Customize your own car games

If you've always wanted to own a super rare sports car, CSR Racing 2 is the closest you will get without having to spend a few hundred grand.

CSR Racing 2 is NaturalMotion's second edition drag racer, and it's just launched on the App Store. If you thought the first version looked incredible, your mind is going to be blown when you see what they've done with CSR Racing 2.

Just like the original, the development team has gone to the extreme to create painstakingly detailed, super realistic cars. With four years of advancements in mobile gaming technology at their disposal, NaturalMotion has turned virtual car collecting into art.

We've taken CSR Racing 2 through its paces and have the definitive guide to getting the most respect and gold to put you into a collector class all your own.

Your first car

One of the biggest features of the CSR Racing franchise is the beautifully detailed cars. There is a level of precision that is unmatched by any other car-related game. We're not just talking about cool reflections and shadows off of the hood. Each car is officially licensed by a real manufacturer. So, the cars are designed as if they were real, all the way down to the stitching on the interior. And, yes, in CSR 2, you can open the doors and trunk to get a good look inside at the dash, seats, and inner lining.

You're gifted 130 gold to help you buy your first car. This is just enough cash to choose one of seven Tier 1 cars: The Cooper S, Golf GTI, Hundai Veloster, Dodge Dart Mopar '13, Scion FR-S, Ford Fiesta ST, and Abarth 500.

All of the starter cars have similar performance specs, so your choice is based more on the make and model you prefer than anything else.

After you choose your first car, it's delivered to your garage, and this part is awesome. Instead of the car just appearing in its spot, the doors roll up in your virtual garage and it slowly drives in, with the camera view switching from side to top-down, so you can really get a good look at your new ride.

Spend some time looking at your car. Drag your finger across the screen to see it from different angles. Tap the door to open it up and look at the interior. Don't forget to pinch-to-zoom in. You can't get inside the car yet, but you can get a pretty good view of the detail work. Pop the hood to check out your engine. You'll be impressed with how real it all looks.

You can take screen shots, and even real-time video of your sweet new ride using Replay in the game.

Once you've given your new car the once-over twice, it's time to hit the streets.

How to race

Just like the original CSR Racing, this is a drag racing game. You fly down a straight street at speed far above 100 MPH, pitted against a single opponent. Races are less than a quarter-mile long and usually take about 15 seconds if your slow.

At the starting line, tap on the gas pedal to rev your engine. Keep a perfect balance of light tapping to stay in the green as you rev. If you are in the green when the countdown ends, you will earn a Perfect Start reward. This updated starting mechanic is much better than the previous game because you can see on the gauge when you are in the green and when you've gone over or under into the red.

Shifting is similar. As soon as the gauge reaches the green zone, tap the pedal to shift. A Perfect Shift will also earn you some extra cash. Most races are so short that you'll only shift three or four times.The shifting mechanic is also much better than the first CSR Racing game because you can see on the gauge when you are getting closer to the perfect shift and how much leeway you have to be off.

Don't forget to use your nitrous. Even if you think you are way ahead of your opponent, he can overpower you in a split second by deploying his N20, so be ready for a quick speed jump. Tap the nitrous button on the left side of the screen to really hit maximum speed.

Solo racing

The campaign races, or Crew Races, will earn you the biggest payout and most respect points (RP), but are the hardest to win. This is where the storyline takes place, as well. Jerry, the Crew manager keeps getting cars stolen from his garage and needs your help catching the criminals. As you help him by beating Crew Races, he will work to get you in good with the top racers in Tier 2.

The Daily Battles let you get behind the wheel of a rare sports car. Each time, it's random. You won't know what you're driving until you are behind the wheel. The fun part of entering a Daily battle is that you get to see how different cars perform, some of which you may never get to own because they are cost prohibitive, even in the game.

The Ladder puts you up against progressively tougher opponents each time you race. The higher you get, the more cash you earn. These races are great for earning big bucks when you are desperate to upgrade your ride so you can hold your own in Crew Battles.

Regulation races are straight forward races where you don't earn a whole lot, but as long as you have gas in your tank, you can earn some quick cash. They are great for working in a new car that needs a lot of upgrades. Drive the rookie races until you've gotten better parts.

Various Cup Events are added all of the time. You can earn RP for your crew in the Prestige Cup or get rare fusion parts in the Fusion Trials. Cup Events are limited time restricted races that have some requirement for you to to enter, like a specific car or stock parts.

Online racing

This is where NaturalMotion's collaboration with Zynga really shines. Live Races are where you compete against real players for the biggest RPs. When you enter a Live Race, you'll be able to choose an opponent, which will be a person in real life waiting on the other end for someone to race against.

When you join a crew, you'll be able to compete with your group against other crews. Once you reach Tier 2, you'll have to drop the clutch manually in Live Races.

You can place bets on Live Races with your "Soft cash, " which is really easy to earn in the game. You won't be able to bet with gold.

You can go on what's called a "Winning Streak." For example, if you win three Live Races in a row, you'll win special keys, which can help you win special cars. These rare cars are so special that they aren't available to purchase with gold, only with Rare Import keys.

Gassing up

Just like in the first version, your gameplay will be limited by the amount of gas you have. Your 10-pip tank will last about 20 minute (more at the beginning of your game). You can earn pip refills for watching an advertisement or inviting your friends on Facebook to play. You can also refill your tank for 20 gold pieces, but it might be better to just set the game down for a couple of minutes. New pips refill every five minutes.