UK developer/publisher Codemasters has today confirmed the development of Colin McRae: DiRT 2 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo DS, Wii, and PSP.  Due to arrive in 2009, DiRT 2 is the first instalment in the decade-long franchise since the death of McRae back in September 2007.

Announcing the sequel, Gavin Raeburn, senior executive producer at Codemasters Studios, said: "Colin McRae was all about the speed, the excitement and the entertainment of rally driving. Even when we first worked with him over ten years ago, he captured a freedom and a spirit that enthralled rally fans...Later his showmanship shone through in events such as the X-games, the Dakar Rally and the Race of Champions. He could do things with a car that no one else would and that's where we're taking the series with new events at the extreme edge of rally and autosport. It will be a great tribute to an incredible champion."

He added, "Rally has attracted new stars and a new style that makes it more vibrant and exciting than ever before; it's right up there as a premium extreme sport, attracting fresh crowds and a new confident attitude...Colin McRae: DiRT 2 mirrors this new, exciting direction and, in a way, we'll be throwing off some of the shackles and constraints that real-world rallying has to abide by. We're pitching players against the most spectacular and dangerous environments in the real world."

Featuring more events than the original DiRT, including jungle and stadium-based races, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will be driven by Codies' in-house engine 'EGO', which allows for a greater amount of damage effects - and an overhauled physics system for car-handling.