http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DasR0Ac61qE

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year (or just not reading the car magazines/blogs…), you probably know about the new Mercedes SLS AMG – the company’s replacement for the SLR McLaren and the spiritual successor to the classic 300SL Gullwing. It was only recently announced by Mercedes, but that didn’t stop Kazunori Yamauchi from getting the chance to slip behind the wheel. As you can see in these two apparently leaked videos (see the other one here), Yamauchi-san saw the car both with and without camouflage, outside and in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPS1b2tt7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNr9UEhRPYk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjUXYtjht0k

One of the developers behind the latest iteration of Need for Speed, NFS Shift, commented on the Gran Turismo 5 damage engine shown off at GamesCom last month. Obviously, his words weren’t exactly glowing, but you’ll find he provides interesting insight into the creative restrictions placed on racing game developers:

In the latest edition of the the PlayStation Qore video magazine, it’s revealed that popular TV comedian and car-guy Jay Leno will be lending his voice for Gran Turismo PSP.  We don’t know the specifics just yet, but from what we see in the video (and the game menu screens), it looks like he’ll be offering hints and tips on how to ace the license tests and challenges.  Those of you outside of the United States may not be that familiar with Jay Leno (he’s had a weeknight television show here for 17 years), but he’s widely known in the automotive world for his impressive collection of rare and exotic cars.  He’s also responsible for inventing and building the notorious, unwieldy “Tank Car” found in Gran Turismo 4. Watch his interview with Qore right here.

When Ferrari Challenge by System3 hit store shelves last year, it wasn’t warmly received by the mainstream press, proving how difficult it is for more “serious” racing games without a strong pedigrees to become widely popular. Despite the critics, the game attracted many fans right here in the GTPlanet Forums, due to its challenging physics and rewarding gameplay. Tomorrow, System3 is moving their series forward with SuperCar Challenge in Europe, offering a wider selection of cars and tracks, excellent sound, and a refined experience for players using the Logitech G25.

Here’s one of the better-looking videos of Gran Turismo PSP gameplay footage via IGN, showing the Citroen GT competing against the infamous TVR Speed 12 at Suzuka.  Unsurprisingly, as with most journalists who demonstrate racing games, his skills leave much to be desired…