Surprise: I hated Re-Volt as a child. Tracks too complicated, countdown too blunt and loud, cars too unstable (picked the wrong one maybe).
Meanwhile, a miracle happened! The Re-Volt source code got leaked. A true miracle, as so many commercial games would need just a tiny fix maybe to be playable again. And Re-Volt got those fixes, to make a proper online game out of it.

Racing in RVGL against other racers is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I ever encountered. Every battle for whatever, 11th, 12th place, means something. Finishing ahead is a huge effort, that requires patience and skill. Those cars are more difficult to drive than the vintage cars in Grand Prix Legends. Weapons need thinking and proper timing to be used effective (excluding zaps, they are easy-peasy). The RVGL network performance is magnificent as well, enabling real wheel to wheel racing without too many lag-releated oddities. I've played a lot of games, but nothing was as smooth as racing RVGL online.

With some development, this could be the Dota of racing games.
Happy to have discovered RVGL.