Need For Speed: Hot Import Nights/Star Rating

The Star Rating or Visual Rating featured in Need For Speed: Hot Import Nights is a ranking system that rates the visual appearance of the player's car. In the first Underground, it is referred to as 'Star Reputation', whilst in Underground 2 and Hot Import Nights, it has been renamed to 'Visual Rating'.

Adding a visual upgrade that has a higher rating than the one it replaces will rank the player's car higher within the Star Rating system. Points will be removed for installing a lower rating part or removing a part. In the first Underground, the Star Reputation system goes up to 5 stars, and has been increased to a 10 star rating in Underground 2 and Hot Import Nights. Unique parts add a higher star rating than any regular visual upgrade of the same category.

High Star Ratings are required for unlocking magazine cover opportunities and unique upgrades in the first Underground. In Underground 2, they are required for unlocking DVD cover opportunities as part of sponsor contracts. In Hot Import Nights, same as from Underground 2, but however, not only required for unlocking magazine cover and DVD cover opportunities as part of sponsor contracts, but also unlocking the boss races in order to progress the game further.

In Hot Import Nights, many stocked cars start with 0 Star Ratings, except for the Tier A stocked supercars e.g. the Lamborghini Gallardo always start at 3 Star Ratings, and Tier S stocked hypercars like e.g. Bugatti Divo always start with 5 Star Ratings.