XCAR: EXPERIMENTAL RACING AVAILABLE: August 1997

Stock cars, sprint, cars, and open wheel racers...all are very exciting but none compare to the next generation of sports prototype super-cars. Welcome to XCar: Experimental Racing.

Especially intriguing is the technology used in racing. Racing is arguably the most scientific sport there is. An amazing amount of technology goes into a world class racing project. To some it is an adrenaline rush, to others, it's an art form. Information about the prototype technology is very difficult to obtain. Race teams and component manufacturers are very tight-lipped about their advancements. In XCar, the player is able to construct a car using various technologies and then see how it performs on the track.

XCar is a simulation of "unlimited racing". The rules that apply to NASCAR and F1 are gone. The only laws that apply are the laws of physics and your knowledge, skill, and determination. This is what it takes to get behind the wheel of a XCar.
Are you ready for the challenge?

Select from a revolutionary collection of hi-tech, race-bred automobiles. Customize your machine from a host of the most advanced racing components. Test your vehicles on the high-speed oval, skid pad, or handling track, then use the telemetry data to optimize your car's performance in preparation for qualifying. No other game lets you customize so many features!

Enter the race circuit or compete against your friends over a modem or network. XCar will push your driving skills as you negotiate beautifully detailed real and concept tracks at incredible speeds!

KEY FEATURES

• Choose from 16 hi-tech, prototype race machines, each with their own feel, and sponsors.
  
• Customize your car from engine to wing.
  
• Pitstop--Refuel, adjust your wings, tires, and brakes.
  
• Real race conditions including weather effects and racing physics.
  
• Realistic collisions, complete with flying parts, billowing smoke, and vehicular damage.
  
• Fully customizable controls and viewing options.
  
• Practice or race a single race or an entire circuit.
  
• More than ten tracks to race on. Click here for more info and track diagrams.
  
• Uses the latest and greatest version of our proprietary 3D engine, XⁿGine®.
  

ADJUSTABLE LEVEL OF DETAIL

XCar: Experimental Racing is one of the fastest and smoothest racing games ever designed, because of Bethesda's proprietary 3D engine, the XⁿGine®. What makes this even more impressive is that XCar is also one of the most visually lush racing games around. In SVGA mode, you can make out the detail in the spectators cheering you on. But not everyone owns a highend Pentium or a 3D accelerator graphics card. XCar is designed to accomodate for these people. Even with all of the detail turned on, in SVGA mode, you can blaze around the tracks on a midrange Pentium. For those that want to push the game to its graphical limits, Bethesda is currently looking into which 3D cards XCar will support.

• SVGA resolutions up to 800x600 with fully texture mapped cars and environments.
  
• Adjustable rendering distance.
  
• Adjustable background detail.
  

THE SOUNDS OF RACING

• High quality redbook audio music, and digitally recreated sound effects.
  
• Pit Radio warns you of passing cars, and dangers on the track.
  
• Adjustable sound detail from the number of cars you can hear, engine noise, and pit radio.
  

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

• The Action Mode is for those that just want to tear up the track. Your car grips and corners easily, and you can sustain more wear, tear and damage.
  
• Paintshop Editor lets you fully detail your car. Save and load your creations, and even trade them over internet. This site will soon provide a place to come and trade the best designs.
  
• VCR Function lets you record your race to see just how well you fared. Study the telemetry data to help you determine what adjustments need to be made to your car. Replay the race from several different view angles or save and load your best races (or crashes!)
  
• Screenshot Capture lets you save bitmap pictures of your best crashes, your best times, and other memorable moments.
  
• HUD (Head-Up-Display) displays instrument data as graphic information projected onto your vision so you don't have to take your eyes off the road.
  
  • See your RPM, Shift indicator, Speedometer, and various warning lights.
    
  • Turn Indicator gives you heads up when you are nearing a corner.
    
  • View a Message display, which shows info from lap number, position, time, g-force, and battery.
    
  • View an overhead map of the race, with zoom in/out features.
    
  
  
• Telemetry Data
  
  • View data on just how well your car performed.
    
  • Data is recorded whenever you start a race, practice or use a test track.
    
  • Up to four streams of data can be viewed at once, with 16 different data infomation you can study.
    
  • Save and load data, and view them in the VCR Function.
    
• Multi-player support lets you compete against your friends. Up to 8 people can race over IPX/LAN, or compete head-to-head over modem.
  

FOR THE ROOKIE
Driving a racing machine is not for novices. XCar features several options that let the rookie gradually become aquainted with the demanding controls of concept cars.

• Race Line option will display the ideal race line which helps you position your car through the corners.
  
• Auto Shifting feature automatically shifts the gears up and down.
  
• Braking Assistance feature helps slow your car down around corners so you don't go flying into the walls.
  
• Steering Assistance feature helps your car follow the ideal line through the corner.
  
• Damage-- Adjust the amount of damage your car can sustain before you are wiped out of the race.
  
• Skill Level-- Adjust the skill level to match your opponents AI.
  

EXTRA SUPPORT
Bethesda plans to fully support XCar once the game launches. Here are some of things you can look forward to.

• Engine Editor--This cool utility is currently being designed as a separate program which you can download at a later date. Design a full engine from scratch, and use it in your car.
  
• Tire Editor-- This is currently being designed as a separate utility. Custom design your own tires to fit your racing style.
  
• Bonus Track(s)-- As the popularity of XCar grows, more tracks may surface, so keep an eye out for them!
  
• Bonus Cars-- Additional car concepts will also surface, which can be downloaded and used in the game.
  

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Pentium IBM PC or Compatible
16 MB RAM
2x CD-ROM drive
25 MB hard disk space
VGA Video card
MS-DOS 5.0+
Joystick or steering wheel recommended

XCar is Win95 compatible, and supports all major sound cards, joysticks, and mice.
Multi-player requirements are a +14.4 modem or IPX/LAN