Customize DUB-Style

Let us be plain. Racing so fast your car becomes a streak, the environment a blur, is thrilling. Racing in the same balls-to-the-wall fashion with a neon undercarriage, gold plated rims, custom striping and vinyl, and enough nitrous to light up a city block is something else entirely. The Midnight Club series has always offered both, but with the licensed cars/upgrades and authenticity the DUB® brand brings in Midnight Club™ 3: DUB® Edition, this side business of making the car your own with all manner of add-ons is nearly as attractive as the racing itself. The question now becomes what is available and when, and we try to answer both here. But first, let's get a couple pointers out of the way.

Racing to Upgrade
It's a simple but not always obvious rule: Race what you want to upgrade. You dig that luxury Chrysler 300c you just unlocked? Make sure you race with it (especially in the luxury car tournaments) in order to unlock customization options specific to its class. You're not going to unlock special items for your luxury sedan if you're spending your time in an import.

That's some unique vinyl.

Money Spent Wisely
We mentioned it in ourcareer mode article , but it bears repeating here. Try not to spend the coin you earn in races on new cars until later on. It's both more rewarding and makes more sense (since you unlock cars in more ways than just buying them outright) to spend your money on customizing what cars you already have.

In-Game Help
Don't be a fool and let your lack of gear-head knowledge press you into a bad decision. The game is here to help. If you're wondering what the level one upgrade to your in-car computer system is going to do, don't just buy it and trust you'll figure it out later. Simply click the Back button to get a description of what the upgrade does, so you can make an informed purchase.

Now that might work.

Different Classes for Different Upgrades
When it comes time to actually get down to it and start tweaking your car to fit your personal vision, you'll have literally hundreds of different options. However, there are four easily understood classes of customization, and here they are for your personal edification:

• Performance: If winning and progressing efficiently through the career mode is your goal, performance should always be your first priority. It's these upgrades that give you the extra acceleration, handling, and top speed you need to win races outright and compete on level ground with your tricked-out competitors. You can upgrade just about everything, including your exhaust intake, brakes, tires, chassis, transmission, and engine, with each upgrade accurately described by the in-game help system.
• Color Shop: This joint is pretty self explanatory, and it's also the cheapest customization you can do, with most colors (besides custom jobs) being completely free. You can also choose between glossy, matte, and metallic as well as unlock pearlescent and color shift. It's at the color shop to that you can mess with your trim, add neon under the car, and color your rims, brake calipers, HUD, and nitrous flame.

Can you stomach the color?

• Body Shop: It's in here that you can go hog wild for hours on end, as you create just the right look for your car. From sideboards and bumpers to spoilers and grills, you have dozens and dozens of options and thousands of combinations to choose from. The body shop alterations aren't crazy expensive individually, but they can add up quickly. Watch your cash flow here.
• Detail Shop: Detail is just that: the little details. It's here that you add your vinyl, badges, flame jobs, and the like. Just like fine work in the real world, the little touches you add in this shop can cost you a pretty penny in a hurry, and, just like in the body shop, once you've unlocked the majority of the content, you can spend oodles of time just playing around with the different looks and options.

Customizing cars has long been a tradition in arcade and simulation racers, and the Midnight Club series has helped to define that tradition and offer a lofty bar for other racers to reach for. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition takes this effort to its highest heights with not only thousands and thousands of combinations, but also the added authenticity that licensed gear brings. These aren't just options, they're the same options from the same companies you deal with when tweaking your own real-life car.

By Alex McLain