Points make prizes...

[Mike Curran]

Am I missing anything or do you have to pound away earning cash and XP and move slowly through the ranks?

 

[Marco Bijl]

In the honest way, yes. You need to earn the cash to pay for the upgrades that come available with the experience gathered.
Offcourse, there are cheats for that, but thats not how I play games, so it's indeed a matter of driving for experience and cash.