In Turbo Outrun the player controls a male driver sitting alongside his girlfriend in a Ferrari F-40, racing against the clock and a computer-controlled opponent in a blue Porsche 959 in a race across the United States. The goal is to reach Los Angeles from the starting point of New York City. Unlike the original Out Run, there are no branch roads to choose from. Instead, there is only one path that can be taken to reach the goal. A notable feature of the game is that the player can increase speed by using turbo boost, however this will make the engine temperature increase on the HUD gauge. When the gauge reaches "OVERHEAT!" turbo boost cannot be used until the temperature decreases. Another notable difference is that police cars occasionally appear that try to stop the player. They have to either be outrun by using the turbo boost or destroyed by the player by ramming them off-road and into an object on the side of the road. Unlike the original Out Run, Turbo Out Run offers the player a choice between automatic transmission or two-speed manual transmission. At every sub-goal (reached after passing through about four cities), a power-up can be chosen, the three being: Hi-Power Engine, Special Turbo, and Super Grip Tires. If the CPU opponent reaches the sub-goal before the player then in the next race, the player's girlfriend will move to the opponent's car. The player can still win the girl back if he beats the CPU opponent to the next sub-goal. If the player beats the opponent with the girl in his car a 1,000,000 point bonus is given. Also, the girl kisses the driver in front of his CPU opponent. If the player reaches the final checkpoint, in the process, the player will pass the CPU opponent and the ending scene is played.