I always have liked from car games, more importantly sims and I was searching some new car game when I found something called Live for speed from RSC forums, download was rather small so I thought that I give it a go.
So I started with beginners car, XFG and managed to drive from T1 and chicane of Blackwood, I thouht that game is quite nice, then I was pushing car faster and saw 250 mark coming, so I thought that I must brake perhaps soon and pulled wheel to side to get to correct line for corner and rammed brakes as in other games, I did spun. At that moment I remember saying something like WOW, first time ever I spun because of that and certainly I was sold after that.
Bought S3 license right away when preordering became possible (It was certainly some time after my first drive, specially because Original LFS League did born bit after my first drive and I became one of first hosts), actually I had not even credit card before that so I got one just for getting LFS
Physics were so huge thing, it did not bother me at all that there were no speedometers (only virtual) and sound was not too good.
All investments so far for LFS related stuff have been around 800 euros, oh yes and few server rents above that so we are quite close to 1000 euros, but fun is never free, still lot cheaper than any other fun, specially as there has been already so many years and more to come.