Beater or Sleeper? COTW! [Closed]

[space_wadet]

I don't much to add about the car that hasn't been said already. The Cupra is a one gear EV with lots of power and even more grip. Has all the usual downsides of an EV, as in no gears and low top speed. But with all the downforce and almost perfect weight distribution there's not much to fault when it comes to handling. Everything is buttery smooth, which is also the best way to get speed out of the car. Seeing how close our times are on the festival circuit, is certainly a testament to how easy it is to drive.

Plenty of upgrades available for more power, and some gear ratio tuning could make it more competitive for more open tracks. Also have to mention the rearlights + rear wing combo for a 10/10 coolness factor.

Sleeper.

 

[Nacho Libre]

I will be brief and cast a grouchy, dissenting vote, it is BEATER that gets too easily upset whilst braking, making it unresponsive for the track, specially when attacking the banked sections.

 

[SomePlayaDude]

Didn't have the time to drive it, but..

Spoiler: CUPRA UrbanRebel Concept writeup

POP QUIZ! How do you promote the release of your newly decorated electric hot hatch that won't come out anytime soon? Well, if your answer is make a track racer out of it, you should know you aren't the first person to think of that.

Anyone familiar with SEAT probably are familiar with the Cupra name being used as their prime hot hatchback. Now it's mainly used as the place to house away SEAT's performance. While I'm unsure what they do these days, the brand's now being housed as Spain's premiere dealership for electric cars, starting with the base UrbanRebel that's coming out in 2025.

With a mix of the old and new, the car is planned to roam the streets as a urban based electric car, and try to make it sound like a positive thing. They put a lot of reinforcing words on this car. These would include the likes of sexy, emotional, and fun to drive. Funny enough, sexy and emotional is easily the things that do come out when it comes to me and the JCW Countryman. Or should that be sexy but emotional, hmm..

And they've done and made a Vision GT car, with Forza Horizon 5 to start off with in terms of how its tested. There's a lot you can tell that its designed for player eyecandy. The lights are thin in the right places. The shapes are slim and bold in the right places. There's a diffuser backed with bodywork to match the car's profile quite nicely. It's not exactly award winning pretty, but overall, for a going-to-be urban EV, it's radical.

This may be the right playerbase, but the wrong environment, and maybe physics, but we don't talk about the arcade-esque simulation provided here in mini Mexico. Then again, we do have some fictional machines that hasn't seen the light of an automotive designer's table in this game, so I'm sure it's nothing to get snide about.

The presence of the UrbanRebel as another electric powered Track Toy has a PI number of 854. Within this class, it rivals against the likes of the current era 911 GT3 which has a 4 PI advantage. This is a large class, but I'm not sure it's that well balanced. This thing will be agonizing to bring in a speedy highway race, for starters.

Now either available through your in game mail or in the Autoshow for 2 million credits, this UrbanRebel concept is definitely not cost friendly should you want more than your free one.

 

[Obelisk]

Brief recap: Cupra is a Sleeper by a 3-1 vote. Nice first impression! Reminds me of the Tamo from FH3. Ah, those were the days...

And with that, @space_wadet has our new car for the week. It's the...

1984 Opel Manta 400!

This historic rally homologation special saw 245 units produced per FISA/FIA regulations, based on the Opel Manta B. To see what we're working with here, we're gonna take this relic of a lost era (B 691) to the San Juan Scramble.

Have fun folks!

 

[Vic Reign93]

The Opel Manta 400, We actually tested this car way back on FM7 and I mentioned this cars rather frankenstein’d engine.

Beater or Sleeper? COTW Forza 7 Week:END The Ultimate Sleeper, The Holden Sandman! Thanks Everyone!!

I feel like we would all be more equal in laptime if that chicane wasn't there. :lol: Can't call this car a sleeper, can't call it a beater. Gonna call it fun.

www.gtplanet.net

Basically, Cosworth built them 16V Twin Cam Heads for their 2.0 litre engines, but the power output wasn’t enough for Opel and they didn’t want to ditch the Cosworth parts by using a bigger engine block.

So instead they took a Overbore’d 2.0 litre block, dropped in some larger pistons to fit and a crankshaft from a 2.3 Diesel engine and mated it all together with the Cosworth parts.

2.4 litres, 275hp and 9000rpm capable is certainly a good result from such an engine.

Pretty much what I said in that write up still speaks true here in FH5, more so now that it’s in its natural habitat.

At 100K it’s not even that expensive, especially for the Rally Monsters class, but I’ll safely bet you could grab one from auction for much less than asking price.

All in all, quite a nice introductory car to the world of 2wd rally cars and Group B machines.

Verdict: Sleeper 🙂👍

 

[space_wadet]

Despite being a group B car, a category of rally cars known for obscene turbocharged engines, the Manta sports a relatively tame 275bhp, which is just as well since it's only 2WD. It didn't get the chance to enjoy much success in Group B as the Quattro arrived soon after it, making (almost) all 2WD rally cars obsolete. That said, there's no need for us to review it in the context of Group B cars.

As far as RWD rally cars go, you can't do much better than this (at least in a game where Lancias are absent). 275hp is plenty without overwhelming the rear wheels. The chassis is very well balanced for a RWD. It handles a little bit like a grown up MX-5, balanced but playful. Easy to get it to slide yet it's not dangerous when it does, it eases into slides and it's effortless to catch them. Just about the perfect character for its purpose.

There is a decent amount of power though, so it can get tricky if you try to push limits at higher speed. Brakes can lock up if you're not careful too.

Opel did commission a 4WD version after the Quattro showed it was the way forward for rallying, but it never raced. Luckily we can recreate a version of it in Horizon. I've built mine for A class and it's one of my favorite rally builds. Despite being 4WD it stays fairly rear balanced, retaining its playfulness, making it fun to throw around and the 4WD takes care of getting out the other end of the corners. Though I'm not sure how competitive it really is since I don't bother with meta cars.


Sleeper of course.

 

[Obelisk]

I don't even need to say much as pretty much everything's already been covered.

That said, I wanna point out something: people tend to think of rally as mainly being an off-road discipline and all about those Big Jumps on some stages. Not true, and as I'm sure most of us in here already know that rally cars need to also be competent on tarmac as several rally stages are pretty much tarmac only. The Opel is pretty good on this front too, and kind of reminds me of my NC MX5.

Unfortunately, I couldn't really get a time I'd be okay with posting. Too many issues on my end trying to get a lap down.

Sleeper.

 

[Obelisk]

And with that, we will wrap up the week and begin our holidays. I'll update the opel's results tomorrow but for now...

Our car this week is the Willys MB Jeep (D 198) at the Las Ranas Cross Country!

 

[XSquareStickIt]

I don't know what's possible with the Jeep in FH5, but in GT7, you can drop a frickin' Hellcat engine into one of these!

...with zero aero, skinny tyres, no ABS, and a 4 speed gearbox! This thing has so little handling that, even with a high rpm supercharger upgrade, the Jeep still slots in just under 600PP with Sport Soft tyres, making it eligible for one of the four money making races in the game, Tokyo WTC600. Even with a 4 speed box, mine is good for 285km/h without slipstream, and almost 300 with.

Naturally, I had to make a cUrSeD lIvErY for it. Imagine driving a tuned NSX or GT-R and getting blown away by THIS!

Can't wait to see what shenanigans are possible with this in Mexico!

 

[SomePlayaDude]

SPD Writes Car Of The Week: Week 59 - Willys MB Jeep

That's my dog, CJ!!


Today in the world, we're in the midst of a tragic war, and guess what: we're gunning for an iconic car of war. But let's put that sourpuss mood aside, because we ain't in for a kill streak of epic proportions.

Just like the Miura pioneering the supercar name, the Willys Jeep would be the car that pioneered the American sports car name. What, you think it's a joke. It's not since it was reported that Enzo Ferrari is the one who quoted the MB "the only true American sports car". I'd agree, but I don't know what that even means anymore. If anything, the MB would be more appropriate to be pioneering the lighweight offroading SUV/mudpluggers instead, which is how I know it personally.

And since we usually associate the MB with war, the car's conceptualization would be birthed from how in World War 1, a fairly common way for quick transfer of troops and scouts would be the use of bikes and sidecars. The American government, preparing themselves for a future battle that's gonna happen in World War 2, wants to up this performance by going for something that can do better in rougher conditions.

They would eventually blueprint the specification for what looks to be a compact 4 wheel drive offroader that would weigh about a quarter ton, while also able to carry ample supplies. These specs would go to the many US manufacturers that exist, this value beaing at about 135 of them. However, due to the strict given time to begin production in 75 days from initial existance, we only got 2 of the 135 manufacturers that got this vehicle ready. They would be American Bantam, and Willys-Overland. If the name ain't so obvious, we're focusing on the latter.

While they got the initial bid and go ahead, Bantam went on to create the original prototype known as the Blitz Buggy, definitely a reference to what Nazi Germany's done to take over most of western Europe. But due to Bantam's lack of resources and production capacity for the US Army, they opted to send the efforts instead to Willys and Ford. And thus began a three horse race between Bantam, Willys and Ford to make little offroaders for war, with the weight limit now boosted to a more manageable nearly a ton.

After making prototypes from each company, it's time to choose. What'll it be? Bantam went on to make the best car of the lot in the BRC-40 (Bantam Reconnasaince Car), with a stand out suspension, braking and fuel. But with Bantam not being able to handle required production, we head to the other 2. Ford's version, known as the GP, was considered but had a less than willing engine put inside of it. This GP name would make up a part of the name Jeep that this car would carry.

This would lead to Willys getting the war contract down, and it's thanks to their produced vehicle: the MA with their Go Devil engine. But all is not lost for Bantam and Ford, for they have combined the best elements of their prototype offroaders with the MA to create what we know as the MB. So yeah: it's got Willys engine, Bantam performance and Ford aesthetics (design and naming). Not to waste on already manufactured metal, the other prototype jeeps would also go to war with the MB. The Allies efforts of scouting would be a whole league on its own, and it shows: when the Japanese managed to capture a Bantam BRC, they reverse engineered it thanks to a much lesser Toyota, and that would be the origin story of a base model of the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser. Wait till that car gets on COTW, be it the Arctic Trucks AT37 or the FJ40, then this is where we'll continue this historic tale.

And after the war, the resounding success of how this machine has brought to the war effort was quite astounding, so much a civilian version would be in the works, known as the Jeep CJ-2A. With that name said, you can tell Willys would then trademark the Jeep name that we now know today. Oh yes, long writeups preceding the analysis of something so beautifully historic. I definitely feel I can add a couple of paragraphs, but I should stop. It might be 2 weeks, but baby I sure missed this. I hope you all do too.

The MB would put up a 60 HP engine on a barely one ton frame. In game, that's a PI of 198, which is low but not bottom D class. Knowing the dread of how slow this is going to be, I guess it's fine to say it's not the worst of the Pick-up & 4X4s class, which goes to the Land Rover Series III that runs at the bottom. Just like the Renault R26.R and the Countryman, it's also the sole lightweight option of its class, but maybe if I look harder, it might have a mate or two.. You're free to nab your own wartime scout offroading thing for 40,000 credits on the Autoshow. The MB was also infamously a target of memes of this game's first few weeks, where making use of its Car Mastery gave you an easy Super Wheelspin. This is long gone, and the damage has been done: most wheelspin exclusives aren't so nastily sought out for thanks to this. It explains why I have copies of the X-Raid MINI.

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To send these supplies to the boys out front, the Willys MB has to power itself through the rough and tough of Las Ranas Cross Country,

This is a MINI Countryman, but considering the World War II theme we got going on and its double origin of a German born British soldier, you can call it SUS.


"Start by crashing through a series of fields before following the river through Las Ranas, a valley filled with spectacular rock formations said to look like frogs."

I wonder how people can think rock formations look like frogs. Anyways, the track doesn't want to let you think of frogs, because it's a jump happy, overall speedy trail that makes you feel like a frog. Consistency is going to be questioned if we roll in something fast and low, and I'm questioning more on why we're getting a D class machine for this track. This is perfect for the likes of, say.. a bigger Jeep like the Trailcat and the DeBerti Wrangler. I'm already worried with the first jump.

There's quite a few questions on why this type of crown is wearable as your racing attire. I'm questioning more into why this is the only one. I recall there being more in Horizon 4. But let's not take advantage of the Willys MB being a complete convertible to judge my racing fashion sense.. I don't even have this sense on Gran Turismo for some reason.


- Here's a picture of a car whose interior is made for taking on the exterior world. It's bare. Well, it's oddly a convertible. Here's my overall experience of this convertible button. You're free to figure out how I feel, but I guarantee you it's a positively whimsical one.

- No, no launch guide. Too obvious on what you gotta do. However, the car carries a 3 speed that I like to shift by 5000 RPM. And the car refuses to tell you it doesn't accelerate, even though there are moments where that's quite apparent.

- I think the issue with the obligatory brakes and handling guide here would be how in general the best way for this car to get through this track is through being at max speed all the time. You're going to reach your top speed by the first jump since you land at a steep downhill drive. With the exception of that one portion that has you going through water under a bridge just before reaching Las Ranas, at about 62%, going full throttle without braking is how you will go. By the way, the car handles quite nicely on the whole, even if it isn't fast.

- While it might be in D class, the top speed leaves much to be desired. The car likes to hang about 77 MPH. However, thanks to its light weight, you do have this sense of the car not slowing down as it goes up hill. That's bonus points worthy, if I do say so myself. Any more bonus points, and it's going to the MB having to take the turns without issue, with the racing line desperately telling me to slow down, and without losing speed. I probably have to find that Starion or that Corrado hoarding those points.

- As this is cross country, we gotta make sure to observe this car's abilities for the many obstacles that you don't find in any other race type. Obstacles are fine if they are light and you don't ram a whole army of them.

- And also the car's suspension setup is just miles ahead of that we saw in the Warthog. Which is pretty weird to say. Nothing in the fictional future can beat the OG high speed war buggy, it seems.

- But there is one weakness: water. You are going to slow down so much should it even be the cutest little lake you've ever seen. By the 62% range, this is apparent where if you take the usual route, you are going to lose a lot of time getting the car back up to speed. If you watch my ghost, you'll see it taking a different route. You should follow that, or find a way around the water.

- So, the infuriating thing about this track is how uneven that last jump is. I've lost a few clean runs due to the car landing fine, then actually tumbling downhill.

- Believe it or not, the MB has a big of advice going away: it's the perfect little car if you're going to get started in cross country. Just make a C class one first, then you can pump it up the levels. It's a tuner's dream, but instead on the dirty side of things. I don't recall when, but the MB, if tuned correctly was once meta. Maybe it was in 4, or is it here?

Walao beh, who is responsible for combo like this one? All it does make me feel like I don't want to drive leh, haiyaa!

When this kind of personal thoughts come out, it's definitely an issue I somehow took to heart. This is a very nice car for off road, and if we're at the Horizon Baja dirt track that we oddly haven't even touched upon, I'd forgive it. I really hope something this iconic isn't so dismal, and while I got my hopes up nice, the track combo just isn't right. I hope to come back here with a certain Unlimited Offroad monster one day. Which one? That DeBerti Wrangler calls to me in some mystical force.

Plowing through enemy territory, the MB scouts ahead with a best of 3:30.098.

Unlike the Anglia, this isn't a one and done deal. I actually did reruns, due to this.. dramatic sense of joy from the experience provided by the MB. It's a car that wants to tell you to bring it out, and tune it.

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Bleh, there's just no way I'm doing any of the 3 post analysis events. Time to clean up.

So..

What is the Willys MB Jeep? It is..

Car! HUH! What is it good for?! Absolutely something!

Say it again! It's absolutely good for something. It's the kind of tuner's base that you think might be bad, but isn't. And unlike Rambo Lambo's much more positive experience, I'm going for a dare at breaking the norm and say Sleeper.

Iconic yes, fast no, but the experience of getting past enemy lines came through quite nicely. It's subtle, it's quick enough, and it made way for big offroading monsters that came through today. It can accelerate for a low D class car, and boy, I am glad we don't have to rely on the NA2 Miata for a D class sleeper.. at least on my end. The only issue, aside speed, is the track combo. It's the kind of rage that one gets on reminding me towards Week 34.

Speaking of Week 34..

Spoiler: 10 MB sized media alert

So, in the time I've been gone, another game's got an update to their growing car roster, and I'm quite sure Gran Turismo now is the only big ass car game without a 2nd generation JCW Countryman. This is the biggest bump I'm going to ever need should this undertaking require some form of push, oh yes.

Song: Goldfrapp - Slide In

 

[Vic Reign93]

First off, hope you all had a good Christmas.

I ended up getting a long overdue system upgrade from an OG XB1 to a Series X and it’s a night and day difference in loading times and frame rate.

Now on to the Willys Jeep which was the American workhorse of WW2, like the Unimog it was never designed to be raced, it was designed to do it’s job and do it very well with little hassle to it’s operators.

It’s 60hp 2.2 4 Banger and 3 speed gearbox were built with durability in mind and it’s low 2,137lbs weight means less stress on the mechanical components.

While geared to around 78mph, It can still coast to over 100+mph with the clutch in on the downhill sections.

While you can’t add a widebody kit which’ll mean you can’t give it huge tyres like GT7, you CAN add a front mud guard which acts as the racing front bumper to adjust downforce, a rear wing just above the rear passenger seats to adjust rear downforce, a full roll cage AND you can lower and raise the front windshield when out in free roam when parked up.

The first image of @SomePlayaDude review shows off the majority of those tweaks I mentioned. 👍

Engine swaps? a smaller 1.6 turbo rally engine with 300hp, a 415hp 6.2 Chevy SS V8 and if you need to out swap GT7’s Hellcat swap, then the 850hp 7.2 Racing V8 from a Pro 2 Class Off-road Race Truck
should fit the bill for you.

Don’t expect much from it in stock form if you take things seriously, but it’s still plenty of fun to throw it around.

And how could I forget this cars infamous reputation just after FH5’s launch as the go to vehicle for ultra cheap Super Wheelspins?

Automotive Currency is what many of the guys I race with referred to it as.

Its a tuning canvas for a formidable off-roader in B or A class and it’s 40k from the Autoshow and less than that at auction.

All in, It’s a Sleeper in my book, not for what it is stock, but for what it’s done in its past and what it can be turned into for its future. 😁👍

 

[space_wadet]

Very short one from me this week as I'm on holiday. (Even forgot to get the Limo this week )

The Willy is interesting for its history, not much to say about the car and driving in game, especially with Horizon's simcade physics, you're just basically flat out everywhere in it. That said, 60bhp is decent for the time period, and weight, it doesn't feel as painfully slow as the Anglia did.

My first and only run.


Per XSquareStickIt's request I tried making the dumbest build with the biggest engine.

With the fully upgraded Racing V8 you get 1,356 horses to play with. 6 speed gearbox and full weight saving. Standard width drag tires, and racing brakes, to have a small chance of getting out of it in one piece. No other handling upgrades. The Forza physics calculator doesn't like it very much, as the calculated top speed is "FAILED", but after a couple runs on the highway it seems it's just under 400kph.

Even so, not the worst build I've ever made . The 4WD saves it, zero grip in the corners but it's still "driveable".

Sleeper, the original offroader, a proper milestone in history.

 

[Obelisk]

I have had a very, very busy week with the holidays and my birthday yesterday, whee. Another year of physical decline!

The Willys Jeep has earned a Sleeper rating, and now we've hit the end of 2022. In just two days, it'll be January 2023 and I still feel like I'm in winter 2020.

That said, quick note for you folks: Get your one free copy of the Sian from the secret santa/Gift tab in your messages tab. Don't wanna lose it or have to chase one down on the AH.

This week's car is a new to Forza entry, and a relatively new model in general. It's the...

2021 Sierra Cars RX3!

We will be taking this ultra-modern...thing? (A 737) out to the River Scramble to see if it excels or not.

Can someone tell me if this is an ATV, buggy or UTV?!
What do you mean, "yes"?! It was a multiple-choice question!!! HOW DARE YOU-

 

[Obelisk]

I'm going to take first spot on the reviews this week because this car really needs some explanation.

First - it is a UTV. Sierra confirms that on their website.
Second - it is a performance UTV designed to operate on both asphalt and dirt. Yup, the RX3 is a dual purpose track and dirt UTV, and Sierra says you can kit one out for racing slicks or for 30 inch offroad tires.
Third - It's powered by a Hayabusa. Instant "cool" in my book.
Fourth - Apparently Sierra UTVs didn't have a reverse gear before the 2020 RX3, as one of the selling points of the RX3 is that it has a reverse gear.

Even for UTVs, this car gives me the impression of being a screwball in a field of fastballs. Let's see if the Sierra's oddball nature is reflected in the game.

Starting with the second and third point above, the RX3 is able to equip semi-slicks, race slicks, drift, offroad, snow and drag tires in the game. So, seems like they took the dual purpose of the RX3 and expanded upon it for buildcrafting. All of this is set against a car producing 194 HP in-game and only barely tipping the scales at a remarkably light 925 lbs...or 420 kg for the non-Americans in here.

The default tire compound is a rally tire compound, and all four corners of the car are 205/65R15 so it has pretty chunky tires for its size. These can be pushed out to 245s, and the rims can be sized up to 21 inch tires. Why anyone would run 21s on an offroader is beyond me.

It can be converted to AWD, which increases the handling by 0.2 points. It can also accept a single turbo conversion, but it does not have any engine swaps.

Standard equipment on the RX3 is pretty remarkable off the bat. It come with a fully customizable six speed transmission, a fully customizable rear differential, adjustable rear aero and a fully customizable racing suspension. The only settings you cannot tune on this car out of the box are the front aero and the brakes, which makes sense.

As a side note, the brakes are the only thing you can upgrade on the platform and handling section of the car, so that non-adjustable brake setting is kind of a moot point if you never intended to drive the car stock to begin with. The car also does not have a front aero option, which is a little surprising.

That said, the default options and settings on the car do add up nicely - the performance numbers look like this:

Pretty peppy in the lower speeds, but that top end is definitely going to be a mark against it on road circuits and cross-country events... but I talk too much. Let's get the car out to the scramble and see how it goes.

On the road portion of the track, the RX3 is a very responsive and quick-accelerating car that can carry a lot of speed in the corners. Given the very low weight and the rally tire compound being the default, this makes sense. The problems come with being on the dirt portion of the track, where that custom differential's default of 68%/48% causes all sorts of unpleasant behaviors in the car. Accelerate too hard and one of the tires will slip. Decelerate and the rear tries to come around on you.

To say it was difficult offroad is an understatement, so after 12 laps my best time is...

But we're not done here. The RX3 was also intended for track use, so I'll be taking it to the Emerald Circuit to stress test the capabilities of the car in a race track environment. The last set of cars we tested there on COTW were the Z4 and Supra, so I'll be using SPD's laps as reference.

He ran the Supra around Emerald at 54.914, and the Z4 at 53.837.

The RX3 ran a 55.7.

And here is the strength of the stock RX3 - It's honestly an incredible track car. And I think with this, I can understand what Sierra was trying to achieve with the UTV, and what went wrong.

It's dual purpose, but it has to be spec'd into the intended purpose. And where it went wrong in Horizon comes down to one word: Compromise.

The RX3 in game has rally tires on it, which are a compromise between road and offroad grip. The real steel RX3 is an either/or situation: either slicks for track use, or chunky offroad tires for offroad use. To try and bridge both of those with what is honestly a terrible offroad compound is akin to cutting off the car's legs. It can't excel as well on either front when both aspects of it are compromised.

That said, the RX3 is a UTV that has the potential to punch above its weight class, and punch hard. You can spec it into either full offroad or full track, and it will excel at either one. Everything being adjustable off the bat is also an excellent bonus on that front, as you don't need to waste a lot of credits or time getting the right parts equipped to the car.

I declare it a Sleeper, but with the footnote that it got ruined by a need for compromise. Don't compromise on your builds with this car.

 

[SomePlayaDude]

SPD Writes Car Of The Week: Week 60 - Sierra RX3

Need to get away from a dust storm in a pinch? This week's unusual case of a nominee might be the thing for you.

When you thought you're going to get a writeup of epic proportions, here's something so new and unremarkable on info, I guess I have to start somewhere somehow.

As a maker of one seated race cars, Sierra Cars, based in Utah, make these vehicles mainly for recreational purposes unlike the other 2 UTVs in the Polaris and the Can-Am Maverick that has a more utilitarian background. Thus why UTV is a bit confusing to classify the RX3: their first production vehicle. I don't see any utility being used here unless it's shedding lap times.

But if you think this is some offshoot lucky buck who managed to make a one hit wonder, they have made credentials in the 2021 Pikes Peak with the Alpha: a UTV with a big carbon fibre wing and a ridiculous F1 styled splitter. The car's also turbocharged and weighs about 5 of me. Again with me as the weight basis, eh? Well, I do weigh about 200 pounds ish, so..

But with the success there in form of getting on top of the mountain in less than 10 minutes, Sierra Cars aren't playing around, even though fun is the name of their game. So, for their first take at making something less of a niche, they got the RX3. Powered by the same Suzuki Hayabusa engine from the Alpha, the RX3 ditches the Garrett turbo and some other knick knacks for a more versatile ride that can do both on and off-road tricks with the flick of a wand.

Lightweight and rather peppy, the RX3 is an extreme variant of a car that can race with many other sports machines thanks to its Hayabusa engine being carried by a 420 kilogram everything else. The only notable lacking detail is top speed, but the car's aerodynamics and large rear spoiler got you covered on twisty track turns or whatever comes your way.

Barely drifting in the middle of A class, the RX3 has a PI of 737. This skyrockets itself to the top of the UTVs class, which only has it along with the Can-Am Maverick and fellow nominee in the Polaris RZR. Priced at 45,000 credits in the Autoshow, you can also get your own complimentary one by achieving the "Unbeatable Cross-Country Racing" accolade, which requires you to win 10 different Cross Country races in the Unbeatable difficulty. Sounds like a certain 1 second Eventlab ready to go 10 times if you really care about your 45k. I for one, have 1, tuned for road at the top of A, and it's surprisingly very good. It's the car that has a role being the time I have on Rivals for A class Horizon Mexico Circuit.. this sounds like motivation for something coming up later!

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Now to give some animals a quick scare, the not rotary powered RX3 makes its way around the river and under the bridge in River Scramble.

Yes, I brought the wrong MINI. So what? It's not like something has changed at all. Besides, if someone nominates another dirty leaper for next week's festivities, that's another week without the iconic machine of Week 34.

But on a side note, the car still does off-road really well even with a full road racing setup.


"Popular with rally-cross enthusiasts, this action-packed scramble climbs the side of the valley beneath the spectacular “Gran Puente” before crashing through the river on the return run."

Well look: a mixed surface track with a proper balance between the surfaces. Not much in terms of gimmicks, other than how it rewards the more agile rather one with power. Overall, I'd say this is a track that gives the idea like your car's ready for a smashing good time.

Trust me, this picture does not do justice on how many times that rear is going to slip out.


- Within the likes of the RX3 is something that screams the fear of Santa Claus. It's tight and unwelcoming to anyone but the driver. It's even got a big old lever shifter that vibrates like a.. uhh.. make up your own joke here.

- Surprising or not, the car can launch fine with you putting your foot to the floor. I don't think I want to find out if there's an alternative viable way to get it moving. Thanks to the big old Suzuki Hayabusa engine, my shift point finds itself all the way to the area around 11,500 RPM.

- Before I get into some nitty gritty, consider this car to be a very very difficult machine to tame. Remember earlier when I got my track preview messed up by taking the road racing MINI rather than the X-RAID? That car had way less issue making laps around here than the RX3. This is not your usual car.. because I know looking at it definitely gives you that idea.

- Now when we look at braking and handling, you're going to like this: the handling is actually more manageable the better you are at throttle control. And this is a car that's going to test that to no end. Being that we're on a double surface track this week, you'll have to adapt to survive.

- The short gears of this car give it a manageable range of power. 6th is a bit long, but I like how it adapts to going downhill. Its 120+ MPH top speed is accurate here. Power is definitely not a strong suit, which I will make apparent later.

- Here's the part of my template that says traction. Hmm.. I'm worried. This has to easily be the weakest aspect of the car. The car's overall chassis feels much too stiffly awkward for rally, but this is super similar to its forte in kartcross, which is much like rally. I guess it's the odd game physics towards newer cars just taking a stab at old SPD. By the way, the traction is pretty bad on the dirt, which requires you to control it very precisely.. But it's actually good on tarmac.. mostly.

- The trick on getting the car around is to watch your acceleration when the car's not straight, because one overwhelming tap later, and you're going around like that Dead or Alive hit song. And also, should you mess up your turn and try to countersteer... the car just snaps and you found yourself spinning the other way. You gotta be gentle, because as I can see over and over again, this car isn't going to be gentle with you.

- On to track advice, and this is one track that has just about anything small and tight in a rallying track. Except super tight hairpins, but everything is here. Jumps, tight corners, and water. And most of the difficult parts have elevation grafted into them. If you're here for a casual rally, you're in the wrong car.

- There's of course that one place that's born to mess you up. For me, it's the first right hander just after the river. Up hill, rear happy braking nastiness coming your way. Also the road portion early on, with the left hander that has a tree on the apex. Nature can be cruel..

- So, what's the SPD secret on getting the car around corners? It's just engine braking. Thanks to its advanced transmission that's pretty much a race transmission, downshifts are smooth and deceleration in general is nice, making a race car like mannerism when turning. This is if you don't smash the brakes during. If you find yourself having a bit of trouble and are racing in manual, give just downshifting a go.

- To beat the Sierra RX3, one has to get down two things: smooth inputs and general perseverance. And if I have my own personal tip: if you want to get to the RX3, make one for road first, then dirt. And when you make one for dirt, nobody's stopping you from swapping the drivetrain. A class and above really wants you to be AWD if you want to survive. You read that: survive, not compete.


On the whole, this combo is one you shall not enjoy if you can't keep up with the sudden spike in difficulty. It made me think of 2 things: one is how one has to be the embodiment of traction control to survive this. In my case, it's my Dualsense and my more than 10 years of driving without traction control in video games that helped me.

The second? Maybe a personal award for challenge? This would be something like Mark of Zen, but awarded not for giving me a long good time, but an award to satisfy the masochist in me. Only entrants so far include this, the Miura and the Auto Union, but maybe when another significant challenge enters, I'll announce it. And since I said Miura, this new award with the Mark of Zen are mutually exclusive. Sounds good? Nice. But first I have to find a name..

The Sierra crawls through a jungle's source of water over and over to get a best of 1:22.504.

This is once again a combo with me having a low self esteem. I was hoping to just beat 1:25 and be done with it. But the more I learn about the car, the more interest I get, and the swathe of flagged times eventually get clean, with me averaging at the 1:23 region. Mastery of the car, and my trademarked secret for using engine braking to take turns in this, I feel can get you as low as 1:21, I'm sure.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

This is a familiar sight to me: the RX3 on Horizon Mexico Circuit.


To expect something like this would mean you're in some way a psychic that reads my mind. So yeah, I'm going to bring out this UTV with a Test.

In this recurring segment of mine, all I need is a viable car that's not at the top of A, bring it to that level and take it on the Horizon Mexico Circuit. But of course, I'm restricting the upgrades to not have any conversions, except for any forced induction. Any game I find an engine swapping mechanic, it's bound to take it further ahead, and I do want to preserve the soul of the car the best I can.

This might be an off-roading machine, but as mentioned with the source material, it can take on slicks, which allows road builds to be made. Plus: my best time at the time of writing for A class Horizon Mexico Circuit is with this car, with an AWD conversion. Think of this as a way to say I've evolved this past year, and I don't need some crummy conversion to get this thing going for road racing, despite the troubles off the road. After doing some Autoshow mumbo jumbo thanks to adding a turbo, it got 800 PI with slicks and maybe my last will and testament.

This might go as smooth as SpongeBob's first visit to a new karate enthusiast friend that lives in an air filled dome with a notable lack of water.

It's going good? Go and scroll downwards, and I'll tell you why.

The road ready RX3 gets me a new best of 1:05.827.

My original RX3 time was a middling 1:06, and boy, learning more about the car's quirks have paid off massively. With the inclusion of slicks, the car now has excellent grip and traction, knowing how much better it is on the tarmac. Combining this with how the track was made for a car like this, and how it has overall handling as a focus, the time was fairly low. I know it works on road, and I can confidently say it's not hard unlike the stock car at dirt. Still gotta work on your traction, but the different tire compound will help you.

And I guess that's Test over..

Or not. Who installs these alarms anyways?

Since the Test feels a bit bare compared to the spectacles in Showcases and Throwbacks, I'm going to introduce 2 new, non-mandatory elements to it. Both are coming on this entry, so first..


RESCHEDULE: PORSCHE 944 TURBO

I should say something to the lines of this car's history being a top trim model, but that's what I get for leaving it out.


One: reschedules. These include older COTW members doing the Test that I haven't thought about doing with. Or as you can see: inclusive of the likes I didn't do writeups for.

Now, while Pinky was the first car I thought to exemplify this aspect, I figure to go for this Porsche that I didn't have the chance to test out personally. I have a soft spot for these front engined Porsches, with the Panamera and the 968 on a top 10 Porsche list should I ever construct one.

I've built the 944 for a more speedy build that has sports tyres on rather than the norm that is semi-slicks these days. With 499 horses on a 2,593 body, I'm expecting something wild but also refined at the same time.

The 944's best run around would be a 1:07.181.

Hmm, maybe I should build this with semi-slicks instead. The car likes to bring the rear out, and the bump settings feel overall a bit too stiff. This sounds like an excuse that goes in line with my second new element in tests that is..


RETEST: MINI JCW COUNTRYMAN ALL4

Umm.. insert reference to Week 34 here? Would you say I'm tired of it? Maybe. You really have to surprise me if you want a reaction. Like that time with that other COTW thread.


Retests. These include older cars that have undergone Tests, but I feel need a second opinion. I can always rebuild and refine to bring the car out another week with a nominee getting a Test. Of course, the rules remain, and I'll compare times to see the differences in experience and build.

Again with the reschedule, I had a car in mind being the Durango. But I'm benching it again for the MINI. I probably think exactly 67.5 seconds isn't the way I want it to go, and oddly enough haunted me for quite some time with every Test machine getting the ranges that start going 1:07.

Until now. When it comes to what I did, it's not too much. Just overall changes to make it drivable. The time it had on its original test on week HOW DARE YOU 34 was 1:07.500, and if you want to look it up, go ahead.

Granted its second chance, the MINI went to get a new best of 1:07.447.

That's half a tenth better. With results this minimal wink wink, I probably should look and see what can be done.

This car will love an engine swap, but that's against the rules, and my own liking. I'm sure someone's expecting for me to be angry, but Week 34 Test me was at that point, so you already got your chance.

Either way, Test segment end. That Sierra's going to get a verdict, and that 1:05 time is definitely weighing in.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

So..

What is the Sierra RX3? It is..

A lighweight, do-it-all package with a savage surprise.

I'm sure Neutral was the idea thanks to how dismal it is for beginner rally enthusiasts, but for me it's a Sleeper, no arguments. It's the most able car I have in A class road, and that overwhelmingly grand Test result is proof enough. I've plans to go and make me an off-roading one, as I hear it's a handling meta option.

The biggest reason why Sleeper is because nobody knows it can go on road. It might be 400 kilos, but there is a deep sense of satisfaction bringing this car to road race events and actually getting results. Definitely a hidden gem, as me a year ago knew it was.

So today, I'm browsing through a couple of the COTW alumni that hasn't a moment to shine from me. Maybe I can include them in future post analysis endeavors. The 944 on the Test is one example.

Oh, the most obvious announcement of an off-roading Test? Still looking for the right place. It comes down to either Mangrove Scramble, Caldera Scramble or Horizon Baja Scramble. Yes, it has to be a dirt event, because you can't predict cross country.

 

[Vic Reign93]

@SomePlayaDude You’re right about it being 1:21 capable. 🙂👍

I had planned to keep this write up relatively short, but life finds a way to throw a wrench into the face of such things, mostly when tragedy strikes and takes someone away well before their time.

If you somehow haven’t heard the news yet, Only a few hours ago, it was announced that we had lost Ken Block in a snowmobile accident.

There’s much better people out there who can speak about how Ken’s impact on Car Culture as a whole is something to be truly inspired by.

There’s much better people out there who can speak about how Ken was a family man and who saw his eldest daughter pilot the same 1,400hp Hoonicorn that he drove to critical acclaim.

There’s much better people out there who knew Ken and what drove him to be the man everyone knew and the same one we’ll now remember and miss deeply.


“People ask me why I say till we meet again. I say, because Goodbye is so final.” - Marty Reid 2011

Goodbye Ken Block.

I can’t really continue this review in-depth after all that, just know that the Sierra RX3 is more than worth the 45k asking price. 🙂

Verdict: Sleeper

 

[Obelisk]

I normally don't say these things ahead of reset day/COTW update day, but I already have an earmark on a Hoonigan car for week 61 to pay tribute to him.

 

[Obelisk]

The Sierra RX3 has earned a Sleeper rating. Nice work.

But there's something we need to address...I will keep it somewhat brief.

Kenneth Paul Block, 1967-2023. Better known as Ken Block. We all know who he was - the big man behind Hoonigan and some of their incredible machines, and the guy behind the wheel of so, so many viral Gymkhana videos. But that's not all he was. Let's look at his life.

Ken Block got his start in Rally America in the 2005 season, where he finished 4th with 65 points and three podiums. He won the Rookie of the Year award for his performance in the 2005 season. He continued with Rally America until 2015, and aside from skipping 2011 entirely he consistently finished in the top 5, with three silver medals to his name and a bronze medal.

He also took part in the WRC intermittently from 2007 to 2018, doing relatively decently but not really setting any records.

His bread and butter was Gymkhana and Rallycross, and that was really where his fame took off.

He formed the Monster Energy racing team in 2010, which turned into Hoonnigan in 2013. And the rest is history.

There is no way to really express just how much of a loss this is, as Ken's time with us led to the boost in popularity of rally racing in the US, and his Gymkhana videos are still gaining a lot of views.

Rest in peace, Ken. I hope you're ripping up the Gymkhanas up there in heaven.

And to honor him...there's really no better choice, is there? We're looking at Hoonigan's most well-known machine, the...

1965 Ford Mustang "Hoonicorn"!

There are two Hoonicorns in the game, the one we're looking at is the one available in the Autoshow.

And the test course for Ken's legendary machine (S2 951) is the 1971 Ford Mustang Midnight Battle.

 

[Vic Reign93]

So.. The Hoonicorn, technically the second variation of it.

When going through the history of Gymkhana and the cars that Ken used in them, I find they end up in one of two categories.

The first one is Rally/Rallycross cars which are then tuned for Gymkhana like the Focus, Fiesta, Escort Cosworth etc.

The second category is what I call the ‘KB Originals’, cars that are WAY more bespoke and extreme than the cars they were based on would ever be.

You have the “Hoonitruck”, a heavily modified 1977 Ford F-150 with its 3.5 TT V6 taken from the Ford GT LeMans Race Car.

The “Hoonipigasus”, a bonkers homage to the ‘Pink Pig’ Porsche 917, starting with a rusty 911 chassis, it was transformed into a Mid engined Hillclimber with its mid mounted 1400hp 4.0 Flat 6 sending power to all 4 wheels.

Lastly, but definitely not least, the fully electric Audi S1 “Hoonitron, Another homage to the S1 Pikes Peak Quattro and the car that destroyed more tyres during filming than any other Gymkhana car.

Plus it’s very likely the most expensive Gymkhana car ever built with it allegedly costing Audi anywhere from 10-12 Million Dollars to develop the Hoonitron.

But the first “KB Original”, was the Hoonicorn.

Started out as a 1965 Ford Mustang, it was then transformed into a lower, wider and 4WD monster that had almost 850hp from a 6.7 litre Roush Yates V8 revving to 9,000rpm.

But Ken then wanted to drift it up Pikes Peak so he needed even more power.

So the engine was given 2 huge turbos and some lovely Methanol fuel to burn and that took it up to 1400hp and 1200ft-lbs of torque.

The car in FH5 is geared a lot longer than what Ken would’ve had it as it’ll do 250+mph right out the box.

Its handling during my fast run was not one of a pure grip car, it’s a stunt car first and foremost.

It can grip, but don’t think for a second it’ll stay planted for too long.

That’s not really the cars fault, we’re asking it to stop doing the thing it was built to do, to hoon and slide everywhere.

It’s 500k price might seem like much, but considering you’ll be lucky to even get an auction house buyout on one for under double that, it’s quite reasonable.

But when it’s all said and done, it’s a fan favourite, a trend setter, an automotive cultural Icon.

Just like the man who piloted it.

Verdict: Icon 🙂👍

 

[space_wadet]

We probably were all hit pretty hard by the news of Ken Block's passing, as he's been a key figure in automotive and gaming culture for more than a decade now. I'd say his greatest contribution to car culture is how he constantly reminded people that modifying and racing cars should stay fun. Car people can all too easily get caught up in rivalries and snobbery, and Block through Gymkhana, Hoonigan and various appearances in games served as a much needed presence to remind people not to take things too seriously. He will obviously be missed, but hopefully his legacy will help keep the doors he broke down, open.

Though I personally associate Block with the Dirt franchise most (2 and 3 being part of my all time favorites), Horizon does seem like a better fit for his ethos. Only in Horizon can you build a machine approaching the ludicrousness of the Hoonicorn. And what a ludicrous machine it is. I still remember the day it was unveiled, my jaw was very much on the floor. Not many people in the car world would have the balls to take a classic car like the Mustang to tear it down and rebuild it into a widebodied gymkhana machine. The version we have is even crazier, with added turbos and almost double the original power for a cool 1400bhp.

I have to admit I did take this car a bit for granted until. I used it mainly for drift zones and PR stunts since FH4, and would rarely drive it outside of them. It's only when you stop and really try to absorb what this car is that you realize what a car it is. Though I suspect, as Vic pointed out, the one we have in game probably isn't tuned the way the real life gymkhana version is. Gears are longer, differential is a bit more forgiving, suspension likely harder as well.

Despite not being as hard edged as the real thing, it's still not an easy drive. There's a frankly irrational amount of power, it takes absolutely no time at all to reach unreasonable speeds. Honestly sometimes it feels like the game is fast forwarded. 4 wheel burnouts are a common occurrence too, even 4WD isn't enough to put down all this power.

Once you recalibrate your brain to handle these speeds, it's not as savage as you'd expect in the corners. The car is clearly tuned to drift, but I wouldn't say it's twitchy. Turn in to any corner and you'll feel the back end stepping out, but it's relatively tame all things considered. You won't lose control, but you'll be losing time in the corners. It's not really that hard a car to drive, but it is to get real speed out of it. Sliding is rarely the fastest way through a corner and it's the not sliding part that difficult in this car. That said it's to be expected, this isn't a time trial car, at least not in this configuration.



Sleeper. What a machine. Needs some tuning for time trial though.

RIP Ken Block. Thanks for everything you did for us car & gaming people.

 

[Obelisk]

I am sincerely sorry about the delay in the announcement. It's really out of character for me, but I've had a pretty out of character week...

Yes, rabbit antics were a part of that.

Anyways, I really wish I had taken the time to check out the Hoonicorn because it's honestly an incredible machine. And I agree with Vic that it's an Icon. (though for fairness sake, it's a Sleeper vote overall)

For this week, we're checking out the:

1974 Holden Sandman!

The COTY of the FM7 thread makes a return in Horizon Mexico, and it's time for us to discover if it still brings us the most smiles per miles out of any of the cars, or if it'll put us to sleep.

To find out, we are taking the Sandman (C 501)around the San Juan Scramble to see just what it can do.

 

[Vic Reign93]

(Insert your preferred Sandman joke here )

Based on the Monaro,(Well Duh, it’s got the same front end as one. ) The Sandman was Holden’s answer to making a Panel Van.

It ended up attracting the younger, wave surfing demographic of 70’s Australia, custom paint jobs, pinstripes and plenty of room in the back to make your custom Sandman even more your style.

But let’s not kid ourselves on that last point, there’s a reason why the Sandman also became known as the “Shaggin Wagons”.
.
.
.
Swiftly moving on.

The Sandman could be had with either 2 different sized Inline 6’s or 2 different sized V8’s, we’ve got the biggest V8 at 5.0 Litres and making 240hp & 315 ft-lbs of torque, which is sent to the rear via either a 3 speed auto or the 4 speed Manual we actually got.

Handling is a bit on the soft & understeery side, but it’s forgiving to newcomers, even on dirt.

Tyre width is also thinner than you think for a muscle car based van with 205MM tyres front and rear stock and 215’s the max you can go for them. 😳

So unless you’re building a drift car, higher class builds will need the 4wd swap.

And speaking of power builds, the customisation.

For visual upgrades, you have hood scoops with a blower through the hood option, a roof rack with 2 surfboards on it and you can remove the roof over the cargo area and turn it into a Ute.

You can even add Roo Bars on the front should Skippy ever decide to try and come say hello to you via going through the windshield.

As for engine swaps, some of the usual suspects are here, Chevy SS 6.2 V8, Powerstroke 6.7 Turbo Diesel V8, 8.4 Viper V10, 6.5 Lambo V12 and the 805hp 3.0 Racing I6.

And then there’s the Funco Motorsports F9’s 7.4 Twin Turbo V8 which is good for 1,750hp and nearly 1,500 ft-lbs of torque.

Such a motor in a car with 215mm max width rear tyres means it’s fully capable of doing a rolling burnout down the entire length of the abandoned airport runway with no problems.

For 55K at the Autoshow or 25K buyout at Auction, this literal bottom of C Class Aussie certainly offers you much more than what you might pay for it.

It’s a Sleeper, But will it be able to hang on to the top spot it held in COTW Forza’s past?

The year has pretty much started and there’s many more cars that’ll be given a shot to be considered for that title too.

Some will be good, some will be great, some will be contenders for the crown and some will crash and burn.

Just not as badly as Motorsport Games did with that clown show of a race over the weekend.

Verdict: Sleeper 😉👍

 

[Obelisk]

I have been having some serious schedule slippage and motivation issues... sorry for not reviewing anything folks.

That said, I can at least speak from experience as I used to use the Sandman extensively in FH3/4. It's a solid little machine that also doubles as a great bed for upgrading and customization. Sleeper.

(Insert your preferred Sandman joke here )

Is this good enough?

 

[Obelisk]

Apologies for being late again...

Sandman has a Sleeper vote, well done!

This week's car is the 1983 Audi Quattro  at the Gauntlet to mimic the the stages the Quattro's rally and S1 relatives tackled back in the days of Group B.

 

[Vic Reign93]

Definitely the longest event we’ve done to date, Happily I had a 2.1 litre, 306hp 5 cylinder soundtrack to keep me company.

The Sport Quattro is Audi’s homologation special for Group B, taking over from the normal long wheelbase Quattro which enjoyed great success in Rallying (Despite Lancia taking the 1983 WRC Manufactures Cup.).

The Sport Quattro retained some parts from before, but the wheelbase had now been shortened by 12.6 inches to help improve its cornering agility, because let’s not forget that this was the early days of 4WD in rallying so they were a bit understeery and unruly in the twisty sections.

The front bias on the weight distribution didn’t help much with 55% over the front axle either.

It costs 175k in the Autoshow, but you can snipe one for under 100k at Auction.

It does have an engine swap in the form of the 3.0 Racing I6T, but frankly you buy the Sport Quattro for the factory 5 banger so don’t bother with it.

You can dress it up like a Rally Car too with Fog lights and skid plate up front, mud flaps, a raised rear wing, a shorter rear bumper and hood pins.

Shame the S1 Rally version couldn’t be brought back from FH4.

Nevertheless, with only 224 cars ever built, it’s a very rare collectors piece, that’s worthy of being in your collection.

Verdict: Sleeper 😉👍

 

[space_wadet]

A week late and a dollar short but here's my short Sandman review. I can see why it won COTW before, it's such an easy car to drive, great balance, just enough power to now feel slow, drives well on the dirt and tarmac. A nice surprise. Sleeper.



Audi Sport Quattro

I stumbled upon this video a couple days ago, it's mostly about the RS2, but the first half covers the lineage of 5cyl and quattro powered cars up until it, including the Quattro and its successes in racing. The Quattro is mostly known as a rally icon but various versions of it were also widely successful in circuit racing in the US in IMSA and CanAm, as well as DTM back in Europe.

As Vic already pointed out, the version we have is the homologation version, with a shorter wheelbase and a turbocharged 5cyl engine. This being relatively early days, turbo-wise, the infamous turbo lag is very much present. There's a real difference in kick from the engine below and above 5500rpm. You really need to be in the right gear or to spool the turbo before coming out of corners.

Once the turbo kicks in though, there's plenty of power, so there's no shortage of acceleration. Top end is lacking a tad though, fifth gear is quite short compared to the other gears. It didn't get much use even during the long straights of the 60km course.

Although it's rally homologation model, I think where the Sport Quattro actually shines is on tarmac. It's incredibly stable and composed through fast bends. It feels planted like a circuit racer. I guess it must be true that rally cars are tuned for tarmac before gravel. Offroad it's not bad by any means, but since the balance leans towards neutral with a bit of understeer, especially at low speeds, so it lacks a bit of turn in and rotation for tight twisty rally courses (despite the shortened wheelbase).

The only real fault of this car would be the brakes, that tend to lock up quite easily. The well balanced chassis does usually make it easy to correct, but there are times when you can get caught out by the brakes in conjunction with some understeer. On a 60km course, a tiny lapse in concentration will wipe off that clean time.

At 300bhp and 638PI, it's a relatively high power/PI ratio which means there should be a good B class build possible.

Sleeper.

 

[Obelisk]

For something built in 1983, the Audi Quattro has definitely withstood the test of time. 40 years later, and it still has performance numbers that'd make some modern cars envious!

Pair a 300 HP inline 5 with an AWD system, and you have a recipe for a great all terrain road car. It shows in the driving dynamics of this car. It's a great experience all around and it's not too bad on the Forza player's wallet.

...Especially not mine. I have 63 mill. IDK why or how.

I would've posted a time, but I just barely grazed a wall and it flagged me. At that point I just gave up. I've been exhausted and dealing with an absolutely demolished sleep schedule, so my capacity for racing is diminished

Have to call the Quattro a Neutral. Thing's fast, but we already know it's fast, so it's not surprising anyone.

 

[Obelisk]

With that, the Quattro goes back to the Garage with a  Sleeper rating. Speaking of Garages, it's about time we took another look at the Barn Finds.

This week's car is the...

1970 GMC Jimmy!

We'll be taking this proto-brodozer around Restos Cross Country!

Was it worth the restoration effort or should it have stayed in the barn? That's up to you to decide.

 

[space_wadet]

1970 GMC Jimmy

The Jimmy we have has 300bhp, which did seem a little high to me for a 1970s SUV. So I did a little internet digging, and according to an original brochure I found, the top spec had 255hp and also a lot thinner tires. Which means the GMC Jimmy we have is actually based on a custom version sold at a Barrett Jackson auction in 2017. Ironic, considering it's featured as a barn find.

Anyway, the modifications only makes it more suited to cross country, so no complaints here. With huge chunky tires and super soft suspension it's equipped for any terrain. Power goes through the 4 speed auto gearbox. Engine is a little anemic in the lower revs so you'd ideally want more gears, but for C class speeds you make do with them. I stayed in 3rd for most the course. As for handling, the tires are so enormous you can just lean on them all the time without worrying about any loss of grip.


You could say I drove the wheels off the car.



It's a perfect base for a cross country or PR stunts vehicle, and you can fit the 1750hp Funco engine in it to get it to the top of S1 class, making an absolute off-roading monster. Which is what I've been using mine as all this time. Great for off road PR stunts and cross country.

Sleeper.

 

[Vic Reign93]

So the GMC Broadbent.

As already mentioned, it’s not exactly a normal factory Jimmy, but a custom aftermarket one with more power, more ride hight and more tyre beneath it.

300hp from a 5.7 V8 gets it moving nicely, but it weighing in the ballpark of 4000lbs, plus the 4 speed Auto means it won’t be pinning you back in the seats either.

But it is a very versatile platform for many classes and builds, from surprisingly grippy road builds, to wheelie pulling drag builds and obviously, all the ground clearance makes it an off-road menace.

Or rather it SHOULD be a Off Road menace if it wasn’t for one big flaw.

It IS a very quick off roader with the right setup, but as Wadet showed, the Jimmy has a nasty tendency to bury its wheels in the ground and effectively end your run/race after heavy landings.

To such an extent was its occurrence, me and the guys at Casual Racing Mondays began referring to instances where a car is stuck in the ground as being ‘Jimmy’d’.

Just ask @PJTierney how many times his Jimmy decided to bury its wheels in the ground while fighting for the lead.

That also goes the other way too as many folks likely found out this week with the Seasonal championship involving the Rockstar Ford F-150 Trophy Truck.

The tunes that make it somewhat quick also make it susceptible to being ‘Reverse Jimmy’d’, where the tyres can get pushed UP into the trucks frame and effectively cripple it.

Like that for example.

As for the Jimmy, if it wasn’t a Barn Find or if Barn finds could be sold on the Auction House, it’s value of 75k doesn’t seem too steep for the level of potential it’s got to offer you.

If only they can get around to fixing its wheel burying habit.

It’s a Sleeper, but only just. 🙂👍

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