There is a new mode introduced for the first time in this series, Career Mode, I will go into this a little later on. Yes you heard me right the cars take on damage now in the areas of suspension, body, engine, and steering. It not only shows physical damage but also effects performance on each corresponding part. There are 13 licensed performance cars to choose from, five police cars, and 19 tracks. You are not limited to this selection.
Career mode has full economy features built into it.
You win races to earn cash prizes and use your earnings to customize your car for style and performance, to buy new cars and to pay for damage. Hence the later part of the title High Stakes. Choose wisely as some cars can cost oh so much money. I always like starting out with the BMW Z3 cause it's a pretty good car and one that is affordable. This mode is quite fun if you are into that sorta thing.