Vivendi Universal Games plan on sticking Crash Bandicoot and friends (and villains for that matter) into cars and seeing which is quickest.

Vivendi Universal Games has announced that Crash Bandicoot is jumping back into a car, but won't stay there for long. Crash Tag Team Racing will be released on the GameCube, Xbox, PS2 and Nintendo DS later in the year.

During the game players will race around in cars, however Vivendi Universal Games have added a unique aspect to the game by offering players the chance to get out of the car and race around on foot. As well as this players will be able to fuse two cars together while racing to form a whole new vehicle.

When two cars are "clashed", as Vivendi are calling it, it adds a powerful turret gun to the car. Players can then either race or control the gun, which will be unique to the character. While racing on-foot players can explore the worlds and pick up upgrades for their cars.

Crash Tag Team Racing will allow eight players to play together through linking systems, or wireless play on the Nintendo DS. However only four players can play together on the DS.

"We're thrilled to give Crash Bandicoot� fans another hilarious adventure with the irrepressible marsupial," said Ian Wilkinson, President, Radical Entertainment. "The development team showed off its ability to create a break-out vehicle-based game with The Simpsons: Hit & Run and is set to deliver another innovative and wildly fun title in Crash Tag Team Racing."

The storyline, penned by Crash Twinsanity writer Jordan Reicheck, is as follows. "After being humiliated yet again by Crash Bandicoot at the end of Twinsanity, Dr. Neo Cortex returns to his evil scheming in his dilapidated Iceberg Lair. He hatches a sinister plan to challenge Crash to a seemingly friendly race competition...with plans of crushing the hapless bandicoot under the ruins of the hazardous racetrack!"