Gran Turismo fans? You may want to pop off and complete another vehicle licence. This could get ugly. You see, after years of chipping away at Turismo's alabaster pedestal, Codemasters' TOCA series has come out with Race Driver 3 and all but shunted the previously untouchable 'real driving simulator' into the central reservation. It's done this by creating the most comprehensive racer yet on PS2. But there's something else going on behind TOCA's god-like swagger. Call it playability if you like. Everyman appeal isn't a bad description either. Where Gran Turismo appeals to the logical side of your brain, Race Driver 3 is all heart. And you know what? It's won ours.

Fundamentally, it's about the way TOCA looks at the car. Whereas Turismo worships its vehicles - no damage allowed and the near-perverse photo mode - TOCA loves the car as a tool. And the best tools get dirty and bent, worn and weathered, and you love them all the more for it. There's no cold, passionless, 'look but don't touch' vibe with TOCA. This is a game with full damage. And it's not just cosmetic panel dinking either. Brake late into a corner in a vintage Mercedes W25 and you won't just lose the lead and bounce off the barriers. Most likely you'll lose a front wheel... and that's your race over. At the first corner. This is a racer where you're constantly reminded that victory isn't just about following the ribbons of burny rubber and holding a flawless line. It's about pushing a ton or so of metal to the limit without sheering, smacking or knackering its components in the process. If this sounds like an overly complicated approach, it's not. Tune into the experience, and driving in TOCA is a brilliantly immediate and intuitive process, packed with subtle (and not so subtle) feedback. And just like real racing, it's an emotional experience too. Find yourself a quarter of a lap off the finish line in pole position but with a bollixed axle and 20 opponents gaining on you, and you'll understand exactly what we mean. And when it comes to the game's satisfying driving model, what's true of the game's twin stick analogue control (left to steer, right for acceleration and braking) is multiplied tenfold if you hook up a decent steering wheel and pedals.

Another thing that TOCA embraces - and that Gran Turismo, for all its accuracy, fails to grasp - is that, for race fans, it's the competition that's the ultimate juice. And that's why you nearly always get to jostle for position in dramatic 21-strong packs. And it's why you get some 35-plus types of motorsport to choose from divided into 100 or so championships in six categories - Open-Wheel, Touring Cars, Oval, Classics, Off-Road and Rally, and GT. That translates to over 70 different vehicles to unlock and drive. Listing all of these would fill the remainder of this review and then some. Better to pick out a few highlights and assure you that short of (shudder!) bikes, if you've got a favourite motorsport, TOCA's almost certainly got your obsession covered.

We love the inclusion of the Euro Karting Championship. Low centre of gravity plus light kerb weight and fat tyres make for phenomenal grip. It's not Formula 1 (although you get Williams F1 cars from the '70s-'90s too) but it's the stuff of wall-to-wall, fat, cheesy grins.

Off-road, the Baja buggies and Baja Beetle kit cars are a blast. You don't so much thread them through corners as you do massage them into power slides and hope you've judged the drift just right. Braking? Not unless you enjoy spinning off in a cloud of grit.

When it comes to touring cars, it's hard to beat the Teutonic muscle in the DTM championship - irresponsibly over-torquey Benzos, Audis and, ahem, Vauxhall Vectras. Winning here requires faultless concentration and nerves of tempered titanium. The same can be said for the GT category's British GT. Put it like this: if anyone's got a TVR T400R kicking around that they don't use any more, you know where to find us. It's an incredible racing tool.

But it's not all-new metal. The Classics category manages to incorporate arguably the greatest spread of handling challenges, boasting everything from those tiny cigar-shaped Mercedes W25s to the legendary Audi Quattro, Lancia Stratos and a wealth of unruly, arse-heavy RWD American muscle cars.

Even the usual low-point for UK race fans, the US oval 'speedway' events, manages to raise and sustain interest with handling that demands more than just a cursory tap left on the steering every so often.

No doubt you'll find your own favourites somewhere in TOCA's garage. As much as Race Driver 3 is all about being comprehensive, it's also gone to great lengths to inject flexibility into the experience. To this end, you can choose to work your way through the game via a cut-scene-buffered World Tour that flits between race types, or you can choose Pro Career - a more systematic route that encourages you to choose one of the six main categories and then work your way through it from start to finish. Naturally you can also dip into the action with single race and time trials. There's also split-screen multiplayer, LAN multiplayer and online events that feature 12-strong races (an increase from Race Driver 2's eight).

This flexibility also extends to how seriously you take race preparation. If you fancy a quick, ego-flattering spin, then you're free to dial the difficulty setting right down, turn off sand traps and let the computer fit your upgrades and trim the settings. If, however, you're the kind of racer who wouldn't dream of using automatic gears - um, like us, obviously - then TOCA's up fro the challenge. Try a few practice laps, and then you can wallow in a world of tweaking, Downforce, transmission, tyres, brake bias, ride height, suspension, toe and camber - you can fiddle around with them all until they're exactly how you want them.

Should the screenshots around you not say it loud enough then it's worth stating for the record that this is a gorgeous game. Even with 21 cars on-screen, the visuals hold up both in terms of detail and smooth animation. And talking of 'loud', kudos is due to the sound designers. Whether listening through cans or surround sound, the feedback from engine, tyres and competitors' cars is exemplary.

As for downsides, the only fundamental criticism you can lay at Race Driver 3's door is that it's not an original concept. And yes, we are reaching, in every other respect, this is an essential racer - arguably the only racer on PS2 that caters to sim fans, occasional thrill seekers and every grade of petrolhead passion in-between. Go buy.

Graphics 90%
21 cars per race and the detail is superb.

Sound 80%
From SFX to dialogue, this is accomplished.

Gameplay 90%
Massive variety of vehicle classes.

Lifespan 90%
A huge game with virtually limitless appeal.

Overall 90%
When it comes to realism, TOCA is now hot on Gran Turismo's heels. As for variety, accessibility and heart, it's already way ahead.