ProStreet takes a sharp detour from the series’ free-roaming cities and harrowing police pursuits, offering a peek at an imagined “near future” where street racing has become an organized, legit sport. So nearly every moment your wheels touch pavement is spent racing in one of four disciplines. Drift around tight corners at harsh angles, compete in the straight-up circuits of grip racing, post the fastest time on track segments or long stretches of treacherous tarmac in speed challenge events, and struggle to keep a rein on your ride’s raw power on drag strips.

A new physics engine delivers much more realistic handling that differs markedly between every vehicle in your garage, from the fishtail-happy rump of a classic muscle car to the assured grip of an Impreza. The result is a convincing automotive experience that dusts the cartoonish cheats of the past. Newbies needn’t worry, though: two tiers of driving assistance help with braking and tight turns, while optional arrows indicate optimal lines and braking patterns.

Tuning flexibility falls short of that in Forza Motorsport 2, but all the important adjustments are mapped to sliders, and those new physics take air resistance into account in subtle but interesting ways, whether you’re drafting the leader in a shiny and pristine sled or bent up like a wheeled accordion. Experiment with spoiler shapes and body kits with adjustable AutoSculpt parts, and you’ll see how your tweaks affect downforce and top speed in a simple wind tunnel. Advanced drivers can even race with an actual clutch — skillful use of which tears automatic transmissions to shreds.

When you’re done tinkering in the garage, career mode sends you through tons of races spread across different racing organizations, and pretty locales as diverse as Nevada’s Route 318 and a Tokyo dockyard. You’ll slowly work your way from one area to another in a series of race days that bundle together a variety of events. You don’t just want to win, either, since getting to the next tier requires that you dominate a certain number of days with a point total well above the competition. This feat is less exciting than it sounds, owing perhaps to the absence of the blowhard egos and air of scene rivalry that gave the game’s predecessors so much personality, even if the A.I. is undoubtedly more human than it used to be.

Luckily, multiplayer is tailored to generate that missing tension on Xbox Live. Compete against anyone, or create your own race day and share it with friends to climb your own private leaderboard. Race simultaneously online, or topple a friend’s high score while he’s away. Got a blueprint of car upgrades and enhancements you think can own the streets? Pass it around, or post it online and see what the best racers in the world can do with it.

ProStreet might feel a bit thin without the open world and impulsive attitude of Most Wanted, but it’s still an exciting distillation that adeptly mixes arcade pleasure with realism for an absorbing day at the races.

On Xbox 360

+ Radically improved physics yields impressive differences.

+ Shared blueprints/race days, even if friends aren’t online.

- Missing much that fans loved in Most Wanted and Carbon.

? Why do guide arrows disappear if you leave the pavement?

8.0