Ok... this might be a bit long, but it should answer your queries.
Just for the record, i have beaten the game about 17 times now, and i virtually know it inside out.
Skatebizzy, Darius is one mean, annoying boss. A real pain in the ass. Literally. When leading in the canyon duel, he tends to bump you and screw up your rhythm if youre too slow. The city race is harder than the canyon, and you will need all the tricks in the book in order to win, like taking EVERY shortcut. Also tackle him in a tier3 exotic, preferably a gallardo or a Murc because they dont lag outta the corners due to their 4wd. (if anybody wants to be anal and ask what the hell that is, im all for it).
Tha_Underdogz, sorry but a tier1 wont exactly make it in Darius's territory, mainly cos its too damn slow. Despite the brera being able to dominate the tier2 world, it wont even keep up with a tier3. So switch to a tier2 if you like challenges, hence your name "underdog"
Carbon_Dioxide, the best crew member is nikki, not only is she fast but shes smart. But i dont keep her in my crew - i keep samson cos hes the one that gives you the mula - 10% extra, to be anal. For the canyon, you have to burst out into an early lead thru a perfect shift and emptying your nos tank. Even though its a 2-lane road, there should be enough space to squeeze by. Then its a simple matter of blocking them out.
Al-pucino, a dodge charger wont make the cut. Sorry. It may be beastly in a straight line but if you look at Silverton more carefully and you will notice that it is a complicated series of tight turns, with rarely any straights. A tuner is best suited for silverton, preferably the Evo. Keep an exotic in the wings for exceptionally hard races and Darius.
Carbon_dioxide, drifting is a complicated skill to master but it is not impossible. Its not a wax-on/wax-off thing, every1 is unique. the type of car greatly affects your drifting. The best car to train with would have to be the RX-7 (fully kitted out). Its medium speed with amazing handling make it ideal for drifting. With the RX, try and tackle the Kimei Temple course in Bushido territory (quick race). You want to set yourself easy targets, like 50,000 overall then work your way up, adding 25,000 to your overall target. Once you top 250,000, then you are officially "good" at drifting.
Hope this helped.... any1 have any more queries then PM me or post back on this thread. Cheers
The REAL DK has spoken