Top Speed Cars Car News

Want to drive like some of the hottest Scuderia Ferrari drivers? Here’s your chance! Ferrari has unveiled the official trailer for their Virtual Academy – an online simulation racing game. With the Ferrari Virtual Academy, Ferrari fans from all over the world can hop into their computer chair and take the same laps as Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, and Giancarlo Fisichella, while also being privy to their racing line and driving technique secrets! Drive the fastest amongst all of the fellow Ferrari fans in the worldwide online tournament and you could be one of the weekly winners that will be awarded official Ferrari products. Better yet, if at the end of the Trofeo, you are within the top five fastest drivers, then you will be headed to the heart of Ferrari! That’s right, Ferrari will be sending you to Maranello to walk through the gates in Fiorano and participate in the exclusive Ferrari Driver Academy course with exceptional tutors from the Scuderia.

Drive around in some of the most famous tracks like the Fiorano, Mugello, and Nurburgring that have been digitally recreated with Laser Scan and Motion Capture. Master the laps and increase your speed because you may be one of the lucky five that will get the chance of a lifetime!

The game will be available for download starting September 9th.

Video: Ferrari Virtual Academy – Official Trailer originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 2 September 2010 21:00 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

As if we haven’t had enough of Top Gear already, it looks like our favorite car show is in the process of invading our iPhones and iPads in the coming future.

While we’re not surprised that this is happening – after all, we’ve seen these guys in t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, and even lunch boxes – we’re a little anxious to know what kind of game it’s going to be or how it’s going to be presented. Is it going to be a full-on racing game? Is it going to be something along the lines of car trivia? Or is it going to have elements of both and a whole lot more? Heck, will the Stig make an appearance on the game and if so, which Stig will it be?

The good news is that we won’t have to wait long – unlike that Sony-produced racing game that had more delays than Jeremy Clarkson has hair strands – as it is expected to be made available sometime in the next few months.

Top Gear game for the iPhone and iPad to be released soon originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 11:00 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

Although we may never see a McLaren MP4-12C police car in real life, we can at least be chased by one in the streets of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit! Oh yeah, McLaren may not want to shell out the dough to build one and police officers may not have the cash to purchase one, but we can live vicariously through our television or computer screens to experience the rush of a McLaren MP4-12C police car.

NFS: Hot Pursuit is a cops versus racers-type race case that features both solo and online play. “Our goal has been to create cops vs. racers pursuits that are so fun, fast and exciting it really brings to life the adrenaline and intensity of the high speed cop pursuit experience with your friends.”

While we expect to see and hear more about Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in the coming months, it does put us a little more at ease knowing that EA has already given a release date for their new NFS video game -November 16 on the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Nintendo Wii. It’s much better than the crazy roller coaster ride we were put through waiting for the release date of Gran Turismo. Among the vehicles being featured in NFS: Hot Pursuit will be models by Brabus, TechArt, Ford, and Lamborghini.

McLaren MP4-12C Police Car in NFS Hot Pursuit originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 August 2010 19:00 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

The Dirt Franchise is back with its latest installment: Dirt 3. And its not just back, its back with fiery explosions, a weather simulator, and Ken Block’s “Monster” Ford Fiesta. True rally enthusiasts may not fancy Dirt 3, or even the whole franchise, but there is no denying, Dirt 3 looks good.

No details have been released on the new game, except that it is expected to hit the shelves sometime in 2011 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 as confirmed by its creator, CodeMasters. As you can see in the trailer, the graphics will be just as astonishing as the highly successful Dirt 2. It also appears that we will get new stages of H20, rain, and snow, as well as over 50 rally cars and “double the track content” as the previous installment. All of which will add an exciting twist to your rally experience.

Dirt 3 may not be a true to heart rally game as much as being an Americanized translation of the sport, but it’s still an exciting interpretation of it. Let’s just hope it’s not all show and no go.

First Dirt 3 Trailer hits the net originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 5 August 2010 00:31 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

With Test Drive Unlimited 1, the genre of racing games was changed forever. It made itself stand apart from the others by not only featuring over 125 of the world’s fastest cars and bikes, but by the ability of racing those machines over 1000 miles of road modeled after satellite images of Hawaii’s island Oahu. As if the sheer pleasure of maneuvering these beasts wasn’t good enough, Test Drive Unlimited 1 also gave the gamer an opportunity to build their own houses, visit car dealers, and start clubs with other gamers.

Now, after a long 4 year wait, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is set to hit shelves on September 21st. Registration for the Beta version is already underway, but no specific date has been set for the Beta (pre-order is also currently available).

With the latest installment of the Test Drive series, comes day and night cycles, dynamic weather, indicator lights, working hard tops, and complete customization of all aspects of the game, including your house, avatar, car vinyls, and car interiors. More major changes include SUVs for off-roading, a new island to explore (modeled after Ibiza) as well as the old island, and an airport to take you between the two. Co-op gameplay, in which one player drives and the other reads a map, will also debut in the new game. Other major changes include being able to get out of your car in selected areas, receive cosmetic damage (will not affect performance), and multiple headlight modes.

A few teaser photos have been released, suggesting what cars will be in the game. Confirmed cars include the McLaren MP4-12C, Gumpert Apollo, Aston Martin One-77, Audi Q7, Nissan 370Z, Audi TTS, Audi R8, Aston Martin DBS, Dodge Viper SRT-10, Ford GT, Koenigsegg CCXR, Pagani Cinque, and the Spyker C8.

Happy cruising TDU fans.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 to be released September 21st originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:00 EST.

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Mercedes-Benz is offering car lovers a chance of a lifetime. People from all over the world might get the chance to drive the new super sports car from AMG, the SLS. This car is so rare that most of us will never have the chance to see one in the flesh, let alone drive one.

This experience includes driving the 6.3-liter V8 SLS around a few famous European racetracks, being driven around a track by former Formula One driver David Coulthard, racing on the Top Gear test track, and a few unique driving days at Mercedes-Benz World. Only a lucky few will be selected to participate in these events.

To get your chance, look for subtle links to the ‘rare chances to experience the SLS AMG’ entry forms on the Internet and out in the real world.

One event has already taken place, which was the chance to get driven around by David Coulthard, but it’s the next event that will really take the cake.

Hit the jump to read on and watch a video of a couple of guys in the SLS AMG/GT5 simulator.

Mercedes-Benz gives gamers a chance to drive the SLS AMG originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 15 July 2010 13:40 EST.

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Those guys over at Polyphony Digital are, without question, masters of the art of teasing. After leaving us all hanging on the release date of Gran Turismo 5 for close to a year – we haven’t forgotten about all those delays, fellas – they finally gave us a date to hang all our collective hats on: November 2.

And now that we know when the game will finally be released, the kids at Polyphony just can’t help, but release teaser video after teaser video of the much-ballyhooed game.

In this latest – and undoubtedly not the last – video, we take a closer look at the Top Gear test track, which, if you didn’t know, makes an appearance on GT5. And did we mention that Gran Turismo 5 comes in 3D, which means you can enjoy doing your best Stig impersonation in three-dimensional goodness?

Just another reason to impatiently wait for November 2 to come and as far as we’re concerned, it can’t come soon enough.

Video: The Top Gear test track Gran Turismo 5 style originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 6 July 2010 11:00 EST.

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How’s this for a new way to learn more about the Chevrolet Volt? Of course, all you need to do is have a Microsoft Xbox 360 and purchase the latest Microsoft add-on, the Kinect for Xbox 360.

Sounds simple enough, right?

Here’s the catch, though. For all your efforts, the only thing you’ll get out of it is an interactive video advertisement on Xbox LIVE. Think we’re kidding? Well, okay, we are. The real catch in this whole tie-up - and trust us, it’s a good one - is that you’re going to get a chance to test drive a virtual Chevy Volt through Microsoft’s first no-controllers-needed racing game, the "Kinect Joy Ride". After viewing the video advertisement in-dash on Xbox LIVE or on the Web, consumers will be able to unlock the Chevrolet Volt in “Kinect Joy Ride” to actually drive the car in the game.

According to Jim Campbell, U.S. VP for Chevrolet Marketing: “The Volt applies advanced environmental technology to give Chevrolet drivers freedom from the gas pump, making it one of the most exciting developments the automotive industry has seen in years."

“Conversely, Kinect allows us to bring the excitement of the showroom to the living rooms of our customers," he adds. "It’s a way for us to replicate the experience of physically engaging with a product that is essential to the customer’s purchasing decision.”

Press Release after the jump

Microsoft ties up with Chevrolet for a virtual Chevy Volt test drive on Kinect for Xbox 360 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 June 2010 13:00 EST.

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Just in time for the release of a slew of racing games for the Playstation 3, not the least of which is the long-awaited launch of Gran Turismo 5, HKS and InterWorks have collaborated on a creating a unique game controller that’s tailor-made for all racing gamers out there.

With a controller that looks nothing like the standard controllers of the PS3 console, the Hipermax III rids itself of analog joysticks in favor of a thumb wheel on the left side and throttle and brake buttons on the other side. The "wheel" also comes with a center stripe to assist in the steering of the gamer’s race cars, as well as an odometer of sorts in the center of the controller that registers the digital readouts of the car being driven in the video game.

The best piece of news about this ground-breaking new racing controller? Unlike other pedal and wheel contraptions that come with price tags that could be a little too steep for most people, the Hipermax III only retails for an estimated price of just south of $55.

Press Release after the jump

PS3-exclusive racing controller built specifically for racing game enthusiasts originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 28 June 2010 19:00 EST.

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Now that Sony and Polyphony Digital have finally announced the official date of the release of Gran Turismo 5, you could have probably heard the collective sighs of relief from Gran Turismo fans all over the world. Justifiably so because the wait hasn’t been exactly smooth, to say the list. From an immeasurable number of delays to the already five-year long wait, there’s not a fan of the racing simulator franchise in this world that can honestly say that their wait hasn’t come with a mix of anxiety and frustration.

It’s not that we’re chomping at the bits to play the game - okay, maybe just a little - but it’s more of just wanting to know when it was going to be released. So, if the November 2 release date does push through, you can take it to the bank that everything will be forgiven faster than a sinner’s confession.

In the meantime, Sony and PD have released a retrospective on the entire Gran Turismo franchise, dating back to the first game that was released seemingly centuries ago - it was 1997, to be exact. It’s a good way to gauge just how far the game has come, from the then-out of this world Playstation game to a whole new revolutionary 3D experience for the upcoming GT5 game on the PS3.

It’s not going to make the wait any easier, but the video is still a must-watch for fans of the game.

From GT1 to GT5: A Gran Turismo Retrospective originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 20:00 EST.

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It would seem normal for just about anybody who has a remote interest in playing car racing games to go gaga over the official announcement of Gran Turismo’s release date, but just because GT5 is finally on the horizon, it doesn’t mean that we’re going to start turning our backs on other games that are currently in the pipeline as we speak.

One such game, that shouldn’t be overlooked by any stretch of the imagination, is Atari’s new Test Drive Unlimited 2. The game’s developer, Eden Games, is quick to hammer out all the goodies that come with the game in this new trailer. Among the features that all of us should expect to see in the game includes a plethora of mouth-watering vehicles - obviously -, an in-game day/night transitions and weather changes, and the inclusion of an off-road rally mode that also comes with another new game feature, the addition of SUVs.

Enticing as the game sounds, we were a little bit perplexed at some of the supposed cars that are included in the game, one of which is the Aston Martin DB9S, a car that we actually have never heard of. Maybe it was a slight mishap by the narrator, or maybe these guys know something we don’t. Whatever the case may be, we’re totally going to check this game out as soon as it hits the shelves in the near future.

Video: Atari's Test Drive Unlimited 2 Trailer originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 22 June 2010 19:00 EST.

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Now that we already know when Gran Turismo 5 is going to be released, we’re now being bombarded with news about possible new features for the game. One of which apparently, is a new kink in the racing game franchise that allows us to design our very own race track.

Sure, it’s been in the rumor oven for quite some time now, but according to Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida in an interview with the UK Playstation blog, the design-your-own-track feature will be available on GT5. That’s not all, too. In addition to this "track creating and sharing", Yoshida also confirms some more new wrinkles to the game, including go-karts and an all-new weather system.

"Gran Turismo 5 will offer gamers an experience more rich, more in-depth and more exciting than they might expect – even from a series as closely identified with innovation and invention as Gran Turismo," Yoshida said.

"These innovations are twinned with the option to join millions of like-minded individuals globally within the Gran Turismo community and to find a driving experience to suit, whether that is taking on the Top Gear test track, chucking cars around stunt arenas, go-karting, creating and sharing your own track or intense head-to-head races. Who, where and what to drive is completely down to the individual."

We’re going out on a limb here, but it certainly looks like we’re going to be in for quite a revolutionary game, after all.

Sony confirms "Create-Your-Own-Track" feature on Gran Turismo 5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 22 June 2010 12:00 EST.

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A day after finally finding out the official release date of Gran Turismo 5, we’re still in a state of mixed disbelief. You can excuse us for feeling this way after all since Polyphony Digital and Sony have delayed the release of the game about five times now.

But this time, it looks different. This time, it just may be it.

And just to illustrate what all of us are in for, they have come out with a new trailer for the game that’s got some things in it that we didn’t know the game had. First, there was the voice-over of no less than Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel. Then there’s the Stig himself making some sort of cameo and did we also mention that Sony announced that GT5 will also come in 3D?

If everything does push through, you can bet that Gran Turismo 5 will be redefining the way auto racing games will be made in the future. Check out the video and tell us that you’re not salivating yet. We won’t believe you.

Sony releases new trailer for Gran Turismo 5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 17 June 2010 16:00 EST.

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We’ll believe it when we see it stacked neatly in stores, shrink-wrapped, and ready to be plucked. Until then, we’ll save our excitements for something else.

After what has been an inordinate number of delays, Sony has finally announced the official release date of Gran Turismo 5: November 2. Not only that, Sony also leaked some pretty interesting tidbits about this game, with one of them catching us all completely by surprise. According to them, GT5 will be released 3D-style.

That’s right. 3D.

Like we said, we’re not counting our chickens before they hatch because we’ve been burned by these guys far too many times now, but the mere thought of playing GT5 in 3D does have us getting a little bit excited. But only a little.

Finally: Sony announces November 2 release date for Gran Turismo 5...in 3D originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 16 June 2010 12:00 EST.

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Recently, Electronic Arts, the game’s developer, unveiled the latest video game in the NFS franchise, "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit".

Taken from its title - and a number of similar games with the same title that were released years ago - NFS: Hot Pursuit is a cops versus racers-type race case that features both solo and online play that can be accessed through the franchise’s new online network, "Need for Speed Autolog". By using the network, online gamers will be given the opportunity to log in their scores and provide personalized gameplay recommendations. As per the game itself, players will have the opportunity to choose either the role of a cop or racer for a full career and can have their pick of any number of exotic cars in Hot Pursuit.

According to Craig Sullivan, the game’s creative director, "At Criterion, we’ve been playing Need for Speed since it was first introduced on 3DO. We are honored and excited by the opportunity to reinvent the franchise for today’s connected audience."

"Our goal has been to create cops vs. racers pursuits that are so fun, fast and exciting it really brings to life the adrenaline and intensity of the high speed cop pursuit experience with your friends."

You don’t have to tell us that, Mr. Sullivan. While we expect to see and hear more about Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in the coming months, it does make us a little more at ease knowing that EA has already given a release date for their new NFS video game -November 16 on the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Nintendo Wii. It’s refreshing, isn’t it? Unlike that other racing game that keeps getting delayed with no release date in sight.

Check out the reveal trailer for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit after the jump.

Electronic Arts unveils latest NFS game, 'Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit' originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 15 June 2010 13:00 EST.

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If and when Gran Turismo 5 does get released, you can rest assured that die-hard racing gamers are going to punch, kick, and scratch each other at the chance to get whatever high-tech accessory will come with making the game much more exciting to play.

Thrustmaster - yeah, that’s their name - has come out with one that should make gamers and Ferrari fans alike drool in excitement. Called the Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition, the steering wheel accessory comes with an 11-inch steering wheel, which is actually a 70% scale replica of the one found in the real 430 Scuderia.

The whole system is also compatible with both the Playstation 3 and PC, making it the perfect steering wheel accessory for any racing game that is suited for the two gaming platforms. Unfortunately, the whole set-up doesn’t come cheap, given that Thrustmaster is charging a swell $250 for one piece, but if you love your video games enough and have the resources to splurge on them, then it’s a purchase that you might have trouble resisting.

Video and Press Release after the jump

Thrustmaster's Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit is a must-have for any race gaming afficionado originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 7 June 2010 21:00 EST.

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