Introduction Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go into a dealership that specializes in sports cars and test drive the car of your dreams? Of course! Don't be a loser! Just give it a try! No guts? Afraid they'll kick you right out of their showroom? Well, here's your chance!! Test drive by accolade puts you behind the wheel of your favorite sports car. The game starts out with a glamorous title sequence (awesome!!!), while a stereo soundtrack plays in the background (depending on what computer you are playing). To abort the sequence press the fire button on the joystick, and the game will finish loading. Now comes the hard decision-which car to drive? Choosing A Sports Car The screen is now split in half, showing one of the five sports cars that you may test drive and the specifications of the current car. To cycle through the different cars, press the joystick up or down. This will cause the top portion of the screen to scroll, displaying a different sport car, and the bottom portion to display specifications. The cars from which you may choose are: lamborghini countach, ferrari testarossa, porsche 911 turbo, lotus turbo esprit, and the chevrolet corvette. Each car performs just like in real life, including speed and handling. You had better bring along your swiss bank account money, because you're going to need it. For instance, the lamborghini has a top speed of 173 mph, mid-engine/rear drive handling and a price tag of (gasp!!) $135,000. While the corvette has a top speed of 154 mph, front/rear handling and a price of only $35,000. To select your car, press the fire button. Seeing What's Ahead Now that you have selected a sports car, let's take a look at what lies ahead. The object of the game is to drive as fast as you can along a mountain road, while avoiding obstacles such as sunday drivers, on-coming traffic, pot holes, water slicks and, most of all, the fuzz. Whoops, I almost forgot the little bird that flies over and shits all over your windshield (it's just not the car that has real-life performance). In addition to this, you must keep your car on the road without crashing, which Is no simple task when you're going 160 mph. The game ends after you have crashed your car five times or you rear-end an officer of the law. (those assholes!!) Game Play, How to Play, etc Now, it is finally time to see what this fancy european or american car has under the hood. It will not be as simple as plying a lead foot, because this is no ordinary highway. The perspective you have is that of a person sitting behind the wheel looking out through the windshield of the car. In the top-middle of the windshield, you have a rear view mirror which is very detailed, showing the cars you have passed and the distance they are behind you. The mountain route you must drive has a nice perspective to it and makes you feel like you are actually driving on the road. To accelerate push the joystick up, to decelerate push down, and to shift gears, press the fire button while pushing the joystick up or down. It takes a lot of practice to shit gears, because it's not just a matter of shifting, but rather knowing when to shift. When you do shift gears, there is a window that opens in the lower right corner of the dashboard displaying the gearshift and the gear you are currently in. There are also two indicators on the dashboard, one for the current mph and another for rpm. The mph indicator simply displays your current speed, while the rpm indicator tells you how much faster you can go without blowing your engine in the current gear. The most important device on your car is the radar detector (never leave home without it). This device is located in the upper left part of the windshield, attached to your sun visor. When the red lights start flashing on the radar detector, it means that a radar gun has been detected, so slow down. It is safe to speed up when the red lights turn to green. The Pit Stop Once you have completed the stretch of road, your car automatically pulls over into one of four gas stations (time to take a leak). Here you are given your average speed, the time it took for you to complete the stretch of road and your total points so far. If your score is low, the dealership will have called ahead and told the gas station to send you back. Winning The Game If you are successful and do complete the mountain road four times, your car will automatically pull over into the dealership for the surprise of your life. Inside the glove compartment is the title to a brand new yugo!!!! (ha ha ha) just kidding, anyway, inside you will find the title to your car, which the dealership has signed over to you. The game will now prompt you for your name (if your score is high enough) in order to put you in the top drivers hall of fame. Some Hints and Tips When you first get the game, start out with something that does not have as much zip as the 173 mph lamborghini. The porsche is one of the best all-around cars for beginners (if you have the dough). It combines good speed and handling along the mountain road to help you get the "feel" of the game. When your rpm indicator gets in the red area, it is time for you to shift into the next highest gear, or bye bye engine!!! Shift into first gear before you accelerate when starting out from the gas station or beginning a new game. If you don't, you're history even before you get started. If you been pulled over too many times by the police, try this: get up a speed of over 110 mph, and nothing will stop you. You're just a blur on their radar and no match for their cruisers.