If you love cars and racing games, you'll want to give Simraceway a try. It is a free to play game with a bunch of cars, tracks, and unlockables to keep you playing. Even though this game is free to play, it is feature-packed and will have you entertained for hours.

The main selling point of Simraceway is the fact that they have a huge online multiplayer racing community. You can watch live feeds of your friend's races and chat with other spectators. You can also record and share your favorite racing replays to show off your skills. Simraceway's gameplay keeps things fresh by rewarding racing with money, credits, and cash to spend on cars and upgrades.

Driving in Simraceway is not for the faint of heart. It is a true simulator and those used to arcade-style racing and physics may become frustrated. Give car too much throttle or toss it into a corner too abruptly and you'll soon find yourself barreling into a wall. Racers will want to bring a game pad or better yet, a PC compatible steering wheel and pedals. Simraceway even has their own controller that you can purchase from their site. Playing with a keyboard is next to impossible.

Graphics are good but won't blow you away if you're used to seeing graphics in Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 4. There are plenty of beautifully-rendered cars for you to purchase in Simraceway and the developers are constantly releasing new cars.

Overall, Simraceway is a fun racing sim with a huge online community. Game play is fun and there's no reason not to try it since it's free!

Download Simraceway 28.64 in Softonic

New Features

Graphically even more polished than before, and with some subtle but important car handling changes, F1 2011 looks like an incremental improvement rather than a revolution. However, 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' as the saying goes, and Codemasters have added some important features that make this game a worthy successor.

In terms of realism, there is now an optional safety car for people who want the full F1 experience, and the KERS and DRS systems have been introduced too. The first gives drivers a quick power boost for overtaking, while DRS allows drag to be reduced while racing, again giving a possible speed boost.

Multiplayer is still excellent, and now features split-screen mode. There are two new circuits, the Nurburgring and Buddh International Circuit.

Be the driver

Like its predecessor, and other Codemasters racing games, F1 2011 houses its career in an attractive motor-home which acts as your menu hub. It looks good, but means getting to the action is longer than it needs to be. Careers are still excellent though, and you can tailor the difficulty and detail to your wishes, which will keep everyone happy. Driving manually while using KERS and DRS is certainly a challenge, but the great thing about F1 2011 is that you don't have to make things that tough! The artificial intelligence of other cars is great, giving you interesting and fun competition even in one player mode.

Conclusion

F1 2011 is more of an evolution than a revolution, but that still makes it an excellent game. The sense of speed is maybe unparalleled, while the rain effect is absolutely gorgeous. Codemasters have taken a sport which can often feel dry and unwelcoming, and made it dynamic, visceral and exciting. We think F1 2011 is possibly the best looking racing game around, and will please hardcore fans and newcomers alike.

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With a challenging single player game and host of online options enabling gamers to interact with thousands of others simultaneously, Test Drive Unlimited is racing reinvented.

The PC game has been painstakingly adapted and configured to get the very best out of the latest cutting edge PC hardware, allowing it to be played in extremely high resolution with the incredible effects taking the visuals of Test Drive Unlimited to a stunning new level.

No monthly subscription is required to play. Test Drive Unlimited redefines the racing genre: over 1000 miles of tropical Hawaiian roadways, instant challenges launched with a flash of the headlights, online functionality allowing thousands of gamers to play and up to 8 to race against each other, and much more.

New Hardcore Mode: Available in free-ride and multiplayer challenges, simulation mode will expand the experience for players looking for ultra-realistic driving for both cars and bikes.

For the cars, telemetric data shows the actual physics modelled on real life parameters (independent grip for each tyre, weight transfer with G-meter, suspension, etc).

Adapted to steering wheels and the standard controller, the hardcore mode shows drivers exactly where they succeed and where they need to improve, pushing their driving skills and the vehicles to the very limits

Download Test Drive Unlimited in Softonic

With a challenging single player game and host of online options enabling gamers to interact with thousands of others simultaneously, Test Drive Unlimited is racing reinvented.

The PC game has been painstakingly adapted and configured to get the very best out of the latest cutting edge PC hardware, allowing it to be played in extremely high resolution with the incredible effects taking the visuals of Test Drive Unlimited to a stunning new level.

No monthly subscription is required to play. Test Drive Unlimited redefines the racing genre: over 1000 miles of tropical Hawaiian roadways, instant challenges launched with a flash of the headlights, online functionality allowing thousands of gamers to play and up to 8 to race against each other, and much more.

New Hardcore Mode: Available in free-ride and multiplayer challenges, simulation mode will expand the experience for players looking for ultra-realistic driving for both cars and bikes.

For the cars, telemetric data shows the actual physics modelled on real life parameters (independent grip for each tyre, weight transfer with G-meter, suspension, etc).

Adapted to steering wheels and the standard controller, the hardcore mode shows drivers exactly where they succeed and where they need to improve, pushing their driving skills and the vehicles to the very limits

Download Test Drive Megapack in Softonic

-Free choice of the mission, once you have accomplished all tasks. -Intuitive control via keyboard and mouse. Description:You are the owner of a large, very unpopular parking area and an armada of breakdown trucks for large as well as small vehicles.

With this kind of work you can make good money, because car owners have to pay a pretty penny to redeem their car. So it's high time to get on the gravy train.

But watch out -you have to drive the tow truck yourself and in narrow streets car body damage happens too easily. Such incidents are not only annoying but also expensive.

Only those who get their job done quickly and accident-free can expand their business. System requirements:Windows Me / 2000 / XP / Vista. UC: AMD oder Intel Pentium ab 1,5 GHz.

Download Towing Simulator in Softonic

X Motor Racing is an independently developed simulator that features real world tracks such as Donington Circuit, and unlicensed copies of real world cars with altered names.

First impressions of X Motor Racing are good. The car models are realistic, and the environments look clean, but detailed enough. This demo features one car and three tracks to try.
The game features no competition, just practicing lap times.
Doing so would not be so bad, but the realistic physics of X Motor Racing render driving - at least using the keyboard - horribly fiddly.
Even with an automatic transmission, it's a huge challenge to get round a road track without multiple spins, and the off-road tracks are really awful.
The sound is very average, with the sand-trap effects being particularly bad. There is no modeled damage on cars after collisions
The physics in X Motor Racing are customizable, but you'll need a lot of patience or expertise to really enjoy changing those parameters.
This is a simulator in the purest sense, and only for die-hard realism fans - although anyone who has driven a real car won't find this a very similar experience.

Download X Motor Racing 1.23 in Softonic

Download Ship Simulator 2008 in Softonic

The action takes place on the island of Ibiza, with more than 200 miles of roads and off-road tracks. This is in addition to the original Oahu, which is also updated and included! Test Drive Unlimited 2 is huge. The single player campaign is big enough to keep players occupied for a long time to come, and there is an extensive multiplayer component.

The gameplay hasn't changed so much. Driving is still a compromise between arcade and simulation, and the physics just aren't as advanced as in other games. However, you can get used to this and Test Drive Unlimited 2's main attractions are elsewhere. The scenery is beautiful, and the day night cycle with dynamic weather is great. For the romance of driving, this can't be beat. The sense of freedom, once you've played a little into the campaign is fantastic.

The other attraction in Test Drive Unlimited 2 is it's weirdness! The 'story', property and clothes buying are hilariously ridiculous. This is a racing game that opens with a dream sequence! Despite it's charm, there are some irritations, mainly the complex interfaces and un-skippable cut scenes.

If you loved the original, Test Drive Unlimited 2 improves and expands upon that game. Unfortunately the driving experience isn't quite what it should be, and it's still not as slick as the competition.

Download Test Drive Unlimited 2 in Softonic

The Driver Test program is highly interactive and it makes you feel that you are really on the road cruising along the streets and highways. The program's aim is to orient a driving student regarding road safety, and it improves the learner's initial mental driving skills to augment their reaction response to road situations.

The Driver Test can also be used by people who are still too young to enroll in a driving school. It helps them acquire the initial principles that they need to know for when they come of age and formally enroll in a driving school.

Download Driver Test 1.0 in Softonic

With 12 fastest race cars to choose from, a number of bonuses to help you win and various difficulty levels to help you improve, participate in over 50 tournaments and win the grand prix.

Compete on a variety of race tracks in different weather conditions and climates and prove that you are really fast and furious! If you encounter any technical problems we'll help you or give you a full refund.

Download Race Cars: the Extreme Rally in Softonic

Continental Truckers

This driving simulator puts you behind the wheel of a powerful truck and entrusts you with several different missions. Euro Truck Simulator's activities consist on taking cargo from one place to another and getting paid for the delivery. Saving enough money you will eventually be able to buy better and faster trucks to be able to work more and earn more money.

I find the main idea in Euro Truck Simulator is quite original. We're used to car, motorbike and even airplane driving simulators, but not that much to trucks. Also, the game features excellent, highly realistic graphics.

Need for sleep?

So far, so good. The problem is that Euro Truck Simulator becomes a boring game quite easily. I don't know if it was due to the repetitive sound of the engine, the slowness of my driving or the lack of real action, I started feeling sleepy shortly after starting to play. Maybe if you could play your own music on the truck's radio, or get into some more action by delivering illegal stuff and occasionally being chased by the cops, Euro Truck Simulator would be more exciting. Also, I didn't like the fact that I can't choose the UK as the starting country for my career as truck driver! It is extremely similar to German Truck Simulator and UK Truck Simulator

Euro Truck Simulator is a pretty original game, with especially outstanding graphics, but which gets boring quite easily.

Download Euro Truck Simulator 1.3 in Softonic

The game is pretty slick. The tutorial will take some time, and is not easy, and that's before you get to the racing. You steer with the mouse, and things like gears are on the keyboard. Mouse steering is never ideal, but the developers say if you're serious enough about driving, you'll own a steering wheel!

That is not ideal for most users, so you'll have to make do with the mouse. The graphics are pretty good, with nice vehicle models, realistic sound and good handling. What's annoying about racing is that the computer AI is too rigid. Other cars stick like glue to the racing line, and if you're out of position they won't avoid you, but push you, which often results in a spin.

This demo features 3 cars and one track, and the difficulty level means that's plenty to start off with. There has certainly been a lot of care put into Live for Speed, but unless you're a race perfectionist, you'll struggle to get to grips with it.

Live for Speed is a good looking simulator that doesn't pull its punches when it comes to being realistic.

Download Live for Speed S2 Demo in Softonic

Race On aims to bring the excitement of the World Touring Car Championship, Swedish Touring Car Championship, US muscle cars and more to your PC.

This demo lets you race one circuit in either the American Dodge Charger, or Seat Ibiza. Both options allow you extensive set ups, as well as practice and qualifying. You can choose your difficulty level, and configure controls and car set up.

As soon as you get into a race, the problems with Race On become apparent. Aside from the outdated graphics, even on novice setting, your car is jittery and delicate, and almost impossible to take round corners at speed. It's slightly easier with analogue controls, but on the keyboard, Race On is virtually unplayable to all but the most expert of drivers.

The two cars offered in the demo are certainly very different, but as both are so awkward to drive it's difficult to enjoy them. The Ibiza should be an aggressive road hugging drive, and the Dodge a rear-wheeled beast but both just handle as if they are driving on ice. Simulation lovers might enjoy some of this, but there are much better sims out there, and Race On is totally inaccessible for novices.

Poor graphics and terrible handling mean Race On needs to improve a lot for the full version to be a contender.

Download Race On Demo in Softonic

Need For Speed Shift has arrived, and heralds a change of direction for the venerable racing series. Whereas in recent years it has found success in street racing, Need For Speed Shift goes for track racing.

This demo offers two races, and four cars to try out. There's a street circuit around London's Westminster, and a traditional circuit race track too. Don't think that because this looks like serious racing it's not a Need For Speed game any more. The presentation, with macho narration, and lots of exciting video is pure Need For Speed.

The driving model in Need For Speed Shift is more realistic than the pure arcade fun of previous outings, but it's no Gran Turismo. You can still drive agressively, and it's still arcade-like. Sliding the rear out round corners is not frowned upon! It's an odd mix - looking like a serious game and playing like Need For Speed, but as long as you accept this isn't a simulation, it's fun.

You'll need a pretty powerful PC to fully enjoy this, as even graphics settings set to low will test older machines. If your PC can handle it, it's an adrenaline filled, pumped up game with plenty to do.

Need For Speed Shift puts the series back on track, just remember that while it looks like a simulation, it definitely isn't!

Download Need for Speed Shift 0018 in Softonic

There are few decent open source driving games on Windows and even fewer that are free. Racer is definitely a decent attempt at creating the latter, although I came across more than a few problems with it.

Racer is a cross-platform car simulation project which is high on realism, employing accurate car movements and controls to maximum effect. The fact that it's open source means that what you download are only the basics - to add more cars and tracks you'll have to go to the contents page where you will find links to several sites providing more cars and tracks.

When you start Racer, it's best to go to 'Options' and then 'Controls' to configure how you'd like to control your car. Click on the aspect you want to change the control for (such as accelerate and brake) and then press the button you'd like to use for it. When you start a race, you're able to configure how many cars you'd like to race against, which track, which car and how many tracks. However, you have to download these options from the contents page and upload them to Racer. It would have been nice if the developer had included at least a few examples to give a better taste of what the game can do. And besides, when I tried to select 16 cars to race against, the game simply crashed.

Because the controls are designed to be as realistic as possible, handling your car is quite tough. To get started, get your revs up and then shift into first gear. The problem is that the gear indicator isn't very clear, so as you're racing it's hard to know what gear you're in. However, the sounds and controls give a feeling of realism and the graphics aren't bad at all for a free racing application.

The good thing about Racer is that it is open source and the sky is the limit for those wanting to add to it. The bad is that you have to visit different sites to add bits onto it, the controls take some getting used to, and it is still prone to crashes.

Download Racer 0.8.4 Beta in Softonic

VDrift is an open-source racing simulator, featuring ten real world tracks and thirteen varied cars to choose from.

There are two game modes - practice and single race. Practice lets you drive any vehicle solo around a track, while single race lets you do the same against up to three computer controlled opponents. The menu screens in VDrift are very basic and functional, excepting the controls menu which is very unclear!

VDrift's in game graphics are fine, although in today's HD world they are a bit out-dated, as does is the sound. The driving physics are quite good, although some vehicles really don't respond well to keyboard control, as without analogue subtlety they are liable to spinning a lot!

While free games are always good, and an open source project like VDrift is admirable, there are some things that it seems only money can buy. Artificial Intelligence is one of those. The computer drivers are all the same, and drive as if you aren't there - they don't try to avoid you, for example. In slow cars they are extremely easy to beat, and in the F1 car they are robotically perfect. The other thing this lacks is character - the whole experience feels soulless, and being free can't make up for what is a pretty dry experience.

Constantly under development, VDrift is a competent but dull racing game, that lacks game modes good AI.

Download VDrift 2009-06-15 in Softonic

Ferrari Virtual Race is a free official Ferrari game that puts you behind the wheel of a selection of sports cars. Race up to seven other Ferraris around the legendary Mugelo circuit in Italy.

There are three cars to choose from, a 430 Scuderia, 599 Fiorano and 612 Scaglietti. They all handle differently, and you can race them in a mixed field of cars, or just against the same type. Ferrari Virtual Race has the usual options like manual or automatic, various camera modes and so on.

Ferrari Virtual Race's driving is pretty pleasing, not oversensitive like many simulators, and Mugelo is a goood track (it is a shame there's only one!). Opponents are good, and the three difficulty modes should suit everyone, although driving experts will no doubt have no trouble beating the hardest setting.

The sound is disappointing, but the graphics are good, with a nice motion effect at the edge of the screen, good car models and nice dust effects. There is an option in Ferrari Virtual Race to set up your own Ferrari online and race it in the game, but this is only available to people with a paid membership of the Ferrari website.

Ferrari Virtual Race may only have one track, but it's still one of the most impressive free PC racing games to date.

Download Ferrari Virtual Race in Softonic

PC users have had to wait a bit for Burnout Paradise to make the move from consoles, and possibly to compensate Criterion are offering this demo which gives you total access to the imaginary city, albeit for only half an hour.

The half an hour limit is an issue, as this is a huge download, coming in at 3 gigabytes! If you have a slow internet connection, you could easily be downloading for longer than you can play. The second issue is the format of introducing you to the game - which pauses your driving to explain something - can be irritating if you really just want to drive, see the city, and crash into stuff.

These criticisms can't detract from what is an absolutely fantastic arcade racing game. If you demand realistic handling and simulation from your racing games, Burnout Paradise is not for you. The physics are convincing while the handling of the cars is forgiving enough to permit long drifts and ridiculous jumps and crashes. Crashes, as fans of Burnout will tell you, are not done better anywhere else, and they are well integrated into races (after a big crash you have a running start!). This is all about adrenalin fueled, over the top, and psychotically dangerous racing.

There are numerous challenges from straight races to Road Rage, where the objectives is to takedown a number of other racers before you destroy your vehicle and Marked Man, where you have to reach a destination before pursuers destroy you. Alternatively, you can just drive around the enormous open world of Paradise City. Some people may find the lack of defined structure a pain - you are never told to do anything, just enter competitions at your leisure, but you soon get into the rhythm of the game.

Visually, the cars look great, the damage modeling is just what you would want, and the city is wonderful to look at, at night or day. The advantage of this fictional city is that it's been custom built to drive in, and the corners, ramps, short cuts and so on that are littered liberally around mean it's always a fun place to be.

As long as realism isn't your thing, Burnout Paradise City is the perfect driving playground.

Download Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box in Softonic

If you've always dreamed of driving a Mercedes but can't afford one, this could be an intermediate solution while you're saving money.

Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive puts you behind the steering-wheel of the awesome Mercedes CLC Coupé. The game is free though quite limited, as it only includes two gaming modes: a race against five other computer-controlled Mercedes through the streets of London and a single lap time trial against your personal best record. At least the scenarios are pretty realistic, giving you the opportunity to do some high-speed sightseeing around London or enjoy cool races at night.

The only choice of car available is obviously a Mercedes, but there are some customization options available such as changing color or getting new wheels. There are also three different difficulty levels that tailor the game to your driving skills.

That said, the truth is that Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive is not a very fun driving game and it has some surprisingly odd characteristics, like the absence of driver or the fact that the car is not affected by crashes. In a way it feels more like an interactive ad than a real computer game, so unless you're a fan of the famous German car brand, I'd recommend downloading other driving games before this one.

Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive is definitely a game for Mercedes fans: other people may find it too limited and a bit frustrating.

Download Mercedes CLC Dream Test Drive in Softonic