Microsoft and the BBC have announced that The Stig from Top Gear will appear in the upcoming launch title for Xbox One, Forza Motorsport 5.
Turn 10 Studios and Top Gear have collaborated to create a ‘Digital Cousin’ of the tamed racing driver, where players can choose to race as him or even attempt to beat his time. Top Gear’s Commercial Director at BBC Worldwide, Duncan Gray mentions, “Trying to beat The Stig on track has long been the petrol-fuelled dream of Top Gear fans everywhere and whilst Jeremy and the team did not want to frustrate or embarrass gamers by putting forward the real Stig, they did help us track down a potentially more fallible relative of their tame racing driver.”
Players will be able to experience Top Gear through a number of ways throughout Forza Motorsport 5, from racing around the Top Gear test track, to hearing voiceovers of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond while perusing the collection of cars within career mode events.
Creative Director on Forza Motorsport 5, Dan Greenawalt comments, “The partnership between Forza Motorsport and Top Gear has featured many highlights over the years. Including The Stig’s digital cousin in the game is a natural extension of that creative partnership. Now, on top of racing against the best virtual drivers in the world online or against brand new cloud-powered Drivatar opponents in career mode, players can tackle the digital cousin of one of the world’s most celebrated racing icons.”
The trailer above shows the digital Stig racing in the Xbox One Racing Team’s V8 Supercar, which will be the wildcard entry in the 2013 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 this weekend. Racing the car around Mount Panorama are drivers Andy Priaulx and Mattias Ekström.
Forza Motorsport 5 and the Xbox One release in Australia on 22 November 2013.