"It's really an honor to be associated with Motor Trend, the premiere authority on cars," said Jaimee Wolf, CEO of Xicat Interactive, Inc. "We've designed the game to meet and surpass the very high standards set by Lotus, and the crew at Motor Trend just loves the game."

"We are excited to be releasing the Motor Trend Lotus Challenge in conjunction with Xicat Interactive. Fans of racing games will love the challenging courses and fast-paced action of the Motor Trend Lotus Challenge," states Jacqueline Blum, president of the Enterprises unit at Primedia Inc. Ms. Blum heads the licensing operations for the company.

Fancy a wicked ride? Get behind the wheel with a bevy of English beauties. The 'hot bods' span Lotus' prestigious 54-year racing history, from the Lotus Seven, Elan and Europa to the remarkable Elise and the 175mph Lotus Esprit as well as some of the most influential Formula One and Indy cars ever built. Racing action or long-haul circuits are set across a variety of locations such as London, Arizona Speedway, Jupiter Beach Raceway in Florida, twisting roads in the Swiss Alps, Tokyo Rainbow Bridge, Minato-Ku, the Tokyo Bay Tunnel, the Official Lotus Test Track at Hethel in the UK, a Hollywood movie set and even an off-shore oil rig.

Rain, storms, snow, fog, dirt and mud are all remarkably rendered. Scrape your Lotus down the side of a tunnel as you run at more than 100 miles an hour and see realistic scratches and dents form on the body work. Advanced real-time particle systems handle the life-like damage and weather effects. Projected shadows and the car's glistening headlights create a mesmerizing nocturnal driving experience.

Commenting on the ground-breaking strategic partnership, Arnie Johnson who heads up the American division of Group Lotus, Lotus Cars USA Inc said, “this is the first time a unique co-production has been set-up between a car manufacturer and a games developer. We have maintained an unprecedented level of involvement in the development of the game to ensure it is as realistic as possible. Lotus is extremely proud to have selected such innovative partners.”

Motor Trend presents Lotus Challenge embodies the best of simulation racing with the excitement of an arcade thriller. Take your positions race fans, Lotus Challenge will be released for Xbox in late 2002, with releases for Nintendo® Gamecube(TM) and PC CD-Rom Q2 next year. Rating is pending.