10 Video Game Race Tracks We Wish Were Real

There are some truly incredible race tracks in this world. We’re blessed with the likes of Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring, Suzuka and Laguna Seca just to name a few.

However, some of the most incredible circuits ever penned are ones we’ll never be able to drive on planet Earth. Confined to video games, and without the restrictions of planning permissions, miserable neighbours and in some cases physics, there’s no shortage of incredible fictional race tracks out there.

In no particular order, we’ve whittled it down to 10 we wish were real.

Fujimi Kaido - Forza Motorsport

Nestled near the real-world town of Fujimi in Japan, the fictional roads of Fujimi Kaido in Forza Motorsport titles of the past are some of the best in gaming history.

Inspired by mountain roads commonly used for Touge racing, Fujimi Kaido offered plenty of challenges across its winding 10.2-mile lap, with a scenic ascent towards a backdrop of Mount Fuji before descending upon a series of twisty hairpins.

We know there are similar real roads, but we’d love a closed-off circuit to replicate it. Or at least for it to return to Forza, having been absent since Motorsport 4.

Trial Mountain - Gran Turismo

If you ask anyone who has played a Gran Turismo title to name the best fictional track in the series, we’d be willing to put money on them saying Trial Mountain. It’s the poster child for the now 26-year-old series, having appeared in some form in every single game with the exception of Sport.

Set in the USA’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, the circuit is characterised by its fast, blind corners and elevation changes. Its recent overhaul for GT7 did take away the joy of cutting the final corner as ridiculously as possible, but the charm remains.

Battersea Bridge - Dirt 2

This feels like cheating a little bit as Battersea Bridge is set inside the very real Battersea Power Station, but it has us dreaming of a circuit that never was.

Back in 2009, before Battersea became the retail hotspot it is today, the riverside power station was very much a derelict blot on London’s skyline with no real indication of what would happen to it. Codemasters has the genius idea of a rallycross track for Dirt 2 that would take drivers through the middle of the structure as well as the surrounding grounds.

Sadly, we’ll never see it become a reality but it has left us wondering ‘What if?’ ever since.

Maple Valley - Forza Motorsport

Maple Valley is to Forza Motorsport what Trial Mountain is to Gran Turismo. This winding figure-of-eight circuit has become a mainstay of Turn 10’s franchise ever since the first game in 2005 and was a sore absence for Motorsport 5 and 6 before its rebooted return.

Momentum is the name of the game around Maple Valley thanks to its large radius, medium speed corners and challenging elevation changes. The layout alone is enough to make this list, but its autumnal setting is just the icing on the cake.

Complex String - Gran Turismo

Some tracks are legendary because of a natural layout that flows with the terrain they’re built on. Others are just shamelessly artificial, which is what any real-world version of Complex String would be.

Designed as a technical test track, Complex String goes through several distinct sectors each testing a car in a different way. In reality, we suspect it wouldn’t make for very good racing but as something to drive, we suspect it’d be great fun. It’s a shame it only officially appeared in Gran Turismo 3, although there are ways to access it in GT5 and PSP if you’re good with modding.

Baby Park - Mario Kart

Ok, we’re mentioning Mario Kart without suggesting Rainbow Road, we know. Hear us out – picking a single Rainbow Road is almost a feature in itself and we’re listing tracks that could feasibly maybe be real, and we’re not yet aware of any anti-grav space motorsports.

This leads us to the dinky Baby Park, a tiny unbanked oval that always causes absolute carnage. Sure, there are plenty of real-world tiny ovals but imagine a field of stock cars taking those acute hairpins before hammering it down the straights and slamming back on the brakes and with such a colourful backdrop.

Sidewinder Proving Grounds - Forza Motorsport

Sidewinder is in a similar vein to GT’s Complex String but has its own distinct character. It adds some elevation to the mix and is technically a figure of eight thanks to a small crossover late on in the lap, and with a mix of slow- and high-speed corners can be a real equaliser for car performance.

Unlike Complex String, it’s also set up for multiple layouts meaning there’d be something for pretty much any real-world racing series to make use of.

High Speed Ring - Gran Turismo

Of all the tracks on this list, it’s a wonder nothing quite like High Speed Ring exists in the real world. As the name suggests, this simple layout is designed for little but top speed, with its huge banking and long straights allowing for some serious pace.

It’s a challenging circuit despite its basic layout though, with so much time to be gained or lost in the first braking zone and the satisfaction of carrying momentum through the middle sector. We’re not aware of any similar circuit in the real world, and considering it seems a feasible creation, we’d happily throw £5 into the pot to build it.

Okutama - Race Driver GRID

Race Driver GRID relied heavily on real circuits and city streets, but its one truly fictional circuit is perhaps one of the most underrated in all of racing game history.

Okutama was set near the real-world Okutama Mountains, although it was a completely made-up layout. It’s a very short circuit but its wide construction and the nature of GRID physics meant it was very high speed and would create some pretty intense racing.

On top of that, there was also an extended layout which would send you through the winding mountain roads. It was an achievement just completing a lap without completely smashing a car up out there.

Midfield Raceway - Gran Turismo

Initially designed to fill a licensing gap for Suzuka, Midfield Raceway has gone on to become a fan favourite in Gran Turismo.

The 14-turn track’s heavy braking zones and wide tarmac allow for some pretty great racing and though the layout itself is pretty simple, mastering it is so satisfying.

We’re one GT7 update absence away from starting a petition to bring it back to the series, having last been seen in Gran Turismo 6 as downloadable content.