The Hot Cars of Forza 3, and a Yaris

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I know next to nothing about cars, but one thing I do know is that I love racing games that include comparatively pedestrian vehicles. There's nothing like racing a high-performance Formula One machine while behind the wheel of a virtual 1992 Ford Taurus station wagon.

In that spirit, of the following 15 Japanese-manufactured cars, 9 are production cars. See if you can spot the street-legal motors in the gallery below. Also detailed are three "legendary" tracks set in Japan: the Suzuka Circuit, Tsukuba Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi.

For the full track descriptions, click through:

  • Suzuka Circuit: Put your skills to the test on one of the oldest, most famous and dangerous motorsport race tracks in Japan. One of the big dogs of Japanese tracks, the 3.608-mile course requires cat-like reflexes as its 17 turns, highlighted by the quick transitions of the "S" complex, the Turn 11 hairpin, and the tricky Casio Triangle will keep drivers on their A-Game. But don't fear the throttle, as there are numerous high-speed sections that demand a total commitment from your weighted leadfoot.
  • Twin Ring Motegi: Motegi is where the Japanese get their groove on, NASCAR-style. The venue, built by Honda in 1997, is home to a 1.549-mile oval and a 2.98-mile road course. It has held a NASCAR exhibition race in 1998, was part of the CART circuit from 1998 to 2002 and then it went to host the IRL in 2003. In 2008 Danica Patrick made headlines, becoming the first woman to win an Indy Car race at the Indy Japan 300, the only event currently held on the egg-shaped oval.
  • Tsukuba Circuit: Home of the famous Revspeed Super Battle, the original time attack that hit the Japanese tuning scene in 1990, and D1 Grand Prix drifting events, Tsukuba hums to an underground soundtrack where other Japanese venues feature a much more mainstream beat. Consequently, Tsukuba rewards agility over brute power so gamers who can hit their apexes and keep the momentum rolling should do well on this track. If you drift, welcome to heaven.
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From The Chatty
  • reply
    June 30, 2009 12:31 PM

    in some of those screens I can not tell if it's a photo or not, like this http://www.shacknews.com/images/image-o-matic.x?/images/sshots/Screenshot/12320/12320_4a4a58a53d395.jpg

    the detail is incredible.

    I might have to buy this with a steering wheel though as I am really bad at driving with a gamepad in simulations...

    • reply
      June 30, 2009 12:41 PM

      Damn that looks nice!

    • reply
      June 30, 2009 1:07 PM

      That one has got to be a pic. I own that same car and even what you can see of the interior matches the real thing.

      • reply
        June 30, 2009 2:33 PM

        no, the lighting isn't quite right on the tires. It's a good pic, but I doubt it will look like that in game.

        • reply
          July 1, 2009 11:40 AM

          I dunno, Forza 2 looked exactly like the screens. Turn 10 has never been one to lie with screen shots. They always deliver.

    • reply
      June 30, 2009 1:45 PM

      The actual MS3 does not have such a pronounced center crease on the hood. In fact, I don't even think it has one (the sedan does).

      • reply
        June 30, 2009 2:29 PM

        It does, allows the intercooler to breathe better. Test drove one in may, probably going to pick one up in July or August. Love that fucking car.

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      June 30, 2009 3:28 PM

      I was just going to mention that screenshot. It looks amazingly amazing!! Looks as good as/better than GT5.
      But I think, just like GT5, the vehicle details will look amazing but the environments will look crap.

      Good to see they upgraded they upgraded the graphics for this though, cause I thought Forza 2 looked much worse than part 1.

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