London based videogames publisher System 3 today launched the first ever third-party PS3 Beta Trial to an audience of just under 2,000 hungry racing enthusiasts. The SuperCar Challenge Online Beta Trial allows gamers, journalists and retail alike the chance to get their hands on System 3’s brand new racer and take part in 1-16 player online battles.

Many racing options are available allowing gamers of any ability level to take part. Whether you’re a rookie simply looking for an adrenaline rush or a hardened pro with a race wheel and pedals set-up, there’s a handling model in the game to suit you.

Participants can choose from the Enzo Ferrari, Lamborghini Murcielago RGT or the Aston Martin DBR9, and throw them around two fantastically detailed GP tracks: Spa and Nurburgring. Gamers even have access to the both dry and wet race conditions so it’s a great pre-cursor for this weekend’s Malaysian GP!

SuperCar Challenge Brand Manager Chandra Nair seems to think it’s all going swimmingly so far: “It’s an honor to be the first third-party to be allowed to do a beta trial with Sony, and on a global scale too. We’re really proud of the fact that we’ve got proper 16-player, voice-over-IP racing going on between people as far apart as the UK and Australia, without any lag. Everyone involved is having a lot of fun and it’s a fantastic milestone for us”.

SuperCar Challenge is set to launch on the PS3 in Q2 2009.