Four-wheeled vehicles are as embedded into video games as guns and the humble floating platform. Anyone who has ever picked up a video game controller has almost certainly played a driving game, or a game with a driving section at least.
Here at Motor-Vision, we’re suckers for a decent racing title and that got us thinking, ‘what are the greatest video game cars ever?’. The true answer to that question will be debated until the gods obliterate our puny planet so here’s a rundown of some of our favourites instead.
Mario’s kart
Super Mario Kart redefined the multiplayer racing games when it first appeared on the Super Nintendo in 1992 and Mario’s kart is perhaps the first car many would think of when it comes to video games.
Even though subsequent Mario racers developed the experience with more characters, different power-ups and new courses, the core game-playing values of the 1992 original remain centre to the series, more than two decades on.
Halo’s UNSC Warthog
Running over pixelated aliens wouldn’t be nearly as fun if it wasn’t for this chunky off-roader. The ’Hog’ (as it is affectionately known) is a highly mobile, all-wheel drive, all-wheel-steering vehicle that can conquer any obstacle without breaking a sweat. Still, it has an annoying tendency to flip over fairly often.
McLaren P1 – Need For Speed: Rivals
With only 375 McLaren P1s ever made, we’ve long been resigned to the fact that we’ll never ever drive one. So when the 903bhp hybrid hypercar appeared in the 12th Need For Speed installation in 2013 as a drivable unlockable, it seemed like the next best thing.
Outrun’s Ferrari Testarossa
We’re going way back for this one. In the original arcade version from 1986, the bright red Testarossa got up to 182mph and you believed it. This car felt rapid and kickstarted a new generation of Ferrari obsessives.
GT Citroen – Gran Turismo 5
Image credit: Legion-of-3/DeviantArt
People power can be a beautiful thing as was proven with this car. The GT by Citroen was originally imaged for the express use in 2010’s Gran Turismo 5 on Playstation 3.
Such was its popularity that Citroen eventually buckled to demand and announced it would build the car for real, costing $2.1 million (£1.5 million) each.
The Rocket League car
Remember that episode of Top Gear where they played football with life-sized cars? Well imagine that but now the cars can jump. Plus they have rockets attached so they can fly about. And drive up walls. This game is every bit as fun as it sounds.
Batmobile – Arkham Knight
It wasn’t long ago that the Batmobile led our best cars from kids tv list, and here it is again, thanks to its recent appearance in Arkham Knight. Batman is usually the star of the show in the Arkham games, but his ridiculous ride does a steady job of upstaging him. It’s like a tank, smashing through walls, statues, pillars; aside from the occasional skyscraper, it’s unstoppable.
Grand Theft Auto – Infernus
Image credit: www.gta5car.com
This rampant supercar first appeared in 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III and has been part of all but one GTA title since.
Its look has changed over the years, incorporating elements of the Jaguar XJ220 and Honda NSX, but one thing hasn’t: its ability to blow your head off with relentless speed.
Hijacking one of these and seeing the name ‘Infernus’ appear at the bottom right of the screen mean guaranteed good times.
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