You will be hooked the moment you turn your system on.
You start off with 15,000 credits, 5,000 more than the previous 2 games. There is no used car dealer, so you must look around for a good deal on a new car. Approximately 10 cars that I know of cost less than 15,000 CR, so you have to make your choice count.
Before you start winning races, it is recommended you obtain at least an a-class licence. Eventually, you will be winning 100,000 CR here, 50,000 there, and a few good cars along the way. If you win a car like the ZZ2, keep it...It will be worth it later.
After you obtain about 300,000 CR, buy a Dodge Viper GTS, and fully upgrade it. You will have over 1120 horsepower.
I highly recommend this game to anyone interested in a racing game that is highly realistic. They dont call it the "Real Driving Simulator" for nothing!