Alex Unleashed on Cars

I was recently able to play the Sonic Racing Crossworlds open network test, essentially an online free demo available for a few days and I decided to sum up my thoughts after playing the game for 3 days. Having pre-ordered the game, I was eager to take part in the test to see if the game is as good as it appeared to be and whether it would offer a good alternative to both Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World. So, what’s the game like? Well, where Mario Kart World has tried expanding into open world exploration, Crossworlds has stuck to traditional kart racing, i.e.: racing on tracks and competing through GPs. The network test had three gameplay options, Grand Prix, Time Trial and Online. Since online gameplay is kind of the lifeblood of games now, I focussed my attention there. In short, it’s very good. Whilst the Grand Prix only let you play the first GP, online did allow you to race on some other tracks, so the game didn't feel too repetitive, though through trailers ...

Aston Martin is a company that whilst famous has grappled with financial instability and shifting bosses and chairmen, though since it was taken over by Ford and then later privatised it has remained stable and steady thanks to wise investment and ever increasing brand awareness along with just being plain cool if not the coolest car brand out there. Here's everything you need to know about Aston Martin in one place, from movie stars and F1 cars to a bizarre city car and bankruptcy.  Year Founded: 1913 Founders: Lionel Martin & Robert Bamford Important People: David Brown- Having bought the company and Lagonda in 1947 it was under Brown (a former tractor manufacture owner) that Aston Martin became an instantly famous brand with its racing success in the 50s and early 60s and dealings with the James Bond franchise, it's also where the DB series of cars get their names from. Sean Connery- Whilst he wasn’t an employee, Connery as Bond help cement the association betwee...

  I've talked about Noble before on this blog and I mentioned that in 2007 they closed up shop after Lee Noble left the company. Well, 3 years later they were back and better than ever with today's spotlight. the M600. Straight away, the M600 bears styling ques from both the canned M15 prototype and M14 concept car and it's definitely a handsome car, it's different, notably lacking the M12's rear wing yet still looks like a Noble. But let's talk about the engine, no longer a Ford V6, now it's a 4.4 litre V8 from Volvo tuned by Yamaha (who also tuned the Ford Puma coupe engines) and has the standard Noble twin turbos. What this means is that the M600 produces 650 BHP and 604 Ib/ft of torque, for reference, the Pagani Zonda F (which is no slouch in performance terms) has 602 BHP and 576 Ib/ft of torque, in a straight line, the M600 gets to 60 in just 3 seconds, that trumps the: Ferrari Enzo, Corvette ZR1, Porsche GT2 RS and many more. Flat out, it will hit 225...

  Aston Martin recently made their return to top class prototype racing this year with their new AMR Valkyrie LMH. Whilst their current season in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) hasn't been filled with wins and podiums, it is a welcome return for the make. But, what about Aston Martin's previous endurance racers? After all, Aston's efforts all stem from that sole win at Le Mans in 1959. Following that win in '59 Aston Martin's next big assault at Le Mans was in the 80s, there were 3 Group C spec cars: the Nimrod, EMKA-Aston Martin & the AMR1. All 3 were fairly uncompetitive with the AMR1 posting the best finish of 4th at Brands Hatch in '89 and all 3 used the same basic 5.3 (later 6 litre V8 engine also used in Aston's road cars of the time. The first two cars, the Nimrod & EMKA weren't factory backed cars, Aston Martin was merely the engine supplier for both, Both competed at Le Mans with only the EMKA's brief time in the lead in 1985...

  The Mercedes SLR McLaren (or McLaren Mercedes if you prefer) is a bit of an oddball in the world of hypercars and the 200 MPH club. It has an automatic gearbox, the engine is in front of the driver and it packs a lot of Mercedes creature comforts. And yet, we're talking about the 2nd fastest Mercedes ever made (AMG-ONE is fastest), about a car that can stop from 120 MPH in the distance the Highway Code says it should stop from 60 and a car that packs a mighty supercharged V8 engine. The SLR owes it's existence to the 15 year long partnership between McLaren and Mercedes in Formula 1 that gave Mclaren 3 world titles: '98, '99 & '08 before Mercedes became a team on it's own, though McLaren still mostly used Mercedes engines after the split. The SLR project, owing it's name to the old 300 SLR that Sir Stirling Moss & Denis Jenkinson won the 1955 Mille Miglia was first unveiled in 1999 with a projected release in 2003, the concept had a smaller 5 litre...

  There have been plenty of great rivalries in the world of cars: Ford v Ferrari, Senna v Prost, Veyron v F1 etc. But the Subaru Impreza v Mitsubishi EVO has to be up there as one of the all time great rivalries.  These two cars defined an era in the late 90s and early 00s of humble saloon cars that could keep up and surpass purpose built sports cars all whilst having big boots, solid reliability and being relatively affordable, they were what the Quattro and Sierra Cosworth had been back in the 80s, the peoples supercars. The first EVO, full title Lancer Evolution I, was launched back in 1992, 2 years before the Impreza Turbo. It had a powerful 247 BHP engine as well as a 4-wheel drive system from the Galant VR-4, it was also available in a lightweight RS trim with no alloys or even ABS. The next two EVO's II & III didn't change much from the original, mainly a power jump to 256 and then to 266, bigger alloys and fuel tank and the III got some more aggressive styling comp...

  When you say Subaru to someone, chances are they think of the Impreza, the high flying turbocharged rally machine. And rightfully so, the Impreza Turbo and later WRX & STi models defined an era of ultimate bang for your buck performance. And yet, after 10 years, something happened, the usual fanfare and praise for the hot Impreza fizzled out, it was just more of the same, the same old same old Impreza. But back when the Turbo 2000 first hit UK shores it was a revelation, here was a humdrum saloon (or 5-door hatch or estate) with 208 BHP, could hit 0-60 in a confirmed 5.2 seconds, top out at 140 MPH all for less than £20,000 and that infamous flat-four engine note, it was one of the all-time greats of the 90s a real era defining car. And if perhaps you hadn't being paying attention to the car magazines then just one year later Subaru took the WRC title with the late great Colin McRae at the wheel which propelled the Subaru Impreza to a new level of stardom, here was a car now ...