Ambitious but keeps you coming back for more, albeit with a few quirks.
Is it hard? Well yes and no, yes in that you HAVE to know how to control a simulation style racing game (think Gran Turismo with a bit of NFS Hot Pursuit) but not so hard as to be like Gran Prix Legends (The finest racing simulator ever created). Having said that, the gameplay is challenging indeed and rewards you if you can race a clean line with passing opportunities and good car control.
Graphics: Not Grand Turismo or Forza, but think of Need for Speed HD (I know that game does not exist but you get the idea).
Sound: Pretty decent in that you know your racing a good car game.
THE BAD: The Menu system has to be the absolute WORST ever created for a racing game. I mean you literally have to push "X" so many times just to get INTO the darned race it's unbelievable and gets old quite fast.
Conclusion: If you can get past the crappy menu system in place, then you will find that this indeed is a nice change up from Forza or GT5, currently the pinnacle of racing on their respective systems. If your looking for a nice change of pace, give a shot, you won't be disappointed and especially so if your a fan of Australian V8 Racing, they are quite similar. Cheers.