Ok Blur handles nothing like PGR3 or 4 I don't know why Bizzare would replace the Project Gotham racing series with this...
BLUR was never meant to be a similar game. They essentially made 5 games in the
MSR/PGR series already, so it sort of was time to move on. Though, it really wasn't their decision to make. Microsoft owns the
"Project Gotham" rights, so some people are speculating that
Turn 10, the studio behind the Forza series, are going to take over for any subsequent releases in the PGR series.
The upcoming James Bond game,
007: Blood Stone, which they are developing, apparently has a good deal of driving in it. Now, I'm sure these driving sequences won't be super-realistic or anything, but they will surely be more realistic than
BLUR. Like I said earlier,
BLUR is just a kart racer that happens to use licensed cars. It was never intended, or even described, as being a realistic racer. And as such, to your other point, your actual driving skill doesn't matter as much as does your ability to use the power-ups correctly and accurately.