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No Toyota For NFS Payback Toyota is not going to be in Need for Speed Payback! In a trend that started with the confirmation that the maker’s production cars would not be in Forza Motorsport 7, we now know, thanks to a Ghost Games representative on reddit, that it will be the same for Payback too. We know the subject of Toyota is on a lot of minds over the last few weeks. As many of you here suspect, there will be no Toyota cars in Need for Speed Payback. While we’re as disappointed as you are, we do hope that we’ll once again see Toyota back in Need for Speed in the future. The Supra and AE86 have always been firm favourites among fans of the series (partial to the MR2 MK II myself) when they have featured, and so to lose them will be a big blow to many players, especially younger ones who have effectively grown up seeing and using these cars all over, perhaps even leading to aspirations of owning one for themselves in future. Worryingly there isn’t much said as to why and so thoughts turn to if they are exclusively licensed to another title? Namely, Gran Turismo Sport. Having already snatched Pikes Peak away for itself is it at all possible for Toyota to have cosied up to the Japanese developer? I bloody well hope not! And so, a long-standing JDM icon stays away from another race game series, and if it is simply that the manufacturer doesn’t want to be in games any longer then we are unfortunately going to be hearing more of this happening in the future. Main image: Khyzyl Saleem (Ghost Games Concept Artist)

Driving the Heroes of Gran Turismo As Gran Turismo approaches its 20th Anniversary, Top Gear has been able to round up six of the “heroes of Gran Turismo” – Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI TME, Honda NSX, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 – and drive them around a track that has a few similarities to High Speed Ring. (no tunnel though :() For those who can remember watching and reading all the media in the run up to the original GT launching for the PlayStation, it is not at all hyperbole to say that it was a defining moment for many a racing gamer and would-be car enthusiast. This game introduced many cars to the rest of the world that were either unknown or were little known to the majority. Names from Japan such as FTO, Skyline and RX-7 were beamed into living rooms and became legends from then on. Even to the point where some of those early players made it their goal to attain one of those that they were introduced to through the game itself. (I really wanted an FTO myself!) When you work for a widely-respected automotive outlet then that dream can be taken even further, and this is exactly what Stephen Dobie has done. GT put these cars in the living rooms of anyone with a PlayStation. It was unprecedented access to fast cars for those who couldn’t afford them. And, crucially, those who weren’t yet old enough to drive. Playing GT was a formative experience for me; it launched when I was 10. And today, at Rockingham race circuit, I’m driving its cars for real. The agonising scrolling through the game’s selection screen has been made real. I’m a bit giddy and don’t know quite what to do. Finding that there is quite a bit of difference from the game pad to the real thing, we are treated to a fun and passionate explanation of the characteristics of each car and their good and bad points. Being that it is also a piece about GT, there are mentions of the game here and there but not enough, or in such a way, as to make anyone who didn’t play, feel lost. And those shots of the cars throughout by photographer Mark Riccioni, are no doubt going to be making their ways onto many a device's wallpaper. [caption id=attachment_7209" align="alignnone" width="800] Thank you Gran Turismo![/caption] It sure did bring back some memories and made me laugh at points. [via Top Gear]

Taco Bell Win an Xbox One X Promotion Xbox and Taco Bell have again teamed up to give away the newest of the Xbox family, the Xbox One X. Starting today, those in the USA can head to their local Taco Bell and pick up the new 'Steak Quesarito $5 Box' where inside there will be a unique code which consumers will text in for their chance to win. The promo runs from August 31 to October 4 and potential winners will be notified on an average of EVERY 10 mins! Beginning August 31, each Taco Bell $5 Box will include a unique code for consumers to text in for a chance to win the new Xbox One X. Boxes will be available during the promotion from August 31 to October 4 at participating Taco Bell locations while supplies last. Throughout the duration of the promotion, a potential winner will be notified on an average of every 10 minutes. Winners will be the first to get their hands on the Xbox One X, as well as win Forza Motorsport 7 and a three-month Xbox Game Pass subscription with their console. Along with the ultimate Xbox One, winners will also receive Forza Motorsport 7, and a three-month Xbox Game Pass subscription. For those who can stomach it, this is a great opportunity to win a great piece of hardware and a top game for little cost. As the console doesn’t officially launch until November 7 the winners will have to wait until at least then before they will get their hands on their winnings, but I expect this will be of little concern to those lucky budgerigars. More information and the full rules can be found at the official promotion page.

The Crew 2 Release Date & Pre-order Bonus Revealed A new trailer for the The Crew 2 has been pushed out by Ubisoft during Gamescom and with it we get a confirmed release date for the even bolder open-world sequel, March 16, 2018. (three days earlier for those who opt for the Gold Edition) Doing the maths, that is a fair bit of time away but thankfully, to make the wait easier, there will be a beta for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Still no word or even a cryptic inkling of when this will be, but it is coming and if you haven’t signed up for it yet, then do so now! This sequel to the last game is aiming to go bigger and better than it’s predecessor and surprised many with it’s much improved visuals and total sandbox approach to gameplay on its official revealing back at this year's E3. Switching seamlessly between land, sea and air vehicles of numerous types and categories at any time was certainly unexpected. A great example of this in action is in this video by Gamespot: The game is getting plenty of playtime at Gamescom and a look around the gaming press and on YouTube will result in plenty for eyes to feast upon. The Crew 2: Pre-order Bonus For those who are already sold on the game and ready to get a pre-order in, a bonus by way of the ‘Legendary Motors Pack’ will be your reward: a two-vehicle offering that includes a Mercedes-AMG C63 Touring Car 2016 and a Harley Davidson Iron 883TM 2017. [gallery type=rectangular" link="file" size="small-post-image" ids="7193,7194,7195,7196,7197]

Need for Speed Payback – Cops Trailer For a long time the police pursuits have been a much-loved part of the Need for Speed series of games and a big reason for this was because of the challenge they posed to the player. Unfortunately over its history, a number of the games seemed to forget this, even to the point of not having any at all, whereas in others they felt more like scenery than an actual obstacle you had to deal with. If we ignore the classic 90s-era games there was one of this century that did them really well and that was the original Most Wanted. These officers were hell-bent on taking you down, and as you avoided their traps – pissing them off more and more – they increased in wanting to get a hard take down upon you. This usually came about by way of a lunatic in a heavy SUV called the ‘Rhino’, which would speed towards you head-on, looking to damage and stall you long enough in order for an arrest to be made. With Need for Speed Payback, the cops are back to their good (bad?) old ways. That will annoy some but honestly, running away easily is no fun, and if you’re honest with yourself, you will admit that it’s the thrill of the chase that really makes these games. (or maybe you’re just all about that customisation) The action-packed trailer starts in reverse, well the BMW M5 is in reverse, then it jumps to 90 seconds earlier to show the end of a street race that has just taken place. With the tire smoke just having cleared after a nicely executed handbrake over the finish line, a swarm of police cruisers race towards our protagonist and a couple of his tricked-out opponents, while a British voice ever so eloquently squawks, “Crap! Cops!”. Now the chase is on and within the cops’ arsenal are road blocks, spike strips, gentle(!) sideswipes, EMPs, and last but not least, the Rhino – this inducing fear into street racers monster has been working out, as it is now beefed up in size, resembling something more of a SWAT truck than the heavy SUV from before. If this thing connects with something, it is going to leave a mark! A posting on the official Need for Speed blog reveals some more information about the tactics they will employ and shares more information about the hero car of the new BMW M5 seen toying with the cops through some exquisite driving. Need for Speed Payback – Fairhaven Police Department Crown Victoria – The standard and most commonly seen cop car across Fortune Valley. Can execute a variety of different manoeuvres and will likely be the first on the scene of any pursuit. Dodge Charger SRT8 – Similar to the Crown Victoria but has a higher top speed and has much more muscle, proving it to be a worthy adversary. Corvette GS – The fastest cop car currently residing in Fortune Valley and provides the police department with something that can keep up with the most powerful of super cars. Rhino – What the Rhino lacks in speed it makes up for in brute strength and there’s nothing quite as frightening as an approaching Rhino, lining up a shunt. The weight that it carries will also make it considerably tougher to get away from during a pinned-in situation, making the Rhino a massive threat all round. Helicopter – The eye in the sky provides an extra level of drama in the highest intensity cop chases. This change of vehicle type does raise one obvious question: how in the hell is it going to keep up with the vehicles in the game without looking stupid? From what is said above about it, chances are it's going to be a real menace from the front, rather than a worry from behind.