>v1.0.1.17: - This update features a series of performance optimizations to address frame rate inconsistencies and enhancements to the adaptive difficulty logic to accelerate the difficulty curve for the expert players.
The frame rate stuff fixed the lag issues. I'm not sure about the adaptive difficulty. Apparently this changed the AI to adjust quicker to the players pace, but if they get ahead, they still usually slow down, allowing the player to win. Some events are more difficult than others, such as the Master Events, for example, Pine Creek and Douglas. For the circuit and sprint type events, this doesn't affect dominating the event, since that is based on the players time regardless of how close the AI are. Some events like highway battle are a matter of luck, depending on how soon the AI car gets stuck somewhere.
> v1.0.1.18: - This patch introduces the new Challenge Mode. Compete in 60 new unique events spread across ten game modes including favorites such as Sprint, Outrun, Circuit and some new game modes including Highway Wars and Highway Checkpoint. Challenge Mode includes the chance to win and race three new Reward Cars particularly the Battle Machine from Pro Street. These Reward Cars can be used online or offline so are great for showing just how good you are at Undercover.
The fastest car of the 3 reward cars is the Dominator Z06, but like most of the tier 1 cars, it doesn't have enough downforce, and it's hard to turn when a car is airborne. Still as I mentioned before, you can do the challenge series just after doing the career mode prologue pursuit, so that you start career mode with any of the 3 tier 1 reward cars against tier 4 cars. The reward cars are not competitive for tier 1, but against the lower tier career events, they're more than fast enough. Due to downforce, the Zonda is the fastest, followed by the McLaren F1 which is easier to drive. The fastest car is the CCX, but I think a save editor is needed to get it in career mode. The CCX is what players used for online tier 1 race events.
> digital (gamepad) versus analog controller (joystick or wheel)
There is also an issue with digital versus analog controllers. With an analog controller, any off track contact slows down a car and reduces control inputs for a second or so, and also reduces the zone multiplier. Contact with other cars doesn't cause this, so it's better to ram cars than hit a wall. With a digital controller, off track contact will reduce the zone multiplier, but it does not slow down a car, and in some cases, causes a car to accelerate faster. With a digital controller, using the handbrake to drift a cars also causes it to recover like it is using nitrous. Link to example video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5e2nEMmsaw
