The original Real Racing HD for the iPad was a solid game with good graphics, passable physics, and a nice challenging set of races. The downsides were that foremint hadn’t gotten licensing for vehicles, so everything was a generic Golf, Challenger, Mustang-style car.

The new game really takes advantage of the increase in firepower the iPad 2 has. Graphics are better, smoother, the game physics are improved with car damage for impacts — avoid the other drivers, while still difficult, is more advised in this version. They also got licenses for a bunch of cars — Ford and Chevy, Nissan and Volvo, MacLaren, Lotus, and Jag for the high end. The courses are essentially the same, but the better graphics and smoother response from the accelerometers on the iPad2 make drivin much easier.

For $10, it’s definitely worth the price of admission.