More than 150 cars, 8,000 parts, and co-op for the first time: What can you test now in Car Mechanic Simulator 2026?

Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 is one of the major simulation announcements in the current Steam Next Fest. Developed by Red Dot Games and published by PlayWay, the game is taking part in the June edition of Steam Next Fest, which runs from June 15 to June 22, 2026. During this period, you can download the free demo directly from the Steam page and take a first look inside the new workshop yourself. The full version continues to be announced generally for 2026. Steam does not currently list an exact day, price, or release time.

An important distinction has to be made regarding the demo: Steam explicitly describes it as a Single Player Demo. One of the largest announced features of the full version, cooperative multiplayer, therefore cannot yet be assessed together with friends. The test build is intended to provide a first impression of the controls, repair procedures, graphics, and general game structure. However, it is not a fully unlocked version of the later game and should not be judged as though every announced system already has to be included.

The fundamental workshop formula remains familiar. You accept vehicles with different problems, examine their condition, remove components, repair or replace damaged parts, and then reassemble the car. This gradual dismantling process is exactly what makes the series appealing. A vehicle does not simply consist of the categories engine, suspension, and bodywork. Many assemblies are made up of numerous individual parts that have to be fitted correctly and reinstalled in the proper order.

Red Dot Games promises a considerably larger scope for the full version. More than 150 cars are intended to be available in over 500 different configurations. Different versions may involve engine options, rarity, and technical combinations. More than 8,000 vehicle parts are also included for you to discover, remove, repair, and install. These figures do not automatically mean that every vehicle is built in a completely unique way. However, they show how many combinations of cars, engines, and individual components the game is intended to represent.

The new modular engine system is particularly interesting. Individual engine components are intended to be easier to swap and combine. This could make engine building more flexible than in previous entries. Instead of exclusively restoring one fixed engine according to an unchangeable blueprint, there should be more options when replacing and combining individual components. The full version will have to show how free these combinations actually are and which technical limits apply.

The most important new feature for many players is likely to be co-op mode. For the first time, you should be able to operate the workshop together with friends. You can repair cars together, divide tasks, and develop the garage as a group. One person could take care of the engine and gearbox, for example, while another handles suspension, bodywork, or diagnostics. The current short Steam description does not yet explain completely how many players can work together at the same time or how permissions, progression, and shared finances will be handled.

Co-op is fundamentally a good fit for the gameplay of a workshop simulation. A large restoration project consists of many dependent steps. Several people could remove parts in parallel, repair components, or order replacements. At the same time, the game has to prevent players from taking important parts away from one another, blocking work steps, or accidentally selling unfinished assemblies. Whether co-op solves these organisational questions clearly is therefore one of the most important open points before full release.

You should also have greater control over how demanding the workshop becomes when playing alone. Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 describes a customizable experience in which the day and night cycle, deliveries, limited workspace, and job difficulty can be adjusted to suit your preferred playstyle. The game therefore targets both players who want to restore cars in a relaxed way and users who are looking for scarcer resources and greater economic pressure.

The day and night cycle is not only a visual addition. Time can affect how quickly parts arrive and how much a delivery costs. The new dynamic part-delivery system is intended to make delivery duration and price depend on the time of day and selected game mode. If you need a component immediately, you may have to pay more. If you can wait, you may save money, but a lift could remain occupied or a job could be delayed in the meantime.

Planning therefore gains greater importance. In previous workshop procedures, buying a replacement part was often little more than the short route between the parts list and the shopping basket. If deliveries now require time, you have to think more carefully about when you dismantle a vehicle and which components you order early. Several parallel projects could help make productive use of waiting times. At the same time, the system must not regularly leave you with nothing meaningful to do while waiting for a digital delivery service.

The availability of certain components for classic vehicles is also intended to be limited. Required parts may not simply be available as new items in the catalogue at all times. Instead, you have to search the used-parts market and find suitable components. This could give rare restoration projects a different procedure from repairing an ordinary customer vehicle. An old car would then be more difficult not only because of rusty bolts, but also because certain original parts first have to be located.

Time also plays a role in repair jobs. Completing repairs quickly is intended to provide additional rewards. This can change the familiar procedure because work is no longer assessed exclusively by its technical result. Anyone who diagnoses faults quickly, orders parts in time, and organizes the workshop well could perform better economically. The balance still has to be right: Careful fault-finding should not be punished simply because a player does not know every vehicle layout from memory.

The workshop itself can be customized much more extensively. Tools, furniture, and lighting are intended to be placed freely so that the predefined garage becomes your own working area. This is more than a cosmetic feature if limited space genuinely becomes part of the selected difficulty. Vehicle lifts, diagnostic equipment, storage areas, and paths between workstations could then influence how efficiently you handle several projects at the same time.

The revised progression system is also intended to offer greater freedom. The skills, equipment, or areas you unlock first may therefore depend more strongly on your own priorities. If you want to work on engines as early as possible, paint vehicles, or improve diagnostics, your progression should be adaptable accordingly. However, the Steam page does not currently list detailed information about every skill and unlock.

A personal diagnostic station is another new feature. Suspension and the general condition of a vehicle can be checked there. Diagnostics are one of the elements that distinguish a workshop simulation from a simple assembly puzzle. You should not only see which part is marked in red, but identify problems through tests, sounds, measurements, and the condition of assemblies wherever possible. The current description does not yet make it possible to judge how deep the diagnostic system will be in the final version.

Carspedia also introduces a dedicated system for discovered vehicles. Cars that you have already found or worked on can be collected and viewed there. For players who want to discover every possible version, the more than 500 configurations therefore receive an additional purpose. The game becomes not only a workshop simulation, but also a collecting game.

Vehicle sales are also being expanded. Finished cars can either be sold instantly or offered and traded on the used-car market. Direct sales are likely to be faster and simpler, while the market may offer better prices or different conditions. It has not yet been explained in detail how strongly supply, demand, and waiting time will influence the final payment.

You can find new projects in several locations. The junkyard is intended to offer different vehicles each day for dismantling and parts recovery. Abandoned barns use procedurally generated content so that every visit should not contain exactly the same discoveries. A dealership for new cars is also included. This creates several ways to obtain vehicles not only as customer jobs, but also for your own collection, restoration projects, or later resale.

A multi-level parking system is planned for the growing collection. This makes sense because a large number of personal vehicles could otherwise quickly become confusing. Instead of losing restored cars immediately after selling them, you can build your own collection. The number of parking spaces and the ease with which the collection can be sorted remain open.

Cars can also be moved and parked freely around the garage. You are therefore no longer limited exclusively to one predefined test area or an automatic transition between the workshop and a track. Three racing locations are also included: a traditional race circuit, a rally course, and an airport. You can use them to try and compare restored or modified vehicles.

These driving areas are more than a reward for completing workshop jobs. After repairing an engine, modifying the suspension, or increasing performance, you want to check whether the car actually works properly. Different routes can expose different weaknesses. A race circuit demands stable cornering, a rally course challenges the suspension and traction, while an airport can allow longer acceleration tests.

A fuel system is another new addition. Consumption is intended to depend on engine type and driving style. This means a test drive is no longer completely separated from the vehicle’s condition and operating costs. A powerful engine may require more fuel, while aggressive acceleration increases consumption further. The Steam page does not yet explain in detail whether empty tanks, fuel prices, or different fuel types will play a larger economic role.

A petrol station with an automatic car wash is also announced. This gives the area around the garage more usable locations. A restored car can be refuelled and cleaned before it is sold, photographed, or placed in the collection. The visual condition may matter during sales, although no specific connection has yet been confirmed.

A livery and sticker system allows you to create custom designs. Restored vehicles therefore do not necessarily have to be returned only to their original factory appearance. Individual projects, racing liveries, or consistent designs for your own collection become more likely. The extent of the editor and whether custom graphics can be imported remain open.

Repair and upgrading are being revised as well. Parts can be placed in a queue for automatic processing. Alternatively, you can complete minigames to speed up the process. This combination targets different types of players. Anyone who wants to carry out every task personally can become more involved. Anyone managing several vehicles can automate certain processes and focus on other work in the meantime.

The risk is that too many waiting periods could artificially extend everyday workshop life. Deliveries, automatic repairs, time of day, and limited part availability can create interesting planning. If they are configured too strictly, however, they could turn a detailed repair simulation into a waiting game. The customizable gameplay parameters will therefore be crucial. Players should be able to determine how strongly time pressure and resource scarcity affect their routine.

This is exactly why the current demo matters. It gives players an opportunity not only to watch trailers and read feature lists, but to examine the basic controls personally. How quickly can parts be selected? Does the engine bay remain clear despite thousands of components? Is dismantling understandable? Does moving around the workshop feel smooth? Such questions can only be answered to a limited extent through screenshots.

At the same time, the demo should not be confused with the final scope. It is labelled as a single-player version and therefore cannot fully demonstrate the new co-op focus. The more than 150 cars, over 500 configurations, 8,000 parts, and every location do not have to be included completely either. A demo is intended to provide a limited impression and allow feedback before release.

For Red Dot Games, Steam Next Fest is therefore an important public test. Players use different hardware, resolutions, and input devices. They dismantle cars in different ways and discover problems that may not become immediately visible in a small internal testing process. Feedback on controls, clarity, performance, and bugs can still influence further development. However, this does not mean that every request will be implemented.

Steam currently lists Windows 10, a first-generation Ryzen 5 or seventh-generation Intel Core i5, 8 GB of memory, and a GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT as the minimum requirements. The game also requires 50 GB of available storage. Windows 11, 16 GB of memory, and an RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6700 XT are recommended. These specifications may still change before release and do not automatically guarantee a particular frame rate or graphics setting.

The full version is intended to release in 2026. An exact month remains unknown. The price has not been announced either. This makes the demo especially useful because you can test whether you generally like the new direction without making a purchase. However, a final purchasing decision should still wait until the date, price, final scope, and actual condition of the release are known.

Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 is clearly trying to expand the familiar series in several areas without abandoning its established foundation. You still dismantle vehicles, search for faults, repair parts, and develop your workshop. Co-op, freer garage customization, dynamic deliveries, scarce classic-car parts, new sales methods, several driving locations, and a more customizable difficulty are added.

The most important question will be whether these systems work together meaningfully. More than 8,000 parts are only an advantage if searching and installation remain clear. Dynamic deliveries are only interesting if they create planning rather than merely consuming time. Co-op only works if tasks can be divided effectively. A large vehicle collection only remains appealing if the configurations genuinely differ and can be managed properly.

In the end, the current Steam Next Fest offers free first access to Car Mechanic Simulator 2026. The demo is playable during the event running until June 22, while the full version remains announced for later this year. The new entry promises more than 150 cars, over 500 configurations, more than 8,000 parts, a modular engine system, a customizable garage, and cooperative repair work for the first time.

Have you already played the Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 demo – and is the new co-op mode the most important feature for you?