Rock N' Roll Racing/Equipment

You'll need to upgrade throughout the game, but don't go overboard. As a general rule, it's a waste to upgrade anything all the way to level 4 until you have the Havac, since the cost is too high when you still have to buy another vehicle later. You also might not want to upgrade your Dirt Devil or Marauder at all.

Remember that you only need to upgrade when you need it for the points to win the races. Buying an upgrade in the hopes that you will recoup your costs through your victories is not very economical. For example, if you buy two missile upgrades, those two upgrades will need to win you four races that you would have otherwise lost entirely to break even. That's not going to work. What this means is, if you are reasonably confident you can complete the current division without upgrades, and you will need to but a new car on the next planet, don't upgrade your car. Save your money for the next car you have to buy, and use the surplus to upgrade that! You can often even start saving up early in Division B, because if you can crush Division B you can probably win Division A.

Of course, once you have the Havac, there is no longer any need to conserve money. You can, and will need to, buy all the upgrades you can.

Body
When you race, you will see under the lap number a meter using small colored spheres. This meter is your car's structural health: when it gets red and near empty, your car starts smoking and one or two hits may well do you in. When you buy a new car, you only get three spheres in your meter; each body upgrade gives you one more sphere, so that you can take more damage before exploding.

Engine
Your engine controls your acceleration and top speed. However, engine upgrades are the most expensive. For the price of a level 2 engine, you can buy an Air Blade -- definitely recommended instead if you don't have it yet. But once you have at least an Air Blade, it's certainly worth it to upgrade your engine at least a little... it can mean the difference between placing first or fourth!

Shocks
Shock absorbers streamline jumping, as your landing impacts will be smoother. They're not that necessary, though you may want an upgrade for bumpy courses, and they're a complete waste on somebody who has jumping skill. The need for shocks disappears completely with the Havac.

Tires
You can only buy tires relatively early in the game, before you get the Battle Trak, which does not use tires. This will only be necessary when you have a character with no cornering skill.

Armaments
Each car has its own kind of armaments. See the cars section to see how well they work.