Assetto Corsa glossary
Definitions for every abbreviation, term and piece of jargon you will encounter in Assetto Corsa — from CM and CSP to Sol, Pure, FFB and everything in between.
Assetto Corsa terms and abbreviations
The Assetto Corsa community uses a dense set of abbreviations. This glossary covers every term you will encounter in guides, forums and online servers — including the terminology used throughout this site.
- AC
- Assetto Corsa — the 2014 PC racing simulator developed by Kunos Simulazioni. Used to distinguish the original game from its sequel.
- ACC
- Assetto Corsa Competizione — the 2019 sequel focused on GT racing, officially licensed for the GT World Challenge. A separate game from AC; Content Manager does not work with ACC.
- AI
- Artificial Intelligence — the computer-controlled cars that race on track in single-player sessions. Assetto Corsa's AI is rated for aggression and skill in Content Manager's Quick Drive settings.
- Alien
- Community slang for an exceptionally fast driver — someone whose lap times seem impossibly quick. Not an insult; used as a compliment.
- App
- An in-game overlay in Assetto Corsa — a small panel showing telemetry, tyres, delta times or other data while driving. Apps are installed as mods and managed through Content Manager.
- Assettocorsa.club
- The official website run by the developer x4fab, and the only legitimate source for Content Manager downloads and the Content Manager Full licence.
- CM
- Content Manager — the third-party launcher for Assetto Corsa developed by x4fab. Used interchangeably with "Content Manager" across the community.
- CM Full
- Content Manager Full — the optional paid upgrade to Content Manager that unlocks the custom showroom, bulk preview tools and a few additional convenience features. The free version covers everything needed for normal play.
- CSP
- Custom Shader Patch — a free graphics modification for Assetto Corsa developed by ilja (also known as x4fab). CSP replaces the game's rendering pipeline to add modern lighting, dynamic weather, rain effects and improved reflections. It is installed and managed through Content Manager.
- Custom Shader Patch
- See CSP.
- DLC
- Downloadable Content — official paid content packs released by Kunos Simulazioni for Assetto Corsa. Examples include the Red Pack, Porsche Pack and Japanese Pack. DLC cars and tracks appear in Content Manager alongside community mods.
- Drift
- A driving discipline in which the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the rear wheels to slide. Assetto Corsa has a popular drifting community with dedicated servers visible in the Content Manager server browser.
- FFB
- Force Feedback — the physical forces sent to a steering wheel so the driver feels what the car is doing. Content Manager provides a dedicated FFB settings panel for every supported wheel brand. See also: the CM Hub wheel setup guide.
- Hotlap
- A single timed lap driven as fast as possible, usually with no traffic and unlimited tyres. Hotlap mode is available in Content Manager's Quick Drive settings.
- ilja
- The developer responsible for Custom Shader Patch, also known online as x4fab. The same individual created Content Manager and maintains both projects.
- KS
- Kunos Simulazioni — the Italian studio that developed Assetto Corsa. Also used as a prefix to identify official Kunos-made cars and tracks in mod packs (e.g., "ks_ferrari_458").
- Kunos
- Short for Kunos Simulazioni. Used by the community when referring to the game developer or to official game content.
- Launcher
- The application used to start Assetto Corsa and configure a session before entering the game. The default Kunos launcher ships with the game; Content Manager is the community-preferred replacement.
- LUT
- Look-Up Table — a file that maps raw force feedback values from the game to the actual forces sent to a wheel. A custom LUT corrects the non-linear response of many consumer wheels and is applied through Content Manager's FFB settings.
- Mod
- A community-created addition or modification to Assetto Corsa — most commonly a car or track, but also skins, apps, weather presets and graphics changes. Mods are installed and managed through Content Manager.
- PP Filter
- Post-Processing Filter — an effect chain applied after the game renders a frame. PP filters change colour grading, contrast and saturation. Hundreds of community filters exist and are selected from the CSP section of Content Manager.
- Pure
- A weather and lighting mod for Assetto Corsa by Peter Boese, focused on photographic realism. Pure requires CSP and is an alternative to Sol. It is installed and managed through Content Manager.
- Quick Drive
- A session-setup screen in Content Manager for creating a single-player race or practice session — choosing car, track, AI count, conditions and race length without leaving the launcher.
- Server Browser
- The list of online multiplayer servers inside Content Manager. It replaces the basic server list in the default Kunos launcher with filters for track, car, conditions and player count.
- Skin
- A livery or paint scheme for a car in Assetto Corsa. Skins are installed as mods and appear as selectable paint options in the car's entry in Content Manager. Each car can have many skins.
- Sol
- A weather and lighting mod for Assetto Corsa by Peter Boese, featuring broad weather presets and dramatic sky simulation. Sol requires CSP and is an alternative to Pure. Both are managed through Content Manager. See also: the CM Hub Sol vs Pure guide.
- SRP
- Shutoko Revival Project — a free community mod that recreates Tokyo's Shuto Expressway in Assetto Corsa. One of the most popular free tracks in the game, available from the SRP website and installed through Content Manager.
- Track Day
- An open-practice session at a real circuit with no race format. Assetto Corsa reproduces track day conditions closely, and many online servers run track day rules — visible in the Content Manager server browser.
- x4fab
- The developer behind both Content Manager and Custom Shader Patch. Also known as ilja. Content Manager is published at assettocorsa.club, which x4fab operates. The name is sometimes written as x4 or x4fab depending on context.
Assetto Corsa terms — common questions
What does CM mean in Assetto Corsa?
CM stands for Content Manager — the free third-party launcher for Assetto Corsa created by the developer x4fab. It replaces the default Kunos launcher with a faster interface for browsing cars and tracks, setting up races, joining online servers and managing mods. CM is the most widely used abbreviation for it across the community.
What does CSP stand for in Assetto Corsa?
CSP stands for Custom Shader Patch — a free graphics modification for Assetto Corsa developed by ilja, the same developer who created Content Manager. CSP replaces the game's rendering pipeline to add modern lighting, shadows, dynamic weather and rain. It is installed and managed through Content Manager.
What is the difference between AC and ACC?
AC is Assetto Corsa, the 2014 PC racing simulator with a large modding community. ACC is Assetto Corsa Competizione, the 2019 sequel focused on GT3 racing. They are separate games. Content Manager works with AC only — it has no support for ACC, which uses its own launcher.
What is Sol or Pure in Assetto Corsa?
Sol and Pure are both free weather and lighting mods for Assetto Corsa by the same developer, Peter Boese. Both require Custom Shader Patch to work. Sol focuses on broad weather presets and dramatic skies; Pure emphasises photographic realism. They are alternatives — install one or the other, not both.
Who is x4fab?
x4fab is the developer who created both Content Manager and Custom Shader Patch for Assetto Corsa. Also known online as ilja. x4fab maintains both projects and publishes them at assettocorsa.club — the only legitimate source for Content Manager downloads.
What does FFB mean in sim racing?
FFB stands for Force Feedback — the physical resistance and vibration transmitted to a steering wheel by the sim, letting the driver feel what the car is doing on track. Assetto Corsa's FFB is highly regarded. Content Manager includes dedicated FFB settings for every major wheel brand.
Get Content Manager
Content Manager is the free launcher behind most of these terms. Download it from the official source and follow our step-by-step guide to get set up.
Download Content Manager