Performance Tuning

The Performance Tuning menu featured in Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) allows players to manually configure specific vehicle performance traits.

It can be accessed from the Pause menu but requires the player to install certain performance or aftermarket parts to unlock certain options.

Options

Option	Settings	Unlock
Steering	Slower or quicker steering response	Suspension Upgrade
Handling	Less or more oversteer/understeer	Suspension Upgrade
Braking	More braking power to the front/rear	Brakes Upgrade
Ride Height	Lower or higher ride height	Suspension Upgrade
Aerodynamics	Less or more downforce	Body Kit or Spoiler Upgrade
Nitrous	More power and a shorter duration or less power and a longer duration	Nitrous Upgrade
Supercharger/ Turbocharger	More torque at higher rpms or lower rpms	Forced Induction Upgrade

Notes

• A quicker steering and lower ride height is generally useful for any vehicle, although excessive settings may lead to less cornering stability and worse off-road performance.
• Understeer or oversteer can be counteracted by using oversteer or understeer inducing settings.
• Increased downforce settings are useful for tracks with a high number of sharp bends but also affect top speed.
• Nitrous upgrades with a longer duration give players more overall speed than upgrades with shorter durations, which on the other hand provide players more speed at shorter time intervals.
• High rpm settings for forced induction upgrades improve acceleration at higher rpms but sacrifice acceleration at lower rpms and vice versa.
• The player's BMW M3 GTR GT (E46) cannot be tuned as it has no performance upgrades.