Where to find and download Assetto Corsa mods

Assetto Corsa mods come from a few reliable sources, and the most popular is Race Department (racedepartment.com). This site hosts thousands of car and track mods created by the community. You can browse by category, read user reviews, and download directly to your computer.

Other common sources include Assetto Corsa Mods (assettocorsam.net) and AssettoDB (assettodb.com). Each site organizes mods differently — some focus on cars, others on tracks or weather skins. Before downloading from any source, check the mod's description for the version of Assetto Corsa it supports (the base game, Competizione, or both) and read recent comments to see if other players report problems.

Download the mod file to a folder on your computer where you can find it again — your Downloads folder works fine. Most mods come as a compressed file (usually a .zip or .rar file). Do not unzip it yet.

Key Takeaways

  • Mods download as compressed files that you must extract into your Assetto Corsa Documents folder, not your game installation folder.
  • Car mods go into the cars subfolder, track mods into the tracks subfolder, and you can organize them into named folders within each.
  • The game reads mods from your Documents folder automatically when you start it — you do not need to restart or run an installer.
  • If a mod does not appear in the game, check that you extracted it to the correct subfolder and that the folder structure inside the mod file matches what the mod creator intended.
  • Mods from different creators can conflict if they modify the same game files, so test one new mod at a time to find the source of any crashes.

Locate your Assetto Corsa Documents folder

Assetto Corsa stores mods in a specific location on your computer, not in the game's installation folder. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), then navigate to your Documents folder. Inside Documents, look for a folder named Assetto Corsa (or Assetto Corsa Competizione if you own that version instead).

If you do not see this folder, the game has not created it yet. Launch Assetto Corsa once, play or start a race, then close the game. The Documents folder will now exist. If you still cannot find it, open File Explorer, type %USERPROFILE%\Documents in the address bar and press Enter — this takes you directly to your Documents folder on Windows.

Inside the Assetto Corsa Documents folder, you will see subfolders named cars, tracks, skins, and others. This is where mods go.

Extract the mod file to the correct subfolder

Right-click the mod file you downloaded (the .zip or .rar file) and select Extract All (Windows) or double-click it (Mac) to unzip it. A new folder will appear with the mod's contents inside.

Open this extracted folder and look at what is inside. If it contains a folder named cars or tracks, the mod creator has already organized it correctly — move the entire extracted folder into your Assetto Corsa Documents folder. If the extracted folder contains car or track files directly (you will see files with names like "model.ini" or "surfaces.ini"), move this folder into the appropriate subfolder: cars for car mods, tracks for track mods.

For example: if you download a Ferrari mod, extract it, and see a folder called "ferrari_f40", drag that folder into Documents > Assetto Corsa > cars. The final path should be Documents > Assetto Corsa > cars > ferrari_f40.

Verify the mod appears in the game

Launch Assetto Corsa. The game reads your Documents folder every time it starts, so new mods appear automatically without any restart or installation step. Go to the car selection or track selection screen and look for your mod in the list.

If the mod does not appear, the most common cause is that it landed in the wrong subfolder or the folder structure inside the mod file does not match what the game expects. Close the game, go back to your Documents > Assetto Corsa folder, and double-check the path. Car mods must be in the cars subfolder, track mods in the tracks subfolder. If you are unsure, read the mod's description page again — most creators include installation instructions.

Another reason a mod might not show up is a missing or corrupted file inside the mod folder. If the mod still does not appear after checking the path, try downloading it again from the source website.

Test one mod at a time to avoid conflicts

If you install multiple mods at once and the game crashes or behaves strangely, you will not know which mod caused the problem. Instead, install one mod, launch the game, and confirm it works. Then close the game, install a second mod, and test again.

This approach saves time because if a crash happens, you know exactly which mod is responsible. Some mods modify the same game files and cannot run together — testing one at a time reveals these conflicts immediately.

If a mod causes a crash, move its folder out of the Assetto Corsa Documents subfolder temporarily (you can move it back to your Downloads folder or a separate mods backup folder). Launch the game again to confirm it runs. If it does, the mod is the problem. Check the mod's page for known issues, or try a different version if the creator has released updates.

Manage multiple mods and organize your folders

As you collect more mods, your cars and tracks subfolders will grow. You can create named folders inside these subfolders to keep things organized. For example, create a folder called "Formula 1 Cars" inside the cars subfolder, then put all your F1 car mods inside it. Assetto Corsa will still find them.

The game reads all subfolders recursively, meaning it looks inside folders within folders. You can nest them as deep as you want. This is useful if you have 50 car mods and want to group them by era, manufacturer, or type.

If you want to temporarily disable a mod without deleting it, rename its folder by adding an underscore or dash at the start (for example, change "ferrari_f40" to "_ferrari_f40"). The game will skip folders that start with special characters, and you can rename them back whenever you want to use them again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install mods on the Steam version of Assetto Corsa?

Yes. The Steam version uses the same Documents folder location as the standalone version. Download mods the same way and extract them to Documents > Assetto Corsa. Steam does not interfere with mods stored in your Documents folder.

What is the difference between a car skin and a car mod?

A car skin is a paint job or livery for an existing car in the game — it changes only the appearance. A car mod is a completely new vehicle model that the game did not include originally. Skins go in the skins subfolder, while full car mods go in the cars subfolder. You can install both at the same time.

Why does my mod folder show up in the game but the mod itself does not?

The game found the folder but not the mod files inside it. This usually means the folder structure is wrong. Open the mod folder and check that it contains the expected files (model.ini, data.acd, or similar). If the mod folder contains another folder inside it with the actual mod files, move those inner files up one level so they sit directly in the mod folder.

Can I use mods in online multiplayer races?

No. Online servers in Assetto Corsa run without mods, so all players use the same base game content. Mods work only in single-player mode, time trials, and offline custom races. If you join an online server, the game temporarily disables your mods for that session.

What should I do if a mod crashes the game?

Move the mod folder out of your Assetto Corsa Documents subfolder, launch the game, and confirm it runs. If it does, the mod is the problem. Check the mod's download page for known issues or compatibility notes. Some mods conflict with specific game versions or other mods. Try removing it or downloading a different version from the creator.