I suggest Flatout 2. It is very fun and one of my favorite racing games. Besides destruction derby, this game features various game modes. You might want to give it a shot.
Yes, music is very important. It creates the atmosphere and that feeling you require from a game. Most of the times it's energic and properly integrated for the specific driving road. I cannot imagine myself playing a racing game without music.
I would love a racing game in the Transfagarasan, Romania. TopGear ranked it as the most beautiful driving road in the entire world and I have been there and I think it's absolutely amazing.
I totally love RPG's and pretty much every musical simulation. I love making my own character and making him look like i want to. I also play a lot of strategy games, especially the Heroes series.
In my opinion, it's a wonderful game, I'm not a GTA fan, but it gave me nostalgia. I remembered San Andreas at it's finest. It's very fun, attractive, and is the most immersive game i played.