Ahead of the game?

By Dean Gibson

01st December 2008

I have a confession: I’m an addict. It’s something that eats into my time and leaves me exhausted, yet I keep coming back for more. But it’s not football or alcohol that give me my ‘fix’. Instead, it’s the thrill of battling opponents in the virtual world of computer games. I’ve gained a reputation at Auto Express as our racing guru, and it’s fair to say that I’ve cut my teeth on virtually every type of driving game you can think of.

My current favourite is MotorStorm, an off-road racer on the PlayStation 3. With its extreme machines and bone-crunching collisions, it’s a real blast. Now the maker has released a sequel, MotorStorm Pacific Rift – and I’m hooked!
But how does this virtual world compare to reality? Unlike MotorStorm, there is no racing series that pitches motorbikes, rally cars, big rigs and monster trucks in direct competition.

However, the world of rally raids gets pretty close. Teams from across the globe battle it out on these long-distance desert-based endurance events with all sorts of machinery, from dirt-bikes to production-based 4x4s and trucks.
Big-money car firms such as BMW, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen slug it out for honours, but there’s a small UK outfit that’s taking the fight to the big guns in the custom-built, off-roader class: Bowler.

The Derbyshire-based team is actually sponsored by MotorStorm Pacific Rift, and an invite for me to try the Bowler Nemesis presented the perfect opportunity to see how a real-life racer compares to its virtual counterpart.

Even when standing still, this Frankenstein off-roader has just as much presence as its digitised counterparts. Up front there’s a grille and headlights from the Range Rover Sport, but that’s where the similarities end. The Bowler’s flared wheelarches, jacked-up suspension, tight two-seater cockpit and 400bhp Jaguar V8 let you know that this is no standard SUV.

Climbing in is a skill in itself. There’s a huge rollcage inside, and the cockpit is raised three feet off the ground. That means you have to clamber up to your seat like a child on a climbing frame. Fire up the V8 and it reverberates around the cabin. Select first gear – the Nemesis uses a conventional H-pattern six-speed box with clutch pedal – and you’re away. It’s immediately clear that the Bowler’s wild looks aren’t simply for show.

The big V8 gives instant acceleration, and the tyres, chassis and suspension all work together to put the power to the ground regardless of the surface you’re on. The tight and twisty course was wet and muddy for our session, and the Nemesis was running on tyres designed for sand, but it took everything in its stride. There were steep inclines with sheer drops on the other side, 90 degree bends, hairpins and rock-strewn mudpools, but it was all easily absorbed by the car’s suspension.

The Nemesis offers total sensory overload. Your ears are buzzing from the engine and transmission noise, the steering wheel writhes in your hands, and all the time you are being thrown around the cabin as the Bowler skips and jumps over the rough terrain. It’s hard work.

It’s fair to say that the driver will be worn out before the car, as the occupants take a real battering. It’s better when you’re at the wheel, as you’re in control of what’s going on, but as a passenger – or co-driver with rally pace notes – the punishment in the cockpit is harsh. In total, I spent 20 minutes at the wheel of the Nemesis, and I wouldn’t want to try 36 hours straight on a typical three-day desert raid event!

After my brief stint, it was clear where the differences lie between the game and real life. Driving the Bowler is a thrill and huge fun, but you are very aware of the pounding you’re being subjected to, and the need to prepare the car for the jumps, bends and hazards that you encounter, otherwise you’ll get into trouble very quickly.

In the game, however, you can take as many risks as you like – if your car ends up a crumpled mess, you can simply press the reset button and start all over again...