Vanishing Point is an arcade style racer featuring real cars and road course style tracks. The main difference between Vanishing Point and countless other racers is that you are never racing directly against other cars, but rather are racing against the clock. Your position at the end of the race depends solely on your time, not on your finishing position relative to other cars. There are also loads of computer controlled cars that are there simply to slow you down.
The game features standard racing game modes such as Tournament, Time Trial, and Single Race. One unique feature is the stunt competition where you can compete in a series of events that test various driving skills in timed events. Some example events include the long jump and the slalom.
The selection of cars is quite diverse with options ranging from low performance vehicles such as the VW Microbus to high performance vehicles like the Dodge Viper.