One in every of Need for Speed’s most iconic facets is the ‘hero’ cars related to each title.
From A$AP Rocky’s 190 E Mercedes in the newest NFS Unbound to the unmistakable E46 BMW M3 GT-R that graced the quilt of NFS Most Wanted back in 2005, hero cars aren’t all the time the rarest or costliest models in Need for Speed. But they do develop into an integral a part of the gameplay, either as a boss to defeat or a automobile to unlock as you progress.
This hasn’t all the time been the case with Need for Speed. Within the early titles, where customisation was limited and the gameplay was more arcade-focused, ‘halo’ cars were shown on covers to entice gamers with the type of models they may expect to race. But all that modified with the introduction of NFS Underground in 2003…
Eddie’s Skyline R34 wasn’t just the halo cover automobile – it was the automobile to battle right up until the ultimate challenge. What’s more, it could only be unlocked after earning a cool 3 million style points, something which wasn’t just exclusive to Underground, as variations of Eddie’s R34 might be unlocked in later titles including Most Wanted, Payback and Heat.
Speaking of Heat, you possibly can thank Speedhunters’ friend and design guru Khyzyl Saleem for the incredible body kit applied to the Polestar One hero automobile – something which was then recreated in real life to coincide with the sport’s launch back in 2019. Five years on, it still looks as fresh as ever.
The issue with delving into Need for Speed hero cars is that different titles will trigger different memories from various chapters of your personal life. So while certain cars might look a bit of ‘old fashioned’ by today’s standards, you possibly can’t help but still adore them as you’re transported back on a nostalgic trip down gaming memory lane.
The team at Need for Speed aren’t silly; they know these hero cars represent greater than just an unlockable automobile, especially after they’re the reward of battling for hours or completing all important missions and side quests. That’s why you’ll find so many labelled under the ‘Legends’ tab inside NFS Unbound, supplying you with the possibility to re-live and recreate past titles with all of the style and gameplay of the newest.
Now that is all well and good, but what about our favourite? With 30 years of NFS titles to pick from there’s no shortage of alternative. But pinning down one halo automobile to represent the whole of Speedhunters is an not possible task. So as a substitute, we’ve asked several of our contributors – spanning several many years – what hero automobile they’d drive in real life. Then, it’s over to you within the comments…
Alen Haseta: Nissan Skyline GT-R / Need for Speed Underground (2003)
“As someone introduced to Japanese cars through the primary two Fast & Furious movies, the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, on this case – Eddie’s Skyline – is by far my favourite hero automobile from the NFS franchise. It was the last word rival automobile that set the bar high for any recent player, and have become the symbol of accomplishment within the series.”
Cian Donnellan: Mitsubishi Evo X / Need For Speed ProStreet (2007)
“Need For Speed ProStreet was an enormous formative a part of my childhood. I used to be 14 when it was released, and although I’d grown up with NFS: Underground, ProStreet just hit the mark for me due to its combination of modified cars and proper motorsport. Also, seeing my local track (Mondello Park) in a game absolutely blew my mind! The one automobile which stood out for me was Ryo Watanabe’s Mitsubishi Evo X. The wide body, insane snake wrap and BBS wheels. Never before has a game version of a automobile been higher than (perhaps) any real-life versions.”
“What really cemented it as a favorite was the era it captured – drifting Imprezas and Evos seemed quite normal due to Team Orange in Japan, however it also marked the trye end to the incredible period of ‘proper’ rally-bred weapons on the road.”
Vladimir Ljadov: Lamborghini Diablo SV / Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit (1998)
“Back in 1998 or 1999, my older brother bought a PlayStation and we got just a few video games with it: FIFA 98, Mortal Combat and Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit. I still remember the yellow Lamborghini Diablo SV racing against the cops on the sport’s cover. For a lot of more years, I didn’t have a clue what ‘SV’ meant, however it looked rattling cool on the side of a sleek Lambo.”
“It was my favourite automobile to outrun the law on a busy rural autumn road in ‘Hometown’, reminding me of the Cannonball movie. That’s until ‘AI’ sent a few Diablo pursuit vehicles.”
Stefan Kotze: Ford GT90 & Ford Indigo / Need for Speed II (1997)
“I’ve been playing Need for Speed since primary school, my favourites being Pro Street, Most Wanted, Underground 2 and Porsche 2000 – the latter my #1. Surprisingly though, my favourite hero automobile – or should I say cars – doesn’t come from any of those titles – it’s from Need for Speed II. I’m talking concerning the Ford GT90 and Ford Indigo, which immediately captivated me. The Ford GT90 was a 5.9L V12 quad-turbo, mid-engined, rear wheel drive monster, with an aluminium and carbon fibre monocoque chassis.”
“The Indigo was just as wild, with a single-piece, tub-type carbon composite chassis, a 6.0L naturally aspirated V12, and a wing on the front of the automobile. The automobile was essentially a showcase of Ford IndyCar technologies on the time. The indisputable fact that these cars were unlike anything I’d ever seen makes them proper hero cars for me. If only that they had made it from NFS concept to reality…”
Mario Christou: Shelby GT500 / Need for Speed The Run (2011)
“This will be a left field alternative, but there’s just something about Jack’s Shelby GT500 Super Snake from NFS The Run which has stayed with me all these years. Possibly it’s because I played through the sport multiple times on my Xbox 360, or because I’m a (not-so) secret muscle automobile fiend. Either way, the custom bodywork, HRE split rims, and supercharged V8 made for one of the vital badass NFS hero cars ever.”
Chaydon Ford: Italdesign Nazca C2 / Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit (1998)
“Discovering the Need for Speed series as a child was mind-blowing. It allowed to digitally experience exotic cars only seen in magazines and, within the case of Hot Pursuit, outrun the law. The Italdesign Nazca C2 was the automobile that captured my imagination. With its large greenhouse, gull wing doors and low-slung body line it looked like nothing else in the sport.”
“While not the quickest, performance-wise it was one the best-balanced starter automobile. While I used to be besotted with anything car-related from a young age, Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit unlocked a brand new level of obsession which hasn’t wavered since.”
Jeroen Willemson: BMW M3 GTR / Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005)
“After my latest visit to the Pace Museum, I used to be reminded of NFS Most Wanted. On display was a BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion, the road version of the BMW M3 GTR that the NFS Most Wanted hero automobile is predicated on. For me, that is Need for Speed’s ultimate hero automobile.”
“The enduring silver with blue striping continues to be seen on modified E36s in the true world nearly a decade after the sport’s release, which speaks volumes. My most memorable M3 GTR moment in Most Wanted is the ultimate mission, where you could evade the police. The last hop over the bridge out of the fictional city of Rockport is something I’ll always remember.”
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