[Top 10] Best Racing Games With Car Customization

Best Racing Games With Car Customization
Give your ride a personal flair with these car customization games


10. Need for Speed (2015)

Need for Speed (2015) gameplay

Need for Speed’s USP has always been car customization, it’s how this franchise made a name for itself in the early days of racing games. The series is now a household name for many reasons. Not only does it provide exhilarating gameplay and good story, but it also lets you customise nearly every part of your car to your heart’s content. 

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Bodywork (including front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, hoods) 
  • Preset bodykits 
  • Paintwork (including a livery editor where you can make literally whatever design you like) 
  • Wheels and rims 
  • Ride height, wheel camber 

9. Forza Horizon 4 

Forza Horizon 4 gameplay 

Forza is Microsoft’s response to Need for Speed and Gran Turismo. This well-known and highly acclaimed franchise has earned a reputation for itself as a fun and accessible racing simulator. It strikes a good balance somewhere between hardcore sim and arcade racer, and the customization will keep you coming back to it.

What kind of car customizations can you do: 

  • Bodywork (including front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, hoods) from real-life manufacturers 
  • Paintwork with a livery editor 
  • Mechanical components such as engine and drivetrain 
  • Wheels, rims and tyres 

8. The Crew 2

The Crew 2 gameplay

The Crew brings a new and interesting dynamic to racing, asit lets you race boats and planes as well as cars. What’s more, the game lets you switch between these three categories of vehicles on the fly. The game features a number of real-life cars, along with a good variety of customization options, ranging from external modifications to mechanical upgrades.

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Paintwork with stickers and decals 
  • Body modifications (including bumpers, hoods etc.) 
  • Rims, rim size, wheel size, and rim colour 
  • Interior design and colour 

7. Project Cars 2

Project Cars 2 gameplay 

Project Cars is striking because of just how visually stunning it is. The game not only looks glorious however, but it is also incredibly fun. It lacks the level of customization of games like Need for Speed, but for gamers who wish to tweak the performance of their car and add a dash of personality through visual mods this is a great choice. 

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Mechanical components, including fine-tuning of car to make the car drive how you want it to
  • Bodywork 
  • Paintwork 

6. F1 2020 

F1 2020 gameplay 

F1 2020 lets fans take the helm at an extremely realistic F1 car around some of the most famous tracks in the world. While the game’s focus is more on simulation than it is on customization, there is still enough there for you to personalise your car by way of mechanical and visual mods. The customizations in this game aren’t really for vanity though. You should be altering your car to achieve maximum performance. 

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Mechanical components, including engine and turbocharger 
  • Tires

5. Street Legal Racing: Redline 

Street Legal Racing: Redline gameplay 

This PC exclusive offers the ultimate experience when it comes to car customization. One might even argue that the game is a ‘customization sim’ rather than a ‘racing sim’, as the customization element takes centre stage and is given the most emphasis. It is not graphically stunning like some of the other games on this list, but it offers an unrivalled level of attention to detail that enthusiasts of car customization will appreciate. 

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Build your car from the ground up, choosing unique mechanical components 
  • Tune each individual component to make the car behave how you want 
  • Bodywork and paintwork 
  • Repair the car when damaged 

4. Assetto Corsa 

Assetto Corsa gameplay

Assetto Corsa is known foremost as a hyper-realistic racing simulator, but it also lets you realise your wildest car customization fantasies. By giving access to the same customization tools used by the game devs, Assetto Corsa allows players to build their own tracks and vehicles from scratch. There is a thriving modding community for this game where you can find almost anything, ranging from the serious and realistic to the downright silly. 

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Build cars and tracks from scratch, including mechanical components, body work, and paint 
  • Create your own tracks, or download other peoples’ creations 
  • Download custom liveries made by the community 

3. Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V gameplay

Yes, yes, I know, GTA V isn’t strictly a racing game. After all, the game revolves around stealing things and killing people. But, as any fan of the series will know, the game offers an immense amount of car customization through the various garages dotted around Los Santos. The multiplayer function lets you show off your latest creations to your friends, and with continued updates the car customization options just keep growing.

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Bodywork (front and rear bumpers, spoilers, sideskirts) 
  • Interior design and colour 
  • Total revamp of car’s appearance (limited to specific cars) 
  • Mechanical components such as turbo and engine 
  • Ride height and wheel stance 

2. Automation 

Automation gameplay 

Automation lets players build cars literally from the ground up, choosing your chassis and engine design, as well as fine-tuning a number of other mechanical components. If that isn’t quite your cup of tea, you can also modify existing cars. For newbies, the sheer level of customization on offer here might be a bit overwhelming. My advice would be to take it slow, and slowly build up your knowledge over time. 

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Build a car from scratch, using all custom components tuned to your specific specification 
  • Choose from a selection of bodywork presets or create your own 
  • Alter how your car sounds through exhaust modifications

1. Need for Speed Underground 2

Need for Speed Underground 2 gameplay

At the time of its release, NFS U2 constituted a huge step forward in car customization games. Some of my fondest childhood memories include spending hours tuning up my Toyota Supra on this game, selecting the most outlandish body components and changing the paint until the car was exactly how I wanted it. This may be an oldie, but it's certainly worth going back and paying homage to the game that started it all.

What kind of car customizations can you do:

  • Body work (including front and rear bumpers, spoilers and roof scoops) 
  • Paintwork and decals 
  • Neon lights 
  • Hydraulics

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Hailing from the cold and wet lands of England, I have a natural penchant for sarcasm and I always make sure to equip my wellies.
Gamer Since: 1998
Favorite Genre: Sports
Currently Playing: Gran Turismo Sport, Assetto Corsa, and of course, some Minecraft
Top 3 Favorite Games:League of Legends, Minecraft: Story Mode - Episode 3: The Last Place You Look, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine


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