Hey ZombiZomby
First of all Lol, cars are trademarked.
You can’t just copy the logo, the entire car, or even specific design elements like the grille or the rear of the car — even if it’s “free”, you still have no rights to use them.
You can’t use real car brands, logos, or recognizable design features without permission – they’re protected.
Will you get sued automatically? No.
But if your game becomes successful? Very likely.
Best practice:
Model your own cars. As long as they’re original designs, you’re usually fine.
You can use certain characteristics, but be aware: some shapes and design elements are trademarked, so you need to be careful.
If you fully design a car yourself — without copying — you probably won’t get sued.
What if you want real, licensed cars?
Then don’t release them publicly. Keep them private.
If you want to play with the legal gray area, you could:
- Add modding support to your game later
- Let the community upload real 1:1 car models
- Make sure you’re not the one legally responsible — under certain conditions (e.g., reporting tools, takedown policies, external hosting)
Bottom line:
Don’t steal trademarks.
If you’re releasing a game, stick to your own original designs. That’s the safest way.