The BeamNG.drive team continues to add value to its eponymous game, showering us with teaser images, videos and work-in-progress renderings.
The Bremen-based studio has teased us over the past few weeks with Twitter hints of a new map and three new vehicles, stamping its own brand of vehicular madness on proceedings. And it’s shaping up to be the biggest BeamNG.drive update we’ve seen for a long time. Which is nice.
Not only that, but the ETK K-Series is set for a remaster – similar to the ones already afforded to the Ibishu Covet, Gavril H-Series and Ibishu Pessima. And there seems to be a dune-buggy variation of the Autobello Piccolin on the dusty horizon too.
The next BeamNG.drive update will really put the ‘sand’ in ‘physics sandbox’.
Apologies.
BeamNG.Drive’s new map
First up, the BeamNG team has confirmed the existence of a new map – Johnson Valley. From early screenshots, it’s clear to see this location will be a Baja 1000 fan’s dream thanks to its remote desert terrain and challenging topography.
Johnson Valley has also given developers an opportunity to tease new branding for the game’s petrol stations. The Tyrannos Oil filling stations look the part and feature amusing novelty dinosaur props, which we hope beyond hope are fully destructible.
It is unconfirmed at this stage if the Tyrannos Oil filling station kiosks will have a Greggs or a selection of Ginsters pasties…
One of the work in progress screenshots shows an almost Mars-like bleakness to Johnson Valley, evoking the challenging Dakar Rally at times. With big rocks to traverse it also looks to be the perfect place to practice those crawling skills. But there’s more…
Three new cars for BeamNG.drive
Baja truck
To help us enjoy the new map, the BeamNG.drive team is lining up three off-road vehicles. The first of which looks to be a trophy truck – or Baja truck.
These feature impressively meaty suspension components to deal with all the rigours of the infamous Baja 1000 race, where competitors drive as fast as possible across the rugged desert terrain of the Californian peninsula.
Commonly fitted with huge, big-block V8 motors, Baja trucks’ suspension travel can be measured in feet rather than inches, with their off-road capabilities making them the ideal weapon to tackle the famous race. In the past, the event had been graced by the likes of Jenson Button, Ken Block and 13-time overall winner Larry Roeseler. (10 of which were on motorbikes!)
Autobello van
It also looks like a new Autobello van variant is coming to BeamNG (a logo on the side of the van confirms it’s an Autobello). Two teaser images show an off-road variant and a six-wheeled fire truck example. Hot stuff.
The van appears to be based on a real-world Volvo C202 or the more military-focused Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer 710M. With such variety in teaser images we wonder what other wacky options will be available to choose?
Labrador Beaver?
The final all-new vehicle looks like a mod available on BeamNG’s official website. Named the Labrador Beaver (stop sniggering at the back), this eight-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle isn’t quick. However, it more than makes up for it with its ‘go-anywhere’ attitude.
Based on an ultra-utilitarian vehicle normally used for heavy-duty off-roading and military operations, the real-world version of the Beaver can be purchased from American manufacturer Argo. If eight-wheeled recreational vehicles are your thing, that is…
Be warned though, it drives more like a tank than a conventional car, meaning it’s absurdly slow on asphalt. But it is amphibious…
Other vehicle updates
As previously hinted, the ETK K-Series is set for a revamp and the Autobello Piccolin looks like it’s getting a dune buggy alternative.
The ETK K-Series remaster was last hinted at all the way back in July this year, as a series of wide body parts were posted by the BeamNG team, including side skirts, a front splitter and predictable massive rear wing, all seemingly designed for the K-Series.
The dune buggy variant of the Autobello Piccolin is a little harder to pin down, however, but looking at the teaser image the wheelbase and rear-engined layout seem to give away its origin.
There’s also a dune buggy class in the Baja 1000, fitting in perfectly with the overarching Baja theme of BeamNG’s teaser posts.
Are you impressed by the BeamNG team’s recent work? Are you looking forward to tackling the bruising bumps of Johnson Valley as much as we are? Let us know in the comments below.
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