Mazda announced in a press release that Forza Horizon 2 players can now enjoy the exclusive opportunity to "virtually" drive the upcoming 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata through their partnership with Microsoft.

Starting on March 17, players can take advantage of downloading the car and driving it in the game at no cost. Players will also have the chance to win the actual car when they join the new "Time Trial Rivals Contest," which will commence when the car's DLC becomes available.

The competition will run until Thursday, April 30. The game will choose the two players with the fastest digital driving time and fly them to Los Angeles, where they will compete in a head-to-head "winner-take-all" race in June. The prize is the latest Mazda MX-15 Miata — a real and definitely "non-gaming" car model.

"We're excited to give fans an opportunity to get behind the virtual wheel in Forza Horizon 2 to get a taste of what's to come," said Russell Wager, VP of Marketing for Mazda North American Operations.

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata DLC is just one of the four cars featured in the Forza Horizon 2 MX-5 Car Pack. Other models include the Mazda MX-5 Miata (1990), Mazda Mazdaspeed MX-5 (2005) and Mazda MX-5 Super20 SEMA concept car (2010).

"The new car is nearly as light, yet with a power-to-weight ratio exceeding that of its predecessor," said Wager.

Players who are keen on driving the 2016 Mazda MX-5 in the game and joining the "Mazda MX-5 Challenge" Rivals event will be able to set a time, which they can find under the "Monthly Rivals" option in the Pause menu. Only those who have registered in the competition will have the chance to win the game. In order to register, players should click on the Mazda MX-5 ad found on the Xbox One dashboard, where they can follow the prompts indicated on the contest page.

The official rules of the "Time Trial Rivals Contest" can also be found through this link.