By Chris Charles

Colin McRae Rally game review

Picture the scene, you haven't driven so much as a lawnmower in eight years and suddenly you find yourself lining up alongside Colin McRae at Silverstone.

Great.

For your average Men & Motors fan, this is the stuff dreams are made of - but as you sit there waiting for the off, it suddenly becomes your worst nightmare.

McRae, by contrast, is calmness personified.

This is a man who's had more crashes than a nervous stockmarket - never mind the small matter of winning the World Rally Championship.

The likeable Scot is in town to promote his latest rally game, Colin McRae Rally 2005 - a hairy enough proposition in itself.

He arrives by helicopter from Scotland - I'm on public transport from London.

There's nothing to it, Chris

He's a multi-millionaire - I've barely got a pot to pee in.

He chews gum - I've chewed my nails to the bone.

"Any advice, Colin?" I mumble as I slip into the hot-seat.

"Don't bother!" he replies, with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Thanks.

And then he's off, covering my windscreen in a cloud of dust Dick Dastardly would be proud of.

Five seconds later and co-driver Brian gives me the signal to hit pedal to metal.

Any visions I had of pootling along on the main circuit are quickly shattered as a scary-looking, purpose-built rally track suddenly looms up ahead, covered in mud and gravel.

I tentatively tickle the throttle and the car lurches forward like a greyhound out of the traps. Brian grips hold of his St Christopher.

"Faster!" he screams in my headset as we approach a tight bend. Is he mad?

From there on in, the whole experience is a blur.

"First! Third! Down to second! Handbrake!"

Handbrake? At 80mph round a blind bend? Are you serious?! Thank heavens for dual controls.

You're dicing with death, says McRae

After what seems like an age (seven minutes), we screech back to base, to be greeted by McRae who's grinning from ear to ear and looking for all the world as if he's been out for a relaxing stroll.

It's the first time I've been whiter than a Scotsman.

To be fair, the whole experience, though scary, has been completely exhilarating and I'm buzzing like never before.

"Whaddya reckon?" asks Colin.