The driving game fans in the office have been salivating this week as we released shiny new shots of PGR 4.  With Forza 2 coming out very soon and Colin McRae: DIRT later this summer, it’s amazing how far racing games have come on in the last few years.  It’s amazing to think that back in November 2003 PGR 2 first stepped up to the matt to show just what you could do with the right game and Xbox Live.

Since then, we’ve seen all sorts of developments – PGR 3 introduced Gotham TV to our living rooms where you could watch Live races while they were going on.  Then came Test Drive Unlimited which brought with it more innovation thanks to a full-scale Hawaii that players on Xbox Live could drop in and out of to set up races or just drive around and admire the scenery.

The next step you’ll see in Forza Motorsport 2, which you can download a demo for right now from Xbox Live Marketplace. Unparalleled levels of customisation await – both for those who like to fiddle with the innards to get just the right performance and those who want to paint purple flames up the side of their new Ferrari. In terms of realism, Forza 2 looks set to hold the benchmark for the next few years. Racing sims don’t come any better than this.

Then comes PGR 4, which you can see above in action. We already know from PGR 3 that under the bonnet is a screaming V12 engine that purrs with just the right grunt, and for the first time Bizarre Creations have been able to realise the sleek exterior of the cars in more detail than ever before. I’m still gawping at the raindrops on that Corvette – how much further can racing games go without getting into an actual car and doing a lap of Monaco?

To make ourselves feel better about PGR 4 being a way away yet, we’ve all downloaded the Crackdown Gettin’ Busy Bonus Pack to see how high a buggy can fly with a barrage of missiles following its ascent. Three new vehicles, the ability to fully reset the gangs (at last!) and five new weapons make for happy days and rather a lot of explosion sound effects.

Celebrating the re-release of Saints Row in the Classics range, we’re giving you the chance to take on the developers at their own game.  From 1900 to 2100 GMT on Friday May 25, 8 original gangstas from Volition will be waiting for you on Xbox Live to test your skills at the Protect the Pimp and Blinged Out Ride game modes. See the Xbox fan sites for more details on how to join in.

For now, it’s back to Forza 2 for us – we’re attempting to re-skin Xbox head honcho Chris Lewis’ Aston Martin in fluorescent green with go-faster stripes and a huge Xbox logo across the bonnet.  We reckon he’ll love it.

By Mark Eveleigh, Xbox.com Editor, Gamertag: Making Sparks