'Modern Warfare 2' a hit!

(Gannett News Service) -- Given the extraordinary anticipation swirling around "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," the follow-up to the 13 million-unit-selling military shooter game from 2007, living up to the hype might seem like an impossible mission.
But Infinity Ward, the savvy developers responsible for this explosive sequel, have delivered the goods -- and then some.

Now available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" ($59.99; modernwarfare2.com; rated "Mature") once again drops players into a war-torn future as part of an elite multinational squadron.

The story continues five years after the events of the last game. You now slip into the boots of Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, plus you'll also play as other characters throughout this campaign.


Your goal is to hunt down and take out Russian terrorist Vladimir Makarov and dismantle his devoted cells peppered throughout the globe. Your close-combat skirmishes will take place everywhere from desert towns of Afghanistan to the snow-capped mountains of Kazakhstan to the gritty streets of Rio de Janeiro to Washington, D.C., under attack by Russian forces.

A controversial (and optional) scene, and one that leaked to the media a few weeks back, involves a terrorist attack on an airport (and the killing of civilians) -- a scene in which you're working undercover as one of the Russian nationalists.


As with its predecessor, the game is played from an immersive first-person perspective, as you peer down the scope of your weapon to peg off baddies. And there's no shortage of horsepower at your fingertips, be it machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols, grenades, mines and the awesome, earth-shattering Predator missile.
With bullets whizzing by your ears, you'll ride snowmobiles, shoot down choppers and of course, indulge in intense multiplayer matches.


While the campaign is a relatively short six- to eight-hour adventure, most gamers are buying "Modern Warfare 2" for its multiplayer offerings, including a new cooperative ("co-op") mode called Spec-Ops, with its series of varied mission types.
The game also includes a host of online competitive modes (for up to 18 players), including mainstays such as Deathmatch (everyone out for themselves), Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and others, spread across 16 unique maps.

Due to the realistic portrayal of modern military violence, this game is certainly not for everyone. But its intriguing story, outstanding production values (including near-photorealistic imagery, an excellent musical score and voice talent), and most importantly, thrilling first-person gameplay, all translate to one of the most memorable pieces of interactive entertainment of the year.

TEAM-MATE WARS: ABU DHABI

In Abu Dhabi, Sebastian Vettel scored a historic win. He beat team-mate Mark Webber 9-8 in the Team-Mate Wars table. Alonso and Buemi whitewashed their team-mates and Nico Rosberg ened up 16-1 with Nakajima.

Ferrari
Season: Raikkonen 5 Fisichella 0
Race: Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen has been helping mask the fact that Ferrari haven't been developing their car much in the latter half of the season. In Abu Dhabi it looked like he'd run out of escape routes. Half of this was probably down to the fact that due to heat issues, Ferrari were rumoured not to be using their KERS advantage. If you suddenly take 30kgs off the car with no experience where to stick the ballast then it's a big catch-up weekend.

Having said all that, Raikkonen only narrowly failed to get into Q3 on Saturday. Thus all the Ferrari bigwigs were at the race to witness a 12th and a 16th place finish, which is part of the malaise affecting F1. The Scuderia's success is so important to the vibrancy of the sport that seeing them do badly is in nobody's best interest. (We'll come on to this next week). Even then, thanks to extraordinary McLaren failures, Raikkonen wasn't that many seconds from the points needed to give them 3rd in the Constructors' championship.

BMW
Season: Heidfeld 10 Kubica 7
Race: Heidfeld
It would be good to see Kimi Raikkonen alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, if only to work out Raikkonen's position relative to Alonso. Hamilton clearly has the speed on Alonso from 2007 if not the craft and experience. However, the one person who should really be in a McLaren seat next year is Nick Heidfeld. The Abu Dhabi grand prix showed - as did the 41 consecutive race finishes - what a safe (if small) pair of hands he is.

Kubica wasn't far enough up the grid for his fuel load and even though he made the most heroic of overtaking moves on Jarno Trulli on the opening lap, that was the limit of his progress. Heidfeld hung in there and got the Constructors' points that boosted BMW ahead of Williams and the team-mate points that indicate he really should be employed next season.

Renault
Season: Alonso 7 Grosjean 0
Race: Alonso
It's a mark of how little we think of Grosjean (I don't want to be too presumptive, but I think that's me and the rest of the people that watch F1, apart from Romain's mum and his manager) that when he gets close to Alonso we think it must be Fernando having a bad race not Romain having a good one. In practice he was his usual self, putting the car over all those nice blue and white painted lines that Aldar Construction had carefully painted on the run-off areas, exploring the grip on all the surfaces that weren't black etc. But his performance over seven races has only gone to prove that sacking Nelson Piquet was not the best option, based on results alone.

Over the course of the season Fernando Alonso has developed a range of resigned shrugs that he probably won't have to use next year.

Toyota
Season: Trulli 1 Kobayashi 1
Race: Kobayashi
Seasoned readers of this column may have noticed a tiny smidge, the faintest whiff of criticism levelled at Kamui Kamikaze last race. For this GP he was as good as gold, in fact astonishingly good. He beat Jarno Trulli on strategy, on the kind of day that Trulli will have been trying his very hardest. During the first stint of the race he set Personal Best after Personal Best as he found himself evelated to P3 on the road.

He didn't "do a Rubens" in the second stint either, continuing strongly to the line and scoring a well-deserved points finish. This rapid rate of improvement for a guy who's finished so poorly in GP2 was a joy to behold. The tragedy is that Toyota have withdrawn from the sport - like Honda - just when things were beginning to look interesting.

Williams
Season: Rosberg 16 Nakajima 1
Race: Rosberg
Nakajima's actually gone backwards against Rosberg this year. Last year it was 11-7. Rosberg started the Abu Dhabi GP in ninth and finished the race in ninth, never looking like a contender. That was Nakajima's trouble all year.

Brawn
Season: Barrichello 6 Button 11
Race: Button
Barrichello finished off the season beating Jenson in the qualifying stakes by 10-7. This was a triumph in itself for the old geezer. Having become Champ we thought that Jenson Button would relax and put in some stunning qualifying times to re-assert his position in front of Rubinho. It wasn't to be and yet again Rubens had the edge in grid position. For the second successive race Mark Webber was involved in some opening lap contact and Rubens was the innocent victim. Webbo's move from outside to inside typified some of his race starts this year. It wasn't a deliberate block, like he'd made at the Nurburgring and been punished for, but it was thoughtless and could have easily led to a first lap puncture. To hang your car out to the right of Vettel, then chop across to the inside was asking a lot of your fellow drivers, but he just about got away with it.

Jenson Button took advantage of Rubens' doubt about his front wing on the opening lap and then played the waiting game throughout the race. In the closing stages when he needed to get onto Mark Webber's gearbox he was mesmeric, but he lacked that killer instinct to get through. Something about those last lap moves said "let's not spoil everything" which doesn't bode well for next year.

Red Bull
Season: Webber 8 Vettel 9
Race: Vettel
Before we start: Sebastian, where's that double chin come from? It's not the off-season already... Vettel was brilliant in Abu Dhabi despite his Juan-Pablo appearance. Three races out of three is a fitting finale for Red Bull, who had the best car of 2009 and should really have taken both championships. Mark Webber couldn't live with Vettel's pace but exceeded all expectations in retaining second place against F1's Overtaker of the Year.

Toro Rosso
Season: Buemi 7 Alguersuari 0
Race: Buemi
Buemi got a point and Alguersuari didn't wreck his car, so all in all, a good weekend for Toro Rosso. Buemi's results have highlighted the corrosive mistake that Franz Tost made in sacking Sebastien Bourdais. Up until Bourdais' departure the two Sebastiens were evenly matched. After his departure Alguersuari never looked likely to beat his team-mate as was the case in Abu Dhabi. It may only be the difference between finishing last and second last in the championship, but that is worth at least $2m, not to mention all of Alguersuari's rebuilds.

In the race Jaime did what we all wanted a Red Bull car to do ever since they started sponsoring two teams and painting the cars alike. Yes, stop in the wrong garage for his pit-stop. The only pity was that Vettel wasn't directly behind him to complete the comedy sequence.

Force-India
Season: Sutil 2 Liuzzi 3
Race: Liuzzi
Despite some good practice times Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi fell of the pace on Saturday and were back to the positions we normally associate with the "plucky little tryers punching above their weight."

We had to listen to more of: "this team has Jordan DNA in it" crap from the BBC punditry team in Abu Dhabi. What do they mean by that? Certainly Eddie Jordan had his fair share of legal disputes during his time in charge and through the year we've heard of Force India having disputes over money allegedly owed to Aerolab, Ferrari and their motorhome provider - though happily for them they've just grabbed back $4.6m from Etihad Airways.

Force-India
Season: Sutil 2 Liuzzi 3
Race: Liuzzi
Despite some good practice times Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi fell of the pace on Saturday and were back to the positions we normally associate with the "plucky little tryers punching above their weight."

In Abu Dhabi we had to listen to more of: "this team has Jordan DNA in it" crap from the BBC punditry team. What exactly do they mean by that? Certainly Eddie Jordan had his fair share of legal bust-ups during his time in charge and through the year we've heard of Force India having disputes with Aerolab as well as their motorhome provider - though happily for them they've just grabbed back $4.6m from Etihad Airways.

McLaren
Season: Hamilton 13 Kovalainen 4
Race: Hamilton
Abu Dhabi was just too perfect for the McLaren mechanics. Give them air-conditioned garages, luxurious on-site accommodation and a blemish-free smooth circuit with more than ample run-off areas and what do you get? Two major mechanical glitches. Kovalainen should have been on the front row with Lewis but a gearbox failure ended his qualifying hopes. Lewis should have been dicing with Vettel till the end of the race but he might or might not have had front brakes after Lap 20, and though the run-off which goes under the grandstand at Turn 8 is a bit of a novelty, nobody wanted to see it tested out at 160mph.

Star of the Race
Button 5, Vettel 3, , Webber 2, Hamilton 1, Barrichello 1, Fisichella 1, Luizzi 1, Glock 1, Trulli 1, Kubica 1
Overtaking Move of the Race
Button 6, Webber 2, Hamilton 2, Glock 2, Rosberg 1, Piquet 1, Heidfeld 1, Barrichello 1, Kubica 1

Kovalainen calls out McLaren's unequal treatment of drivers

For the second time a partner to Lewis Hamilton has spoken out regarding the unequal treatment of race drivers at the McLaren Mercedes squad, first it was Fernando Alonso now it's Heikki Kovalainen. And with Kovalainen's F1 future still not publicly known, this might be a last word before he leaves the Woking based outfit.

Speaking to Finlands "Helsingin Sanomat' newspaper, Kovalainen said, "It was always difficult to accept that Lewis was always the first to receive the new parts. I have never wanted to make a big deal about it, but it would have been nice to just once had the new parts on my car, particularly after we lost the chance of winning the championship.

"I could have complained publicly but instead wanted to show the team that I always give maximum effort with the car that I have, and I think they realise that."

While also adding, "Every time this season - when Hamilton and I are in the third part of qualifying - I had to do it with more fuel. If you take into account the quantities of fuel, I would have had pole position several times."

Raikkonen: McLaren is my only option

Kimi Raikkonen may have just given McLaren the upper hands in negotiations after revealing that the Woking team is his "only" option to remain in F1.

Raikkonen is without a race-seat for next year's Championship having agreed to part ways with Ferrari a year earlier than expected.

And although Toyota have made it clear they want the former World Champ, Raikkonen says he's only interested in racing for McLaren.

"Toyota has not even been discussed," Raikkonen told Finland's MTV3. "If I want to drive (F1) cars, then McLaren in the only option. I should know the situation in the next few days."

The Finn was also asked about his future in Thursday's Abu Dhabi press conference, where he confirmed that leaving F1 for rallying is a possibility.

"Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then make my decision," he said.

However, Raikkonen could also opt for a year on the sidelines, revealing that too is available to him.

"I can if I want. I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven't made my decision what I want to do yet."

Fisichella: I don’t regret switching to Ferrari

When Giancarlo Fisichella imagined himself driving for Ferrari, he probably didn’t envisage he’d end up further down the grid than he had been at Force India. But unfortunately that is what has transpired for Fisichella since he switched teams in September to fill in for the injured Felipe Massa.

Fresh from scoring Force India’s first pole position and podium finish at August's Belgian Grand Prix, the 36 year-old decided to fulfil his boyhood fantasy and drive for the Scuderia. However, with his best qualifying position 14th and his best race result ninth, things haven’t quite gone to plan. The Italian, however, insisted on Thursday that he doesn’t have any regrets.

“I think for me, the opportunity to race for Ferrari was a dream I’d had since I was a child,” he said. “In the end it came true, when I had given up hope that it would ever happen. So you should never say never! I am very happy with what I have done and I would not turn back the clock, even if I have struggled in these last few races with Ferrari.”

Since making his debut almost two months ago, Fisichella's difficulties have been well documented. However, at the recent Brazilian Grand Prix he was within four tenths of his team mate Kimi Raikkonen’s fastest lap, and he’s hopeful he may be able to make amends in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

“It is not easy to get into a car you don’t know, which was made even more complex because of the use of KERS, and the fact it handled very differently under braking,” he explained. “Recently, I was able to match Kimi’s pace in the race, so this weekend, I hope to have a better qualifying which would be the first step to getting some points. I will give it my best shot.”

After his spell racing for Ferrari, Fisichella has been contracted to become the team’s third driver for the 2010 season. But the veteran hasn’t quite given up on a return to a Formula One race seat just yet.

“I have a contract with Ferrari for next year,” he said. “But If there was an offer from another team, I would along with Ferrari and evaluate whether or not it would be feasible to be the third driver and race for another team in F1. At the moment, there is no decision. But to be the third driver for a top team like Ferrari is already something to be very proud of. The atmosphere is fantastic here and I really feel at home.”

With current Renault driver Fernando Alonso set to partner a returning Massa at Ferrari next season, this weekend’s Yas Marina race will also be Raikkonen’s last for the team. And ahead of the on-track action in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo paid tribute to the departing Finn.

“Kimi entered the history of the Scuderia, winning the world title in his first year,” said Montezemolo. “He has always been an honest boy, transparent and loyal and we will always remember him with joy. I’m glad that I can be here with him and the team on the occasion of his last Grand Prix in this particularly difficult year. Let’s hope we can gain a good result.”

Raikkonen has yet to reveal his plans for 2010.

2009 Nissan GT-R Base Coupe Review

All-new performance car instant hit in America.
The Nissan GT-R boasts performance of far more expensive cars. Its super slick, all-wheel-drive dutifully and invisibly channels the engine's 480 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque to whichever tires offer the most grip. This is most remarkable when enlisted in the Launch Control algorithm, which lets drivers make like Michael Schumacher in their own Stop Light Grands Prix. A twin-clutch, sequential-shifting, six-speed manumatic transaxle is competitive with the best prancing horse logoed car's and the equal of or better than the best of either Stuttgart or Munich.

This car is so good, so much fun to drive, whether slogging and, when the opportunity presents, darting through rush hour traffic or blurring telephone poles on empty back roads.

The GT-R comes with every comfort and convenience a driver and passenger need, and most of what a driver and passenger could want. The sports car-like cabin is climate controlled. The navigation system responds to voice commands. Behind the navigation system's LCD lie 11 pages of data, graphs and virtual gauges that tell the tale on more of the car's dynamics than most drivers can, or want to, be bothered knowing. All this makes even the infernal red start/stop button that takes the place of a perfectly functional key tolerable. At least, most of the time.


The Nissan GT-R comes in one body style, a two-door, 2+2 quasi-coupe. There's also but one powertrain offered, a twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter V6 driving all four wheels through a six-speed, twin-clutch, sequential-shifting, automated-manual transaxle. Shifts are managed either by computer or by steering column-mounted magnesium paddle shifters.

The 2009 Nissan GT-R comes in two trim levels. The standard GT-R ($69,850) doesn't lack for much: Dual-zone, automatic climate control, cruise control, power mirrors, windows and locks, eight-way adjustable driver's seat and four-way adjustable front passenger seat, AM/FM/XM/CD stereo with MP3 and WMA playback and six speakers, 30GB hard disk that supports voice recognition, seven-inch color-LCD, GPS-based navigation system with 9.3 GB for personalized audio tracks, dash-mounted Compact Flash card reader, Bluetooth phone system for hands-free operation. Run-flat summer compound Dunlop tires wrap around high-luster, smoke-gray, aluminum alloy wheels.


The GT-R Premium model ($71,900) adds heated front seats, a Bose audio system with 11 speakers, including two subwoofers stacked vertically in a panel separating the rear seats, and run-flat summer Bridgestones.

2009 Nissan GT-R Base Coupe Specs

Vehicle Category - Sports Cars
Editor - Tom Lankard
Model Lineup - Nissan GT-R ($69,850); Premium ($71,900)
Engines (standard) - 3.8-liter, dohc, 24-valve, twin-turbocharged V6
Engines (optional) - 480-hp 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V6
Transmissions (standard) - 6-speed, dual-clutch, sequential-shifting, automated-manual transaxle
Transmissions (optional)- 6-speed, dual-clutch, sequential-shifting, automated-manual transaxle
Safety Equipment (standard) - dual-stage frontal airbags; front seat-mounted, side-impact airbags (Premium only); roof-mounted, side air curtains (Premium only); electronic stability and traction control; ABS; EBD; brake assist; tire pressure monitoring system; child safety seat anchors (LATCH)
Safety Equipment (optional) - Basic Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles
Assembled In - Tochigi, Japan
Manufacturer Phone - 800-647-7261
Manufacturer URL - www.nissanusa.com/gt-r/
Base Price MSRP - 69850

Lexus Supercar to Finally Be Revealed in Production Trim

After years and years of development, testing and endless spy photos, the Lexus LF-A will finally make its production debut at the 2009 Tokyo show. Details are slim, but the first Lexus supercar is expected to carry a price as big as its performance.


For as much as we’ve seen the LF-A, we still don’t know much about it. The car is believed to be powered by a 500-plus horsepower 4.8L V-10 engine powering the rear wheels through a rear-mounted transaxle. The pricing is said to run in the $200,000-plus range, making it both the most-powerful and most-expensive car Lexus has ever offered.


What we do know about the LF-A is what we can glean from pictures of it. Barely-disguised cars have been caught running around the famous Nurburgring during testing and have revealed massive brakes, multiple carbon-fiber body parts including the front splitter and rear diffuser, an active rear wing and enough scoops to make Baskin Robbins jealous. All will be revealed on Oct. 21.

By Scott Evans