While Ford doesn't quite have the desirability factor of Mercedes or the upper-class refinement of Rolls-Royce, it is a company with plenty of history, tradition and classic cars to its name. Ford Racing 3 draws on that history with a wealth of motors to unlock, and it'll help you learn the difference between a '55 Thunderbird and a '68 Mustang. If that doesn't excite you, it's worth noting that you'll also get the chance to race around in one of the coolest cars ever made - the legendary Ford Capri.

This, the third game in the Ford Racing series (duh - ed), adds substantially to the content of the generally well-received second game. There's more of everything, with a total of 56 cars, 12 reversible courses and two dedicated racing circuits waiting to be unlocked. Progress is fairly swift, mind, and we'd estimate that good drivers will be able to unlock everything in about ten to 15 dedicated hours. But in addition to the single-player game, you can also take your favourite cars online via Xbox Live to race against other Ford fanatics.

There are three main game modes to keep you busy. Two of these provide the meat and veg of the single-player game where cars and courses are unlocked, while the third is basically a 'build your own race' mode. The Ford Competition takes you through a progression of themed races, getting progressively harder as the rewards become more substantial. Its companion - The Ford Challenge - offers yet more unlockables through a series of 11 themed race types including old favourites like Drafting and Time Attack alongside new additions Boost, Relay and Overtake. Once you've unlocked everything you can then create your own tailor-made race in Ford Competition mode.

Car handling is very much old-skool arcade; point, shoot and bounce off the sides. It's basic, but easy to pick up. There's no damage modelling, so no matter how many times you stack your ride headfirst into the walls it'll never go out of shape. You can choose to drive in automatic or manual mode, but apart from that the only skill you really need to master is how to slide around corners.

There's a lot of differentiation between the various cars, and even the worst driver in the world would be hard-pushed not to notice the difference between a '49 Coupe and a '92 RS Cosworth. While the physics are sound enough most of the time, it can often feel - especially with the faster cars - like they are pivoting around from the centre, rather than turning on their wheels, which makes fast cornering all the more tricky. Opposing AI-controlled cars, while often unpredictable, certainly aren't slow and will keep up with you, even when you're in a supposedly faster car.

Graphically, Ford Racing 3 looks okay, if not exactly stunning; expect the usual assortment of trackside clichés, overblown sunbursts, giant Buddha statues and so on. The actual racing's fluid enough, and there are no framerate issues to speak of. Track design is pretty good too, with plenty of hills and a good mix of straights, corners and chicanes to negotiate. Sadly, the background music is all widdly '80s cock rock-style instrumental and thoroughly dreadful.

Ford Racing 3 offers lots of cars to unlock, and plenty of challenges and game types to keep you amused - it's not by any means the worst driving game ever made, and it's a snip at £20. But, much like the Ford brand itself, there isn't really much in the way of glitz or glamour to it either.

1. For a budget arcade racer, Ford Racing 3 looks fairly good and comes with a good spread of game modes and plenty of content to unlock.
2. Car handling is firmly in the old-skool arcade camp. There's no damage modelling, so bounce off the walls as much as you like.
3. There's a good spread of game types and race modes, most of which have been borrowed from other premium racing titles.
4. The aim is to unlock all 55 cars, plus all the tracks and circuits and modes. Reply value lies in devising your own races and Live racing.
5. If Ford was as sexy a brand as, say, Aston Martin or Ferrari, then this would probably hold more mass appeal and cost twice as much.

Expands on its predecessor, offering more content and challenges. Competently made, but lacking in glitz and glamour.