Colin McRae Rally games until the release of "Dirt 3", where the moniker was dropped. The McRae name was however used in the 2013 mobile game. "Colin McRae Rally", the first title in the series, was released for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows platforms in January 1998 in the United Kingdom and in September 1999 in the United States. The game featured real cars and drivers from the 1998 World Rally Championship season. Colin McRae's Subaru Impreza was featured on the game's cover. In Novice mode there are only 3 stages per rally, each followed by a Service Area, making it easier to
Prodrive WRC Team Sordo managed a second place overall. In February, after only one race, BMW terminated its contract with Prodrive. The team had to change its name in Prodrive WRC Team. A new works-team was formed as WRC Team Mini Portugal from the merger of the Mini entries of Armindo Araújo World Rally Team and Palmeirinha Rally, which were both run by the Motorsport Italia firm. Team Mini Portugal was registered as a manufacturer entry, while the new Prodrive WRC Team was demoted to a works-supported private entry. The team reduced its programme to seven rounds with Sordo, while the second car