Start your journey though our top 20 auto-themed video games by clicking next on the right and give us what you think we missed in the comments below.

Game: Spy Hunter
Creator: Midway
Release Date: 1983
Original Platform: Arcade

Why We Love It: Elegantly designed and incredibly well-balanced, but all we cared about in 1983 is that we had a Z28 with guns on it. Unlimited ammo machine guns. Also oil slicks, smokescreen, anti-air missles, and support infrastructure in the form of the weapons and replacement vans, and what else do you need from life as long as you had access to the sit-down version? Even the Peter Gunn theme never seemed to get old.

Photo: Wikipedia

Game: Pole Position
Creator: Namco
Release Date: 1982
Original Platform: Arcade

Why We Love It: The faux-3D graphics, the inclusion of the more-or-less actual Fuji Racetrack circuit and the qualify-to-race format allowed certain junior car geeks to act aloof and superior to everyone else in the arcades. Hey, we all thought we were going to be nuked at any moment, and we were living for the moment, okay? Pole Position also featured in-game advertising, which seemed cool in those more innocent times.

Photo: Videogamecritic.net

Game: F-Zero
Creator: Nintendo
Release Date: 1991
Original Platform: SNES

Why We Love It: Listen, Mario Kart is great and all, but F-Zero was hardcore stuff. In the 27th century, gigaillionaires race cars which hover a foot over a track lined with damaging walls and festooned with magnets, mines, and slip zones. Unlock the Super Jet boost by putting in a good lap and you're in a for a combination of Pole Position and Sonic the Hedgehog, meaning that it was fun, colorful, and difficult as hell.

Photo: Wikipedia

Game: Newman/Haas Racing Featuring Nigel Mansell
Creator: Acclaim
Release Date: 1994
Original Platform: SNES

Why We Love It: Now YOU can be Nigel Mansell! Er…great? Well, there weren't a lot of licensed games based on actual series for console owners in those days, and Nigel Mansell was pretty much the most complete. In the early '90s Mansell came over to the States from Formula 1, proceeded to trounce everyone on the Indy-series ovals with a combination of talent and stupefying bravery, and then put his intimidating Brit-stache on this perfectly adequate game. Interestingly, you could retire from a race, or a few in a row, with injuries to the driver, which was perhaps a nod to Mansell's 1993 injury at Phoenix, or perhaps just a really silly idea.

Photo: SNESclassics

Game: Daytona USA
Creator: Sega
Release Date: 1995
Original Platform: Arcade

Why We Love It: Hey, you could race against up to eight of your friends! Or most likely the guy in the one other cabinet who has $14 in quarters up there, won't leave, and smells like gerbil bedding. Still, it was cool, and several different oval, road, and street courses were on offer, plus the option of manual transmissions, so you could actually get pretty wrapped up in it. And it ran extremely fast and smooth for the time. Sadly, instead of an evolved version, Buck Hunter and Golden Tee rule today's bowling alleys and bars.

Photo: Softpedia

Game: Twisted Metal
Creator: SingleTrac
Release Date: 1995
Original Platform: PlayStation

Why We Love It: Mario Kart was cute and all, but character-based car games were going away from races and more towards the fighting-game model. Twisted Metal was the car-combat result, and it was a huge success, even though its evil boss character was the already played-out evil clown. More importantly it had surprising tactical depth and a decent variety of stages and vehicles. Plus you could drop the Eiffel Tower on people, always a must for any fantastical demolition derby. Sadly, the series got "darker," supposedly, and less fun as time went on and people got bored by scary clowns.

Photo: SCEA

Game: WipEout series
Creator: Psygnosis/SCE Liverpool
Release Date: 1995
Original Platform: PlayStation, PC

Why We Love It: Rave on, racers! While in many respects these games hew close to the F-Zero hovering rocket-car format, the production design is extremely 90s and the throbbing electronic soundtrack is extremely throbbing. It also happens to be very good arcade racing, if you can tolerate the well-executed if psychedelic atmosphere. Still popular among people who like their racing alternate and futuristic, their music futuristic and throbbing, and their consciousness throbbing and altered.

Photo: consolewars

Game: Formula 1
Creator: Psygnosis
Release Date: 1996
Original Platform: PlayStation

Why We Love It: It may not have been a true simulation, but the first in-depth racing game for the PlayStation was a very good one indeed. Formula 1 featured the entire field and all the tracks from the 1995 season, full practice and qualifying sessions, and commentary by Murray Walker himself. Graphically, and in most other ways, it was a big step beyond anything else commonly available, and was arguably better than any of the next couple follow-ups in the series, which eventually bogged down somewhat in gimcrackery and tacked-on arcade modes.

Photo: rscnet

Game: Streets Of Sim City
Creator: Maxis
Release Date: 1997
Original Platform: PC

Why We Love It: Before anyone figured out that manipulating simulated people were where it's at, simulated civil service and urban planning were a huge genre. Streets allowed you to be a puppet master by day and an automotive vigilante puppet by night; the streets you raced and fought on were the very ones you designed. It seemed like a novelty, but besides the racing and car combat it was remarkably absorbing to just cruise the streets of your very own metropolis, consider raising taxes again, and wonder why all your slums were invariably down by your stadium.

Photo: Gosugamers

Game: Interstate '76
Creator: Activision
Release Date: 1997
Original Platform: PC

Why We Dig It The Most, Baby: It's car combat set against a malaise-era oil crisis with a 'sploitation sensibility, and it is funny and it rocks. You play as "Groove Champion," and you fight to stop OPEC from nuking Texas—for reasons that certainly must have seemed sound at the time—from behind the wheel and trigger of an alternate-universe Plymouth Barracuda. The combat mechanics are surprisingly detailed, the driving engine is consistent if unremarkable, and the soundtrack is huge, bass-heavy and fretless. There were sequels, but they didn't have the same magic. A great reason to own an older PC or to emulate.

Photo: Wikipedia

Game: Grand Prix Legends
Creator: Papyrus
Release Date: 1998
Original Platform: PC

Why We Absolutely Adore It: A gem that slowly evolved into a masterpiece and ten years after its release is verging on a magnum opus. You want to talk cult hits and rabid fans? This little game, which started out as an extremely solid simulation of the 1967 Grand Prix season, still has a dedicated playing and modding community today, and when we say dedicated, we mean they're almost done putting together the entire Targa Florio course-all 45 miles of it. It's a classic example of a looks-okay-but-plays-amazing game, and if you're remotely interested in the game type and want to play alongside a passionate, dedicated group, this is exactly what you've been looking for.

Photo: Softpedia

Game: Gran Turismo series
Creator: Polyphony Digital
Release Date: 1998
Original Platform: PlayStation

Why We Love It: Without this game, would people still crave RHD JDM R34 Skylines, we wonder? Probably, but not with the same intensity. Aside from the 176-car menu, Gran Turismo introduced the joy of simulation, with its emphasis on careful setup and car control (if not damage modeling) to consoles. A great racing-school component, challenging event stages, and tantalizing unlockables kept a new generation of digital gearheads playing all night. It was five years in the making, but it was worth it, as every edition since has been a stunner, and there's every reason to suspect that long-delayed GT5 will be astounding as well. As for developer Polyphony Digital, who changed motoring culture by putting Skylines in their product, they now put their product in the Skyline; they famously do the dash graphics for Nissan's GTR.

Photo: Polyphony Digital

Game: Crazy Taxi
Creator: Sega
Release Date: 1999
Original Platform: Arcade

Why We Love It: It's perhaps the last truly great arcade driver, Crazy Taxi is a roaming mission-based game of fare deliver with an odd but consistent physics engine and a great sense of humor. It was simple, buy there was a lot of depth and plenty to enjoy, including the sights and folks of coastal pseudo-California, the ever-present KFC ads, and the jaunty punk soundtrack. It nibbled away your time in happy 90-second bites, and it only got better when it evolved into The Simpsons Hit And Run.

Photo: Loot Ninja

Game: Midnight Club
Creator: Angel Studios
Release Date: 2000
Original Platform: PlayStation2

Why We Love It: The PS2's debut was a revelation, and aptly-named publisher Rockstar Games was there to capitalize with an open-world off-road free-for-all called Smuggler's Run and this free-roaming street racer. The setting was Manhattan, a semi-open world which seemed huge at the time and provided great choose-your-own-course point-to-point racing. The series continues to evolve and has become even more challenging; it may be the arcade racer with the steepest difficulty curve.

Photo: Gamespy

Game: Colin McRae Rally/ DiRT
Creator: Codemasters
Release Date: 2000
Original Platform: PlayStation, PC

Why We Love It: As indescribably cool as rallying is, there aren't many rally games to choose from. Therefore it's fortunate that the McRae games are very good indeed. Although they trend towards the arcadey side in later editions, all of them are fun, challenging , and smooth, and a fitting pop-culture tribute to one of the greatest drivers of all time. They're also some of the best-looking car games out there regardless of genre, and the sound must be heard to be believed; motorsport, and rallying in particular, is not a quiet activity, and this title does a better job than any other game s of bringing it home to the vicarious driver.

Photo: Gamespot

Game: Grand Theft Auto III-IV
Creator: Rockstar
Release Date: 2001
Original Platform: PlayStation2

Why We Love It: Okay, so it isn't purely or even primarily a car game, despite its title. Yet the driving aspects of these satirical mayhem simulators are so much evil-hearted cinematic fun that it can't be left off this list. Much thought has been put into the cars that populate GTA's hilariously mean-tempered cities, and every model is meticulously detailed and clearly inspired by some real-world counterpart. They all blow up real good, too. And the latest installment finally looks good enough to make the first-person view worth using during police chases, which adds an almost frightening level of immediacy to your inevitable brutal demise.

Photo: IGNl

Game: Burnout series
Creator: Criterion
Release Date: 2002
Original Platform: PlayStation2, Xbox, GameCube

Why We Love It: The problem with many racing games, even the less realistic ones, is that one little crash can render the entire race a moot point. Burnout's genius solution was to make crashing just as important as racing, and just as skill-intensive. All the titles were fun, and though the most recent edition, Burnout Paradise, lost the bowling-for-cars Crash Mode, it added a free-roaming component that more than made up for it. One of the great Neanderthal time-wasters of the videogame world.

Photo: Wikipedia

Game: Need for Speed Most Wanted
Creator: Electronic Arts Canada
Release Date: 2005
Original Platform: PlayStation2, Xbox

Why We Love It: The Need For Speed series has been around just about forever, but frankly not all its editions have been worthwhile. Of the many good ones, we prefer Most Wanted, because if you're going to have a glossy, unrealistic, over-the-top street racer, you should really try to outrun the cops as well. The police pursuits are the best part of this game, which is set in a world where the entire focus of the United States government is apparently dedicated to preventing you from speeding, which results in some wonderfully fun and over-the-top chases, all of them treated with deadly serious attitude. Oooh, those street racers and their pesky nitrouses!

Photo: NFSAddons

Game: Forza Motorsport series
Creator: Forza Motorsport series
Release Date: 2005
Original Platform: Xbox

Why We Love It: While the Xbox had a very pretty and enjoyable arcade racer in Project Gotham, it badly needed a sim-based game. It got a great one in Forza, which had hundreds of cars, very deep graphic customization, extended replays, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and damage modeling. Finally, a gorgeous, deep console racer where you couldn't just berm off other racers without consequences! Happily, the series continues to evolve in a positive direction, and we have high hopes for the debut of Forza 3 in a couple months.

Photo: Kotaku

Game: Test Drive Unlimited
Creator: Eden Games
Release Date: 2006
Original Platform: PC, Xbox360, PlayStation2, PSP

Why We Love It: The Test Drive series began in 1987-1987!-and like NFS, has varied widely in quality. But it's always featured exotic hardware raced in traffic on public roads, and Unlimited does that wonderfully. The developers took a map of Oahu, simplified it down to a mere thousand miles of road, and modeled it for free roaming. The MOOR system, or Massively Open Online Racing, allowed players to race against friends or just cruise with them, which was much more popular than you might think. Your customizable character was visible to other players at the car clubs, although they couldn't come hang out at your mansion and check out your ever-growing collection of undamagable exotics. There was even an in-game photography mode that allowed players to live out their buff-book fantasies. It was really an automotive lifestyle game as much as a racer, and a pretty decent piece of escapism to zone out with.

There's a lot of good games out there, and it was tough to keep this one to just twenty titles. Think we missed big? Know something we should try? Enraged at the omission of Big Rig Racing? Let us know in the comments.

Photo: Gamerhell

This open-world racing sim features vehicles like the Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R, Saleen S302 Extreme, Saleen S7, Dodge Challenger SRT8, 2010 Chevy Camaro and more. So yeah, the wait sucks, but think of the gas you'll save not driving to Best Buy. [Kotaku]

How Cars Are Used In GTA4

• Transportation: Since Liberty City — the setting of GTA4 and modeled after New York City — is an open-world environment, meaning you can go anywhere at any given time, cars are pretty damn important. For a reference, the open world is so large that it could take 10 minutes or more to travel from one end to another.
  
• Missions: Driving is a crucial part of almost every mission. Whether you're tasked with escorting a hooker, stealing a specific car, or just running a simple car chase, cars are an essential aspect of the storyline.
  
• As A Weapon: Whether running people over in missions or just screwing around plowing down the sidewalk, a properly piloted car becomes a potent weapon. If you prefer more traditional armaments, you can also break out the windshield and fire either a handgun or SMG, or drop grenades while cruising around Liberty City.
  
• Racing: Early in the game you meet up with Brucie, a steroid-enhanced meathead who sets you up with street races all around Liberty City.
  
• Entertainment: Most vehicles in the game have a radio that can be tuned to a wide variety of always-entertaining radio stations. Oh, and you can pick up hookers in your ride and choose from one of three different "services."

Banshee
You'll soon learn that the Banshee is one of the better vehicles in the game. This Panoz Esperante knockoff features just a hint of Dodge Viper. With a top speed of 208 mph, a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds, and near perfect brakes, the Banshee is one of the more common vehicles in GTA4 that can get you around in a hurry.

Blista Compact
A lot of the vehicles that populate Liberty City take their cues from the 80s and 90s. One of the better of these vehicles is the Blista Compact. This vehicle obviously gives its hat tip to the Honda CRX and VW Corrado, and sports a top speed of 186 mph along with other decent, if not "blista-ring" statistics.

Cavalcade & Cavalcade FXT
You can't have a game that focuses on crime and the underworld of society without the classic Cadillac Escalade...even one with a little Hi-Lux thrown in for laughs. As in real life, there's a regular version of the luxury SUV and the FXT truck version. Both of these vehicles are great for GTA4 because they are 4WD and particularly durable, allowing them to stand up to bullets, collisions, and other common occurrences in Liberty City.

Comet
No, not that Comet. This Comet is a quick little bugger that takes its nod from the 996-series Porsche 911 while paying homage to the venerable 959. It's 4WD and tops out at 208 mph. The Comet is a really rare gem, but there's a mission from Brucie where you're given the vehicle. At this point, if you're ever given a very nice car in a mission, it's your best bet to just store it.

Coquette
The Coquette is another speedy two-door coupe. It's RWD and tops out at 208 mph. Unlike the Comet, it's a little less rare, so there's better luck of finding it around town. If you couldn't already tell, that appears to be an NSX staring at you through the body of a Testarossa. And the Corvette reference, both in name and appearance, is unmistakable.

Dilettante
The folks at Rockstar Games are obviously concerned about ridiculous gas prices. That's why they've provided the Dilettante, a thinly-veiled Toyota Prius. Without the need to fill up with gas in the game, there's no way to truly tell if the Dilettante is a hybrid, but one interesting caveat is the fact that this vehicle is noticeably more quiet than any other vehicle in Liberty City. It may be the silent killer in real life, but it's not too shabby at smashing pedestrians on the screen either.

Infernus
In terms of performance, this is the best of the best in GTA4, rightfully so considering it's essentially a Diablo/Murcielago blend. The Infernus is one of the most rare in the game, but luckily a gay man rewards you with this vehicle — which he took from his high-profile lover — for doing some missions for the guy (seriously). Just make sure you store the Infernus rather than taking it for a joyride where you end up wrecking it. In-game, the Infernus has a top speed of 208 mph, a $100,000 value, a 4.4-second 0-60 time, excellent brakes and more.

Moonbeam
You think we would let this list escape without the Moonbeam, which gives a nod to the best van ever made? Performance-wise, the Moonbeam kind of sucks, but it's good for the missions requiring you to haul around a lot of people.

Patriot
The Patriot is a vehicle worth reckoning with in GTA4, obviously taking its form from the Hummer H2 and it's smaller sibling. Unlike the real-life Hummer and all of its accompanying stereotypes, this is a very useful vehicle in-game — mostly because gas is non-existent, the Patriots are everywhere and they are built like tanks, which can be good for car chases and more. In-game, the Patriot is a 4WD vehicle with a top speed of 145 mph and a value of $50,000. Oh, and the American flag paint job is a nice touch.

Presidente
At first the Presidente seems like a pretty cut and dry four-door luxury sedan that most of the mob bosses drive throughout the game. Though the headlights scream Charger , a little closer examination of the rear taillights would suggest the Presidente is all about the Cadillac CTS...and the 175 mph top speed would hint CTS-V.

PMP600
Like the Presidente, the PMP600 serves as a great boss-car in-game. The fenders and front of the PMP600 definitely have a 300C feel. Other than the nice stereotypical mobster-boss usage, it's a pretty average vehicle. It can stand up to a barrage of bullets, though, which is always helpful.

Ruiner
The Ruiner is another one of the older-looking, but still good vehicles in the game. The t-tops and headlights would suggest that the Ruiner most closely resembles an 80's Camaro, but no one would argue that there's an aura of 280Z in the mix. It's a nice and speedy RWD vehicle with a 186 mph top speed and 6.3-second 0-60.

Sabre GT
Don't think GTA4 is all about fancy sedans and rusted beaters. The Sabre GT is a homage to the classic muscle car, with Monte Carlo and Torino influences most obvious. Like most vehicles in Liberty City, the Sabre GT is available in a variety of colors and offers the classic racing stripe. In-game, the Sabre GT tops out at a nice 175 mph, but a low level of collision durability ensures that the vehicle won't last as long as some other options.

Stallion
Like the Sabre GT, the Stallion is another nice classically styled muscle car featured in Liberty City. Trying to pinpoint a real life counterpart isn't as easy as some of the other cars featured on the list, but we certainly detect some LeMans and maybe Javelin in there. You be the judge. In-game the car is pretty mediocre. It's RWD and tops out at 165 mph. If anything, it has nice brakes.

Sultan RS
This one goes out to the tuner crowd that is definitely playing this game. Seriously, we can't even enjoy a video game without carbon fiber madness? The headlights and spoiler say Lexus IS/first-gen Integra. In terms of performance, the Sultan RS is pretty speedy at 186 mph and the handling is nice with the AWD and decent brakes.

Super GT
The Super GT is another very speedy, yet rare, coupe featured in GTA4. It tops out at 196 mph and the oval shaped front grill clues this vehicle to be an Aston Martin Vanquish knockoff.

Turismo
If you're going to find a supercar while roaming the streets, you're most likely to stumble upon a Turismo. This is a 208-mph beast with a mid-engine. This car obviously takes cues from the Ferrari 360 with some Venturi influences. Note that this vehicle lacks durability, so be careful out there.

Uranus
This is only funny because the car's name is Uranus and it looks like a Ford Escort GT. We're not sure if one of the designers just had a bad experience in high school with the car (which isn't that uncommon) but come on, the Escort GT is worthy of a name better than Uranus — just ask the MAKE LeMons team (sans the GT part).

Voodoo
The Voodoo deserves a mention because it has been a nostalgic part of the Grand Theft Auto series. Not only does it blend styling from the 1959 Impala and possibly an equivalent vintage Imperial, but in previous GTA titles this car was outfitted with functional hydraulics. Pardon the stereotyping, but It's also generally driven by gangster-type persons in Liberty City who will try to fight you upon carjacking.

(Huge shout-out to GTA4.net for providing raw details and pictures of the vehicles.)

There's no complicated installation or hacking-and-slashing required. Just replace your current sun visor and give it a little 12V DC juice and you're ready to go. It even includes an FM transmitter so the whole family can enjoy your horrible taste in movies. If there's anything to worry about, it's the price. This is available from a no-name Asian manufacturer for $100, which seems a bit low for everything it promises. Oh, and you may want to worry about dying in a fiery crash while playing a Street Fighter knock-off on your sun visor.

[Chinavision via Technabob]

Codemasters has said that the F1 game will be multi-platform—meaning if you own any next-generation console, portable gaming system or even a PC capable of gaming, there's a really good chance you'll be able to pick up the new F1 game from Codemasters. The deal locks up the rights to all Grand Prix circuits, F1 teams, cars and drive likenesses. The cherry on top of it all is that the deal is multi-year, so we can expect solid F1 games for years to come.

It's not too surprising that Codemasters would fork over the dough for the license. This is the same developer responsible for the Colin McRae and Race Driver games.

The game, currently going by the name FIA Formula One World Championship is looking at a 2009 release date. (Thanks to everyone who sent in tips on this)[Kotaku]

It's Sony Computer Entertainment that is looking to win the bid, and if they don't reach an agreement with Formula 1, other game manufacturers may jump in and be willing to pay whatever Ecclestone wants for licensing. We don't think F1 gaming is done for, but those waiting for a hot and exciting next-generation racing title may have to wait a little while. [Kotaku]

To get to the 24-hour race it begins with elimination tournaments for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. This will eventually whittle down to two winners who will then partake in four months worth of racing lessons eventually leading to the opportunity to take Godzilla around the track, for 24 hours of Dubai racing action. Sony will also be filming the bulk of the academy and will be made available for download on the PlayStation Network.

That only means it's time to get practicing. [Via Kotaku]

In the game you can visit a bar. Upon exiting the bar you stumble around like crazy and the antics get even crazier when you get into a car. The car swerves around everywhere and is quite hard to control.

In a statement, MADD said:

Each year nearly 13,500 people die in drunk driving crashes and another half a million are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. This is why MADD is extremely disappointed by the decision of the manufacturers of the game Grand Theft Auto IV to include a game module where players have to drive drunk. Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke. Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable. MADD is calling on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to reclassify Grand Theft Auto IV as an Adults Only game, a step up from the current rating of Mature and for the manufacturer to consider a stop in distribution - if not out of responsibility to society then out of respect for the millions of victims/survivors of drunk driving.

It's good to see the automakers warm to the idea of kids across the world smashing the hell out of their cars. It may not sound like a feasible idea at first, but it adds a completely new level of realism to the GT series that is already pushing the realistic boundaries of racing sims. [IGN via Kotaku]

Sony brought in Ferraris, a yellow Lotus and Godzilla himself to an underground car park in London decorated like a real pit lane. The party included a live DJ, bars and, of course, arcade-style simulators running the demo of the highly anticipated game. A competition was also held looking for the top driver. Drew Forster took home the prize that included a trophy and two tickets to the Le Mans 24-hour race this summer. We're great at games, so we're sad we missed it. [Reuters]

We've had a lot of discussions with the manufacturers and although at the beginning they hated the idea of deformation, now they're slowly coming around to it. We've still got a few to convince, but we will. Expect deformation in the very near future: very, very soon.

Gran Turismo is one of the more realistic driving simulators available, but without damage modeling, it's still simply a video game. If its developers hope to get it to that next level, they need to convince manufacturers to greenlight the results of inadvertent mayhem. Even though it pains me to see amazing cars smashed to hell by our gaming-deprived editors, there is something thrilling about knowing my driving fuck ups have real consequences. [Kotaku] (Image)

Lexus:
Lexus brought a video game setup that made me do a double-take. It wasn't big, gaudy or flashy, but it was a great partnership. Lexus had three driving simulators set up running the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 Prologue that's due out in mid-April. Since it was obviously a Lexus partnership, the only vehicle available to try was the Lexus IS-F. You'll get my first impressions on the game later, but it was unique how much Polyphony, the developer of the Gran Turismo series, put into this event. The first day of the show, the simulator was running a custom-build platform (meaning the developers sent out a special copy of the game just for the show), but Polyphony managed to overnight Japanese retail builds of the full game to be used on the simulators. A groggy representative told me he was up until 3 a.m. waiting for the retail build and setting up the simulators to properly work with a PlayStation 3 and the Japanese game. That a lot of midnight oil for a cross-marketing opportunity.

Saleen:
Saleen didn't have the biggest or most prominent booth at the New York Auto Show, but there was definitely a strong presence, at least from the video game perspective. Saleen and Rockstar games recently announced a partnership for Midnight Club Los Angeles. This game is slated for a third or fourth quarter release this year. However, Rockstar was happy to have a setup that allowed everyone, even our intrepid senior editor, the opportunity to play the game and showcase the exclusive partnership with Saleen right now. This was one of the more interesting video game integrations because Rockstar pulled out all of the stops to get the game to the show and promote both their new game; the Saleen Mustang S302 Extreme was also the star of the game. The game looks pretty good, and will probably keep people hanging around the Saleen booth. Obviously, the better a car comes off in a game, the more likely it is that the excitement embodied in an automotive brand will rub off on gamers.

Subaru:
Subaru has been at it with the video games for quite some time. This year, as at many past trade shows, they featured triple-screen simulators running Gran Turismo 4 Prologue. There were three simulators available, and a decent sized area of the Subaru booth was roped off to accommodate waiting lines. Subaru seems to have figured out that the game both keeps people hanging around the booth and, because it showcases the WRX STi, reinforces Subaru's devotion to motorsports. We're not just for hippies in Vermont and families in Berkeley, the message seems to be. We're down with speed and handling as well.

Toyota:
Toyota deployed a slightly different gaming setup to promote its big pickup truck. The Tundra Game had the look and feel of Paperboy and served as more of an advergame than something that was legitimate fun. Nevertheless, it shows that Toyota went to the effort of hiring designers and developers to create something game-like to include in the Toyota trucks booth, thereby catching a ride on the trend.

Volkswagen:
VW brought a nausea-inducing game. A driver's seat and steering wheel were attached to platform that spun around as the unlucky participant piloted a GTi. Spinouts could have induced vomiting. Note to the board of directors: You've got to play this video-game gambit right—causing potential customers to retch isn't the way to go.

State Farm Insurance:
State Farm brings their driving simulator to almost every show. It's a full-sized rig that sits on actuators, mimicking all of the bumps and bruises of real-world driving. Also included in the booth were three individual driving simulators running the Nascar 2003 game, unfortunately. State Farm continues to promote driving safe, but it doesn't seem to know that there are some new games out there. Oh well,"A" for effort, and for being something of a pioneer in this trade-show sub-genre.

Jeep:
The Jeep booth boasted two Nintendo Wii setups, running a skateboard game. There's no explanation why, but it seems that the Jeep booth is so boring that event-planning staff figure they need Wiis to keep people entertained. There's a sub-trend here, as Wii seems to show up in a lot of boring media-oriented contexts these days. I guess journalist have a lot of free time to perfect their Guitar Hero skills.

Conclusion
It's apparent that auto-related video games can be a big part of any enthusiast's life, so I'm happy to see Polyphony and Rockstar go balls to the wall by getting involved in the auto industry and recognizing the natural cross-branding and promotional opportunities at trade shows. And I would like to see more companies getting involved. How about Logitech setting up a booth demonstrating the wheels and pedals that they offer? What about seeing some of the other big racing-game developers? Burnout and Forza are a couple racing series that seemed to be absent from the show.

Sure, the L.A. Auto Show will never replace E3, or at least what used to be E3. But the video game industry is definitely beginning to link itself more closely with the auto industry—and the car biz is recognizing that hooking up with the massively profitable-game industry can provide it with a variety of marketing opportunities. Car shows tend to be about actual experiences; you finally see the cars in the flesh, as opposed to in photos or on videos. But this actual experience is fairly static, because the vehicles don't do anything except sit there and look pretty. Bringing them to life in a virtual realm can only help.

March Car Pack 2008 Audi S5 2007 Audi TT Coupe S-Line 1971 BMW 3.0 CSL E09 2008 BMW E92 M3 1989 Ferrari F40 Competizione 1996 Ferrari F50 GT 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 2007 Maserati GranTurismo 2006 Maserati MC12 Corsa 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 (997) 2007 Peugeot #1 Peugeot 207 Super 2000

In celebration of the release of the car pack, the developers will also be having a giveaway. Play the game over the weekend and you may randomly be selected to win racing wheels, autographed copies of the game and more. [Kotaku]

• Acura NSX '91
• Alfa Romeo 147 TI 2.0 TWIN SPARK '06
• Alfa Romeo Brera Sky Window 3.2 JTS Q4 '06
• Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
• Amuse/Opera Performance Gran Turismo 350Z RS
• Art Morrison Corvette'60
• Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '06
• Audi R8 4.2 FSI R tronic '07
• Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro '07
• Blitz Dunlop ER34 '07
• BMW 135i Coupe '07
• BMW 135tii '08
• BMW M3 Coupe '07
• BMW Z4 '03
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6) Tuned Car
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06 '06
• Citroen C4 Coupe 2.0VTS '06
• Clio Renault Sport V6 24V Tuned Car
• Daihatsu Copen Active Top '02
• Daihatsu OFC-1 '07
• Dodge Viper GTS
• Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe
• Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Tuned Car
• Ferrari 512BB '76
• Ferrari 599 '06
• Ferrari F40 '92
• Ferrari F430 '06
• Ford Focus ST '06
• Ford GT '05
• Ford GT Tuned Car
• Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe Premium '07
• Honda Integra TYPE R '04
• Honda NSX Type R '02
• Jaguar XK Coupe '06
• Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione '91
• Lexus IS F '07
• Lexus IS F Tuned Car
• Lotus Elise 111R '04
• Lotus Elise 111R Tuned Car
• Lotus Elise '96
• Lotus Elise Tuned Car
• Mazda Atenza Sport (2007 Tokyo Motor Show reference exhibit)
• Mazda RX-7 (FD) Special Tuned Car
• Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02
• Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) Tuned Car
• Mazda RX-8 Type S '03
• Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG '02
• Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
• Mini Cooper-S '06
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR '05
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Premium Package '07
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Tuned Car
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR Tuned Car
• Nissan Fairlady Z Version S '07
• Nissan GT-R '07
• Nissan GT-R Proto '05
• Nissan Skyline Coupe (V36) Tuned Car
• Nissan Skyline Coupe 370GT Type SP '07
• Nissan Skyline Coupe Concept '07
• Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nur '02
• Nissan Skyline Sedan 350GT Type SP '06
• Peugeot 207GTI '07
• Peugeot 307cc Premium AVN '04
• RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7
• Renault Clio Renault Sport V6 24V '00
• Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI spec C Type RA '05
• Subaru Impreza WRX STI (18inch BBS Wheel Option) '07
• Suzuki Cappuccino '95
• Suzuki Cappuccino Tuned Car
• Suzuki Cervo SR '07
• Suzuki Swift Sport '07
• Suzuki Swift Sport Tuned Car
• TVR Tamora '02
• TVR Tuscan Speed 6 '00
• Volkswagen Golf GTI '01
• Volkswagen Golf V GTI '05

Also included in the game is six different tracks to choose from including a Suzuka Circuit, Eiger Nordwand, Fuji Speedway, a London city track, Daytona International Speedway and a high speed ring. The game is still slated for an April 15 release on the PlayStation 3. [Winding Road; AB]