With modern day racing video games blurring the lines between virtuality and reality, it's no wonder some readers mistook last Friday's Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Trailer featuring a Police-livered Lamborghini Murcielago and a Pagani Zonda for a very well executed CGI when in fact it was a real-life film (see it here). If you still have doubts, then follow the jump to watch the video and get behind the scenes of the live-action shoot out.
Live action game trailers are nothing new. It's an easy way for developers to tease their upcoming titles without having to reveal any actual graphics or gameplay. Recent examples of this include Resident Evil 5 and Halo 3: ODST.
So there's a new trailer out for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, the latest in the NFSseries and the third Hot Pursuit title. However, this trailer comes with something special: a spectacular live action realisation of the chase from the E3 reveal trailer.
In the original trailer, we see an epic chase whereby a Koenigsegg CCX, Pagani Zonda Cinque and McLaren MP4-12C are pursued by two Ford Shelby GT500s, a Bugatti Veyron, a Lamborghini Murciélago and a Bell 206 helicopter. This is all realized (presumably) with the in-game engine and is pretty sweet in itself.
However, it's nothing compared to this real-life chase between an orange Zonda Cinque, police issue Murciélago and Bell 206 through the Italian Alps from the game's marketing team. It's the sort of thing that has to be seen to be believed. Watch the video, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Let's face it: buying a supercar is hard. They're expensive, they're hard to insure and if you crash one you're bound to see it posted on Carscoop. So what do you do if you crave the supercar looks but can't stomach the supercar hang-ups? You buy an Italian knockoff, that's what.
This here is the Lavazza GTX-R and yes, it does look a lot like a Ferrari Enzo (with a pinch of Pagani) if you squint...and are drunk...and are wearing sunglasses...at night. Ahem.
If you read the Italian version of the site, power comes from a BMW-sourced 5.4-liter V12 producing 489HP that can accelerate the GTX-R from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in just 4.3 seconds. However, the English-language page makes word of the same V12 with 620HP but a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.6 seconds. Go figure...
Anyway, the GTX-R also comes with a carbon / Kevlar body, tubular steel frame and a 6-speed electro-pneumatic transmission.
Okay, so not quite Enzo beating performance. Still it can be yours for...nope, they're not saying. Oh, and the electro-pneumatic transmission? I'm reliably informed that it's used on busses. Ah well, c'est la vie.
Ever wonder what it's like to be an automotive journalist? Well, for a select few, there are times when it can be (very) rewarding. See, not many journalists will have the chance to get their hands on a Pagani Zonda R. On the other hand, few are as qualified as Fifth Gear co-host Tiff Needell to justify such a pricey loan and this video stands as a testimony to that.
So, after delighting your eyes with the awesome commercial and remembering why you adore the Zonda R, take a look at Needell running the Italian supercar through its paces.
And just in case your memory fails you, we'll remind you that the supernatural howl comes from a 6.0-liter AMG V12 engine, sourced from the Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR, capable of 750 hp (559 kW) and 523 lb-ft (709 Nm) of torque.
Weighing in at just 2,358 pounds (1,070 kg), this track-ready beast catapults to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.7 seconds and into our hearts with the speed of light.
