What LEGO Power Function parts do I need to make an RC car? I'd like to make a remote control LEGO car with steering and forward/back functionality.

Looking at the LEGO Power function parts I'm assuming I need the following:


A battery (8881 or 8878)
A motor for forward/back (8883, 888003, 7772)
A servo for the steering (88004)
A IR receiver (8884)
A IR remote (8885)
Cables? (8871, 8886)


But I'm not sure how the IR remote is configured to control the motor/servo or whether I need an IR receiver (8884) per motor/servo, or whether I'm missing another part.

What Power Functions parts do I need to make a LEGO remote control car?
Your assumptions appear to be mostly correct. Just for clarity, these are the minimum parts required:


A battery box
A motor for driving
A motor for steering (unless you want to try a steer-on-reverse single motor design)
An IR receiver (these can support two motors each)
An IR remote


Extension cables and/or lights are optional depending on the design of your vehicle.