Actually Grid looked exactly like that. It's just there were some which were from replays. And Grid as is GT5 they are sprused up for replays.

But considering that IGN and the vid in the OP claim graphics heaven, I would bet that it's in game. It's the first driving game to use full post processing effects like KZ2 does. And yep GT5 doesnt. Dont know about Forza 3.

Looks nice but GT5 still has a better interior and better looking cars IMO.

bah to much motion blur and short draw distance by the looks of these pictures. car interior looks nuce though

Like I said I wouldn't start to judge the game's graphic from a few small low res post processed pics.

I believe Need for Speed was EA's answer to Test Drive.  Back in that day, the idea was to simulate actual racing with production model cars you could tune and so on.  Need for Speed was EA's brand for driving games, and they took it in multiple directions since then.  People would argue that it was too many.  It looks like Need for Speed gets back to its roots here and goes sim. Since then, EA has acquired Burnout, which was grounded in arcade racing.  So, it could be that Burnout ends up being positioned as an arcade racing line by EA, and Need for Speed goes back to its sim roots.

You can say that similar is seen with what Microsoft has done with its two driving lines.  It originally had Project Gotham Racing, and it tried to sit between sim and arcade racing, using Kudos and so on.  Well, now Microsoft has Forza, which is fully sim, and they appeared to have Project Gotham sit more in the arcade camp.

Not sure why it is a problem.  I was understanding that Need for Speed was getting old, and people were tired of it.  Will need to see how this latest version revamps the series, and if the graphics can hold up to the still shots.

Yeah, I agree.

 Well, of course thats your opinion. but the pics of both dont seem to agree. Both clean pics, both 720p images. The materials are much more detailed in Shift. Also Shift is the first driving game to use post processing effects aka KZ2.

Gran Turismo 5

NFS : Shift

all of that was stills so I'm yet to be convinced. It would be nice though if NFS went back to its 10 min thrash through the country on bit of open road. While they do that do you think someone could convince them to get road rash back and sorted?

a lot of people dont know but the first few NFS were on the PC in the mid 90s they were much like this game with closed courses and even cockpit cams and realistic driving cars so it's not like they changed the way they make there racing games there really going back to there roots i wish they wouldnt go that far back though

i like there most wanted game the most because of the cop chases and open world it is still unmatched even today i would prefer them to make a good sequel to it

the game does look really good but im am concerned if it will be as new and fresh like NFS Most Wanted was

it looks like there one uping GT5 with the crashes and car damage i don't know if gt5 will launch with car damage or has the effects of a crash occur to the player like the guy was talking about

it sounds like there going completely sim with no open world or cop chases ill have to C wat else it has to offer that GT won't to determined my purchase

 It seems everyone forgot about this part,  I remember them mentioning that they were coming out with 2 or 3 different racing games sometime last year.  One was a sim, which I guess is now called Shift,  and one was an arcade racer that will be like Most Wanted or Carbon.   Personally I am looking forward to it,  it would be nice to have multiple "good" racing Sims other than GT and Forza. 

BTW nice find on those interior pics.   Those are sweet,  its definitely a tossup between GT and Shift,  The only way to really compare is to find pictures from the same car in each game.