I have a feeling this is not going to be an option, but I wondered what the deal is with licensing real cars (like Subaru Impreza, Mini, other very recognisable models) for use in a game. I'd imagine there are two factors - paying to use their name, and proving you've made your model/handling/engine sufficiently high realism to the real thing. Any chance I could do this for a indie game? Failing that, if I use an Impreza model with no subaru logos etc is that still copying or would it count as taking inspiration from their shape? Because pretty much any realistic-looking car is going to look similar to somebody's real-life product IMO.

To use real cars you need a license/permission. Given that they can earn money from game publishers they are unlikely to grant permission for you to use them for free. They may also not want their car associated with a title that isn't percieved as Triple A.

On the issue of shape you really need to talk to a lawyer. Issues of design copyrights/patents is a grey area best avoided unless you have a qualified navigator, so to speak.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer (1 & 2 on the Dreamcast) used real models of cars (RX7, NSX, Evo, Skyline, a host of Subarus, etc etc) in there game, and even used the chassis codes to name the cars. But the actual name of the car or the make was not mentioned anywhere. But the models were exactly the same as their real life counter part (with the exception of logos). They even had correct HP numbers, weight, torque, drive train, transmission and everything.

In the begining of the game, they had some disclaimer that "any similarities to real cars was unintentional" or something like that.

I'm not a lawer or anything... but it seems as though some game companies have gotten away with it.

This was posted a few weeks ago on the same topic: http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=257980

Why can they not let you damage the cars? How is it any different for a game than a film? In a film I presume a racist character could drive heroin about in a Ferrari, running over dogs/children for fun and getting chased by the police before trashing the car. But in a game they would not be keen for these ideas with their cars...?!

It is to do with power to weight ratio......

The power of the company wanting to license the car vs the weight of the car company attempting to keep control of their property. Car companies don't want their cars smashed up in the same way that airlines don't want to be in airplane disaster movies. They view it as bad PR.

If you are a powerful movie company making a huge movie the car company may be less fussy as being in that movie generates more good pr than the bad pr from the car getting smashed. However if you are a powerless small developer they will squash you and insist that their car is kept in mint condition.

Can they legally stop you though? In a film for example, can they legally stop you killing a baby with their model of car or having a main character with a very battered car? Films don't have to pay license fees to use a real car - why is this differrent for games? Is it because you cannot claim to be using a real car, only a likeness?