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I'm not sure Nissan's cute little 2009 Versa SL hatchback was ever meant to go 298 kilometres per hour, but that's the speed at which I had it hurtling along the backstretch straightaway at Le Mans's famed Circuit de la Sarthe in Turn 10's Forza Motorsport 3, a new racing game exclusive to the Xbox 360.

Aside from its supercar-worthy performance, everything else about this video-game vehicle was utterly believable. From the little plastic Nissan logo at the centre of its hubcaps to the three fully functioning gauges behind the cockpit's chubby steering wheel, my virtual Versa looked just like the little red economy car that I own and drive – at much safer speeds, I should add.

This, in a nutshell, is the game's appeal. With more than 400 real-world cars, ranging from a 1987 Buick Regal GNX to the rare 2008 Koenigsegg CCGT racing car, everyone will be able to find authentic rides that they have either driven or wish they had.

What's more, the game's makers have gone to great lengths to ensure these cars perform realistically.

Indeed, before heading into the upgrade shop, where I purchased a turbocharger and race-quality rubber, reduced the car's weight by about 150 kilograms and switched the engine layout from front- to all-wheel drive, my Versa had the power of a measly 122 horses and handled exactly like the grocery getter it was intended to be.

Clearly, Forza Motorsport 3 is designed to draw mod-obsessed gearheads. But part of its appeal is in how it can win over almost anyone who enjoys sitting behind a wheel.

Novices, for example, can switch on electronic stability control, traction control and have their cars brake automatically when coming into sharp turns. Plus, if you don't want to spend time upgrading, simply click a button to have your car optimized for a given race class. And if you come up against any races in the game's lengthy, multiseason career mode that don't appeal, just hire a driver to race it for you.

Hard-core racing fans, on the other hand, can switch off all of the aids, manually tune elements like tire pressure and wheel alignment for optimal performance, and opt for realistically simulated damage and tire wear, meaning cars can break down and time-eating pit stops are required in longer races. They'll be rewarded for their extra effort (and skill) with more cash at the race's end.

Presenting the Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Watch the developers of Forza Motorsport 3 discuss creating the game

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One of the few criticisms is that the third Forza game feels a lot like its most recent predecessor. Still, there are some new features, such as a “rewind” function that allows players to reverse the race by a few seconds whenever they like. Rookies can use it to avert a catastrophic collision that would normally require a race restart, while racing purists might employ it as a tool to test turn lines in hopes of shaving off a few hundredths of a second.

Regardless of one's taste for racing games, it's difficult to imagine anybody not being gobsmacked by Forza Motorsport 3 's authenticity, accessibility and beauty. Even my wife, whose interest in racing games has always been non-existent, paused to be impressed by the splendour of a lengthy, winding circuit cut out of the hills near Positano, Italy, which she thought recalled the exotic settings of high-speed chases in James Bond movies. That I was at the helm of a lovingly rendered recreation of the spy's classic Aston Martin DB5 may have helped.

Much obliged, Turn 10, for getting my wife to show a glimmer of interest in a racing game.

Special to The Globe and Mail