While Jeff is over there living in crash-happy fantasy land with a bunch of fake movie cars, the good folks at Atari have provided us with some automotive media of a decidedly more serious bent. Next month, the company is publishing Race Pro, an Xbox 360-exclusive racer that puts the focus on hardcore simulation, a la Gran Turismo or Forza. The Swedish developer, SimBin, has been laying it down in the PC racing-sim world since 2005 with games like GTR, but this is the first time it's moved into the arguably more competitive console racing market.

Atari's graced us with a grip of video and screens revealing Race Pro's GT class of cars. First up, this snazzy trailer.

Gallery

RACE Pro features three GT Classes: GT Pro, GT Sport and GT Club. GT Pro is the fastest of the three classes, followed by GT Sport and GT Club. Each GT class features all out race cars presented in full race trim. What differentiate the three classes are levels of tuning on engines, the amount of chassis improvements allowed, and tire and wheel sizes. The GT classes in RACE Pro have been designed to mimic real GT classes from around the world. RACE Pro features a mixture of rules from major GT championships to ensure the best possible balance in terms of performance amongst the cars whilst also ensuring that each car performs like its real life counterpart. Tools used in RACE Pro to balance performance are air intake restrictors and restrictions to the aerodynamic package. With the cars properly balanced, the choice of which car to race can be based on factors other than sheer performance.


GT PRO

Saleen S7R

Manufacturer Overview: Saleen Inc. is an American manufacturer based in Irvine, California. Saleen manufactures high performance limited-edition sports cars as well automotive equipment. Steve Saleen, a former race car driver, founded the company Saleen Autosport in 1984, the same year the company introduced the first Saleen Mustang. The Saleen S7R has had much success in GT racing all over the world. Key Stats
Power: 608 bhp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 768 Nm @ 5250 rpm
Weight: 1140 kg
Top speed: > 300 km/h

Viper GTS-R

Manufacturer Overview: Walter P. Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1925 in Detroit. The purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions in 1928 made Chrysler the third of Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers. Known for many years as Detroit’s engineering company, Chrysler Corporation gained fame for creating power steering, power windows, the alternator, electronic fuel injection and the Hemi engine. In the late '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. Key Stats
Power: 655 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 803 Nm @ 4500 rpm
Weight: 1130 kg
Top speed: > 300 km/h

GT SPORT

BMW M3 GTR

Manufacturer Overview: BMW is a German car and motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1916 with its headquarters in Munich. During the First World War, the company enjoyed rapid growth building engines for military aircraft until 1918. BMW’s logo therefore represents a rotating airplane propeller. BMW M is a division of BMW producing sports and high-performance vehicles. Since its creation in 1972, BMW M has had a rich history of motor sport success. BMW Group also owns the brands Rolls-Royce and Mini. BMW has been involved successfully in Saloon, Touring, Sports Car and Formula racing. Key Stats
Power: 500 bhp @ 7750 rpm
Torque: 500 Nm @ 6500 rpm
Weight: 1180 kg
Top speed: > 280 km/h

Corvette C6R

Manufacturer Overview: Chevrolet Motor Company of Michigan was created in 1911 with its headquarters in Detroit. Seven years later, General Motors bought the operating assets of Chevrolet Motor Company. Following innovations such as 'the cast iron wonder', an engine renowned for its remarkable durability, and the Powerglide transmission, the first low-price competitor to offer fully automatic shifting, the Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953. The Chevrolet Corvette was the first all-American sports car built by an American car manufacturer. The Corvette name comes from a small, maneuverable fighting frigate and the original emblem incorporated an American flag into the design but was later dropped. Corvettes have a long history of combining exceptional handling and brutal engine power into an affordable package that is significantly less expensive than other prestigious brands with similar capabilities. Corvettes are recognised for their power, efficiency, and affordability. Key Stats
Power: 610 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 775 Nm @ 5250 rpm
Weight: 1120 kg
Top speed: > 300 km/h

Spyker C8

Manufacturer Overview: Spyker Cars N.V. is a Dutch hand-built car manufacturer headquartered in Zeewolde, the Netherlands, and founded in 2000 by Victor R. Muller. However, the Spyker name has a much older history. The brothers Spijker built the first Benz-engine motorcar in 1898, then during the First World War, Spyker built fighter aircrafts and aircraft engines. After the war, the company resumed car production until 1925 when it ceased business. Nevertheless, the Spyker name has not been forgotten since it is now used by modern Spyker cars. Key Stats
Power: 471 bhp @ 7500 rpm
Torque: 468 Nm @ 5500 rpm
Weight: 1100 kg
Top speed: > 280 km/h

GT CLUB

Aston Martin DBRS9

Manufacturer Overview: Aston Martin is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The name comes from Martin, who raced specials and the Aston Hill Climb. From 1994 to 2007, Aston Martin was part of the Premier Automotive group, a division of the Ford Motor Company. In 2007 Aston Martin was sold to a consortium of two international investment houses (Investment Dar and Adeem Investment) led by David Richards. Aston Martin has a long and successful history in motor sports. Key Stats
Power: 550 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 645 Nm @ 5750 rpm
Weight: 1270 kg
Top speed: > 280 km/h

BMW Z4

Manufacturer Overview: BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) is a German car and motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1916 with its headquarters in Munich. During the First World War, the company enjoyed rapid growth building engines for military aircraft until 1918. BMW’s logo therefore represents a rotating airplane propeller. BMW M is a division of BMW producing sports and high-performance vehicles. Since its creation in 1972, BMW M has had a rich history of motor sport success. BMW Group also owns the brands Rolls-Royce and Mini. BMW has been involved successfully in Saloon, Touring, Sports Car and Formula racing. Key Stats
Power: 455 bhp @ 8250 rpm
Torque: 410 Nm @ 7000 rpm
Weight: 1145 kg
Top speed: > 250 km/h

While Jeff is over there living in crash-happy fantasy land with a bunch of fake movie cars, the good folks at Atari have provided us with some automotive media of a decidedly more serious bent. Next month, the company is publishing Race Pro, an Xbox 360-exclusive racer that puts the focus on hardcore simulation, a la Gran Turismo or Forza. The Swedish developer, SimBin, has been laying it down in the PC racing-sim world since 2005 with games like GTR, but this is the first time it's moved into the arguably more competitive console racing market.

Atari's graced us with a grip of video and screens revealing Race Pro's GT class of cars. First up, this snazzy trailer.

Gallery

RACE Pro features three GT Classes: GT Pro, GT Sport and GT Club. GT Pro is the fastest of the three classes, followed by GT Sport and GT Club. Each GT class features all out race cars presented in full race trim. What differentiate the three classes are levels of tuning on engines, the amount of chassis improvements allowed, and tire and wheel sizes. The GT classes in RACE Pro have been designed to mimic real GT classes from around the world. RACE Pro features a mixture of rules from major GT championships to ensure the best possible balance in terms of performance amongst the cars whilst also ensuring that each car performs like its real life counterpart. Tools used in RACE Pro to balance performance are air intake restrictors and restrictions to the aerodynamic package. With the cars properly balanced, the choice of which car to race can be based on factors other than sheer performance.


GT PRO

Saleen S7R

Manufacturer Overview: Saleen Inc. is an American manufacturer based in Irvine, California. Saleen manufactures high performance limited-edition sports cars as well automotive equipment. Steve Saleen, a former race car driver, founded the company Saleen Autosport in 1984, the same year the company introduced the first Saleen Mustang. The Saleen S7R has had much success in GT racing all over the world. Key Stats
Power: 608 bhp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 768 Nm @ 5250 rpm
Weight: 1140 kg
Top speed: > 300 km/h

Viper GTS-R

Manufacturer Overview: Walter P. Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1925 in Detroit. The purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions in 1928 made Chrysler the third of Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers. Known for many years as Detroit’s engineering company, Chrysler Corporation gained fame for creating power steering, power windows, the alternator, electronic fuel injection and the Hemi engine. In the late '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. Key Stats
Power: 655 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 803 Nm @ 4500 rpm
Weight: 1130 kg
Top speed: > 300 km/h

GT SPORT

BMW M3 GTR

Manufacturer Overview: BMW is a German car and motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1916 with its headquarters in Munich. During the First World War, the company enjoyed rapid growth building engines for military aircraft until 1918. BMW’s logo therefore represents a rotating airplane propeller. BMW M is a division of BMW producing sports and high-performance vehicles. Since its creation in 1972, BMW M has had a rich history of motor sport success. BMW Group also owns the brands Rolls-Royce and Mini. BMW has been involved successfully in Saloon, Touring, Sports Car and Formula racing. Key Stats
Power: 500 bhp @ 7750 rpm
Torque: 500 Nm @ 6500 rpm
Weight: 1180 kg
Top speed: > 280 km/h

Corvette C6R

Manufacturer Overview: Chevrolet Motor Company of Michigan was created in 1911 with its headquarters in Detroit. Seven years later, General Motors bought the operating assets of Chevrolet Motor Company. Following innovations such as 'the cast iron wonder', an engine renowned for its remarkable durability, and the Powerglide transmission, the first low-price competitor to offer fully automatic shifting, the Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953. The Chevrolet Corvette was the first all-American sports car built by an American car manufacturer. The Corvette name comes from a small, maneuverable fighting frigate and the original emblem incorporated an American flag into the design but was later dropped. Corvettes have a long history of combining exceptional handling and brutal engine power into an affordable package that is significantly less expensive than other prestigious brands with similar capabilities. Corvettes are recognised for their power, efficiency, and affordability. Key Stats
Power: 610 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 775 Nm @ 5250 rpm
Weight: 1120 kg
Top speed: > 300 km/h

Spyker C8

Manufacturer Overview: Spyker Cars N.V. is a Dutch hand-built car manufacturer headquartered in Zeewolde, the Netherlands, and founded in 2000 by Victor R. Muller. However, the Spyker name has a much older history. The brothers Spijker built the first Benz-engine motorcar in 1898, then during the First World War, Spyker built fighter aircrafts and aircraft engines. After the war, the company resumed car production until 1925 when it ceased business. Nevertheless, the Spyker name has not been forgotten since it is now used by modern Spyker cars. Key Stats
Power: 471 bhp @ 7500 rpm
Torque: 468 Nm @ 5500 rpm
Weight: 1100 kg
Top speed: > 280 km/h

GT CLUB

Aston Martin DBRS9

Manufacturer Overview: Aston Martin is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The name comes from Martin, who raced specials and the Aston Hill Climb. From 1994 to 2007, Aston Martin was part of the Premier Automotive group, a division of the Ford Motor Company. In 2007 Aston Martin was sold to a consortium of two international investment houses (Investment Dar and Adeem Investment) led by David Richards. Aston Martin has a long and successful history in motor sports. Key Stats
Power: 550 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 645 Nm @ 5750 rpm
Weight: 1270 kg
Top speed: > 280 km/h

BMW Z4

Manufacturer Overview: BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) is a German car and motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1916 with its headquarters in Munich. During the First World War, the company enjoyed rapid growth building engines for military aircraft until 1918. BMW’s logo therefore represents a rotating airplane propeller. BMW M is a division of BMW producing sports and high-performance vehicles. Since its creation in 1972, BMW M has had a rich history of motor sport success. BMW Group also owns the brands Rolls-Royce and Mini. BMW has been involved successfully in Saloon, Touring, Sports Car and Formula racing. Key Stats
Power: 455 bhp @ 8250 rpm
Torque: 410 Nm @ 7000 rpm
Weight: 1145 kg
Top speed: > 250 km/h

It's refreshing to see someone else take a stab at racing sims. This looks promising.

GTR was a solid racer too, so this will be interesting.

INFOGRAMES QUIETS THE THUNDER.

I MEAN ATARI.

Looks good, nothing we haven't seen before though. Frame rate drops in a few spots but hope they get that ironed out.

I was  disappointed when THQ canceled the FIA GT game in favor of a  "street" racing game. This game looks very promising for motorsports fans such as myself.    I wonder if  DLC will be in this game's future? I'd love to see them do some ACO prototypes and maybe throw the Rolex Series DPs and GTs for good measure. One can dream; right?

Graphics are on the low end; I hope the gameplay makes up for it.

looks pretty cool, im sure this game is all about the physics...and AI? don't know much about it, im a big Gran Turismo fan though (and i played the shit out of Forza)

I want this game to do well, but racing sims just aren't for me. I can play the super arcadey type racing games, like Burnout, but beyond that, it's just all way above my head.

Hahaha ... At the start I was like "wow ^^" when seeing the video, thinking it to be graphics. Then the ingame graphics actually got shown, games have a long way to go still.

Nice, another awesome looking game from a another great swedish developer, I care because I live in Sweden

I sure hope that this game sells well

I'll just wait for Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 3 thanks

Alfa Romeo FTW!

The graphics are good, I hope the gameplay at least is on par with forza...which probably is, due to the record of the developers.

GTR had good graphics and sounds but the physics were lacking, especially compared to Live For Speed.

SimBin makes the deepest racing sims in the business, across the board.

nice trailer!

I can only get into this these kind of games if I have a racing wheel...and a lot of free time to master tracks and cars.

Is it just me or do other people think that next gen will be the year racing games look totally photo realistic.  I can't help it.  I do it every generation.  I'm not even knocking this game.  It actually looks pretty awesome.  I just can't quite get over the fact that it's still not quite real looking.

I've been looking forward to this. This is the complete opposite of last year. Instead of Burnout and Pure we get Forza 3 and Dirt 2. This is just more of what I want to see.

This one is looking pretty good itself, and it's totally coming out at the right time! I'm race starved right now.

Huh. I hope it does well for them, but like a lot of Atari/Infogrames stuff lately, it seems kind of unnecessary.

I like that !!!!!!

Can't wait to see how this game turns out, the GTR games are great so hopefully this will be too.

I wouldn't put SimBin's racers in the same league as Gran Turismo and Forza.
They are more realistic then those, definitely.

I want to be able to make my own tracks

Oooooh, Viper :)   *drools*

Graphically, this game is well behind both Forza and Gran Turismo.  With both those games also receiving praise for their amazing physics, it has an uphill battle to fight.  I'm not sure we need another car-sim game, but maybe they can make the campaign more fun than "Here's a bunch of tracks that get you money, so you can buy more cars". 

Oh, and also, no damage?  If a game is going to look less good, I'd expect it to be because of the deformation needed in the car models.  Maybe they just didn't show it, but overall this trailer didn't look too promising.

When are people going to understand that Gran Turismo is NOT a simulator despite what it might say on the cover!? Forza is a lot more realistic and even that probably shouldn't be compared to this game.

I'm not into racing sims, but man this looks suh-weet!

SOUNDS AWESOME I REALLY WANT THIS GAME

I have a sinking feeling taht no matter how good the game really is, its not going to sell well at all. I think they should muster up some creativity to make a name better than "Race Pro". Yawn..

If it supports the Xbox Steeringwheel I'll get it

I'm really looking forward to this, I hope there's G25 support in the PS3 version.

Edit: NM, didn't realize it was 360 only.

Looks pretty nice.

I'm really looking forward to this. After playing Forza 2 for a while , which got me bored after some time, due to the lack of variety of tracks, i'm excited for a new race simulator.

Makes me want to watch Top Gear.

gran torino, LOL

Graphics reminds me of grid

the only thing i fear about console sim racing is the lack of mods and add-ons available to PC users...  i really hope this game will do good tho...   GTR/GTR2/Race/Race'07/GTR-Evolution/STCC were all very good in my opinion...

"Looks good, nothing we haven't seen before though. Frame rate drops in a few spots but hope they get that ironed out."

Love the opening fighting talk (...& essentially indifferent to the rest...) you gonna take that lying down Gerstmann? Show that Brad why they call you "THUH SMASHINATIONIST!!!!"

GTR 2 is freaking amazing, i've spent at the very least 15 hours doing pratice laps in monza so i could play the game effectively and, still, don't completly dominate the track. But this one, i don't know, not really feeling it. The games sim bim make are ment to played with a wheel in first person view. if they indeed are going for a more arcade, GT4-forza kindda game, i don't think is really their expertise. I hope they nail it, especially the feel of the car looking at it from the back, GTR might feel amazing from the cockpit, but if you pull the camera back, could not look more jenky.

This game will get low review scores because console game reviewers don't know how to drive real cars, so they'll find it way too difficult.

I still prefer GT5

This looks just like Ferrari Challenge but with more cars.

Looks nice, although i don't think this can compete with GT5.

The realism of the GTR games is a lot higher than that of GT or Forza. Hopefully SimBin don't dumb down their console game  so then people will stop thinking Gran Turismo is anything more than an arcade game.

These guys have been making the best racing games available for the PC.  It wouldn't surprise me if this game ends up being something of a coupe for the 360 racing market.  Releasing before Forza 3 should push at least a few units out since plenty of 360 owners are probably wanting something fresh.

I'm going to get it for sure.  I just hope the racing wheel support is good.

Will buy now.