For the first time ever, an auto manufacturer has partnered with a videogame company for the world premiere debut of a car.

That’s right! Eight weeks before the car actually hits dealerships, gamers will be able to get behind the wheel of the all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z Coupe exclusively in EA’s Need for Speed Undercover, releasing next month.

Black Box, developers of Need for Speed Undercover, have been working diligently with Nissan to accurately replicate the look and feel for the new Nissan 370Z, which will officially be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, hitting dealerships in early 2009.

“For the past 15 years, Need for Speed has helped define contemporary automotive culture by bridging the gap between gamers and the world’s hottest cars.  As such, we are very excited to partner with one of the automotive powerhouses today to exclusively reveal the all-new Nissan ZÒ,” said Keith Munro, Vice President of Marketing at Electronic Arts. “Need for Speed is about style, fast-paced action and power; this is definitely a car made for Need for Speed fans. Come November, they’ll be able to test drive the all-new 370Z in the game before the car is released on the market.”

The 2009 Nissan 370Z Coupe is the first full redesign of the Nissan Z since its reintroduction in 2003 and builds on the strengths and performance of its predecessor.

“Our relationship with EA has been instrumental in bringing the Nissan brand to a passionate and unique audience,” says Christian Meunier, Vice President, Nissan Marketing. “By launching the all-new 2009 Nissan ZÒ first through Need for Speed Undercover, we also gain the spirit and energy that EA gamers experience so strongly.  Together with EA, we have truly integrated the all-new 370Z in the overall game experience in a meaningful, multi-layered and profound way.”

Need for Speed Undercover will take players back to the franchise’s golden days as it re-introduces the insane cop chases and high-speed action it was known for. The all-new Heroic Driving Engine elevates the action as players will go through the dramatic story line through “Hollywood-style live-action in-game movies.”

Need for Speed Undercover will be available for all major game consoles, along with the PC, on November 18 in North America and in Europe on the 21st.

Tags: 2009, 370Z, EA, Need For Speed, Need for Speed: Undercover, Nissan, Nissan Z

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1 Comment » Sam Naylor on October 29, 2008 12:54 pm Do you think it’ll ACTUALLY go back to the old days, or will it become the bloated with EA’s extra stuff they seem to add every time? RSS feed for comments on this post. Comment Now Note: Commenting on Ripten does not currently require registration, however to be eligible for contests on the site, you must be a registered user. Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Commenting Rules: No hate speech allowed. If you must argue, please debate intelligently. Comments containing selected keywords or outbound links will be put into moderation to help prevent spam. Ripten reserves the right to delete comments and ban anyone who doesn't follow the rules. Thanks. Notify me of followup comments Tired of the Goomba? Upload your own custom comment avatar.