Played it a few years ago and loved it. Recently started playing again and still rate it.
Fast paced, great soundtrack and good game audio, notably the Rush sound effect! The takedowns are epic and the physics of the cars makes for good fun. It's not technically a race so no finish lines, instead there are objective based modes and point scoring modes.
The 'story' mode (offline) is good as the NPC's are pretty competitive and well programmed. Plus there are lots of challenges to tick off as you progress.
Online has a few minor glitches. It is a big difference playing against users but makes you appreciate getting MVP more. Sessions with friends are easy to join and create.
To sum up it's a rare type of game, less known than is deserved, let down by the advertising campaign.
Would love to see a 2nd game with more king of the hill at 200mph!