In a franchise as long-running asNeed for Speed, with so many fans from all over the world, it’s no surprise that some cars from these games manage to hold the position ofmost memorablein the Hall of Fame. Each one of these cars is presented in their respective title as the Goliath, something that players should yearn for and work to unlock, and when these cars are unlocked, the wait is more than worth it.
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Here are the six vehicles from all the Need for Speed games that are so memorable that players can instantly recognize them.
6Audi Le Mans Quattro
Need for Speed: Carbon
Need For Speed: Carbon
The Audi Le Mans Quattro is a prototype supercar that graced the cover of Need for Speed Carbon. It was the vehicle owned by Darius, the final boss of the game, and while players won’t be able to use the car in career mode or the free roam, it’s unlocked in Quick Race mode after defeating Darius.
The car’s striking design, which later influenced the production of the Audi R8, pairs aerodynamic sleekness with aggressive lines, making it a joy to behold in NFS Carbon’s main menu. It’s a bummer that players never got to roam around the game’s open world in the Le Mans Quattro after defeating Darius unless they added mods to the game’s PC version, but fans still fondly remember this car not just for its looks, but for how the game built the car’s hype up.
5Rachel’s Nissan 350Z
Need for Speed: Underground 2
Rachel’s bright green Nissan 350Z is the first car players take control of in Need for Speed Underground 2 and its bold design with a wide body kit, black spoiler and matching green underglow, perfectly showcases the JDM tuner culture that players will eventually experience, leaving a lasting impression.
While players only borrow the car for a few minutes early on in the game, it serves as one of the most memorable gateways into Bayview’s underground racing scene, setting the stage for the in-depth customization and anopen world that was way ahead of its time. While not the exact same car, players can purchase a stock 350Z after it unlocks, and upgrade and customize it to look exactly like Rachel’s if they want to.
4Mazda RX-7 Battle Machine
Need for Speed: ProStreet
Need for Speed: ProStreet was a unique game, and while its gameplay never caught on with the fans, the Mazda RX-7 Battle Machine featured in nearly every trailer and poster did. It’s debatable whether it was the hype building up to it, or the fact that even after all the hype, EA Blackbox didn’t add this car in the game itself, taking away the one thing that fans had fallen in love with, that the car became such a phenomenon. But one thing is clear: the RX-7, with its untidy livery design, a bunch of dents and scratches, and the duct-taped bumper, showed the the car had been through a lot and felt like it almost had a personality of its own.
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To rectify their mistake, EA did add this car in Need for Speed Undercover and Need for Speed World, but it was unfortunate that these were two of the worst Need for Speed games, and the RX-7 Battle Machine in these games was a heavily stripped down and ugly-looking version.
3Eddie’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
Need for Speed Underground
Need for Speed: Underground
Eddie’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 is easily one of the most-recognizable cars in all of the Need for Speed franchise. As thefinal boss of the game, Eddie and his iconic Skyline were the pinnacle of what players aspired to beat, an aspiration that extended to the car itself. With its orange paint job, aggressive black vinyl and the unmistakable roar of its engine, the Skyline wasn’t just another vehicle, but more like a final boss that players needed to tame if they wanted to call themselves racers.
What made Eddie’s Skyline so memorable, though, wasn’t just its unbeatable aura, but the fact that players could eventually unlock and drive it themselves after beating Eddie, fulfilling the one goal that they had put themselves up against. And finally owning this car felt like no less than a trophy.
Need for Speed 2 SE
Back in the days when the Need for Speed franchise used to be more experimental, players got to get their hands on what can only be called the ultimate fictional supercar. In Need for Speed 2 SE, by winning the Tournament mode or by typing in the cheat code “fzr2000” in the main menu, players could unlock a car that was so absurdly overpowered that it made supercars like the McLaren F1 look like a joke.
The FZR2000 had a mind-boggling top speed of 264 mph (426 kph) whereas the McLaren F1 could only hit 240 mph, breakneck acceleration, and steering so sharp that players could hit the inside corners when taking turns at max speed if they weren’t careful. This car embodied everything the Need for Speed franchise stood for back in the day, and people who play this game know how iconic the FZR2000 was.
Before Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005), NFS 2 SE was my favorite game and I used to play that game to death.
1E46 BMW M3 GTR
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Everyone knew this was coming. If there’s one car that has transcended gaming as a media, a car that encapsulated not just a single game but an entire franchise, a car that has been in the hearts of billions of fans for the past 20 years, it’s the E46 BMW M3 GTR from Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
This silver-and-blue beast is the first car players drive in the game, and it soon gets taken by Razor, who cheats his way to get the pink slip. Getting back at Razor for what he did and bringing the M3 GTR back to its rightful owner is the only goal players have during the roughly twenty hour playthrough. Considering this, and the fact this game is the best Need for Speed title ever released, it’s no wonder that the M3 GTR managed to claim the throne as the most iconic and memorable car in the game series.
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