You can buy two Saleens for your money but if you buy the BMW, you'll have just enough to do up the engine and brakes before your first season. Now you can win prize money and qualify for a better racing class where you'll be allowed to make further modifications. Just like Gran Turismo - but not really.

In-race, there are only three points of view - far away, not quite so far away, and face pressed against the windscreen - there is no option to drive with the steering wheel and bonnet visible. When you're changing gears manually, the default controls for gearshifts are both on the left shoulder, which works, once you get used to it.

The rev counter, which combines with a digital speedometer in the bottom right of your screen, is attractive and easy to read but that's all there is to say for the stunning graphics EA were shouting about.

The replays are spurious although you will notice how the cars seem to glide over the road rather than be attached to it, which is how they handle - you never feel you have to dig in to shift the weight of the car forward to enter a bend, instead you just release the throttle for a moment.

There are some impressively fast vehicles here but they all sound and drive like small hire cars with a crap radio and give about the same level of driving pleasure. This game is the basic model. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with it, but there aren't any special features built in as standard either, and only real aficionados will want to add it to their already impressive collections.