2022 is shaping up to be a thrilling - if a bit unusual - year in car manufacturing.
BMW's M3 gets the shooting brake treatment with the new Touring, Mercedes' hyper car ONE finally starts rolling off the production line, and the stage is set for the first SUV out of Maranello - a V12, no less. Strange times, but nonetheless enthralling for all of us enthusiasts waiting on the other end.
If you want to have a go today, though, a few of the latest hot crops are already playable on your favourite game consoles.
This year has also seen the release of juggernaut titles in the racing game genre, including Gran Turismo 7 and Grid Legends among others. Sim, story or arcade – every facet of the racing world is covered, including some of the latest four-wheeled offerings slated to come out this year.
You can check out our picks of the best racing games on Xbox, PlayStation and VR, but if you fancy trying your hand at racing some of this year's hottest cars, here are five of 2022’s finest and the games you can find them on.
Lotus Emira - Custom Street Racing
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The world waved a mournful goodbye to a trio of mid-engine cult classics last year after Lotus announced the Elise, Exige and Evora would be no more once the year was out. A sorry affair, though spirits were soon raised with the unveiling of the Emira: a new V6, rear-wheel-drive sports car to commence the next chapter for the Norfolk outfit.
The first Emira – sporting a 3.5 litre supercharged V6 from Toyota – went on sale in March, but a two-litre straight-four version is due for release next year.
If you'd like to have a go today, a crisp, virtual Lotus Emira now features on the mobile drag racing title CSR Racing, available to download from the App Store. Enjoy.
F1 2022
Waves haven’t just been made in the production car market this year. The pinnacle of motorsport was due a design regulation overhaul last season, but after a yearlong COVID delay, we got it for 2022. Bigger wheels, bigger wings, and the return of Venturi tunnels for ground effects – a design feature not seen in F1 since the early 1980s.
Motorsport fans were promised closer action and better racing by virtue of the new car designs; so far, so good, but if you want to try your own hand as an F1 driver, Codemasters’ official game should suffice. Featuring all 20 new cars, updated circuit layouts and a new F1 Life mode to simulate the experience of a real driver, this really is the closest you can get to motorsport’s elite.
Launches June 1st, 2022 - pre-order the game now on Xbox, PlayStation, Windows or in VR.
Mercedes AMG ONE - Forza Horizon 5
It’s been five years in the making, but Mercedes AMG ONE customers are finally due to start taking deliveries in 2022.
This spiritual successor to the CLK GTR is packed with F1 tech for some bonkers performance stats, reaching 62MPH from nought in just 2.2 seconds and topping 217MPH flat out. It’s otherworldly, and so is the asking price: $2.72 million. Even if you have the money sitting around, however, you’re still out of luck as all 275 units have been sold, but all is not lost.
If you still fancy a drive, the AMG ONE is available to play in Forza Horizon 5 (the game’s cover star), released in late 2021. Presented in pin-sharp, rub-your-eyes-to-check-it’s-not-real gameplay, the car is a visual masterpiece on screen, both inside and out. This game is all about driving pleasure in the world’s most coveted, so cruise through town or floor it on the straights – any way you like it. Forza Horizon 5 is available on Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Aston Martin Valkyrie - GRiD Legends
Similar narrative to the AMG ONE: massive hyper-car capable of unfathomable performance for the price of a townhouse in Notting Hill has sold out, though only a handful delivered. It’s been a troubling project for AM, but production is now well underway for us to see most Valkyries – the road car and the track-focused AMR Pro version – on the road this year. Can’t wait? Both editions of the car are playable on GRiD Legends, the latest instalment of the popular racer series released in February.
Follow the career of an aspiring racing driver and take to the tarmac of 130 race tracks, ranging from legendary real-life circuits to fictitious street layouts. GRiD Legends is a peppy arcade racer with a great narrative mode, available on Windows, Xbox and PlayStation. Pick up your copy and jump in the Valkyrie today.
Ferrari Daytona SP3 - Assetto Corsa
Tribute supercars are big business. From full-scale recreations to subtle design nods, today’s supercar world is littered with misty-eyed nostalgia buttons, though Ferrari’s Icona series takes it to a whole new level. The Daytona SP3 was unveiled late last year as a homage to the now deified 330 P4, winner of the 1967 24 hours of Daytona and quite possibly the most beautiful object ever built by man.
Although the bodywork sits on a LaFerrari chassis, its spirit is old school: Targa roof, naturally aspirated V12 and absolutely zilch in the way of hybridisation. The performance numbers will be grotesque and the soundtrack pure Bocelli, but you guessed it – sold out. Only 599 Daytona SP3s will be built, but the car is now downloadable on Assetto Corsa for racing sim fans to enjoy.
Strap into your setup, whether it be a wheel, a chair or the whole lot, and enjoy this sonorous tribute from the comfort of your living room on Xbox, PlayStation or VR.
You can find our full verdict on Assetto Corsa Competizione here.