Car Controller for Unity (WIP) – HDRP

A functional, physics-based car controller for Unity that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel (pun intended). It uses Unity’s built-in Wheel Colliders and adds just enough polish to feel like more than a “press W to move” tutorial script.

This is still a work in progress. I’ll expand and clean it up further when I can wrestle some free time away from other projects — for now, it’s stable, usable, and gets the job done.

Features

• Realistic torque curve for smoother acceleration (no instant rocket launch nonsense).

• Separate reverse gear instead of just “negative throttle.”

• Turbo system with whistle audio — because silence is boring.

• Braking and handbrake support, tuned for both normal stops and drifting.

• Tire skid sounds, scratch sounds, and surface interaction for feedback when you’re driving like you stole it.

• Tire smoke and particle effects for skids and burnouts.

• Wheel mesh rotation synced with colliders, so your car doesn’t look like it’s hovering.

• UI support: RPM meter, speed gauge, and gear indicator with a blinking redline warning (because someone’s going to over-rev).

Audio

• Engine audio layered for idle, revs, and acceleration.

• Turbo whistle and boost sounds tied to throttle input.

• Skid and scratch sounds triggered by wheel slip.

• Expandable audio system if you want to add custom clips.

What’s Included

• Car Controller C# script.

• Example prefab with wheels, colliders, audio, and smoke FX hooked up.

• Basic audio clips (engine, turbo, skid).

• Particle system prefab for tire smoke.

• Simple UI prefab for RPM, speed, and gear display.

Who This Is For

• Anyone prototyping a racing or open-world driving game.

• Developers who want something functional but not bloated with “realistic sim” overkill.

• People who’d rather spend time making a game than rewriting yet another car controller.