As a direct ancestor of iRacing, the ‘Grand Prix Legends engine’ had multiple stock car racing false starts, before eventually releasing as NASCAR Racing 4. The original NASCAR 3, cancelled and replaced by one that used NASCAR 2’s engine, is barely remembered.
Shortly after the release of Grand Prix Legends the sim racing community looked forward to another title that promised to offer a similar insight into historic racing. Trans-Am Racing ’68-’72 ultimately never released, a victim of a publishers shady dealings, but as a part of my research I uncovered a VHS of a never-released trailer for the game. Watch the trailer and read about what sim racing missed out on.
Microprose have announced what appears to be a Vette re-make for PC and PlayStation.
Press release:
TAKE THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE THROUGH ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP TOURIST CITIES IN VETTE™: SAN FRANCISCO THRILLS
Electronic Entertainment Expo, Los Angeles, May 16, 1996-Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBYT) announces the latest addition to its popular World Circuit Racing brand, Vette: San Francisco Thrills™. This hot multiplayer racing game promises drivers gut-wrenching excitement as they take to the streets of San Francisco in a souped-up Corvette. Vette: San Francisco Thrills™ is in development for Windows 95 and the PlayStation game console.
Drivers can choose one of seven different Chevrolet Corvette automobiles, each with its own performance characteristics which will affect driving ability. Opponents will be driving some of the fastest and most exotic cars in the world. The player’s job is to keep an eye on the competition, stay clear of police, watch out for pedestrians and take plenty of shortcuts in a race against time in a 3-D real-time, real-life environment. Players also have the option of racing against the computer.
Vette: San Francisco Thrills™ includes varying difficulty settings, a range of start and finish lines and seemingly randomized road, weather, and traffic conditions, all integrated into an amazing racing experience through one of the densest cities in North America. Drivers will race past famous San Francisco landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, the TransAmerica Building and Fisherman’s Wharf, which have all been created using state-of-the-art 3-D tools. In addition, the ultrarealistic 3-D graphics and rich ambient sound throughout the game will make the player feel the car fly over hills and skid around corners.
“The excitement of this game lies in the real-world handling of a Corvette as players tackle the hazards of metropolitan driving in San Francisco,” said Lou Gioia, Jr., chief marketing officer of Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. “There are no fixed courses in this dynamic racing game ensuring the player a different racing experience each time they hop into the driver’s seat.”
Product information is available for download from the MicroProse BBS at 510-522-8909, FTP site: ftp.microprose.com or World Wide Web site: http://www.microprose.com. For consumer orders, call 1-800-695-GAME in the United States and Canada and call 619-693-1200 outside the United States and Canada.
Spectrum HoloByte, Inc., is a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for use on CD-ROM-based personal computer systems. The company is also developing software for next generation console machines. The company’s four development studios are: Spectrum HoloByte, Alameda, California; MicroProse Software, Inc., Hunt Valley, Maryland; MicroProse Limited, Chipping, Sodbury, England; and SimTex Software, Austin, Texas. The company has a joint venture agreement with Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. to develop and produce ABC Sports interactive game software for multimedia personal computers and next generation video games under the OverTime(OT) Sports brand. Products are available in the United States and internationally through major distributors, retailers and mass merchants.
VETTE™, CHEVROLET™ and CORVETTE™ are trademarks of Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors Corporation, and used under license to Spectrum HoloByte, Inc.
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