tl;dr: In 1996, the author wrote a 2D rigid-body physics simulation in GFA BASIC on an Atari ST that became the vehicle system in the original Grand Theft Auto. For its 30th anniversary, they've recreated it in JavaScript ("Motion Lab") with playable Car, Ship, and Brick modes. The post details the design: a proper rigid-body core with torques (uncommon in games then) layered with a deliberately simplified, non-physical tyre model that applies velocity-proportional resistance along and across each wheel's heading to produce convincing car-like handling.