Porsce vs. Lamborghini is the kind of dream stand-off that, for boy racers at least, is up there alongside Alien Vs. Predator and even, maybe, the mythical Digestives vs Hobnobs. It's also one of the many stages offered in one of the two pleasingly expansive Career modes in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. You get to pick a motor from the two big-hitting European manufacturers, and take part in a high-speed cross-country race off with five other racers.

This large range of performance vehicles is the biggest attraction of Hot Pursuit 2. There's a tremendous selection of sports vehicles that go like va-va-voom off a shovel. It's a petrolheads' Xmas list, with the likes of the Dodge Viper, Fiat Barchetta, Mercedes GTR and Ford Cougar

Almost everything else about the game is decent, and nothing more. Only the draw distance is excellent, allowing you to see the road as it snakes ahead, but the frame rate plods a little.

The addition of cops increases both the fun and the chances of a pile-up, but the law is easy to dupe in a one-on-one situation. All handling is accessibly and suitably slack, but doesn't change very much from car to car.

The races are sometimes overlong, with a single lap of certain courses clocking up more miles and minutes than a rally track. So, as in Burnout, you can put in seven minutes of worthy effort in a race only to lose everything on the final corner, be it through your own inability or a suicidal civilian vehicle.

As we've wheeled Burnout out for comparison, we should say that this isn't as fast, slick and adrenaline-packed as that fine urban racer. It does come close, but only during the cream of the Career challenges.

Early levels feel achingly slow, partially due to the middling frame rate, as you potter about with the low-performance vehicles before earning your hi-octane birthright - the aforementioned Porsche vs Lamborghini stage, for example.

When you eventually get your hands on the Mercedes GTR, a car that looks as if it'd be as happy in outer space as it is on the road, you'll get some of that titular speed you've been promised. Even then, however, 200mph just doesn't feel as alarmingly, uncontrollably fast as it should do.

Hot Pursuit 2 is enjoyable, unsubtle fun for those who fancy flipping one at the cops in famed performance vehicles over vast expanses of winding country road.

1. A full showroom of mighty hot rods
2. Top draw distance
3. Accessible arcade driving fun

1. Needs more speed
2. One-note handling
3. Long-winded races

Power
Great draw distance, but sometimes the game moves sluggishly. Overall, a bit average.

Style
Some colourful coastal tracks to see, and the cars look and sound suitably shiny and throaty.

Immersion
If you can hack the simplistic, laid-back pace of it all, then you're in for a smooth ride.

Lifespan
Two sprawling career modes and a bulging register of upgrading stuff to unlock will keep you busy.

Summary
Despite feeling a bit sluggish, this is a good arcade racer that offers solid driving fun. If only it was a bit more thrilling...