A lot of fun...once you get used to it.
This is probably the most down to earth realistic racing simulation game I have ever played in my life. I have played netkar pro, toca 3, nascar sim racing, Rfactor, Richard Burns rally and none of them quite capture the feel you get from the game. The first thing you notice when you first take your car out on the track is how much a of a difference slight differences in speed make the difference between a taking a corner perfectly and ending up in the gravel. The whole experience, from the mirrors in the car to the vertex damage on vehicles is simply incredible. Drivers school is a must, and the championships are varied and challenging.
The Bad:
This game will take you hours to get good at, and that's with a descent wheel. I have done thousands of laps on a variety of tracks and to this day I still spend some time in the gravel. Loading times are moderate and driving with more than 7 cars on the track can be a slide show making for impossible driving. Fortunately the developers put in a lot of options for tweaking. The one thing that got me more than anything is that the AI is TOO good, especially at qualifying. I would think that breaking a track record in a car with 200 HP less than the car that set the record would seem a little odd.
Overall:
If you like sim racing, or are just looking to kick it up a notch, this game is perfect for you. The AI is incredible and the cars feel like you'd expect 650 HP pieces of racing machine to feel. Just remember to warm up those tyres and take the time to learn the garage options, it'll come in handy when you decide to take it on line.