Instead of purchasing parts to improve cars, a points-based system is used to determine upgrades.

[3] When enough of these "Enthu Points" (otherwise known as "Driver HP" in Japan) are obtained, a stat of the car (weight, power, or tires) is upgraded, up to three times each.

[4] To demonstrate the accuracy, a video was produced which shows a direct comparison between a Mazda MX5 being driven in Enthusia and its real life counterpart on the same course.

It is among the demos that play when the game is left idle on the title screen.

Featured race tracks (of which all but 2 - Tsukuba and Nürburgring Nordschleife - are fictional) include realistic foreground textures, and feature animations such as birds taking off, spinning wind turbines, flowing waterfalls, rivers and fountains, moving car traffic, sand being blown over dunes, and even a full aerobatic demonstration team emitting coloured smoke trails.