Need for Speed: Carbon, also known as NFS Carbon or NFSC, is an Electronic Arts video game in the Need for Speed series. Released in 2006, it is the tenth installment, preceded by Need for Speed: Most Wanted, succeeded by Need for Speed: ProStreet in release order and succeeded by Need for Speed: Undercover in chronological order. This was the first game in the series to gain the PEGI rating of 12+.[citation needed] The game is a sequel to 2005's Need for Speed: Most Wanted. The locations of both Most Wanted and Carbon (Rockport and Palmont, respectively) are featured in the 2010 MMO game, Need for Speed: World.

The PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions of the game are called Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City, set in a fictional city named Coast City with a significantly different storyline and also featuring different AI teammate abilities.[2] In 2009, a version of Own the City was also released on the Zeebo as a pre-installed game.[3]

Need for Speed: Carbon is the final game released for all sixth-generation consoles (excluding PlayStation 2)