First look: Race of Champions PS2

Activision has released the first screenshots from Race of Champions for the PlayStation 2. Race of Champions, which is based on the annual rally racing event held in the Canary Islands, will be developed by UK-based Climax Group. It will include 25 cars from leading manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Toyota, Peugeot, Audi, Porsche, and Citroen, among others. More than 30 real-world drivers, including such legends as Didier Auriol from France, Armin Schwartz from Germany, and Tomi Makkinen from Sweden, will also be featured in the game.

"We are very excited to partner with the Brighton arm of the Climax Group to develop Race of Champions," said Julian Lynn Evans, vice president European studios, Activision. "Their development expertise coupled with their proprietary DYNE Motorsports technology's powerful simulation capabilities will enable us to achieve ultrarealistic motion and collision responses on a variety of vehicles. Climax aims to make Race of Champions the most cutting-edge game in the driving genre, and given their track record, we fully expect them to succeed."

Race of Champions is also in development for Microsoft's Xbox. Both versions are scheduled for release sometime next year.