Forza Horizon 5 Season Change: Doing Donuts

Forza Horizon 5’s new seasonal playlist is available from today, as the second week of donuts spins into view.

Series 14 centers on the game’s collaboration with Donut Media, bringing new events to the playlist associated with various automotive mischiefs upon which Donut has built its brand.

For those not familiar with Donut, it’s a YouTube car enthusiast channel which focuses on general car culture. That ranges from features on aspects of car culture to some car modification shenanigans, with video series such as “HiLow” and “Money Pit”.

Naturally the playlist features events named for these series, along with catchphrases that will be familiar if you’re a regular watcher.

There’s also a new story, featuring the hosts of the show who appear as physical NPCs — or at least facial NPCs — to guide you through the event. Unlike regular Horizon Story events though, it’s not a look at history but a beginner’s guide to vehicle tuning.

The five-chapter story will be available from this point forward as a permanent fixture, with its own themed rewards and new Accolades, completing it during Series 14 also earns you Playlist progress points.

Series 14: Donut Media Rewards

Even hardcore players won’t have earned either Playlist reward before this week — there simply weren’t enough points to win the first one last week alone — so both will remain unearned until this week.

Neither car is new to the game, but both are only available as Playlist rewards, Forzathon Shop items, or Wheelspins, so it’s certainly worth picking them up — if only to flip through the surprisingly cash-rich Auction House…

The first prize on the list, for 80 points across the Series, is the Ferrari SF90 Stradale. It was previously available as an 80pt car in Series 7.

Named after the company’s Formula One car used in the 2019 season, the SF90 Stradale has an unusual claim to fame. It’s Ferrari’s first ever plug-in hybrid, the first mid-engined AWD, and the first that can technically operate as a front-wheel drive car.

It combines the famous Ferrari V8 with three electric motors, for a total power output of close to 1,000hp. Two of the motors power the front wheels and one operates on the rear axle. To save space, weight, and complexity, there’s no reverse gear in the gearbox; reversing uses the front motors running backwards.

Rack up 160 points, which you should score next week, and you’ll earn the Alpine A110. That’s only popped up as a Playlist reward for early access, so outside of Wheelspin appearances this will be a first opportunity for many players to win the car.

An homage to the 1970s original, the Alpine A110 is retro done right. Although the engine has moved from fully behind the rear axle to a mid-mounted position, the car comes across as a modernized version of its predecessor.

It might not compete quite as adeptly on the rally stages, where the A110 won the first ever WRC title in 1973, but it is one of the best drivers’ cars this generation. Like the original it uses Renault-sourced power, with a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder turbo based on the example from the Renaultsport Megane hot hatch.

Series 14 Autumn/Storm Season Rewards

It’s all about the wood on this week’s playlist, as — along with the next three weeks — you’ll be racing to win a classic car made from trees.

Hit 20 points this week and you’ll win the new-to-FH5 Morris Mini Traveller.

This wagon — or estate in its home market — is based on the classic Mini and features an extended body for practicality, along with a pair of side-opening rear doors. It’s easily recognizable through its external structure, made out of varnished ash wood.

As it’s a two-door wagon, technically the Traveller is a shooting brake with an exoskeleton, which we think you’ll agree sounds a lot cooler than a woody wagon…

For 40 points you’ll score something a lot faster, but no less confusingly named: the Ferrari 599 GTO.

The third of three — so far — Ferrari models to bear the GTO name, after the 250 GTO and the often mis-named mid-80s GTO, the 599 is probably the most controversial to wear the badge.

That’s because the “O” stands for “Omologato”, meaning a car which has been produced in order to allow a race version to pass minimum road car construction regulations. However the 599 hasn’t ever been raced in any series anywhere by anyone, so it is just marketing fluff.

Of course it’s plenty fast enough to be a race car, and the GTO features significant improvements over the regular GTB coupe — including an extra 49hp and 100kg less heft. It’s essentially a roadgoing version of the 599XX track toy, but without the more obvious aerodynamic upgrades.

Autumn will run through to 1430UTC on Thursday November 24, with Series 14 continuing for two more weeks until the same time on Thursday December 8.

Series 14 Autumn Playlist: Forzathon Events

The second Up to Speed event — named for Donut Media’s video series detailing important or popular vehicles — looks at the 2002 BMW M3 GTR, which was the first V8-powered M3. Pick one up and drive it to start the event.

First, get used to the homologation-special M3 by driving five miles. Then score a Daredevil Skill in the car; you’ll pick this up for three successive Near Miss Skills — overtaking any other car, player or AI, in a race or just street driving — in a short time period.

Finally earn nine stars at PR stunts in the car to complete the event. The main motorway is the best bet for all of these challenges. You’ll earn five points and 80FP, which is doubled if you own the La Casa Solariega player house near Teotihuacan.

Weekly Challenge: Up to Speed

Car: BMW M3 GTR
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the BMW M3 GTR
- Chapter 2: Drive five miles in the BMW M3 GTR
- Chapter 3: Earn a Daredevil Skill in the BMW M3 GTR
- Chapter 4: Earn nine stars at PR Stunts in the BMW M3 GTR
Reward: 5 points, 80FP

The seven Daily Challenges this week all appear at the usual 1430UTC time slot each day. You’ll have seven days to complete each one, awarding one point and 10FP per challenge completed.

Buff Horses — a name also used for a Seasonal last week — is first up. Just win any Street Race in a Mustang to complete it.

Prove you’re a Utility Player on Friday, by completing any Horizon Arcade theme in a a Sports Utility Hero vehicle; combine this with the Horizon Arcade Season Event if you want to be efficient.

You’ll need to be a Hot Shot next, earning a total of 150mph across Speed Zones in any Hot Hatch category vehicle. The Autopista Speed Zone is probably best for one-shotting this one — and will help you pick up the items you need for the Collectibles event.

Trading Places follows on Sunday. Earn a Trading Paint Skill — for a light collision with any other vehicle — while in Guanajuato to earn this. As you’ll be racing in Guanajuato during the Season Events, you probably won’t need to make a special effort for it either.

Show that you’re Classically Trained next, by playing any Event Blueprint in a Classic Sports Car.

Pick up the Boomers’ nightmare with a Participation Cup; just drive five miles in Horizon Open Racing — Xbox Live Gold is required unless you play on PC — to earn this.

Lastly say C You Later, by winning any Cross Country event in any C Class (501-600PI) vehicle.

Daily Challenges

November 17 – Buff Horses: Win a Street Race in any Mustang
November 18 – Utility Player: Complete any Horizon Arcade in a Sports Utility Heroes vehicle
November 19 – Hot Shot: Earn a total of 150mph across Speed Zones in any Hot Hatch vehicle
November 20 – Trading Places: Earn a Trading Paint Skill in Guanajuato
November 21 – Classically Trained: Play an Event Blueprint in a Classic Sports Car vehicle
November 22 – Participation Cup: Drive five miles in Horizon Open Racing
November 23 – C You Later: Win a Cross Country event in any C Class (501-600PI) vehicle

Series 14 Autumn Playlist: Season Events

There’s six single-player events up on this week’s Playlist, with the common mix of three PR Stunts and three Seasonal Championships. Horizon Arcade is also on the list, and can be completed solo if required.

It’s another week of high performance PR Stunts. All three require an S2 Class (901-998PI) car of any kind, and each rewards you with two Playlist points and a Super Wheelspin. That means you can use the same car for all, however you might want something drift-built for the Drift Zone.

That’s because the Cara Este zone — down the east slope of the volcano — requires a million points to pass, which is double the three-star score. The La Mesa Danger Sign is similarly huge, with a 300m target compared to 198.1m for three stars. For the Punta Allen Speed Zone you’ll only need to average 155mph, which is only just above the three-star score.

The Seasonal Championships are three-race series against Highly Skilled AI, which you’ll need to top the final points table to win five points to your season total for each.

You can carry your PR Stunt car through to HRSPRS, which is an event for any S2 Class (901-998PI) car. Take the win in this Road Racing series to pick up an Ariel Atom 500.

The remaining events have unusual requirements. HiLow is a Street Racing event exclusively for the 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z — reflecting the star of Donut’s Hi Low series — in the B Class (601-700PI) bracket, with a 1992 Honda NSX Type-R as a prize.

That leaves Pop-Up Headlights, which is a custom race for cars with… pop-up headlights. You’ll need a B Class (601-700PI) car from the specific list of cars with flippy-uppy lights to take part, and there’s a Dodge Durango for taking the overall win.

Finally there’s Horizon Arcade. You can compete in any Arcade type — Air, Chaos, Drift, Speed, Wreckage — in the pink zones indicated on the map, either on your own or in multiplayer in Horizon Life, as the targets scale with the number of participants. Complete three rounds of any type to earn the three points.

Danger Sign: La Mesa

Car: S2 Class
Location: Pantano de la Selva, La Mesa Danger Sign
Challenge: 300m
Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Drift Zone: Cara Este

Car: S2 Class
Location: Gran Caldera, Cara Este Drift Zone
Challenge: 1,000,000pt
Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Speed Zone: Punta Allen

Car: S2 Class
Location: Costa Rocosa, Punta Allen Speed Zone
Challenge: 155mph
Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Seasonal Championship: HiLow

Car: B Class, Nissan Fairlady Z 2003
Location: Copper Canyon, Canon Run
Challenge: Win the Championship
Reward: 5 points, Honda NSX Type R 1992

Seasonal Championship: HRSPRS

Car: S2 Class, Hypercars
Location: Gran Caldera, Volcan Sprint
Challenge: Win the Championship
Reward: 5 points, Ariel Atom 500

Car: B Class, Pop-Up Headlights
Location: Guanajuato, Cathedral Sprint
Challenge: Win the Championship
Reward: 5 points, Dodge Durango

Horizon Arcade: Mini Games

Car: Any
Location: Horizon Arcade (any)
Challenge: Complete Horizon Arcade
Reward: 3 points

There’s two bonus events for those with the Hot Wheels DLC. These aren’t required for 100% completion of the Playlist, but give DLC owners a chance at some extra points in case they’re short elsewhere.

This week’s PR Stunt this week is the Dragon’s Fall Speed Trap in Ice Cauldron. As with the events on the main map, you’ll need any S2 Class (901-998PI) car for the event, and it’s another extreme target; you’ll need to hit 295mph through the trap to earn the two points and another Super Wheelspin.

Ice Cauldron also hosts the start point for the second Joy of Cars Seasonal Championship. It’s a three-race Road Racing series against Highly Skilled AI for any S1 Class (801-900PI) cars, with five points and an AMC Gremlin for victory.

Hot Wheels Speed Trap: Dragon’s Fall

Car: S2 Class
Location: Hot Wheels Park Ice Cauldron, Dragon’s Fall Speed Trap
Challenge: 295mph
Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Joy of Cars

Car: S1 Class
Location: Hot Wheels Park Ice Cauldron, Dragon’s Fall Speed Circuit
Challenge: Win the Championship
Reward: 5 points, AMC Gremlin

There’s just the one multiplayer event this week, with Xbox Live Gold required — unless you play on PC — to access it, as usual.

Naturally, that’s The Trial, with its Series-standard open format. This week it’s a Dirt Racing series event, for B Class (601-700PI) vehicle of any kind — but you’ll want a car that’s capable off-road and through streams.

The Trial is a team-based, best-of-three race series, featuring up to six human players again six “Unbeatable” class AI Drivatars. Each driver on each team earns 100 points for every opponent they beat, but you don’t score anything for beating a team-mate (aside from a 50pt bonus for the overall win).

That means you’ll need to work together to help maximize your team points while preventing the AI from scoring well — although some people don’t play well with others and will batter anyone out of the way without regard for the fact it’s a team event.

The loose-surface racing doesn’t bode well, but fortunately the low-speed cars make life easier. That and the fact that the AI is rubbish at it this week, so it won’t matter all that much. You’ll really have to be trying hard not to win in two races, and there’s ten points and a MINI X-Raid JCW Buggy for the win.

The Trial: Bumper to Bumper

Car: B Class
Location: Riviera Maya, Mangrove Scramble
Challenge: Win the Championship
Reward: 10 points, MINI X-Raid JCW Buggy

Series 14 Autumn Playlist: Challenges

There’s just two Challenges this week, with the regular Photo Challenge joined by a new Donut Media collectibles event.

For the Photo Challenge, #MoPowaBaby, you’ll need to head to the Sierra Verde Dam at the west side of the reservoir. Photograph the RAM 2500 Power Wagon there — and it’s under “Ram” as the manufacturer — to win two points and a “Bass Drop” car horn.

Collectibles features donuts, of the giant, inflatable kind. There’s more than a dozen large, yellow and brown, inflatable donuts sprinkled up and down the length of the motorway, and you’ll need to smash into at least ten of them to pick up this week’s prizes.

Most of them are in plain sight, with a couple just off the side of the road or under bridges. There’s even one atop a power pylon, but you don’t need to hit all of them to complete the task. Those on the motorway itself are enough, and you’ll earn three points and a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS for doing so.

Photo Challenge: #MoPowaBaby

Cars: RAM 2500 Power Wagon 2017
Location: Sierra Verde Dam
Challenge: Photograph the RAM Power Wagon at the Sierra Verde Dam
Reward: 2 points, “Bass Drop” Car Horn

Collectibles: Doughnut Stop Me Now

Cars: Any
Location: Motorway
Challenge: Smash 10 Donuts along the Motorway
Reward: 3 points, Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2016

The Donut Media @ Horizon Story has a spot on the playlist for the Series. It’s a permanent addition to the game, but completing it during this four-week month also earns you 12 Playlist points — three added to each season.

You’ll need to work through all five chapters, earning three-stars in each to complete it. In addition you’ll pick up a bunch of clothing item rewards, Accolades, and a Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am Forza Edition.

Both regular Monthly Events remain in place. Again you can complete them at any time during the Series to earn the rewards and Playlist points — one point added per season from each event, regardless of when you complete them.

To complete Forza EV and Monthly Rivals events you’ll need to post clean lap times using the vehicles provided to you at the circuits required, which you can access these directly through the playlist menu. Your lap time doesn’t matter, only that you do it cleanly, so keep the cars away from solid objects.

The Monthly event sees you (carefully) racing the new Lynk&Co 03 TCR over at the Playa Azul Circuit on the east coast. Forza EV puts you into the RAESR Tachyon for a lap at the Horizon Mexico Circuit. Both are a challenge to keep clean, so pace yourself accordingly.

Horizon Story: Donut Media @ Horizon

Cars: Provided
Location: Horizon Festival
Challenge: Earn 15 Stars in the Horizon Story
Reward: 12 points (3 added to each season), Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am Forza Edition

Forza EV: Horizon Mexico Circuit

Cars: RAESR Tachyon Speed (provided)
Location: Horizon Festival, Horizon Mexico Circuit
Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Monthly Rivals: Playa Azul Circuit

Cars: Lynk&Co 03 #100 Cyan Racing (Provided)
Location: Playa Azul, Playa Azul Circuit
Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Series 14 Autumn Forzathon Shop

Speed is the theme for the Forzathon Shop this week, with a high speed track toy and a just plain high speed car on offer.

The banner car this week is the Pagani Zonda R, an extreme interpretation of Pagani’s first road car designed to go all out around any race track.

With the enormous wings and slick tires it’s hardly road legal — although Pagani also later made a road legal variant of it — and everything else is turned up to eleven.

While the Zonda is hardly slow and heavy as it is, Pagani’s extensive reworking results in a car nearly twice as powerful as the original — with 740hp from the AMG V12 — as well as 150kg lighter, despite the huge aerodynamic aids.

At 600FP it’s not too pricey, but then it’s available in the Autoshow for 1.8m as well.

You can also pick up the Koenigsegg CC8S, although again at 300FP compared to an Autoshow price of 400,000cr it depends on whether you value credits or FP more.

The first road car from Koenigsegg, the CC8S was the genesis of the hypercar brand which just doesn’t seem to want to make a car that can’t hit 240mph. Using a supercharged version of Ford’s modular 4.6-liter V8 putting out 655hp, the CC8S could stroll to that speed without breaking a sweat.

Store items this week are the Donut Media HRSPRS Relaxed Tee and Pinball Machine Car Horn, at 75FP each. The Wheelspin (60FP) and Super Wheelspin (150FP) remain in their usual spots.

See more articles on Forza Horizon 5 Season Change.