One of the ‘Need for speed’The most iconic aspect is the ‘hero’ cars that come with each title.
From A$AP Rocky’s 190 E Mercedes in the last NFS Unbound to the unmistakable E46 BMW M3 GT-R that graces the cover of NFS Most Wanted In 2005, hero cars weren’t always the rarest or most expensive models in the world. Need for speedBut they do become an integral part of the gameplay, either as a final boss you have to defeat or as a car you can unlock as you progress.
This has not always been the case Need for speed. In early titles, where customization was limited and gameplay was more arcade-focused, ‘halo’ cars were featured on covers to entice gamers with the types of models they could expect to race. But that all changed with the introduction of NFS Underground in 2003…
Eddie’s Skyline R34 wasn’t just the halo cover car – it was the car to fight with until the final challenge. And more importantly, it could only be unlocked after earning a cool 3 million style points, something that wasn’t just exclusive to Underground, as variations of Eddie’s R34 could be unlocked in later titles, including Most Wanted, Refund And Heat.
Speaking of Heat, You can thank Speedhunters’ friend and design guru Khyzyl Saleem for the incredible bodykit applied to the Polestar One hero car – something that was subsequently recreated in the real world to coincide with the game’s launch in 2019. Five years on, it still looks as fresh as ever.
The problem with delving into Need for speed hero cars is that different titles evoke different memories from different chapters of your own life. So while certain cars may look a little ‘old school’ by today’s standards, you can’t help but still adore them as you go on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
The team of Need for speed aren’t stupid; they know that these hero cars are more than just an unlockable car, especially when they’re the reward for hours of fighting or completing all the main missions and side missions. That’s why you’ll find so many of them labeled under the ‘Legends’ tab in NFS Unbound, This gives you the chance to relive and create previous titles, but with the same style and gameplay as the latest one.
That’s all well and good, but what about our favorite? With 30 years of experience NFS titles to choose from there is no shortage of choice. But pin An halo car to the whole from Speedhunters is an impossible task. So instead, we asked a bunch of our contributors – spanning multiple decades – which hero car they would drive in real life. Then it’s up to you in the comments…
Alen Haseta: Nissan Skyline GT-R / Need for Speed Underground (2003)
“As someone who was introduced to Japanese cars through the first two Fast & Furious films, the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, in this case Eddie’s Skyline, is by far my favourite hero car from the NFS franchise. It was the ultimate rival car that set the bar for every new player and became the symbol of achievement in the series.”
Cian Donnellan: Mitsubishi Evo
“Need For Speed ProStreet was a huge formative part of my childhood. I was 14 when it came out and although I had grown up on NFS: Underground, ProStreet hit the spot for me with its combination of modified cars and real-world motorsport. Also seeing my local circuit (Mondello Park) in a game completely blew me away! The car that really stood out for me was Ryo Watanabe’s Mitsubishi Evo X. The wide bodywork, insane snake wrap and BBS wheels. Never before has a video game version of a car been better than (perhaps) any real-world version.”
“What really made it a favourite was the era it captured – drifting Imprezas and Evos seemed commonplace thanks to Team Orange in Japan, but it also marked the end of the incredible period of ‘real’ rally weapons on the road.”
Vladimir Lyadov: Lamborghini Diablo SV / Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit (1998)
“In 1998 or 1999, my older brother got a PlayStation and we got 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 the cops on the cover of the game. For years I had no idea what ‘SV’ meant, but it looked pretty damn cool on the side of a sleek Lambo.”
“It was my go-to car for outrunning the law on a busy country road in the fall in ‘Hometown,’ and it reminded me of the movie Cannonball. Until ‘AI’ sent in a couple of Diablo chase vehicles.”
Stefan Kotze: Ford GT90 & Ford Indigo / Need for Speed II (1997)
“I’ve been playing Need for Speed since elementary school, my favorites are Pro Street, Most Wanted, Underground 2, and Porsche 2000 – the latter being my #1. Surprisingly enough, my favorite hero car – or should I say cars – aren’t from any of these titles – but from Need for Speed II. I’m talking about the Ford GT90 and Ford Indigo, which immediately captured my attention. The Ford GT90 was a 5.9L V12 quad-turbo, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive monster, with an aluminum and carbon fiber monocoque chassis.”
“The Indigo was just as wild, with a one-piece, tub-style carbon composite chassis, a 6.0L naturally aspirated V12, and a wing on the front of the car. The car was essentially a showcase of Ford IndyCar technology at the time. The fact that these cars were unlike anything I had ever seen before makes them true hero cars for me. If only they had made it from NFS concept to reality…”
Mario Christou: Shelby GT500 / Need for Speed The Run (2011)
“This may be an unexpected choice, but there’s just something about Jack’s Shelby GT500 Super Snake from NFS The Run that has stuck with me all these years. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve replayed the game multiple times on my Xbox 360, or maybe it’s because I’m a (not-so) secret muscle car fanatic. Either way, the custom bodywork, HRE split wheels, and supercharged V8 made for one of the most badass NFS hero cars ever.”
Chaydon Ford: Italdesign Nazca C2 / Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit (1998)
“When I discovered the Need for Speed series as a kid, it was mind-boggling. It gave me the opportunity to digitally experience exotic cars that were only seen in magazines and, in the case of Hot Pursuit, outrun the law. The Italdesign Nazca C2 was the car that captured my imagination. With its large greenhouse, gullwing doors and low body line, it looked like nothing else in the game.”
“While not the fastest, it was one of the best balanced starter cars performance-wise. While I’ve been obsessed with all things automotive since I was a kid, Need for Speed III Hot Pursuit unlocked a new level of obsession that hasn’t waned since.”
Jeroen Willemson: BMW M3 GTR / Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005)
“After my last visit to the Pace Museum, I was reminded of NFS Most Wanted. There was a BMW M3 GTR Strassenversion on display, the road-going version of the BMW M3 GTR that the NFS Most Wanted hero car is based on. For me, this is the ultimate Need for Speed hero car.”
“The iconic silver and blue stripes can still be seen on customized E36s in the real world almost a decade after the game was released, which speaks volumes. My most memorable M3 GTR moment in Most Wanted is the final mission where you have to evade the cops. The final jump over the bridge out of the fictional town of Rockport is something I will never forget.”
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