VG247 are reporting that the countdown timer at Carmageddon.com has nothing to do with former publishers Square-Enix, and that it is an independent project.

A source familiar with the matter said that Square Enix has nothing to do with the next in the Carmageddon series. All rights to the action IP have been negotiated away from Square, owner of original publisher Eidos. The Carmegeddon website is not owned by Square Enix, contrary to reports over the weekend.

Mysterious! I guess we’ll know more when the timer expires on June 1st. I wonder if it has anything to do with the previously reported open-source version.