What’s the first car you buy in a new racing game?

There was some similar game to Enduro for the Apple IIe, but I can't remember it.  Then, this game dropped for the PC...

Datsun 240z usually as soon as I can get it.

But usually I get the weirdest stuff I can get, vans, weird concept cars, old cars with too much HP, midgets, Subaru 360s....

I tend to lean toward dream cars, I usually end up buying an Elise/Exige as soon as I can afford it if that's an option...sometimes you have to make a choice based on what works in the game. In NFSU2 I painted myself into a corner by buying an FD, which in that game for some reason doesn't have as much potential as an RX8(!?!?) even though it's faster up-front.

If they have a Proton I buy that. I lived in Malaysia in 2001.

Something AWD and turbo charged. I'll use that to win a bunch of races right away.

First "because I want it" is always an S30 Z, because I'm an addict.

I try to get as close as I can to my actual car.

After that usually A volvo 240 and a collection of vintage euro cars, widebody imsa stuff, rally cars.

You know, cool stuff.

It always seems to take a little bit more money to buy or a bit of work to get to but as soon as I can I add a black E28 M5 to my garage just like the one I used to own.

First is always a Miata.  Liveried to match mine, if possible.

Next are usually these three, in whatever order is convenient...

In reply to racerfink :

Activision was fancy. I actually have a Gameboy Color cartridge containing like every Activision game for the 2600, including a few never completed. 

We got our 2600 early–my dad worked in the industry–and I remember trying to explain it to my classmates. “You have these cartridges and can swap them out to change games.”

Before that, you had that triangular console with a steering wheel, a gun and a knob for pong. We didn’t have that one, but friends did. And we liked it that way. 

I usually take the entry-level starter Japanese car, until I save enough or unlock an R35  from there, I try to get every Porsche.

I should totally post some of my favorite sim/racing game cars in this thread. First of all I have "digital twins" of some of my real cars set up in Assetto Corsa, modified to match the mods on the real cars as closely as possible:

This can be handy for sim vs. IRL comparative analysis as well:

https://viewsync.net/watch?v=olpWoROJ9U8&t=619&v=4X4Up6j3GVc&t=5.5&mode=solo
 

On the weekend I can post about my NFSU2 RX8, my NFS:S2U Elise with boost and stupidly huge cams at the same time, and my NFS:S2U Gumpert Apollo with an interesting spring setup...

I've actually been contemplating replaying either GT3 or GT4 just to feel that little thrill of boundless opportunity again while pondering this question.

The best version of whatever car I'm currently driving in real life, or as close as possible to it

Interesting... Playing GT4 and just tried taking the '03 Nissan 350Z into the Beginner FR event, and it tells me it's not eligible for entry.  A quick check of the FF, MR, and 4WD races, and it's not eligible for them either.  Must be a rare rear engine, fwd version of the 350Z...

It's almost always a Miata, simply because I have a habit of attempting to stretch by budget- and miatas do a fantastic job of that. 

In reply to racerfink :

GT4 was pretty militant about field-leveling, so maybe it's too powerful?

I think ColecoVision had the first steering wheel gas pedal set up:

All their racing games were crap though.

In reply to Duke :

When I jumped in the Mazda 6 concept car a little later, it had the same problem.  In the garage, neither one of these cars had a designation for drivetrain configuration.  I could see maybe not knowing if the 6 was FWD or AWD because it's supposed to be the Mazdaspeed concept version even though it doesn't say.  But the 350Z never had any version but RWD, and it definitely wasn't a concept car by 2003.

Another interesting one...  the 1998 Sileighty is supposed to be a Nissan, but it has no manufacturer listed. The only way to upgrade is through the tuner page.

As close as possible to my car IRL. I'm usually doing sims to get in more practice to take the real one out.

I only recently have owned a car that actually shows up in games. No Rampages, zx2s, k1500, rangers, Caprice or Explorers in racing games.

But now I have an MR2 so I try to get that 

I'm actually not sure why zx2s never show up, seems like a good car for games really

racerfink said:

Another interesting one...  the 1998 Sileighty is supposed to be a Nissan, but it has no manufacturer listed. The only way to upgrade is through the tuner page.

Technically speaking, it was never actually produced as a Nissan model as it was produced by the Japanese tuning company Kid's Heart (linky). It was approved of by Nissan tho, so that may be part of the confusion. 

In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :

Coleco Telstar Arcade is the one I remember. Did it have a gas pedal? If not, how did we control our speed?

Antihero said:

I only recently have owned a car that actually shows up in games.

I started with GT3 and never played GT2, but I had friends who did.  I was super excited to start out with a white Neon just like the 2 in my driveway.

Guess what didn't make the cut.

Racing games like these now suck in their campaign mode. They just give you powerful and weird cars right off the bat so i'm not buying anything anymore. Kind of made them uninteresting to me. GT4 had the best singleplayer campaign mode, nothing really has equalled it.