As the checkered flag waves for the launch of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit tomorrow, EA have now announced yet another title in the long running franchise. In contrast to the arcade racing of Hot Pursuit, "Shift 2 Unleashed" is aimed at the simulation end of the spectrum -- a followup to the successful Need for Speed: Shift -- though why they've dropped "Need for Speed" from the title this time around is unclear. From the official press release:

Capturing the physicality and brutality of racing at 200mph has been the leading area of innovation by the award-winning development team at Slightly Mad Studios. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED builds on the true drivers experience by introducing the driver's battle, an even more authentic and primal feeling of power and speed which elevates the fundamental competitive race into a struggle for supremacy against other drivers and even the track itself. In SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED, players' hands sweat and ache as they clutch onto the controller, their pulse races from the break-neck speeds experienced through the first-person cockpit view.

If this vague cinematic teaser trailer doesn't satisfy, there's a few low-res screenshots and a more detailed feature list on our Shift 2 Unleashed game page.

Shift 2 Unleashed is due in "Autumn 2011" (U.S. Spring) for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit retails tomorrow November 18 2010 for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.