The original launch date for Project CARS was last November but much to my chagrin, the release date was pushed back to March of this year. Several weeks before the projected March release, it was announced that the release was to be pushed back to April only to be delayed yet again to mid-May. Slightly Mad head developer Ian Bell proclaimed, “Despite therefore the game being 99.9 percent complete, the remaining 0.1 percent attending to small issues and bugs has been tricky to anticipate. We’re absolutely dedicated to delivering a ground-breaking experience and by targeting mid-May fans can be assured that’s what they’ll receive.” Bell also thanked fans of the series for their patience, and also confirmed that the studio will release free content as compensation.

The North American launch for Project CARS is May 12th, exactly one week from today and I can’t express in words just how excited I am for this news.

Project CARS promises to be a triumph of racing glory, developed over four years with the help of pro race drivers, pro gamers and with the mission of being the most authentic, intense, beautiful and technically-advanced racing game ever made.

Project CARS

Some of the feature highlights to get you as excited I am include a massive selection of tracks numbering in excess of 110 courses spread over 30 locations. Some of the tracks are world-class facilities that are instantly recognizable to any enthusiast, including the famed Nürburgring, Cadwell Park, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca amongst other 100% unique cityscape tracks, rally courses and more. Whatever your motorsports poison, they have you covered with GT cars, Touring cars, Le Mans prototypes, karts, and open wheel racers – even the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on the table. The weather dynamics promise to provide a realistic racing dynamics under inclement conditions, while pit stops and pit strategies will factor into your experience.

Of course, as a next-gen simulator, Project CARS will run at 60 fps screen refresh with the physics engine running at 600 fps. Races will include up to 45 cars on the track simultaneously while competitive multiplayer maxes out with 16 players and the ability to create public, private and friend-based lobbies with ‘Join In Progress’.

Project CARS

No racing sim would be complete without aftermarket steering wheel rigs and Project CARS promises support for 30+ wheels, virtual reality functionality via Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus will add an unparalleled immersive experience.

While I haven’t played Project CARS yet, the base car lineup is truly mind-blowing, with more cars to become available for download in the near future. Words can’t express just how excited I am to hop behind the wheel of a 1972 Ford Escort RS1600 or a BMW M3 E30 Group A. While other games offer more cars to drive, all the cars in the 73-strong lineup are quality curated vehicles. Personally, I’m holding out and praying for some more classic Japanese cars from the golden age of the JTCC circuit in the early ’80s. In the meantime, all of you PS4 owners: add me up next week and let’s go racing!

Anyone who’s never played a racing video game, this is the one to cut your teeth on. When I mentioned that I credit playing Gran Turismo with teaching me about driving, racing lines and car tuning, I wasn’t exaggerating. Back in 1998, while tearing through Laguna Seca in a fully built and tuned-by-me Mazda Miata with perfect lines on my Playstation, I could never imagine that 15 years later I’d be driving on the very same track in a very similarly prepared Miata. The track was instantly familiar and I honestly felt like I knew the track like the back of my hand. All the corners were familiar, the turn-in points, the apexes, and of course, the famed corkscrew… all of it was instinctual and instead of wasting precious time learning an unfamiliar track, I spent every single glorious second of it reveling, attacking the track with as much gusto and fervour as my instructor allowed.

Let’s just hope the wait was all worth it. See you online.

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