14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has sent word that it has chosen a “European face” for its upcoming Forza Motorsport 3, which will be released exclusively for the Xbox 360 gaming console on October 23, 2009. Natacha Gachnang is the new symbol of the racing series in Europe and while she will not be featured on the cover of the game, the driver will make appearances for advertising it, emphasizing the realism of the new Forza.
Natacha Gachnang was born in Switzerland and is the cousin of a Formula 1 driver Sebastien Buemi. In December 2008, she became the first woman ever to get a chance to race in the FIA Formula Two Championships with the MotorSport Vision team.
The Redmond-based company is saying that Natacha is more than just a pretty face to provide publicity but that she spent time in Seattle with the developers of the game, offering information and advice on how a racing car should sound and how various portions of the tracks simulated in the game should look. The software giant adds that Natacha has also used the customization options of Forza Motorsport 3 to create her own car.
After seeing the game, Gachnang stated that “What a buzz – the tracks, the cars, the handling – the attention to detail is incredible. Forza 3 is a car fans dream! It really feels like I’m right there, in the car, racing round the tracks, all in the comfort of my own living room!” She might be exaggerating a bit but Microsoft needs all the help it can get for Forza 3 in its upcoming fight with Gran Turismo 5.
Forza Motorsport 3 is set to feature more than 400 racing cars, all of them fully simulated and fully customizable, and will offer players 100 tracks that can be experienced in a variety of modes. Each racing year will have a different calendar, making sure that the challenge is always fresh.