This another old game, written for Windows98 but seems to work quite happily on newer systems. However, the graphics are limited to low resolutions so not that great looking on a modern PC. The AI on many of the circuits can be quite entertaining and there are some good races to be had.

If you fancy racing about in cars as a bit of a change from bikes then try Sports Car GT, especially as you can do the usual mods and replace the original cars with ones of your choice. Same with tracks. The game comes with a good selection including Donnington, but if you fancy Spa, Le Mans and The Nordschleife then you'll have to search the Net. Much is available on RSCnet.

The graphics are a little bit old hat now but the game offers great racing, with brilliant artificial intelligence from the other drivers. Nudge the rear end of the car in front and you can spin him out, but it can happen to you just as easily. Competition is tough, and unlike Gran Turismo the cars don't just give up once you're past them, they keep coming back at you, so you have to stay on it to get the win.

It's based on the eundurance series, so races are designed to be longish, with pit stops for replacing tyres, fixing damage and re-fuelling. If you have a big smack the car will get bent, and this will affect handling, so repairs are essential. The best bit about the pit stops in a long race is the driver change. When you get a bit cross-eyed from staring at the screen for too long, just pit in, select AI driver and your computer controlled team mate will drive for a while. He will carry on pitting for tyres and fuel, and when he decides you have to take over again the 'pooter beeps to warn you. Unfortunately the game AI can go a bit bonkers at the 'Ring when cars come into the pits and have to get out through the barriers back onto the track.

The game was released in '99, so the graphics are not leading edge, 1024 x 768 being the max resolution, but it does mean you can play on a modest PC, although for decent frame rates with lots of cars racing you will need a decent graphics card.

Some of the download cars are much better looking than the standard ones, and you can kit yourself out with the full 1960's Le Mans grid, with track.

You can also get the Nordschleife, which is pretty accurate and, although a conversion of the GP Legends track, it reflects feel of the present circuit right down to the toll barriers, the ticket office and the car parks. Excellent fun and well worth a go if you have a decent laptop which isn't man enough to run the latest graphics-heavy games.

If you like tweaking ini files then the cars can be tuned to a fine degree but adjusting the values in their .veh files, altering just about every parameter going, including weight, gearing, power, etc. And the cars react accordingly in the game, so grab a VW Golf and watch it wallow around the circuit on soft old road springs, running wide everywhere and generally being useless.

The game caters for multiplayer network and online use, so handy that it will play on a decent portable if you fancy challenging a mate.

For a game that was given away free with steering wheels Sportscar GT is a blast. If you don't get a free one, get a secondhand disc from Amazon or ebay.