia
1600: Honda Civic
2000: Vauxhall Astra
Pro: Mitsubishi EVO VI
Those are all all-around cars which can be used on any stage. The handling is good and you can quickly counter-steer if you are about to lose the grip. They are middleweight cars, meaning that they are more durable than light ones.
Suspension
When the surface is hard as gravel, rock, or both of them together has the highest number, use "Soft" on suspension. Set a low number on "Brake Bias" (forward-back relation). This makes the car more "skiddy", but easier to countersteer. At high number brakes, the car comes to a stop easier, however it goes straightforward in corners.
Visual warnings
Set "Warnings" and "Pace Notes" on in "Visual". This will display a warning sign for hinders and an arrow which indicates how tight a corner is.
Handbrake turns
This is useful where there are many hairpins, as in Kaihuavaara, Lapland. Hold the handbrake momentarily, the use the normal brake if necessary, and steer all the time.
Braking
Skid into a turn, not in it. Brake, let go, brake, let go, etc. As long as you have a good track, not much braking is necessary, except in turns called "4" or "5" or "any number -tightens". Listen to your co-driver carefully.
Save money
In order to save money, try all the cars you can in Quick Rally mode. You can also skip the 1600 class as it has similarities to Privateer cars. Unlock the Vauxhall Astra in "Race Pace Car" and use it in Career mode, which will unlock all 2000 cars that can be used in Quick Rally mode.
USA
Arizona:100% Tarmac stage: The roads are very wide, like a highway with four lanes. It is easy to skid through each curve, even "5"s and hairpins. A very fast and fun stage.
Nevada: Long wide curves with easy-to-see road. You can hold a good speed. Use the Hyundai Coupe on the first two USA stages for more fun.
Hualapai Nation: Night stage. It very narrow during the whole stage. You must pass a few tunnels and bridges. Try the Hyundai Accent (World Pro car) because it has ABS brakes. Otherwise, use the Vauxhall Astra because of its good handling. This stage requires you to trust the car that you are re driving.
Bullhead: Desert stage. The curves and corners are often "4"s and "5"s but still easy to handle at a good pace. The problems you will meet are that the road disappears to the background, which means paying attention to your co-driver.
Bennon: Extra Stage in Scotland. Unlocked by placing very high for a long time during Career, World Pro Class. A changing stage with bridges, woods and many 5-corners. A fun stage. The Hyundai Coupe is a car you can have a lot of fun with in all Scottish stages.
Scotland
Glengap: You travel along a mountainside. The surface can be rough, the space tight, and a few square turns (90 degrees) can make the first stage a challenge. Brake in good time before a turn. The Hyundai Coupe from the 2000 class is very fun to use at this stage.
Black Loch: The first turn is a 90 degree left. Early are two 90 degrees immediately after each other (one right, one left(. At one part, it seems like the road turns left, but it goes straight. Be careful when you drive through the house.
Twiglees: Keep on straight of a course as possible, especially at the end, where there are many 1 and 2 turns can be driven straight through.
Dumfries: Narrow track, with several 90 degree turns and four narrow gates that must be passed. A fun stage.
Africa
Tsavo: Use caution after the helicopter appears. There is a tight left and a 5 right in front of the Tvbus. Brake in good time before it. There are many tight turns.
Rift Valley: Night stage. Note the arrows which tell you if it is a tight corner. Listen carefully to the co-driver. A 4-turn is often tight; brake carefully beforehand. When driving along a high cliff, there is a right directly afterwards.
Mt. Longonot: You will drive along riverbeds and scale a mountain. The road is narrow, as it is between the cliffs. If the co-driver says "Wide", you can go with unchanged speed. Two narrow bridges must be traveled.
Turkana River: A short stage with ,any wide turns so even a "5" can be easy to handle. It has a few square turns though. You wo;; pass the river twice, brake directly afterwards because of the turns. The hairpins are long so you can proceed at an unchanged pace.
Wales
Pen-Y-Coed: Watch the outside of turns, as hinders are rather frequent here. The turns are often long, which is good for high speed. At the gravel spot, the road is narrow. Brake and let go quickly at the tight corners.
Gartheinlog: The many 5 turns and slippery surface can be nasty. Brake in good time before a turn, and accelerate out of the turn.
Llandudno: You will start in the harbor with many 90 degree corners. Also be careful after the bridge; the "right 2" turn is rather nasty followed soon by a 90 degree right. A few more 90 degrees onto a loose surface and the passing of a very narrow railroad crossing makes this a very challenging stage to get the top scores in. Change your standard "Brake Bias" to 5, with equal brake power front-back.
Llanberis: Some 90 degree turns, but many turns are long -- meaning you can have a rather high pace here. The VW Golf, 2000 class is very good here.
Lapland
Kaihuavaara: Night stage. Many hairpins and snow for the first time. Take it easy. Brake carefully with the handbrake and normal brake if necessary. Watch for solid obstacles like walls, vehicles and street lamps which are near the road. Skoda Felicia is a good car here.
Rovaniemi: Snowstage on day with a few tight corners.
Kemijärvi: Halfway through you will pass under some huge oil pipes. Listen carefully to the co-driver because the road can sometimes be difficult to detect.
Ristilampi: The setting takes part in a city, which means many square corners. For a short time you will drive at the outskirts of the city, then into the city with its many 90 degrees again.
Manx
Glenmooar: Another city stage with lots of houses and a narrow road. Similar to Ristilampi, except for the snow.
Baldrine: Sometimes narrow, sometimes wide. It has a changing surface, like gravel, tarmac and lots of turns. A fun stage.
Knocksharry. The turns here are often wide, so many can be taken in your current speed.
Laxey: Rally with a sea view. Long passages takes you along or on the beach. The turns are long and need only the slightest of braking.
Cars
Privateer class
Skoda Felicia: Easy to handle in skidding. Good traction.
Ford Puma: Can handle many collisions. Good handling.
Citroen Saxo: Lightweight car with quick acceleration. Does not skid much in corners.
Nissan Micra: Because of its weight is easy to turn over and get serious damage.
1600 class
Honda Civic: Similar to the Skoda Felica.
Peugeot 106: Lightweight car that is good on the night stages.
Ford Puma: Durable in collisions, good handling. Aggressive car that can both lose or gain time.
Proton Classic: Lightweight car that can easily be damaged. Does not skid much when taking a curve.
2000 class
Vauxhall Astra: Similar to Honda Civic. Excellent all around car. Can easily regain several seconds with good driving.
Hyundai Coupe: Fun to drive. Can easy fling it through square corners. Has very good brakes. May skid too much in Llandudno and Kaihuavaara.
VW Golf: Good car in many stages, such as Ristilampi.
Renault Megane: Easy to handle but can be slightly twitchy.
Seat Ibiza: Fast acceleration, good in cornering, but feels very twitchy.
Ford Escort Maxi: Use on stages with wide curves. Often flings out the back and is all over the track.
Pro class
Hyundai Accent: Stable car with ABS brakes and turbo. Good in all stages, Ristilampi and Hualapai Nation especially.
Skoda Octavia: Step below the Hyundai Accent but feels very stable and quick.
Mitsubishi EVO VI: Very fast car. Easy to handle and can take a lot of damage. Use it in Scotland and Wales stages.
Peugeot 206: Rather good. Follows your directions well, but not in the Hyundai/Skoda class.
Seat Cordoba: Average car. Muffled engine may cause loss of sense of speed at high speeds.
Mistubishi EVO V: Very quick, but rear flings too much.
Subaru Impreza 2001: Best Subaru car feels very oversteered in turns. Must be very good in handling turns at speed.
Subaru Impreza 2000: Not much different than from Impreza 2001. All Subarus fling out too much in turns.
Subaru Impreza 1998: Good brakes is the most positive thing about it. Braking must begin early since it feels very fast.
Ford Focus: Quick, but extremely twitchy.
Classic cars
Audi Quattro: Fastest car around. Use Brake Bias 6 (normally 2) for better balance. This car has 4WDrive/4Wsteering, meaning when turning, the whole car wants to go in that direction. Sometimes you must brake where others (Astra/Accent) just can keep pace. For turns of three or more, brake, release the -brake, then let go and use the handbrake and steering to get it towards correct direction.
Lancia Stratos: Change Brake Bias to 6. The car is faster than all Pro cars. It easily oversteers. Be very gentle when steering and use the ABS braking technique (brake, release, brake, etc.). On the default setting it feels like you visit every side you can imagine, or doing a 360.
Mini Cooper: Mostly a fun car at present. It is slower and lighter than all cars and easy to steer. Like the Lancia it turns too easy; facing backwards is a common occurrence. It has only four gears and can sometimes be indecisive on which gear to use (automatic transmission).