Well i finnaly got around to playing version 2. Its great, but the handling is much different especially if you've been playing Ver. 1 for a long time. There are many new add-ons, 2 new mountains have been added along with many new racers from Stage 4. The new mountains are Mt. Irohazaka the mountain where Tak raced the Evo 3 and the MR2, and Akagi Hill home course of the Red Suns. New car models have been added like the Altezza and the Cappucino, on a sad note you can no longer triple shift in the begining to gain a speed boost. Something thats very cool, you can transfer your version 1 data onto a version 2 card, you keep your points, but you have to re-start on story mode and your version 1 card becomes invalid and no longer useful. The rain battles really give it a challenge to the course, you must change your technique completly, all in all it's a cool game, I'd give it an 9 out of 10 

Version 2 is finally out in America! There have been some great additions to this allready kick-ass game. One such being the "Battle Aura System." As you Progress in  Ver. 2 you gain "Battle Levels." Your skill greatens with every race you take. the harder the challenge the more points you accuire. Battle Levels can be observed at the opening menu screen, along with your points, best times, and winning records. To be able to see your Aura you must reach level 11. Upon gaining this level you see a strange, blue, flame-like, wave emit from your vehicle in the opening animation.

Something you may also notice is the fact that the Aura around your car changes color after reaching a certain "Battle Level." From levels 11-20 you shouldn't be surprised to notice that the Aura gradually increases size, and after that it begins to change color. The colors of the Aura go as follows: 
Battle Lv. 11-20 Blue aura
Battle Lv. 21-22 Dark Green aura
Battle Lv. 23-24 Violet aura
Battle Lv. 25-26 Orange aura
Battle Lv. 27 Red aura
Battle Lv. 28 Lemon aura
Battle Lv. 29 Purple aura
Battle Lv. 30 Emerald aura
Battle Lv. 31+ White aura / Rainbow if 10+ consecutive wins

On the Ver. 2 Cards you may notice a row labled "Racer Level", this is where two rows of stars will later appear. These stars are accuired by completing different tasks in the game, each neccassary requirement will gain you a different star. I myself, have not yet completed the game, but have gained some info on the the star requirements. All I know is that there are 30 stars total, 8 stars are obtained through story mode, 10 stars from Bunta Challenge, and 12 stars are gained through your Battle Level.