Next To Reality

2012 Pagani Huayra (Shift 2: Unleashed)

Since racing games were born, we've always wanted one that was an inch close to reality. Gran Turismo has attempted this for years, and it has done well. But, it seems that there's a new racing game that beats the living reality out of it. Yep, it's Need For Speed. Now, you might've remembered the old Need For Speed: Shift, their attempt of making their own Gran Turismo. They did manage to pull it off, but the handling wasn't as good and the physics weren't that realistic. Well, I am glad to say that that's all about to change. Next month, Need For Speed will be releasing their newest installment: Shift 2: Unleashed, and might I say that this game will probably be the most realistic racing sim ever created. Yes, it has now become a simulation, this game. Slightly Mad Studios has gotten help from the best of the racing field, including FIA Team Need For Speed. The handling has been massively improved, and you'll be able to feel it. It is slightly drifty like in the last one, but it's much grippier, and that's good. Damage has been improved as well. No longer will your car be smashed up into a rectangular box. Now, realistic damage models on each car, removable bumpers, doors, and windows just make damage look so cool. The new helmet cam just makes racing even more realistic with real movements and coordination. The cars look 10x better and the tracks are just beautiful. NFS didn't want to make this game a Gran Turismo killer. They wanted to make a game that puts you in the action in their own terms, and I think they've done it. I can't wait to test this game out next month. Take a look at the video below to see what they've done so far.

Obi's World Web of Cars Awards Ceremony

Awards Ceremony

Hello and welcome to my awards ceremony. Today, we will be honoring the best of the best in 2010 of the automotive industry. Whether it's the best sports car or the best racing game, these were are honorable winners in my book. So, with that, let's begin.

Best Sports Car of 2010
This award honors the sports car that had it all: good looks, good price, and top of the line speed. And your winner is...

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG!

This car impressed me since the first time I saw it. It just looked so brilliant, and it performed brilliantly as well. They might have separated from McLaren, but Mercedes still knows how to create the perfect sports car. Well done AMG!

Best Exotic Car of 2010

This award is different from the previous one. This award honors the most exclusive car on the market. But, it still has to have the speed, looks, and hefty price that make it an exotic. And your winner is...

The 2010 Lamborghini Reventon!

Even though this car was sold out for a while, it still captivated the showrooms all around the world. I loved this car, too. The way that they formed this car to make it look like a fighter jet made it just sinister. That awesome V12 noise that comes out of the back is just melodious. Most importantly, this car was up for grabs for $1.2 million. That's over $600,000 more than it's twin brother, the Murcielago LP640. Anyway, well done Lamborghini. This car deserves this award.

Best Hyper Car of 2010

There are a lot of manufacturers that go the extra mile, but what I look for is the baddest of the bad, the mightiest of the mighty, the fastest of the fast. And the winner is...

The 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport!

The Veyron has been with is since 2006. Since then, it's had its crown taken away by fat guys in Kentucky with their ugly V8 monster. But, in 2010, the Veyron roared back with this sleek and superfast variant. Even if those fat guys do make a new one, it will never reach the coveted speed of 268 MPH! This IS the fastest car in the world, and it truly deserves this award.

Best Luxury Car of 2010

This award goes to the car that shows it's best when it comes to style, exclusivity, power, performance, but mostly for style and elegance. And the award goes to...

The 2011 Jaguar XJ!

This is the sexiest luxury car I've seen in my lifetime. I understand we fell in love with the dual-eyed XJ Vanden Plas and the old XJR, but this new streamlined Jag is just fantastic. Not only that, it's unbelievably fun and luxurious to drive. When you turn up to work in this, people will respect you, and that's why it deserves this award. 

Best Muscle Car of 2010

This award honors the American car that's bad to the bone, a hard hitter, a lover of superchargers, one seriously fast muscle car. And the winner is...

The 2011 Ford Mustang GT!

Since 2005, when Mustang entered its throwback design phase, the horsepower that V8 engine produced was always in the 300 range. Now, in 2011, the old 5.0 came back packing 412 horsepower, just enough to bring out the cowboy in you. And to make things better, Ford added some more handling and performance upgrades so this car performs just as good as a BMW M3 E92. That's fantastic. So now, you can have M3 performance for only $33,000. What a deal, and that's why it deserves this award.

Best SUV of 2010

This award honors the rugged and courageous 4-wheel drive 5-door wagons with their big V8 engines, massive tires, and gas guzzling fuel economy. And the award goes to...

The 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport!

Why else? It's one serious off-roader, has a big V8 engine, is very luxurious, drives like a sports car, and get's an average 15 MPG. What more can you want? This SUV is literally everything you need in one package. It deserves this award.

Best Truck of 2010

This award honors the toughest of the tough when it comes to those rugged 4-wheel drive trucks. Any load you wanna carry, they'll carry it for you. Any journey you wanna take, they'll take it with you. Man's best friend in the shape of a truck. And the winner is...

2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

What else can I say about this truck? It could run over a tree while chomping a lizard to bits. It's that tough. Don't mess with that 6.2-liter V8 engine. It will literally send you crying to your mother. But honestly, this truck handles well, looks absolutely rugged, and plays well in the dirt. It definitely deserves this award.

Best Electric Car of 2010

This award honors the car that has no petrol motor or a petrol gas tank. This award honors those brave and green-minded electric cars. And the award goes to...

The 2011 Tesla Roadster!

Now, if you thought that I would pick the Chevy Volt, you really have to stop reading Motor Trend. This car is a mental, combining sports car performance with electric efficiency. It might not be cheap, but understand that all electric cars now are pretty expensive, including the Chevy Volt. This car just about fits. Congratulations Tesla. This car deserves this award.

Best Green Car of 2010

This award honors the car that saves the world and saves you some greenbacks at the pump. This is for those fuel-saving money saving Econ cars. And the award goes to...

The 2011 Honda CR-Z!

This is one of Honda's most brilliant hybrids. Forget the Civic and Insight. This car is everything you want in a sport car and hybrid. It's the first hybrid with a 6-speed manual shifter. It's the first hybrid car with a sport button. It's the first hybrid car that actual looks properly designed. Out of all the hybrids I've seen so far, this one is the most brilliant. Not to mention, you can tune this hybrid. Congrats Honda, this car deserves this award.

Best Hot Hatch of 2010

This award honors those sporty little hot 3-door hatchbacks. There are a lot of interesting ones out there, but there can only be one winner, and that winner is...

The 2011 VW Golf R!

This is honestly the best hatchback in the world. I'm surprised how VW managed to tune a Golf GTI engine to have up to 300 horsepower. It also looks so brilliant, it's breathtaking. Not to mention, it performs extremely well. This car deserves this award.

Best Small Car of 2010

This award honors those tiny small cars that cruise around city streets with ease. How they manage to get by us, I don't know. Anyway, the winner is...

The 2012 Fiat 500!

Italy has finally given us a true small car. It looks brilliant, performs brilliantly, and is priced brilliantly. I'm so glad to see this car come to our shores, I'm giving it an award just for coming here. Still, I really want to have a go at this car.

Best Race Car of 2010

This award honors the fastest race-ready car around those tarmac curved tracks all around the world. It honors those cars that are just born fast. And the award goes to...

The 2010 Pagani Zonda R!

Why else? It's fastest car to round the Nürburgring, destroying the Ferrari 599XX's time, it's the most powerful Zonda ever created, and it has this unbelievable amount of grip. It's insanely fast and looks insanely cool. This car deserves this award.

Best Racing Game of 2010

This award honors the racing game that just put us into the heat of racing. This honors the game that had the action, excitement, and thrill of just choosing a car and racing it. And the award goes to...

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit!

I know what you're thinking. "What?! But Gran Turismo 5 was a very good game." Indeed it was, but if there weren't any standard cars that looked so ugly and if the bugs didn't exist, it would've been a perfect game. Besides, NFS is much more fun. You get to drive a Veyron as a police officer. You get to chase down baddies in a McLaren F1 cop car. You get to claim bragging rights with Autolog. How much fun is that?

Obi's World Wide Web of Cars Car of the Year

This award honors my car, the only car destined to be crowned Car of the Year. This deserves this award because it proves that anything is possible if you keep an open mind and set your goals straight. I proves that tinkering is the best way to solve a problem. It proves just what accomplishment engineering has brought us. Therefore, ladies and gentle, your Obi's World Wide Web of Cars Car of the Year is...

The 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Well done Bugatti! You've created the best car ever for 2010. And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes our award ceremony. Thank you so much for reading this and have a happy holidays.

Thank You eBay!

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Stealth Model

1997 McLaren F1 Stealth Model

2010 Nissan GTR GT500 Stealth Model

Thanks to the awesome power of eBay, I am now in possession of 3 out of 6 of the Gran Turismo Stealth Cars: One from Mercedes, one from Nissan, and one from McLaren. If you thought I was menacing before, well, think again. And, if that doesn't scare, wait til you see what I just picked up. I'm not gonna tell you what it is, but here's a teaser.

That's It!

Think you know what it is? Find out later today!

Gran Turismo 5 Review

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia

Finally! It's been a rough five years, but Gran Turismo 5 finally made it's way to the gaming shelves. Millions of you guys have the game right now, and most of you are enjoying it. But, during the five years of production, Forza Motorsport came out with 2 sequels, each being greater than the first. But, to most of you, it didn't matter. To some of you, however, it did. Even though it appears to be a very realistic simulator, I've noticed a lot of bugs that have kept this game from being so great. On the other hand, there are a lot of features and details that make this game so beautiful. So, with that said, this game is two things: horrible and purely awesome.

2010 Chevy Corvette ZR1

Here are the awesome things. You see that Yellow Vette ZR1 in front of you? Looks unbelievably nice, doesn't it? That's the clearest and the realest you'll ever get to the cars. This car is one of over 200 cars classified as premium. These premium cars have everything: amazing detail, interior view, realistic damage, working wipers, working headlights, and other things.

2008 Audi RS6 Avant

Here's another picture. This time it's an Audi RS6 Avant, another premium model. Looks beautiful, doesn't it? Another good thing: all of the cars in this game are buyable. Yes, buyable! Every single freakin' car in this game you can buy, from the Audi R10 TDI Race Car to the Pagani Zonda R. You might win them in events, but you will be able to buy them from used car lots and dealerships. The tracks are also very stunning. If you're a die-hard Gran Turismo fan, you'll be at home with tracks like Trial Mountain Circuit, Deep Forest Raceway, Autumn Ring Circuit, Grand Valley Speedway, Special Stage Route 5, and others. But, what Polyphony Digital has done is that they've made your favorite tracks much more colorful and realistic. It's breathtaking!

2010 Chevy Corvette C6.R Gran Turismo

Then, there are the events, which are also very good. For the first time ever in Gran Turismo history, you do not need a license to participate in any event. Unlocking events is now based on skill level. You level up every time you complete a race in the top 3 positions. There are five levels: Beginner, Amateur, Professional, Expert, and Extreme, and if you can handle them all, you'll move on to Endurance. The number of laps now depend on what mode you're playing in: either A-spec or B-spec. In A-spec, the maximum amount of laps for any race is 5. The most you can actually have is 10, but that's only on Tsukuba Circuit. Then, there are the Endurance races, which can have a lot, depending if you're going to drive that long. In B-spec, you can have over 20 laps because, as you level up, you get to bring more than 5 drivers to a race to race for you, and AI drivers last longer than we do. No offense.

2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Gran Turismo also got a hold of NASCAR and WRC licenses, so now you can have a dirt brawl at Eiger Nordwand in Sébastien Loeb's Citroën C4 WRC and slipstream stock cars in Jeff Gordon's #24 DuPont Chevy Impala. Gran Turismo also got a hold of one popular BBC motoring show, Top Gear. Now, players have a chance to be The Stig and show off their skills on the Top Gear Test Track. You will also have a chance to race in go-karts in Tokyo and drive an SLS AMG at the Nürburgring in the AMG Driving Academy. Gran Turismo also got a hold of the most exclusive brand on the planet: Ferrari. These guys don't share their cars with anyone, and Gran Turismo was worthy enough to have some of their best cars in this game, including the all new 458 Italia as you saw at the top of this review. In this game, it's all about sharing. You now have a chance to share your progress with your friends and even exchange gifts like cars and parts. That's pretty cool. So, here are all of the awesome things about this racing sim.

Standard Racers

Now here comes the horrible things about this game. One of them, I'm most certain of, are the cars. Yes 200 premium cars does sound like a lot, but it's not enough. The are also over 800 cars with no interiors and little details known as the standard cars. These look horrible. I mean, if you were to going transfer cars from GT4 to this game, it should at least be more detailed, but no. They aren't detailed at all. There are even some that don't make sense.

2010 Jaguar XFR

I mean, look at this. This is a Jaguar XFR, the only four door saloon to go toe-to-toe with an BMW M5, which is a premium car. This, however, is a 2010 model, and a standard car! I mean, come on Polyphony! This car should be a premium model and have very good details and such. It's a Jag! It needs to be respected!

My SLS AMG Stealth Model

Anyway, then there are the tracks. Yes, the ones in this game are all very good, but they left out a few. First: Test Course. This was one of my favorite tracks that I used to test my tuned cars with, and they threw it out and replaced it with crummy NASCAR speedways, where you can't even max your car on them. Disappointing. Another one: New York. I know we have a few new city courses, but this was one of my favorite ones. It's New York! I'm from New York. This track is like racing my cars on my home streets. One final one: Midfield Raceway. This was an ideal track making it's way in Gran Turismo 2. They left it out for selfish reasons. Unfair, isn't it?

Trial Mountain Circuit

And there you are: all of the negative issues with this game. You thought there would be more, didn't you? Well, I could tell you that some of the internet features are not up to par and that you can't re-win cars from events like you did in Gran Turismo 4, but those are kind of irrelevant. What is relevant is how beautiful and real this racing sim is. So, here's the lowdown. I give this game 4 stars out of 5 for it's beauty, number of cars, realtime physics, and new features. So now, you have a choice. If you want a racing sim that relies on the mear matter of racing with a couple of beautiful cars, then this is your game. If you want a racing sim that's innovative, stylish, and has more premium cars, then Forza Motorsport 3 is your pick. Then, if you want a racing game that relies on the feel and the action of racing in progress, Need For Speed: Shift is your pick. Anyway or another, Gran Turismo 5 has come all this way to produce what still is, the Ultimate Driving Simulator.