Colin McRae Rally, the genre-leading off-road racer, is to return in 2007, Codemasters announced today.

The all-new McRae game (working title CMR’07), is now in development exclusively for next-generation platforms.

After a two-year break for the series, the new Colin McRae title will go beyond the series’ point-to-point rallying to deliver the most diverse selection of extreme off-road competitions.

Codemasters are promising gravel, mud and dirt racing events as well as Hill Climb and Rally Cross events.

International rallying competitions will also feature, with official cars on tracks based on real roads and locations around the globe. The title will also expand on beat-the-clock racing and include events with multiple cars on track to satisfy anyone who wants to push their on-the-edge driving just that bit further.

“The all-new Colin McRae Rally will be a real evolution for the series and offer a massive variety of off-road events, more than any other single-championship rally game has before. It's being designed to offer a totally accessible, high-speed and adrenalin-fuelled ride for newcomers to the series, yet race hardened McRae players will be able to delve under the bonnet and immerse themselves in the most challenging of competitions.”

The company hasn't however confirmed which next generation consoles it is currently working on, although judging by previous releases it is likely to be Xbox360 and the PlayStation3.

>> Codemasters - Official website of Codemasters