Somewhere in the series of tubes between Lolcatz and Somalian schemes, lies Ken Block. Block is no ordinary mortal, which is why we are only allowed to witness his awe in pixelation. Witnessing these acts in real life, or simply hitting the “hq” button will probably lead to levels of euphoria that are only reserved for banned substances. Yet Top Gear, probably with the help of an emotionless STIG, got Captain Slow in the passenger seat with Ken Block to witness what Crown Victoria drivers would call sheer lunacy. Throw in the amazing cinematography that Top Gear is renowned for, and we have a priceless spectacle.
Rfactorcentral is going through a metamorphosis to emerge as Simraceway. This coincidentally resides with a recent email by the Rfactorcentral team that celebrated its 150,000,000th page view (I’m slightly jealous). More information is yet to come. However I have visited Simraceway, and was greeted by a suspicious looking countdown that could have easily come out of a Dark Night sequel or at the very least a HTC cell phone. The press release sheds a little more light:
All Rfactorcentral features will remain free on the new site. (Thank God!)
New features, including support for multiple titles.
When you see the street version of this car on the road, you can’t help but cringe. The SC430 looks like a novelty bath tub that copulated with a set of wheels. The car is great if you like to go 80mph, so long as you have a rubber ducky buckled shotgun and your cabin is full of lukewarm water.
BSIM’s decision to model the 1SC from the Japan GT series makes perfect sense. If any car needed to prove that it can be aggressive visually, it was the SC430. While I am no fan of the street version, I totally dig the Barry Bonds version used for racing. In fact, I built up a tamiya model of this car for that particular reason.
Thanks BSIM, now please (pretty please!) give us the white Mobil skin.
Volvo the game has just been released through a collaborative effort between Volvo and the Simbin development team. So go ahead and download the free game to test out their S60 concept, as well as a few Volvo’s from the STCC. You can also sign up for the “Global Competition,” where you have a chance to win a prize if you come in the top 10.
Using video games to promote a brand is not a new concept. BMW and Mercedes have both released games to drive their cars around as well, but didn’t do it with the leve of effort and precision as Volvo. The marketing approach that Volvo has taken is going to be successful for two reasons:
Volvo has created a virtual “test drive” for a concept
Volvo has reaffirmed its branding and heritage by including other vehicles
Again, Thanks Volvo and Simbin for one of the better promotional demos created!
If U.S. financial institutions updated us on their progress like the Belgian Sim Racers, there wouldn’t be this much angst in the stock market. The latest template of the BSR Honda NSX for the WSGT series have been released. The renders and attention to detail are sure to please any sim racer, and if called upon, pass any series of government stress tests. Though the test shots in Rfactor don’t show the full potential of the model, the fact that development for the next iteration of Rfactor is proceeding smoothly is in itself promising. Good luck WIX and crew!
After reading about the possible demise of Australia’s much revered V8 Supercar series, the question becomes inevitable. The answers, however, are harder to come by. The series depends on General Motors and Ford, which have halted all new development on their real wheel drive platforms. Unlike other popular forms of racing, such as F1 and NASCAR, a V8 Supercar’s chassis is based on a production car. This keeps costs down for racing teams and gives the event a grass roots feel.
I don’t believe the popularity of the series will fade solely on the basis of financial reasons. It would fade based on the direction automakers either move or are forced to move in. Too many drastic changes to keep the two manufacturers viable will deter fans. The gap between a pro racer and an average joe may grow considerably larger if the car moves to a special chassis, losing the charisma of watching a 4 door car production car defy physics. The gap may also considerably grow if regulations tighten to allow smaller displacement imports to enter the field (imported cars are taxed substantially higher making then unaffordable for most, losing grassroots feel).
The most optimistic Supercar fans want to think that GM and Ford will regain their luster and continue to provide muscle cars, while the reasonable are wondering how the series (and production) cars will look like when the current Zeta and Falcon platform are obsolete. Most are just hoping that the troubles of these car manufacturers do not lead to bland vehicles that we are forced to commute in, and watch with disdain on the track.
Sim racers, like procrastinators, are no strangers to countdowns. We cherish time constraints and find pleasure in exceeding them. Dunlop understands the pressure that we operate in and have given participants 24 days to complete a design for the Dunlop Ferrari 430 GT Art Car of the JMW Motorsports Team. Well now you have 9 days left. Yes, only 9. If you have any Photoshop skills and have created skins for cars in the past, you should consider entering. Think of it as a hotlap, except you have to use your Wacom tablet and follow their guidelines.
If your skin is chosen, you will see your masterpiece (and portfolio addition) race at the 24 hours of LeMans. Remember to check out the contest rules before entering. Sign up here and best of luck!
It seems hard to believe, but Rfactor 2 does operate in relative time. Off Camaj’s twitter:
“We have not release date in mind yet. There is enough work for the remainder of the year however.”
By work, I am going to assume he meant the developmental aspect of the game if everything goes according to plan. At least we have screenshots to keep us happy.
It’s a message to you hooligans in the stands, letting you know that the next iteration of Rfactor will provide a clean environment with crisp lines and high contrast. It is also the reason why the stands are vacant.
With the ruckus out of the way, let’s take a moment to enjoy the sunset and the placidity that this screenshot provides. Better days are ahead my friends, with Gjon Camaj and crew, bringing hope in the Obama sense.
Dusk. Dynamic Shadows. All Around Awesomeness. These have to be the best screenshots to date, giving it a GT5 aura in terms of aesthetics. The amount of contrast exhibited is going to really help drivers gauge perspective. If game play resembles this even slightly, it looks like more than few people who were turned off by the visuals will convert (specifically you Forza and GT5 users).
