Anybody remember the CarPG Choro-Q? There was almost 25 games made across a lot of platforms so maybe not as obscure as I thought. I highly doubt I could find another person who has heard of it though.

It is a racing RPG based on a Japanese toy line similar to Hot Wheels. The toys are penny racers and the cars in game were just as deformed as the toys. What makes me remember the game still is the option to skip all other upgrades to put the biggest engine in the stock car. It could win races if you could keep it on the track pointed at the finish line.