  Using the matrix product formalism we formulate a natural p-species
generalization of the asymmetric simple exclusion process. In this model
particles hop with their own specific rate and fast particles can overtake slow
ones with a rate equal to their relative speed. We obtain the algebraic
structure and study the properties of the representations in detail. The
uncorrelated steady state for the open system is obtained and in the ($p \to
\infty)$ limit, the dependence of its characteristics on the distribution of
velocities is determined. It is shown that when the total arrival rate of
particles exceeds a certain value, the density of the slowest particles rises
abroptly.
