I liked the PS2 NFS games for the same reasons and loved them for the customization options, although tthe driving simulation was less realistic than GT2, and getting into better vehicles was a little easier than it was in GT2. Start with slow car, slowly upgrade it til you get into a better vehicle altogether.
Would like to find some similar games to play on PC. I used to love Gran Turismo 2 as well as Need for speed Underground, Underground 2, & Carbon on PS2 back in the day.
I've got the itch to play a good racing game.
