Summary
Driving at over 200 miles per hour in a barely legal street car while struggling to avoid busy traffic is what modern racing games are all about.Racing games of the current generationhave evolved substantially since the genre’s inception. Players can change gears using manual or automatic transmissions and upgrade the parts of vehicles.
Players don’t have to be a gearhead to appreciate the nuances of racing games, either. Whether they are visual or performance upgrades, vehicle customization is a subtle detail that enhances racing noticeably. As an often underutilized feature, vehicle upgrading provides seemingly boundless potential.
Updated June 26, 2025 by Vlad Mazanko:Since extensive car customization became a staple of the racing genre, car enthusiasts have come to expect it in every new racing game, whether arcade-style, realistic, or open-world. For the most part, developers have worked to meet these expectations, with nearly every modern racing game offering some level of customization, both performance-based and visual. These options range from minor tweaks, such as changing rims or adding unique vinyls, to more significantmodifications like full widebody kits.
Each year, car customization reaches new heights, providing players with unprecedented flexibility across hundreds of in-game vehicles. To make it easier to find the best racing games with deep performance and visual customization, this list has been updated to include more recent and previously overlooked titles that meet these criteria. Additionally, image galleries have been added, and the list has beenreorganized chronologically, starting with the most recent releases.
Still in Early Access,Tokyo Xtreme Racerhas already gained recognition among car enthusiasts and tuning fans. As the latest entry in the long-runningShutokō Battleseries, first introduced in 1994, this marks the franchise’s first new release in 19 years (excluding mobile titles). It brings back everything fans love: intense racing on Tokyo highways, unique Spirit Point Battles, a flexible progression and perk system, signature handling, and rivals with distinctive cars and bold driving styles.
Unlike some racing games with extensive customization,Tokyo Xtreme Racerfeatures real-life licensed cars and parts. While its customization options are somewhat barebones at this stage, there’s strong potential for visual tuning to expand in future updates. Given that the game launched just weeks ago, players can expect additional content and improvements in the coming months.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crownmay not blow players away with its performance or customization systems, but there’s still somefun to be had in the game’s garage. While it includes a fairly wide selection of vehicles, players can upgrade power levels by tweaking engine or transmission parts, pushing some stock models to absurd power levels on par with high-performance supercars.
In terms of visual customization,Solar Crownaligns with previousTest Drivetitles, offering limited options. Players can change rims, add window tint, customize interior colors, and adjust paintwork. The decal system is somewhat flexible, but isn’t groundbreaking by 2024 standards.
The Crew Motorfestis the natural evolution ofThe Crew 2, sharing many vehicles and upgrades with the previous entry. Players ofThe Crew 2can even transfer their owned car roster intoMotorfest, starting their adventure in O’ahu, Hawaii, with dozens of rides in their garage. In terms of car customization, both Ubisoft titles are almost identical, althoughMotorfestexpands the available vehicle andupgrade part list for players to unlock, purchase, and tweak.
With a fresh, exotic setting and tons of thematic racing playlists to accomplish,The Crew Motorfestfurther blurs the line betweenThe Crewand theForza Horizonseries, serving as a direct competitor to Playground Games' titles. Ivory Tower also delivers constant content updates for the game to ensure it will stay relevant for a long time, with new vehicles and racing events to participate in.
When it comes to realistic racing experiences, few games can compare toF1 23. Granted, this realism can be a little restrictive in some respects, and many will prefer racing on streets rather than on tracks. If neither of these things is a deal-breaker, however, then racing game fans would do well to check the game out.
Like the racing itself,customization inF1 23is a lot more groundedthan in other racing games, with far more emphasis placed on performance than visual modifications. Selecting the right engine, tires, and turbocharger can make a huge difference to how a car drives and will be essential for those hoping to consistently finish on the podium.
Need For Speed Unboundis the latest installment in the iconic series that all but pioneered visual car customization in gaming, andUnboundis potentially one of the best in the series in this regard. From swapping engines to several exotic widebody kits that can transform one’s ride beyond recognition, it is a great title for players who want to spend hours in their garage tweaking every little detail of their vehicle.
Unboundalso greatly benefits from Criterion’s dedication to making it a true live-service racing title that receives constant content updates, adding new cars to the roster and entirely new racingdisciplines like driftand fan-favoritedrag eventsfor players to enjoy. Add the anime-infused visual style of the game that cannot be mistaken for any other game on this list, and fans have aNeed for Speedgame that represents a much-awaited step in the right direction for the series.
TheGran Turismoseries styles itself more as a driving simulator than a racing game these days, though that’s not to say that there isn’t still plenty of racing to be done. The series' most recent installment,Gran Turismo 7, also places a lot of emphasis on tuning, with players able to tweak and tailor both the appearance of their cars and their performance.
Unfortunately, upgrading cars inGran Turismo 7can be incredibly expensive, with tire sets often costing more than an entirely new vehicle. Still, for those who want complete control over just about every single aspect of their rides, few games are better. The fact thatthere are more than 500 cars to choose fromcertainly helps, as does the ability to create and share custom decals and liveries.
Where theGran Turismoseries strives for realism, theForza Horizonfranchise is geared more toward fun, and that’s certainly something that racing game fans can expect to find in abundance while playingForza Horizon 5. The game features hours and hours of entertaining activities with which to keep players busy, one of which is its extensive set of vehicle customization options, includingspectacular wide body kits by real-life manufacturers.
UnlikeGran Turismo 7,Forza Horizon 5places more emphasis on how the cars look rather than how they drive. Creating and sharing liveries feels a lot more intuitive, and the bright and vibrant visuals of the game allow the wide variety of paint types and colors to shine. Of course,there are some mechanical upgrades available as well, but it’s the surface-level alterations that take center stage here.
Photorealistic graphics ensure that players have an immersive experience while playingCar Mechanic Simulator 2021. As the name might suggest, the game allows players totest their skills as a mechanicwhile also serving as a highly detailed and incredibly enjoyable racing simulation game.
With a multi-level garage at their disposal, players won’t need to worry about having space for their vehicles and can instead focus on getting their hands dirty. They’ll need to repair and customize their vehicles and are given access to over one thousand parts to get them running exactly how they want them.
Need for Speed Heathas become a fan favorite among recent entries in the series, and extensive customization options are a big part of that appeal. Not only do the cars look fantastic, but the game’s neon-infused aesthetic and lamp-lit car showroom add to its stylish atmosphere. Players can share their favorite visual designs online, explore each other’s creations in the garage, and check out top-voted custom variants.
In terms of both performance and visual customization,Need for Speed Heatdelivers a wide range of options, allowing players to transform cars intopowerful off-roadordrift builds. While it may lack the ultra-exotic body kits seen inUnbound,there are still plenty of choices for players to show off their style.
From a vehicle customization perspective,Assetto Corsa(as well asAssetto Corsa Competizione) is a knockout title. It allows playersto build their vehiclesand tracks and even share their designs with other players. What’s more, the customization tools at their disposal are some of the same ones used by the game’s developers, which ensures that no design ever feels out of place in the game’s hyperrealistic engine.
The immersive racing game is widely recognized as being one of the most realistic racing simulators out there, comparable with the likes ofForzaandGran Turismoin many respects. Players come for the vehicle customization but stay for the robust car lineup and excellent racing mechanics, the latter of which is greatly enhanced by the use of a steering wheel and foot pedal.
