Need For Speed World: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

It's the best car to be released in NFS World to date: the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. I just love this car for many things. First off, it's the best looking car in the game with sleek curves, a sexy rear end, awesome 19" shoes, and a lovely front nose. Second, it's the best car I've ever driven in this game. It has the grip of the 911 GT3 RS, but it isn't as crazy as it. It's composed, daft, punctual. It's like trying to do Le Mans in an old luxurious Bentley. Third, it's fast. It certainly gives the Porsche a run for its money. It's not the fastest car in the world, but it will make mincemeat out of most Tier 3 cars, including the M3 GTR. I've spent sometime reviewing this car to see what it's like. If you're a "Spot the Dev" winner, take a look at the videos below to see what your prize is like.

Need For Speed World: Porsche 911 GT3 RS Cop Edition

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Cop Edition (Need For Speed World)

All of you racers out there who have the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Cop Edition, you might as well just sell it and ask for your money back. Why? Meet Porsche's Cop car, the 911 GT3 RS. Or, to put it in plain english, the fastest car in Need For Speed World. Period. With race car like grip, immense speed, and a cop car livery, it scares the pants off of BMW and Lamborghini drivers. Just make sure you keep your eyes on the road because this thing is crazy fast. Here are two new videos showcasing the craziness of this cop car of which you can get for just 6000 speedboost. It's the current speedking. Will there ever be a car to knock it off it's feet?

NFS Cred!

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Need For Speed World)

Wow! Have I received some street cred this week! Due to my excessive car reviews and film making abilities, NFS has featured me on their website so racers can now me personally. Though of course, most you know that since you've either seen me race online or in my videos. Anyway, if you haven't checked out the article on me, you can read it here. I talk about my favorite cars, my favorite movies, and all the stuff I do to stay busy. I might be taking a short break, but coming back for more NFS World madness!

Need For Speed World: Personality Against Brute Force

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition (Need For Speed World)

So, the guys of NFS World were at Gamescom in Germany last week, which made it perfect for them to release three new German cars for the game. First up, there's the Porsche Cayman S Treasure Hunt which makes hunting for gems much easier for those struggling to get some money. Next is the heavy Audi RS4, of which I think is still not as good as an M3. And last, but certainly not least, Mercedes-Benz enters NFS World with the brutal SLR McLaren 722 Edition. I'll say it as of now: it isn't the fastest thing in World. But, if you're looking for a Tier 3 tank besides the Viper that can barrage throw cops with ease, this is definitely the car. I made three videos showcasing all three cars with some extras of course. All 3 feature a dude from World-Garage who has some awesome skill when it comes to driving. Check them out!

Stuttgart Rights

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (991) [Need For Speed: The Run]

It's really hard for me to say this quietly, so I'll come right out with it. Ready? Porsche will NOT be in Forza 4. Why? Well, let's say we have two people to blame. First, blame Porsche themselves. They are all about kids and young adults driving their cars in realistic or fictional racing games, but honestly, they don't really care. Next, blame the only company to have the rights to show Porsche virtually: EA. Porsche has been in Need For Speed since the beginning. And since then, the company has had exclusive rights to all of their cars, including the new 991 Carrera S, of which you see here in Need For Speed: The Run. Now, it is true that Porsche was in Forza 3 with the 911 GT3 RS, 911 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo, Panamera Turbo, and so on. But, EA prefer saving the best of things for themselves. Need For Speed Shift was actually the first official racing game to feature the top exotic manufacturers (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani, Aston Martin, Maserati, and Porsche) [if you had an Xbox 360 at least]. Forza 3 was the next game to feature these same manufacturers. So, if you're sad that EA have the rights to Porsche, look at it this way. Ferrari hates Need For Speed as a whole and will only have their cars featured in their games if they improve their racing physics and put in realistic damage. Gran Turismo and Forza offer all of this, which is why they trust them. EA doesn't, which is why they don't trust them. So, in the end, you should be grateful.

On the Bright Side...

2008 Mazda MX-5 (NFS World)

...Need For Speed will be introducing the Mazda MX-5 into the game. The car is free with the purchase of 8,000 or 17,500 speedboost. I'm not that crazy about the car, even though it looks good. Hopefully this car #1 of 2. Black Box Studios have been wowing the crowd with extra special cars from Audi, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Lotus. Hopefully we'll see another amazing machine come in tonight. That way, you guys get to see me drive both in NFS World.

Update: Rumors have been running round Facebook that Porsche's race car for the road, the 911 GT3 RS will be Car #2 of 2 in the update. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Confirmed: Maintenance Window has been released with the Porsche 911 GT3 RS's name written in Bold!

Need For Speed World: Exige Extravaganza

2011 Lotus Exige Cup 260 (Need For Speed World)

This week's been kinda busy, only because I had to finish test driving this awesome Tier 2 monster from Lotus: the Exige Cup 260. What is it? Well, let's put it this way: it's the fastest Tier 2 car in the game. It sounds sort of extreme but it is. Yes, I know it's stats and handling rival that of the popular Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro, but that car has all-wheel drive and is slightly heavier. This car is real-wheel drive and is all the bit lighter. As a result, in the corners, the Audi will deal with some understeer, while the Exige won't deal with it as much. The car's available now for 3000 speedboost, but if you're one of the 30 people who won the "Spot the Dev" contest, you should already have your Exiges by now. Trust me when I say this: you're gonna love it. I know I did. Check out the 3-part test drive I took with this amazing car and see if it suits you!

She's Here!

2011 Lotus Exige Cup 260 (Need For Speed World)

Didn't I tell you it was coming? The new Lotus Exige Cup 260 is the latest release in the world of Need For Speed. It has a 1.8-liter VVTL-i Inline-4 engine out of a Toyota Corolla which doesn't seem all that brilliant. But, Lotus had a chance to fit the small racer with a supercharger bumping the power up from 104 or whatever to 252 horsepower. It will do 0 to 60 in 4 seconds flat and hit a top speed of 152 MPH. Why release a race-ready Elise into NFS World? To teach those goody-goody cheaters in regular Elises a lesson. This thing with it's stock performance has the Elise running for cover. And, more importantly, if you put Level 3 Pro parts into this awesome ride, you'll be rivaling Eddie's Nissan Skyline, the Audi R8, even a tuned Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro. The car is available for everyone now for 4000 speedboost while the 20 winners who Spotted the Devs last Friday will get their reward this Friday. I've already bought the car and I'm making the video as we type. It'll be on tomorrow, if not Friday!

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.

Need For Speed World: Porsche 959 Madness

1986 Porsche 959 "Year One" Edition (Need For Speed World)

One of the most anticipated cars of Need For Speed World is here: the Porsche 959. With it's 2.8-liter Twin-Turbocharged Flat-6 engine producing 444 horsepower and all-wheel drive, it did 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 197 MPH. In the 80's, it was the fastest road car ever built, until Ferrari came with the F40, of course. Nonetheless, in the game, this car may frighten the Murcielago owners. It's just as fast and just as grippy as the Lambo Cop Car that I tested a couple months ago, meaning it should be good fun messing with other racers, including the obnoxious cheaters with M3 GTRs. An interesting fact about this car: even though the NFS dev team created the vinyl and performance, the car itself was not touched by any of them. In fact, this car was created by an 18-year old Russian named Svyatoslav Gampel. He entered contest about a year ago to see who could create the perfect 959. During that time, Need For Speed partnered up with Porsche to find the true 959. Gampel certainly feels honored to have one of his cars in this game, though it's nothing new to him. He's been in the 3D business for 4 years already.  Anyway, I've made two videos showcasing the car's greatness. Check them out below and see if the car suits you in the game.

Spot the Dev

2011 Lotus Exige (Courtesy of Nfscars.net) [Need For Speed World]

Unfortunately, I wasn't available to go online and chase Marc de Vellis around in my Porsche 959, but my fellow NFS World friends have managed to find a few devs racing around Palmont City.  Marc, of all people, was driving the car you see above you: the Lotus Exige. If you found a dev and grabbed a screenshot of him, you're eligible for a drawing in which 30 of them will be given out next Friday. What does this mean? It means that the Exige is the newest addition to World, a new video by me is coming soon, and all of you Elise owners are gonna feel scared once you see this thing pass by. The Exige is one of the fastest cars that Lotus makes now. The one that you see here is the Exige Cup 260, which is a race spec version of the car for the streets. With a 1.8-liter Supercharged Inline-4 engine, it will do 0 to 60 in 4.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 152 MPH. Plus, if you tune that car in World, you'll be putting Elise's, Silvia's, Cayman's, and maybe A1's to shame. Let's find out next week.

Hidden Porsche?

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Need For Speed World) 

Black Box Studios might wanna think twice before they patch their Online Racing game. It looks like during the patching, when they were going to release the 959, some files were left hidden. Unfortunately, some players managed to hack into those files and bring some hidden goodies out that the team had in store for release in the later weeks. One of them was this Porsche 911 GT3 RS from Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (Criterion Games). So Marc de Vellis & Company, if you're reading this, you might wanna put some heavy encryption on your files when you're updating lest you get some files in the wrong hands.

Happy Birthday Need For Speed World!

1986 Porsche 959 1-Year Anniversary (Need For Speed World)

Celebrate one year of NFS World greatness with one of the greatest supercars of the 80's: the Porsche 959. This car was specially made by an NFS Community member known as Gampel Svetoslav who was chosen by both Black Box Studios and Porsche for making the most accurate 3D modeled 959 ever. Now, his creation will be in your hands. In the rear of this technological marvel is a 2.8-liter 444 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged Flat-6 engine. Mix this with a lightened body and Porsche All-wheel drive, it will do 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 197 MPH. The 959 has been in NFS games since the beginning. It's last NFS game was NFS 5: Porsche Unleashed were it was one of the fastest cars in that game. Now, that it's in this game, does it have a chance against the Lamborghini Murcielago, BMW M3 E46 GTR, BMW Z4 GT3, or Porsche 911 Turbo? I'm going to find out! I'm test driving this car tonight!

German Flexing

2011 BMW 135i "Flexor" Edition (NFS World)

So, NFS World is celebrating their 1-year anniversary with some fancy new things for all of us eager racers. First up, there's the new BMW 135i "Flexor" Edition, a car which has been requested by millions of drivers to finally come out of the so-called "Rental Jail". I've taken the car out for a spin and was quite pleased with the results. Of course, the car isn't heavier or faster than an M3 E92 or an M3 E46 GTR, but for a Tier 2 German exotic, it gives the Elises and the Z4 Ms a run for their money. Not to mention, it is fantastically designed with the custom 20" iForged Rims, underbody neons, custom bodykit, BMW-patent-pended angel-eye xenon lights, and a very colorful vinyl. You can get it now for 3200 speedboost, which should be affordable for most people since they get a 1000 speedboost bump in honor of the 1-year anniversary. Also, a new car has turned up on the streets which is also German. At long last, the Porsche 959 is here and its ready to break some records. Pics and videos to come, but for now, enjoy my review of the recently unlocked BMW 135i.

You Spoke. They Listened

2011 BMW 135i "Flexor" (Need For Speed World)

I've been out and about the NFS World Facebook page and the NFS forums recently. The thing I've heard players wanting the most out of Black Box Studios were some rental cars that have been in the rental garage for almost a year. Well, if you're an NFS World player and you've wanted this car for as long as you have thumbs or feet, Black Box have finally granted your wish. The BMW 135i is one the second of 4 cars that have been released for speedboost due to high demand and an excess amount of time as a rental. This brand new "Flexor" features some BMW Art Car inspired vinyls, custom rims, custom neon, and a custom bodykit for a much cooler look. You can buy it now off of the NFS store for 3,200 speedboost. I'll test drive the car to see if it's any good. Stay tuned for that.

Shift 2 Unleashed enters NFS World...Again!

2012 BMW Z4 GT3 Team NFS (NFS World)

Black Box Studios always have tendency to add high-end racing machines into their street racing games. For example, in NFS Most Wanted, it was the BMW M3 GTR and the Corvette C6.R. In Carbon, again, it was the BMW M3 GTR. In ProStreet, it was the Aston Martin DBR9. Undercover was the only game without an illegal race car. But, luckily, Black Box and EA have heard the racers' cry and have finally added a racing machine into the game. And, it's not just any ordinary racing machine. We're talking about the BMW Z4 GT3 Team NFS that won the Dubai 24H race back in the Spring. Straight out of Shift 2 Unleashed, Tommy Milner & Patrick Soderlund's elegant racing machine features a 4.0-liter V8 from the M3 GT2 with 480 horsepower. 0 to 60 is done in just 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 187 MPH. Of course, in this game, it might achieve a much faster top speed. If you thought the Audi A1 was brilliant, you'll probably be drooling for this car. It will be available later tonight on the East Coast and everywhere else later today. I'll take it for a test drive to see what it's like, but for now, enjoy the awesome montage that Team NFS has prepared for you.

An Audi Full of Surprises (Part III)

2012 Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro "Speed" Edition 

Just when you thought the A1 Clubsport couldn't get any cooler, well, it has. Audi and NFS have teamed up once again to produce this unique "Speed" edition to the A1 Clubsport. Nothing else really special about it, except that the new vinyl design perfectly fits with this car and looks absolutely awesome. The car itself is fantastic with amazing handling, acceleration, top speed, and, in a strange way, looks. You can have it now for 3,800 speedboost, or for free if you're one of the lucky twenty stooges who wins a code from the NFS dev team. All you have to do is hit up twitter, follow @NFSworld, and tweet "I just entered to win an Audi A1 speed car code from @NFSWorld. RT to enter http://bit.ly/mkhVER". It's that simple. As for me, I'll buy it in order to keep it. Who says I can't collect cars? If you missed my Audi A1 Clubsport Review, check it out below. The regular car is still available for 3000 speedboost, so get yours today!

Need For Speed World Extravaganza

2011 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - Cop Edition

So, as you could probably tell by the decrease in blog posts and amount of videos posted on YouTube, I've been busy. I've made two videos showcasing NFS World's newest release: The Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - Cop Edition. For just 6000 speedboost, you can have this awesome raging bull with custom Italian police livery, custom BBS matte black rims, carbon fiber rear wing, and even a police front guard for more ramming force. Not to mention you get a sweet performance upgrade just in case you run into some police, which I did in both movies. They're up on YouTube now, but you check them out here as well.

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.