6 Best and Free Racing Games for iPhone

Racing games are so popular that it seems as if the need for speed is ingrained in our DNA. From hyper-realistic racing simulators to arcade smashfests and everything else in between, here are 10 best and free racing games for iPhone users.

Real Racing 3

Where better to start than with the iPhone's slickest and most realistic racer, the aptly titled Real Racing 3? Ditching the premium price model of earlier entries, the third offering tackles a free-to-play approach with tact, allowing you to spin through hundreds of events with dozens of licensed cars sans a required entry fee. Pumping in a few bucks adds helpful variety, though!

Asphalt 8: Airborne

Gameloft's Asphalt 8: Airborne also went the freemium route, delivering stunning graphics and fast-paced arcade racing. Airborne lives up to its name, with numerous ramps and other gameplay elements, encouraging players to take death-defying leaps in order to execute insane aerial stunts. Asphalt 8 features 56 high-performance vehicles from a who's who of automakers, eight seasons, 180 events, and numerous game modes for single player or multiplayer mayhem.

GT Racing 2

The AI behavior could perhaps do with a little fine-tuning, but there's no doubt that GT Racing 2 is one of the best racing sims you can grab from the app stores. There are dozens of gorgeous cars to unlock here, and the handling of each one is outstanding.

SBK 14

If lightning-fast crotch rockets are more your style, try out SBK 14, the official game of the Superbike World Championship. Players can take the role of top tier riders such as Tom Sykes, Fabien Foret and Imre Toth as you race through some beautifully rendered racetracks. Not only are the graphics slick, but SBK 14 also comes with nine control modes, from tilt controls to virtual joysticks, allowing you to set up just how you want to drive. Players can race in championships, quick races or challenge races against the ghosts of your friends' laps. A premium mode unlocks more content, such as more tracks to race through.

CSR Racing

CSR Racing brings its own compelling take on urban drag racing. In CSR Racing, you don't steer. It's a flat out drag-race so the game is won by precise starts, perfectly timed gear-shifts and a tricked out car. What could just be a drab series of taps is paired with slick graphics that show off the high performance cars and environments. CSR Racing is free to play, so gameplay mechanics do fish for cash from players. These include a gold premium currency, as well as a 'gas' resource that is expended every time you race (it refreshes over time, or can be filled with in-app purchases).

Red Bull Air Race

Take to the skies with Red Bull Air Race, the world's fastest motorsport, now on mobile devices. Take control of some of the world's most maneuverable aerobatic planes, advance up the ranks from novice to master pilot, and square off against some of the sport's most famous pilots. Explore real world locations, engage in death-defying aerobatic stunts, and conquer the skies.