Get a Head Start

Camaro ZL1 vs. Aventador LP700-4 (Need For Speed: The Run)

It looks like the car list for Need For Speed: The Run is actually quite good for Black Box Studios game. None of the old originals like the Camaro Concept or the Mustang GT are there. Most of these cars are completely new cars or cars that we just haven't seen before, like the BMW M3 E30 Sport Evolution, Ford Mustang Boss 302, BMW M3 E92 GTS, and dozens more. Well, three additional cars have just been introduced into the game, and they're all from 2012. First up, there's the newest Bull in the Italian Penn: The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. This is actually its official gaming debut. With it's new 6.5-liter hand-built V12 engine churning out 691 horsepower, it will 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 217 MPH. It's actually faster around the Top Gear test track than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Next up, another gaming debut from chevrolet: the Camaro ZL1. With it's 6.2-liter LSA Supercharged V8 producing 550 horsepower, it will do 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and hit a possible top speed of 200 MPH. And last, but not least, an NFS exclusive: the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S. This is the new 991 set for it's official debut this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It seems that EA's already got their first look at it without the coverings. The car will supposedly have up to 400 horsepower on a new 3.5-liter Flat-6 engine. Among the three exclusive cars, there are 5 extra challenges in the career mode. Three of them were made especially for NFS Most Wanted fans. You'll be behind the wheel of the BMW M3 GTS Most Wanted Edition and Razor Callahan's Mustang Boss 302 as you speed down the highway evading the police as much as you can. I'm really excited for this game. It might be a hit! Check out the exciting trailer below.

Update: Just in case you were wondering the difference between the regular box and the limited edition box, here's the regular:

Regular Box

and here's the limited edition box:

Limited Edition Box

As you can see not only is there a somewhat different angle to the helicopter shooting down on Jack, but this time, he's driving a $387,000 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 instead of an 800 horsepower GT500 Super Snake.

On The Run

2011 BMW M3 GTS (Need For Speed: The Run)

So, if you weren't watching E3 yesterday, EA unveiled their newest racer, Need For Speed: The Run, to a vast majority of wannabe stuntmen. Past criticisms of Black Box Studios were put aside that day as viewers gazed in awe at the new sharp details, gameplay, and physics this new title presides. Thanks to DICE's new Frostbite 2 engine, detail and gameplay have been taken to their ultimate peak with real, in your face visuals. But enough with all this techie stuff. On to the cars. Black Box has promised a wide array of cars for you to run in, including this exclusive BMW M3 GTS. There are also Aston Martins, Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Audis all at your disposal. And, as a bonus, if you're a PS3 owner, EA will throw in 7 exclusive hyper cars for you to drive, including, as usual, the Bugatti Veyron, and the Hennessey Venom GT. With lots of action, suspense, and cars, this game looks quite promising. Look for it in stores this November.

E to the Third

2011 Ford Taurus SHO Interceptor (Need For Speed: The RUN)

E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) is almost upon and on that day thousands of geeks and gamers will make their way to California to see the latest in tech and video games. You're probably surprised to see that I myself am talking about it. Well, a couple of fantastic racing games and racing sims are ready to be shown on the E3 stage and I'll be here to show them to you. First up, there's Need For Speed newest blockbuster smash The RUN, which is being developed by Black Box Studios, and as you can see from the photo above, they're fixing up something big!

F1 2011

Next up is Codemasters newest SIM racer F1 2011. There last installment was a real eye catcher. This one promises more realism and more excitement. Then again, what other publisher produces the best SIM games? So far DiRT and F1 have been smash hits.

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T (Driver: San Francisco)

Then, there's Ubisoft next big smash: Driver: San Francisco. I'm truly excited about this game. I remember playing the original Driver game as a kid and I fell in love with it. I'm overjoyed to see it coming back with awesome physics, a huge map, and a massive array of real-world cars, including this classic Dodge Challenger R/T. And it's not just classic cars this time. Ubi has included modern day favorites like the Dodge Ram SRT-10, Maserati GranTurismo, Bentley Continental Supersports, McLaren MP4-12C, even the Pagani Zonda Cinque. It's gonna be epic!

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia (Forza Motorsport 4)

And last, but not least, we have the GT5 killer: Forza 4. Ever since Forza was created, it has always received higher ratings than the famed Japanese Racing SIM, and it seems that they're going for another one with this installment. Forza's promising over 500 cars, an array of real tracks, a new re-worked physics engine, and some interesting Kinect features. Not to mention they've put the Ferrari 458 Italia as they're hero car and have teamed up with Top Gear USA so expect some Top Gear challenges and an appearance from his majesty The STIG.

So, those are the big four you racers need to look out for. If I missed one, just let me know.

Get Ready to Run!

Need For Speed: The Run

Well, you've seen the trailer and heard all of the news. Need For Speed: The Run is the next installment in the NFS franchise. More info on the game: it is believed that it will take place in an array of cities starting from San Francisco and ending in New York City. As for the storyline, you're just a driver in search of his life back, and the only way to get it is to be the first to New York. This is actually the first time ever NFS has used real life cities in an open city racer. You'll be battling hundreds of racers from across the country in search for the gold. And did I mention the cops will be after you as well? More info on the game to come, but for now, this sounds exciting.

UPDATE: It looks like Black Box Studios will be all over this game. They'll be using DICE's Frostbite 2.0 engine to power everything. This is an updated version of the same engine Criterion used to produce Hot Pursuit so expect something pretty good.

The Race For Your Life

2010 BMW M6 Convertible

Need For Speed is back and it's bringing the cops and the action with it. If you remember Hot Pursuit with just pure racing and cop chasing, put that all aside, because in this new game, it's a matter of life and death. No word on who will develop this game, but it's most likely that Black Box Studios will come back to make a knock-your-socks-off racing game. It looks like there's gonna be an array of new cars from the Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro, the BMW M3 GTS, the Shelby GT500 Super Snake, the Ford Taurus SHO Interceptor, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, and many more. So, to sum it up, Black Box Studios is bringing back the cop chases, the insane races, and the movie scenes to this latest NFS title. I just hope it's not another Undercover. Let's see if Black Box can redeem themselves with this title. Need For Speed: The Run is scheduled for release this November 15 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC. Check out the trailer below.