Test Drive III: The Passion

Test Drive III: The Passion is a racing game released in 1990. It was the third entry in the Test Drive series of video games. The game was radically different from the previous episodes by abandoning sprite graphics and using 3D graphics instead. Unlike previous games, it was available just for DOS.

Test Drive had the concept of a free landscape. The player did not have to drive on a preset course, but could go wherever they want, i.e. drive off the road and onto the grass, hills, farms etc. The player would also have to watch out for the speed limit when a police car was in sight, otherwise he could get caught. A level also featured railroad crossings with a real train running in a loop.

Car radio, windscreen wipers and headlights were featured in this game. The game shipped with three cars to drive; the Lamborghini Diablo, Ferrari Mythos Pininfarina Concept, and the Chevrolet Corvette CERV III Concept.

While Test Drive and Test Drive II titles were developed by Distinctive Software, the third one was developed in-house at Accolade. This resulted in many differences over the first two games. The game was radically different from the previous two installments by abandoning sprite graphics and using a combination of bitmapped and polygon-fill 3D graphics, and digitized car interiors instead. Unlike the previous games which were released on a variety of platforms, it was released exclusively for DOS.

An add on package, 'Road and Car', was available as an extra purchase featuring a Cape Cod to Niagara road course, and the Acura NSX and Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo.