I figured OutRun was more of a "casual drive" game where the racing elements were second to driving. Which is why there is the flock of birds, mountain scenery, view of the oceaon or the occasional dragon that may show up.
Yes, you're right, the article said the basic concept was that of a driving game, and Yu Suzuki loves driving so much.
The allure here is the sensation of enjoying the beautiful scenery in such a way as to seem more like you’re just driving through it, as opposed to actually racing.
"(Katagiri) Yu Suzuki drove a Ferrari 348, a 355, then next he bought a Lamborghini Diablo 6.0.
He gave me a ride in one of his Ferraris, but I don’t think I got to ride in his Lamborghini.
He gave me a ride in a Jaguar or something too."