The game supports one or two players, with the two-player mode using split-screen. The primary single-player mode is Arcade, in which the player races across all 31 tracks in the game, unlocking progressively more powerful cars by winning two races at a time. The player begins on either the Africa or Peru circuit in entry-level vehicles such as a Nissan Micra or Renault Clio, with each initial route unlocking separate chains of countries. The Africa route leads through China and Indonesia before reaching the United States and Brazil, while the Peru route passes through Rome, Norway, Monaco, and the United Kingdom.
As the player progresses through the GTI car class and completes all available events, the car pool transitions to the High Performance Class. Completing all 31 tracks also unlocks the option to race every circuit in reverse.
Championship mode offers a more structured alternative, with four Championship classes and predetermined circuits for each.
In North America, the game was repackaged under the title TNN Motorsports Hardcore TR by publisher ASC Games. This version featured a different car roster and relocated the tracks to settings within the United States, while retaining the same core track geometry and menu structure as the original.
C3 Racing implemented a manual-based copy protection system. At the start of a session, the game poses a question that requires the player to consult the printed manual for the correct answer. A wrong answer allows only a limited play period before the game displays the message "You have been caught driving a stolen Vette!" and crashes.
During the game's development period, the Tiananmen Square massacre occurred on June 4, 1989. One of the game's programmers included a memorial string in the program executable reading: "IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO WERE MURDERED IN TIAN-AN-MEN SQUARE ON JUNE 4, 1989."
Critical reception was mixed across European markets. British magazine Play rated the game 75%, praising its cars, handling, and track scenery while criticizing the graphics and plain appearance of the licensed vehicles. Pete Wilton of the Official UK PlayStation Magazine gave it 7 out of 10, describing the game as feeling "unfinished" and finding the car models "blocky and badly drawn." German magazine MANiAC rated it 76%. French magazine Joypad gave C3 Racing 5 out of 10, finding it enjoyable but derivative, and noted that competition from TOCA 2: Touring Cars, Gran Turismo, and Colin McRae Rally made it a difficult recommendation. JeuxVideo.com was more positive, rating it 15 out of 20 and calling it "a good racing game that has the advantage of being very fast."