NFS Unbound: How To Upgrade Cars [Explained With Images]

My guide to NFS Unbound will entail how you can upgrade your cars, which will help you increase their performance and visual qualities.

NFS Unbound features extensive customization options, which can help you enhance the car’s visuals and performance metrics, but knowing how to upgrade it accordingly can be quite troublesome. There are multiple categories to choose from via each menu in the Style and Performance section of your car customization menu. Determining how each one may modify and alter your car is important.

Key Takeaways
  • NFS Unbound supports various customization features for cars to help them stand out.
  • The game has two types of main upgrade categories: Style and Performance.
  • Players can alter the visual aesthetics of the ride in the Style section with paint jobs and body kits.
  • The Performance upgrades will drastically improve the capabilities of the ride during races.
  • Most upgrades are locked behind certain Rep levels and require a specific amount of cash to unlock.

The Style Customization

nfs unbound style
Style (Image Captured by us)

First, if you absolutely adore the idea of making your car look one-of-a-kind, heading into the Style options from the ride customization menu will be the way to go. You can access it right off the bat during the prologue section of the game, so take your time getting used to the different sections here to help you make your ride stand out from the best of the best.

The options to stylize your car are certainly in a large variety here. Still, thankfully, we have gone ahead and explained in detail each one of the sub-settings located in the Style customization menu. The list of choices to alter your car’s appearance here is shown in the image above.

Body

NFS Unbound how to upgrade car
Body (Image Captured by eXputer)

The Body customization section will allow you to upgrade and alter the different physical features of your ride in Need For Speed Unbound. The first option here, Body Kits, will consist of different body packs for your entire car, from the Bumpers and side skirts to the Rims of your tires. This is a great feature for anyone looking to alter the appearance and be done with it instantly.

However, suppose you’re someone who prefers having full creative control. In that case, you can head into the second option here, called Edit Body Parts, where almost anything of the car can be upgraded in terms of the intricate details, such as the headlights and larger parts, such as the spoilers and fenders.

Lastly, you can also head to the last option here, Ride Stance, which will allow you to adjust the car’s height, drastically changing its outlook. You can also adjust the wheels here on whether to make them stand out from the car.

Paint & Wrap

nfs unbound how to upgrade car
Paint and wrap (Image by eXputer)

As shown in the image above, the entire Paint And Wrap section will allow you to visually customize the car’s appearance with paint jobs and decals of any caliber. Most importantly, if you’re playing the game online, you also have the luxury of heading straight into the Community list, which will contain numerous wraps and paint jobs created by other players that you can download and try out.

Most of these are pretty creative, and if you want to learn to upgrade the visual parts of the car, then applying a new wrap or paint job is the first of those steps in NFS Unbound. Furthermore, if you’re not a fan of community-created wraps, then, by all means, head into the dedicated decal creator of the Edit Wraps section, which will help you freely customize the appearance in any kind of way you wish.

Driving Effects

nfs unbound driving effects
Driving Effects (Screenshot Grab: eXputer)

One of the new visual upgrade features in the game is called the Driver Effects, as shown in the image above. The following section of the Style customization consists of Tags and Samples. The former allows you to add these brand-new neon smoke trail effects while drifting or boosting during races. Most of these are unlocked by completing secret challenges, but there are a few effects to choose from right from the beginning.

Furthermore, choosing one of the Samples will change the car’s sound, whether it’s the horn or the sound of the engine as you revive it. We strongly recommend investing in other visual upgrades during the beginning hours of the game, as these are pretty unnoticeable, at least from our perspective.

Vanity Items

nfs unbound vanity items
Vanity Items (Screenshot Captured by eXputer)

As shown in the image above, the Vanity Items consist of pure cosmetic parts of the car, such as being able to adjust the horn of your car, which, let’s be honest, is a feature you will rarely use in a game such as Need For Speed Unbound.

The Underglow is a feature that has been most beloved by players of the franchise ever since the days of the NFS Underground games. It allows you to apply neon light kits under your car to make them stand out more in the grand scheme of things to fit with the street racing theme of the game. Lastly, if you want to gain additional height for the ride, you can invest in the Air Suspension upgrade here, too.

Exhaust Sound

nfs unbound exhaust sounds
Exhaust sounds (Image credit: eXputer)

As depicted in the image above, one of the coolest features of NFS Unbound is being able to customize your car’s exhaust sounds in any way you wish.

You can adjust the sound in four different categories, from being able to adjust the pitch to either Timbre or Aggressive to adjusting Forced Induction sound impact from either Muffled or Exposed. You can rev the engine to see how it sounds; plus, there is no cost to customizing it, so feel free to see whichever suits your preference the best here.

The Performance Customization

nfs unbound performance
Performance (mage Credit Copyright: eXputer)

Tuning your ride with the best performance upgrades shouldn’t surprise you, as it is the key benefactor to helping you win races and other events in most NFS titles. Learning about how to upgrade your car and equip it with performance parts in NFS Unbound all comes down to progression and personal preferences. Follow along as we discuss each category to upgrade your car within the Performance customization.

Engines

nfs unbound engines
Engines (Image Captured by us)

As shown in the image above, the engine is perhaps the most essential part of the performance category here as it will naturally boost the overall level of your car, making it faster and more applicable to use in challenging events. However, it is worth noting that purchasing it should be thought of twice with the right decision as the price for each engine may vary depending on the car, and they are generally expensive in the beginning, too.

Parts

nfs unbound how to upgrade car
Parts (Image by eXputer)

The parts section here consists of the essentials for your ride, from choosing the Brakes, Nitrous, and ECU of the car to adjust which type of Chassis and Drivetrain you want to install. In our experience, we focused on upgrading the Engine Parts here, and if you’re using a car with an average handling stat, then it is advised you focus on improving in any way possible.

Elements such as Nitrous will affect your boosting properties during races. Tires will allow you to adjust the acceleration and cornering of the ride, so be sure to check out each upgrade to verify what your car needs the most in terms of improvements.

Handling

nfs unbound how to upgrade car
Handling (Screenshot Captured by eXputer)

Last but not least, the Handling is the most important upgrade that you must adjust for yourself in NFS Unbound. As shown in the image above, it allows you to manually alter the Steering sensitivity of the car and adjust the maneuverability from either a Grip or Drift value.

Also found here is Downforce, which, when enabled to a higher value, will allow for effective cornering during races, while a lower value will increase your top speed, so feel free to customize that setting to match your play style and ride statistics. Traction control mostly comes down to personal choice, as it grants your ride increased stability so that it doesn’t unintentionally skid or transition into a drift position.

Upgrade Garage

Lastly, if you’re trying to access higher-end performance parts for your car, it is worth upgrading the garage too, allowing you to increase the variety of parts available to purchase and equip. You should primarily look into whether you’re in the mid-to-late game or have run out of parts to upgrade your car further, so keep that in mind as you invest in it for the first time.

If you’re trying to grab all of the necessary upgrades for your ride as soon as possible, then it is worth checking out the Money Glitch In NFS Unbound before it gets inevitably patched by the developers.

This concludes my guide on how to upgrade your car in NFS Unbound. We hope it helps you understand the whole customization aspect of the game. If you have any kind of questions related to the guide or want to let us know your experience with the game so far, then let us know all about it in the comments section below!


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Sulaymaan Ahmad is a Senior Writer on eXputer who covers all the latest and greatest games. He has an engineering background and a knack for decimating players in First-Person Shooter games. He also enjoys narrative-driven games with characters he can emotionally invest in. Sulaymaan's love for gaming has been going strong for several years which is evident on his gaming profiles at Steam and PSN. Experience: 3+ Years || Written 150+ Guides || Mainly Covers Strategy Guides on eXputer

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