BeamNG.Drive is one of the compelling reasons to invest in a really sweet digital driving setup. This game started out as a sort of crash-test dummy simulator with not much else going on, but in the years since its initial launch, BeamNG.Drive has become one of the most popular open-world driving games.
Below, we’ll take you down memory lane to a time before you had your PC wheezing under real-world vehicle mods and list the best stock cars in BeamNG.Drive.
Why is BeamNG.Drive so popular?
The game’s popularity rests firmly on the three pillars that make it such a strong title. First, you have the open-world concept. An open-world driving game is a mission to build, especially if you’re going for an ultra-realistic setup. It takes years to perfect every road, slip-way, highway, and test track, not to mention building the actual world. After all, if driving games just had roads and nothing else, they’d be boring.
Driving around the open streets of the BeamNG.Drive maps feels like driving around a real-world location. With some games, you’ll find that certain features or assets seem just a little off. Either they’re out of place for the situation they’re in, or something about the world-building leaves particular bits feeling like they’ve just been shoved onto the map. BeamNG.Drive, by comparison, is completely integrated. Everything feels naturally placed and as though it was simply meant to be there.
Next, you have the physics engine. While many driving games – even those created by AAA publishers – have some kind of damage engine that lets you beat cars up, no game really does it as well as BeamNG.Drive. You’ll want to argue, I can hear you screaming ‘GTA V’ at the top of your lungs. But no. Pay attention to the next time you take a ramp in GTA V.
Does the car deform when you land again, even if you land on your wheels? No. In BeamNG.Drive it does. This is because BeamNG.Drive implements more than just a damage engine; it also features soft-body physics. This is the engine that makes it impossible to hit a bump at 300mph and not see the real-world effects of what is essentially a high-speed collision with an immovable object.
The last of the three pillars is the availability of vehicles, and, in-turn, the in-game car culture that has formed around the game. On that note, let’s delve into the best cars in BeamNG.Drive.
ETK I-Series
‘Race-bred performance’
What a strong start. I give you a list of the best cars and the first is a mid-sized barge from the 90s. Hear me out though. You need only look at the Hofmeister kink to know that we’re dealing with a German here. ETK is the in-game variant of BMW, and this is essentially a 5-Series. Add the TTSport package and you’ve got yourself a veritable 1991 M5.
This car’s age means that it’s the perfect project for a bored in-game weekend. Add bits, take other bits away, tune to your heart’s content, and at the end of the day ,you’ll have a race-bred German super sedan that can run circles around a Civetta Bolide.
Cherrier Vivace
‘La vie à toute vitesse’
No respectable list would be complete without a hot hatch, so here you go. With a slogan that translates to ‘Life at full speed’ you can bet your bottom dollar that this is one of the hottest hot hatches around. It’s difficult to pin down exactly what inspired the design for this vehicle, but Cherrier is a French brand, and thus I’d say think of this as the in-game Renault Megane RS.
You can, however, see a few KIA influences, as well as those from the more recent Hyundai models. Whatever this car is based on, it’s hot, it’s fast – with an inline five-cylinder engine – and it comes standard in lime green. What more could you want?
Bruckell Bastion
‘Unleash the beast’
To answer my own question, this is what more you could want. This is the Bruckell Bastion and it’s the only car you never knew you needed. The reason I say this is because of the vast selection of trim options you can choose from. There’s truly a Bastion for every type of driver.
Whether you’re a simple human with simple needs and opt for the SE 3.5 at a respectable 29k, or the type to go all-out and drop 43k on the Luxe 5.7 and its gloss black alloy rims, Bruckell has you covered. However, if your hobby is to tear up the streets, making as much noise as possible, you’d better go for the Battlehawk – but that’ll set you back 69k. The Bastion looks to be based on the Dodge Charger.
ETK 800 Series
‘Distilled excellence’
Here we are with another ETK, sporting the same Hofmeister kink that the brand has been known for since the 90s – as far as the game’s current lore is concerned. Many enthusiasts take the 800 Series to be based on a BMW 5 Series wagon, but there’s reason to doubt that. First, you have the naming conventions. If this was a 5 Series alternative, you’d likely see the I-Series name repeating.
The second important factor is the size. The 5-Series wagon is big; this is not. The rear overhang is far too short; therefore, I’d say this is closer to a 3 Series hatch, if the shape were revived. Either way, she’s available in an 8-speed automatic. If you like to go fast, you can also have her with a turbocharger and a new front fascia that lets everyone know that you mean business.
Civetta Scintilla
‘Spark your passion’
We end our list off with the vehicle most likely to ‘spark your passion;’ the incomparable Civetta Scintilla. Unlike the 80s classic Bolide, the Scintilla is more than just a pretty face. On that note, though, I truly believe that this is the most beautiful vehicle in the game so far. Nothing else comes close to those classic Italian curves and flourishes. Pure poetry.
You’ve got quite a range to choose from here too, but it’s going to cost you. A luxurious rear-wheel drive GT will set you back 180k, and that’s basically the entry-level model. A limited edition Velocità will set you back about 270k, but this too is a small change compared to the 415k you’ll have to fork out for the Scintilla Race, a lightweight track version that’s been tuned to its limits. However you decide to experience the Scintilla, it’s bound to be an exciting ride.
Spoiled for choice in BeamNG.drive
If you think the list ends here, you’re mistaken. A quick search of various mod marketplaces will reveal hundreds of thousands of vehicles that you can bring into your BeamNG.Drive experience. But what if you don’t want to download cars? That’s a little uninteresting, isn’t it?
You’re creative and you want to create the next Civetta Scintilla or a German rival for everything that ETK makes – you know which brand to base it on. Well, with Automation, you can. Automation blends seamlessly with BeamNG.Drive so that you can create your own car – or car company – from the ground up and then tear up the streets.
