The hard-to-get PlayStation 3 may lack a wide selection of titles, but there's a next-generation racing game make and model to suit every personality.

Whether you dream of drifting, freak over Formula One or just really want off-road action, PS3's racing titles will surely satisfy every speeder's fancy. (Well, unless you only have a hankering for the next "Grand Theft Auto" game. You'll have to stay in neutral because the first "GTA" for PS3 isn't expected to pull into stores until later this year.)

asap spent drive time with seven PS3 racing games — four out now, three available soon — to see how they handled depending on your motor mood. Buckle up.

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IF YOU PINE FOR PLOT

"Need for Speed: Carbon" ($59.99, in stores now)

Under the Hood: This intense urban dash sends players plowing through Palmont City, where it's apparently always night, in souped-up licensed real-world cars. Cheesy cutscenes starring real actors add fun narrative to a street-racing story line that tails earlier "Need for Speed" titles.

Handling: Everything is customizable within the three car classes — exotics, tuners and muscles — from paint to spoilers to transmissions and much more. Each vehicle handles differently both within the inner-city races and the frustrating drift events in the outlying canyon courses. Luckily, the learning curve is gentle.

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IF YOU DESIRE DRIFT

"Ridge Racer 7" ($59.99, in stores now)

Under the Hood: Just like its predecessors, this slippery arcade-style racer is all about drifting, the oversteering motorsport technique, in futuristic fictional car models. Unlike other racing titles, the gameplay here shifts away from speed to precision, requiring players to slide in slick conditions.

Handling: "Ridge Racer 7" introduces slipstreaming, which lets racers accelerate faster when behind opponents. But the controls are far from intuitive. And pressing the X button to accelerate instead of the R2 button on top of the controller feels as antiquated as driving grandma's Buick.

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IF YOU GO GAGA FOR GUNS

"Full Auto 2: Battlelines" ($59.99, in stores now)

Under the Hood: In this sequel to the Xbox 360 original, players trick out rides with weapons systems in order to mow down an evil gang, according to the smaller-than-a-Beetle story line. "Full Auto 2" harnesses the power of the PS3 with destructible environments and mounted artillery such as machine guns and rocket launchers.

Handling: If you're adept at driving while drinking coffee, tuning the radio and talking on the phone, you should have no problem adding "shooting other cars" to the list. The primary weapon can be targeted, but the secondary weapon can't lock on to anything. Obviously, "Full Auto 2" ain't aiming for realism.

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IF YOU ACHE FOR ACCURACY

"Formula One Championship Edition" ($59.99, out in March)

Under the Hood: The pedal on racing realism is slammed down in this F1 game featuring all 11 real teams, 22 drivers and 18 tracks. Game modes include quickplay, race weekend, season and a new version of career mode which requires rookie players to prove themselves before being accepted to a team.

Handling: Unlike other PS3 racing games, "Formula One" radically harnesses the Sixaxis controller's Wii-like motion-sensing capability to turn the controller into a finely tuned steering wheel, adding to the realism of an already authentic F1 driving game.

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IF YOU HEART HIGH-DEF

"Gran Turismo HD Concept" (Free, downloadable now)

Under the Hood: This gorgeously detailed high-definition ditty is just a sampling of what's to come in the next "Gran Turismo" simulation — and the first PS3 game to feature a Ferrari. But first, you'll have to complete time trials with the 1995 Suzuki Cappucino before gaining access to other real cars.

Handling: Unfortunately, "Gran Turismo HD" doesn't take advantage of the Sixaxis sensing system, meaning players are forced to rely on the controller's ultra sensitive analog stick to move through the lush-looking Swiss Alps backdrop of the preview game's single track.

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IF YOU DIG DIRT

"Motor Storm" ($59.99, out in February)

Under the Hood: Players can go off-road — waaay off road — in this supercharged "Mad Max"-like racer featuring a deliciously diverse selection of vehicles from motorcycles to ATVs to big rigs that can all bulldoze through mountainous, muddy terrain but explode on ferocious impact.

Handling: Each of the rugged vehicles has its own nuances. The trucks are slow and sturdy. The motorcycles are fast but deadly. And the ATVs are, well, awesome. Steering is tight and more manageable than most racing games. But accidentally diving off cliffs is frustrating — especially when it's in slow-Mo.

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IF YOU CRAVE CARTOONS

"Calling All Cars" ($9.99, downloadable, out in February)

Under the Hood: This zany cross between "Twisted Metal" and "Roger Rabbit" is a minimalist four-wheeled battle between cops and robbers, focusing on in-depth multiplayer modes including two-player, four-player and online battles. The goal is ejecting animated opponents from their rides, not crossing a finish line.

Handling: There are more than a dozen outlandish cars to choose from — an outhouse on wheels, for instance — but each handles exactly the same. However, drivers can acquire a hammer, magnet or missile within the four levels of "Calling All Cars" to reek demolition damage. Beep! Beep!

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Derrik J. Lang is an asap reporter and blogger for The Slug (http://asapblogs.typepad.com/theslug/ ).

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