There's a STIG Farm??

There's Red, Blue, White, Green, and PINK?!?!

Yes, there is a Stig Farm. After former racing champion, Ben Collins, admitted to the world that he was the man in the white racing suit and helmet, Top Gear went on a search to find a new Stig. The search has stumbled upon a Stig Farm as seen above. There's already word that Jeremy Clarkson has been to the farm and chosen an new tame racing driver. The question, who could it be? And what color will he be? All I can say is, there are blue ones there. Hopefully one of them is chosen.

Do Racing Games Make You a Better Driver?

At the age of 6, I received my first racing game. It was Test Drive 5. I never had a chance to beat the game, but that day helped me generate a passion for cars and racing games. I never stopped playing racing games. Even to this day, I still have some in my library. At 16, I started learning how to drive in my dad's 2003 Chevy Suburban. From the day I started learning, I've always considered driving fun and easy. My parents have complemented me on my driving by using phrases like, "Alright Boy!", and, "I have a driver in the house!" So, one day, I asked myself, "How did I become such a good driver? Is it because of luck, or did video games help?"

The truth is, certain racing games do help you hone your skills as a driver. Gran Turismo is one of the best examples. It combines your love of cars with the realism of driving. I've played this game since I was a kid and it's helped me hone my skills as driver. It's also taught me that it's not about the car. It's about the driver. For example, I've beaten Bugatti Veyron's at the Nürburgring in Chevy Corvette ZR1. Even though Veyron's are famous for reaching very high speeds, unless they are driven by experts, they are useless. The same idea applies with the Corvette ZR1. 638 Horsepower may seem like nothing compared to 1001 horsepower, but it's still a lot of power. Drive it carefully. Anyway, the point is that since this game is so real, you can use it as practice before you get your driver's license maybe; or, you can use it to become a better race driver. Either way, this game will help you improve your driving techniques.

Here's another one: Need For Speed. Yes, I am aware this is more of an arcade series, but the truth is, there is some realism in some of the games in this series. For example, Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed. It might be a racing game where the only manufacturer is Porsche, but in terms of realism, this is very good game. You can seriously hone your skills with this one. Another one from the series is Need For Speed: Most Wanted. This game allows you to tune your car internally. For example, you can adjust the ride height, the firmness of the suspension, nitrous usage, even boost power. As for handling, it's pretty realistic. When your turning, you can really feel the car hugging the corners. Even if your being chased by cops, you can feel the weight and power of the car as you slam through roadblocks. What makes this game even more interesting is the car sounds. Now, in most racing games, even in Gran Turismo, the car sounds are unreal. In this game, car sounds are similar to the ones heard in real life. A Lamborghini Gallardo in the game sounds almost exactly the same as it does in real life. That is truly awesome.

These are just two of the many video games that you can use to test your driving abilities. You can play these games in any formation: via keyboard, controller, or driving seat and wheel. I recommend that you use the third option. Because, well, think about it. I don't think any car now or in the future will be driven by a PS3 controller or an Apple Keyboard.

NFS World Shenanigans Part 2

The shenanigans continues in the world of Need For Speed. This time, I'm testing the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. This latest installment to the line of Lancer Evolutions is the their best Lancer Evo yet. With a 2.0 liter DOHC 4-cylinder turbocharged engine pumping out 295 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, this car will do 60 miles per hour in 5.0 seconds flat with a limited top speed of 155 miles per hour. This car is remarkably good around corners. It handles better than a Porsche Cayman and responds quicker than a Lotus Elise. And at $33,590, it comes at a bargain. A Lotus Elise starts at around $50,000. But anyway, I had a chance to test drive this car around Palmont and Rockport. Black Box has tuned this car very well. The handling is realistic and car responds as it would in real life. Check out the video below to see what I'm on about.

NFS World Shenanigans

If you are a dignified online racer, you may have heard of Need For Speed World. This game is EA's attempt to create a racer similar to that of Test Drive Unlimited except its main focus is purely racing and not just looking good while racing. Just recently, Black Box, the creators of the game, released 5 brand new cars to the game. I managed to get my hands on one of them: the 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo. This car has been praised for its looks, power, and speed. Personally, this is one of my favorite cars. Under the hood is a 3.8 liter Twin-Turbocharged Flat 6 pumping out 480 horsepower. Back then, it was one of the quickest cars Porsche had ever produced with a 0-60 time in just 3.7 seconds. The top speed of this thing was 193 mph. Not only was it fast, it also cornered fairly well. The 911 Turbo has been in the Need For Speed Franchise since the beginning, and legacy continues with this game. You won't be able to buy this car until another update, but you can rent it for up to five days. I had a go in this car around Palmont City. The car's handling is indeed realistic, but requires some elbow grease to control it. Other than that, it is seriously fast and has been tuned well. Take a look at the video below and you'll see what I mean. I apologize if you were expecting original game audio. Fraps and Apple Bootcamp don't go together.

Racing Game Showdown

vs.

Get ready ladies and gentlemen for winter video game showdown! First up, Gran Turismo 5, the flagship game for the PS3. It's taken Polyphony Digital 5 years and over $31 Million to create this incredible game. Coming to stores this holiday season, GT5 will take you deeper into the reality of racing with up to 1000 cars, 70 tracks, and real-time physics. Honestly, there is no other game of its genre that can match this one, or is there? You're probably thinking Forza Motorsport 3 or Formula One 2010 could be its match-up. But you'd be wrong. Terribly wrong.

In the other corner, with 70 cars, intense police chases, and the vast open world of Seacrest County, it's Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. This game hasn't even been released and it's already receiving praise from many game reviewers. Need For Speed finally returns to its roots with cool exotic cars and crazy police chases along scenic twisty roads. This is no regular action racing game, however. The cops are amped up with new weapons such as EMP's, Nitrous, and Spike Strips. Don't think the racers are left empty handed either. They also have modded Spike Strips, EMP's, and Nitrous as well as System Jamming and other cool assortments. Basically what this is a war with the battlefield being Seacrest County. The racers have their own set of wheels from various manufacturers (Bugatti, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, you name it). The SCPD (Seacrest County Police Department) aren't only showing up in Crown Vics. Thanks to their new budget, they were able to afford Lamborghini Reventons, Aston Martin DBSs, Ford GTs, and many more fast exotic cars. Now, you might have seen a Lamborghini Reventon at least once in real life. But, I am positive that you've never seen a Reventon looking like this...

2011 Lamborghini Reventon Speed Enforcer

Of course, you can get this car without the modded Police Livery, light bar, and weapons in NFS and GT5 as well. Gran Turismo has been with us since 1996. Every time a new chapter in the series is introduced, we are introduced to more features that help us enjoy a realistic racing experience. This year, Polyphony Digital's president Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo, has promised that this new chapter will be the most realistic the series has ever gotten. Gran Turismo 5 is loaded with realistic features including, for the first time ever, real car damage. Ever since the beginning, Gran Turismo has only featured tire damage. Now, you better not hit the wall, or you front bumper will fall off. On the bright side, you can add more modifications to your car at GT Auto. Back in GT4, you could only change your rims and add a wing to your car. Now, you can custom paint your car, add a bodykit, or even turn your car into a true racing machine, if you can that is.

The new and improved GT AUTO

In the area of number of cars, while NFS has up to 70 of the world's coolest, GT5 has promised up to 1000 cars from all around the world. One car that stands out in this game is the Mercedes SLS AMG. This car is famous not only for its good looks, but for its massive V8 power and insane speed. It's rise to fame came about when Yamauchi decided to put this car in his game and have it as the boxshot. He has analyzed this car from inside and out to make sure that when you drive it in the game, it is as if you are driving it in real life. Now, if you're not interested in reality and would rather be chased by cops and drift around corners, NFS has this car on their car list of 70. So, if you don't get your hands on GT5, but love the SLS, NFS has got your back.

SLS AMG in Gran Turismo 5

SLS AMG in Need For Speed Hot Pursuit

Now, in the category of sociality, Gran Turismo comes out big time. New for 2010, GT has introduced a new social "My Home" where you can communicate with friends across the PSN, share photos, and gameplay. You can also upload saved replays of your best performances on Youtube. Another new feature will allow you to race your friends without even turning on your PS3 system. These Remote Races will allow you to have an AI Driver race in your car against your friends for bragging rights. You can see these races, but you can't coach your Driver like you would usually do in B-Spec mode. Also, in the line of new features, you can share and send cars to your friends in a way of helping them out in GT mode. Basically in this game, you can share just about anything.

Racing after hours

Sharing is the name of the game in NFS as well. Criterion Games have introduced a new sharing feature called Autolog. Call it "NFS Facebook". With Autolog, you can post your game status, share photos, records, and even game performances. What makes Autolog so cool, however, is that it tracks your performance during career and sets a record in which your friends can beat. If your friend has set a top time in an event, Autolog will recommend you try that event and see if you can beat it to claim bragging rights. Whether racing with friends, or fleeing the cops, NFS Hot Pursuit is always competitive.

Cruising through Seacrest County

So, there you are; your two competitors. Gran Turismo 5 will be here this holiday season. Need For Speed Hot Pursuit will be here on November 16 in North America and November 18 everywhere else. Which game will you choose?

Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Hands On)

You guys may remember Test Drive Unlimited back in 2007. It was one of the best multiplayer racing games of all time, behind Burnout Paradise. Well, they've made a sequel. Fortunately, I got into their Beta program and started testing it. It's pretty awesome, if I'm honest. You can do more, see more, and race more. More is the key word. However, atari spells MORE like MOOR. M.O.O.R stands for Massively Open Online Racing. Imagine World of Warcraft, but with cars, rich people, parties, racing, and scenic drives. That's what Test Drive Unlimited 2 is. It's a brilliant game and it's coming along rather well. So far, I've been able to drive a couple cars in the game. The three you see in front of you are the Aston Martin DBS (Jeremy Clarkson's favorite car), the Ferrari California (one fast grand touring convertible), and the Audi Q7 V12 TDi (the most ridiculous SUV ever created). Speaking of which, TDU2 will have SUV's for the first time in this game. Why? Who wouldn't want to go off-roading on a scenic island. Speaking of islands, TDU2 will take place on two islands, rather than one. In the beginning you will start out in Ibiza, a 571 kilometer island filled with exotic drives. Once you've leveled up in the game, you will be able to fly back to Oahu, Hawaii and race there with 1600 kilometers of road at your disposal. Either way, you will have fun playing this game. Stay tuned for more updates.

Italian Beauty

Many people who have driven a Ferrari say that they are beautiful. Truthfully speaking, most of them are, but some are just wrong. For example, the F430's front end was nice, but looked a bit weird. The F50's rear wing looked like a space ship gone wrong. The 456 looked like a vulgar grand tourer with small rims. Besides these bad creations, Ferrari have made some good ones. The 250 GTO was a true classic car. The 612 Scaglietti looks like a stylish 4 seater limo. The Enzo is Ferrari's way of combining a Formula 1 with an actual sports car, and it turned out brilliant. Happily, there is another Ferrari that we can add to the list of bests. In fact, I think it's the best Ferrari ever made in a while.



This is the 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia, the successor of the old F430. As you can see, this car looks absolutely beautiful. Thanks to Ferrari engineering and Pininfarina designs, this is actually more of a scientific car than an artsy one. Most of the edges, curves, and the awesome nose in the front were designed to increase aerodynamics and ride comfort. What makes the 458 exciting, however, is the performance. You see, before the F430 arrived, there was the F355. This was a brilliant car with 375 horsepower under the hood. Then came the 360 with only 400 horsepower. Then F430 came into production with 483 horsepower. Now that you've seen the pattern, you would imagine that the 458 Italia would have a little bit more power. 500 horsepower? Maybe. 520 horsepower? It might. How about 530 horsepower? Nope. Instead, the Ferrari is powered by a 4.8 liter 570 horsepower handcrafted V8 engine with 400 lb-ft. of torque. With the help of the all new 7-speed dual clutch semi-automatic transmission, introduced by the Ferrari California, it will do 0-60 in an astonishing 3.3 seconds. That's faster than Lamborghini's suddenly lightened and more powerful LP570-4 Superleggera. It's also faster than it with a top speed of 205 miles per hour. It's so fast that if you were to hold a drag race between it's predecessor, the F430, it will destroy it. It just so happens the Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear actually did this. These are the results.



As you can see the 458 was way faster than its predecessor that it was an embarrassment. You're probably now wondering, since this car is seriously fast, it must handle corners well, right? You might even think all Ferraris are just excellent when you give it a whip of track, but, honestly, they aren't. The Enzo Ferrari was too fast and way too hard to control. The handling in an F40 was similar to that of a stick. So, you might think the 458 has faults in the handling. NOT AT ALL! I got a chance to test drive this car in Gran Turismo 5 with real-time physics. This car is incredible! Thanks to its lightweight body and the engine in the middle of the car, the rear stays planted on the ground giving you complete control. Comparing this car to an Enzo, it is much better. The steering reaction is so accurate, it's surprising. This car is definitely much better than Enzo and an F430.




The 458 Italia has definitely made the list of Ferrari greats. However, greatness comes at a price: $250,000 to be exact. Luckily, if you buy it now, it won't explode like the thousands that did due to faulty rear tires. But, besides that, this car is absolutely brilliant.

Italian Gran Turismo

GTO. Those three letters mean something. In America, these three letters were used to represent an old American Muscle Car which was praised for its power and ruggedness. In Japan, these letters represented a sports car which had more power than a Ford Mustang GT. "GTO" was a representation of raw power and speed in which the Americans and the Japanese have used well. But, if it weren't for the Italians, they really wouldn't have anything. GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologata" and was first used on (believe it or not) Ferraris. Ferrari only inserts GTO to their best cars. For example the 250 GTO of 1962 was one of the best Ferraris of all time. After the 250 came the 288 GTO of 1984 which was sensational to drive. Now, its 2010. The GTO phase was last used by a Pontiac and, unfortunately, that car is dead and gone. Luckily, Ferrari have brought GTO back with this bright and shiny red car you see below the title.



This is the 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO. Now, you may remember the 599 GTB Fiorano with its front-engine V12, F1 transmission, and unique design. That car's acceleration with an F1 transmission was as quick as that of their greatest creation, the Enzo Ferrari. That car's handcrafted engine produced 611 horsepower with 448 lb-ft of torque. Ferrari thought the 599 was so great, they gave it even more distinction by replacing the GTB with a GTO. Now, you might be wondering, "Since this is now a GTO, I would imagine this car being really fast." You were wrong. It's unbelievably fast! Ferrari have increased the power of the 599 from 611 to 671. With a new 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds, this car reaches a top speed of 208 mph. Even with added power, Ferrari decided to make it much faster by stripping away weight. In fact, it's 100 kilograms lighter than the standard GTB. Most of this car is made of lightweight Carbon Fiber including the interior, the steering wheel, and the seats. By stripping away weight, they also thought the radio was of no use either, so they added that as an option. Why would you need it anyway? If you ask me, I would rather listen to the mighty roar of a 6-liter, 12-cylinder engine than Lady Gaga on the radio.



The Ferrari 599 GTO is actually a special edition of the 599 to commemorate the many formula one wins by Scuderia Ferrari. Based off of the track racer, the Ferrari 599XX, the 599 GTO inherits the traits of a true race car. For example, it set a Nurburgring lap record of 7 minutes and 28 seconds (approx.). It also set a new record on Ferrari's test track, Fiorano, of 1 minute and 24 seconds, beating the record held by the Enzo Ferrari. This car truly is legendary



Unfortunately, since this is a Ferrari, and it's a GTO, this is extremely exclusive. Only 599 copies will be made, and all of them have been spoken for. Don't worry. Ferrari is planning on bringing the car back again in the near future. If they do, it will cost over $400,000. Better save up!