Electronic Arts has announced their newest incarnation of their venerable Need for Speed series with Need for Speed: Carbon. Carbon in this case doesn't stand for carbon fiber car hoods, but for the in-game Carbon Canyon road that players must race on. Players duel each other in the city before being chased to the canyons by police. After each race, players will unlock available upgrades to their cars.

Click to see screenshots from Need for Speed Carbon ...

Players must win territories by beating other players in races. There are rumors that there will be three maps with a total of twenty-one territories. The maps will span both the city and the countryside.

We don't know if the Carbon Canyon in the game is modeled after the Route 142 - Carbon Canyon in Southern California. The windy rode between San Bernardino County and Orange County is a favorite of bicyclists, motorcyclists and of course the occasional car racer. Many spectacular accidents have also unfortunately happened in Carbon Canyon.

Need for Speed Carbon should hit stores by Christmas and will be available for all the major consoles including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Of course, PCs will also be supported.