Rally mode is one of our favorite Drive Modes. Thanks to the magic of software, one press of a button can transform how R2 drives. Starting with R1, our engineers have spent years fine-tuning Rally mode to maximize control and steering precision on loose surfaces. Along the way, they spent some extremely valuable time testing at one of the coolest tracks in the country, known as DirtFish.
It lies nestled in the Pacific Northwest, just thirty minutes east of Seattle in a town called Snoqualmie. The three-thousand students who join them every year run the gamut from newly licensed teenaged drivers to Formula 1 champions. When we set out to build and refine Rally mode for R2, it was an important stop on the testing itinerary. The goal was to translate the raw, mechanical joy of a purpose-built rally car into the digital, software-defined architecture of a Rivian.
Rivian vehicles bring some unique attributes to the dirt. R1 and R2 exploit a low center of gravity and advanced traction controls for a greater sense of stability. Together, that makes a platform well-suited to loose-surface driving.
“Our vehicles have a lot of power. The EV powertrain gives us lots of instantaneous low-end torque, which is great for pulling out of a corner or initiating a slide. Rivian’s software is fully integrated into the hardware we use, allowing improved precision and control.”
When DirtFish instructors got behind the wheel, they were impressed by the instantaneous adaptability of the software. Nate Tennis, DirtFish Chief Instructor, is accustomed to pulling apart gearboxes and physically swapping drivetrain parts to tune performance. He found the EV testing process fascinating: “It was just click, click, click on some settings and you can make a drastic change and tailor the car’s handling to exactly what you want,” he says. By making real-time software adjustments right on the track lap after lap, the engineering team dialed in the torque bias, damping and roll stiffness needed to make R2 capable and predictable through every turn.
With this rapid feedback process, the team dialed in the specific characteristics that define Rally mode. Rex Gu, Rivian Controls Calibration Engineer, explains that the team opted for a subtle, linear approach so that a driver's inputs translate directly and intuitively to the wheels. Under light acceleration, Rally Mode utilizes a more rearward torque bias, allowing drivers to effectively steer through corners using the pedal for control even more than the steering wheel.
“Rally mode accesses a few unique torque distribution maps. Under light-acceleration pedal inputs, a more rearward bias allows you to throttle steer through corners to dial in precise amounts of vehicle rotation. When you are ready to exit a corner, we shift that balance slightly forward to maximize available traction. This relative balance was a direct result of collaboration with DirtFish. After driving both their RWD and AWD vehicles, we wanted to infuse the character of both into Rally mode.” — Rex Gu, Staff Dynamics Engineer, Controls Calibration
Once the driver is ready to exit the turn, the system adjusts to maximize traction and pull the vehicle down the straightaway. Paired with relaxed stability control settings and highly adaptable damping, Rally mode smooths out rough surfaces so the driver can focus entirely on the joy of the slide.
“We really take advantage of our in-house controls capabilities to tailor the vehicle’s motor, brake and suspension systems for intuitive driving on loose surfaces. Our controls should feel unobtrusive, and a driver’s input should translate naturally to car behavior.”
DirtFish is where theory meets practice. The fundamental lesson the instructors impart is often counter to the instincts of newcomers: driving fast on dirt is not about mashing the throttle and cranking the steering wheel. Instead, it’s about mastering the physics of weight transfer to put traction exactly where the vehicle needs it. And, although tossing a vehicle around a muddy track is undeniably a great time, rallying also happens to be an object lesson in everyday vehicle control.
Navigating loose surfaces teaches you to anticipate slips, understand where the weight is and how it affects traction through every phase of turning and accelerating. Nate puts it this way: getting your driver’s license is mostly about learning the laws of the road. Taking a course at DirtFish is about learning the laws of physics. You don’t just learn how to drift and do doughnuts, you develop a deeper understanding of how a vehicle responds to driver inputs across changing surface conditions. “Once you learn the physics, all of a sudden you’re at a stop light or at an on-ramp and you’re thinking about where the weight of the car is,” says DirtFish Managing Director, Brenten Kelly. Just like the dirt that clings to the outside of your vehicle after a day at the track, your training sticks with you.
Rally mode can be more than just a driving setting; it can serve as an interactive teaching tool that invites you to explore vehicle dynamics. Whether you are an aspiring motorsport enthusiast or simply looking to become a more confident driver, the principles are the same. And with Rally Mode, R2 is ready for dirt at the push of a button.
DirtFish’s Principles for Loose Surface Driving
Driving on loose surfaces is fundamentally about managing weight transfer to dictate where the vehicle has traction, rather than just steering and accelerating.
“The main thing is we're working with a loose surface, and it's slippery, so it's understanding where traction is, and using weight transfer to put traction on whichever end of the car we want to have grip. A lot of it is lifting off of the throttle, creating traction on the front, creating a slide, and then managing that slide with smooth inputs.” — Nate Tennis, DirtFish Chief Instructor
Lift. Drivers are taught to initiate a slide before entering a corner by lifting off the throttle (or braking) to shift weight to the front tires, which creates the slide.
Turn. Use the weight transfer to your advantage. As the vehicle rotates through the turn, use the throttle or brake to maintain your line.
Wait. The steering wheel acts more as a suggestion once the weight is placed correctly. Because inputs take longer to manifest on dirt than on asphalt, patience is critical.
Exit. Once the slide rotates the car and the corner exit is visible, the driver can accelerate, shifting weight back to the rear for traction down the straightaway.
Thanks to Nate, Brenten and the rest of the DirtFish team for generously sharing their time and expertise for this story.
