Forza Horizon 5 enters its sixth summer today, with an entirely new theme to mark the start of Series 6.
The theme for the next four weeks is “Horizon Customs”, and it centers on custom cars and — more importantly — custom events.
That means you’ll be seeing plenty of EventLab throughout Series 6, as the new-for-FH5 race creator hits its stride. There’ll be a total of eight different EventLab races across the Playlist, and more than a few Daily Challenges involving the mode.
There’ll also be more of a multiplayer bias this month too, as the new aspects of Horizon Open mode will be highlighted. This will include the new levelling system and Badges, as well as Custom Race events.
S6 also sees the return of Drift Club, as FH4’s expert on all things sideways, Rob, makes the trip to Mexico. This Horizon Story will also be part of the Monthly Challenge, so there’s a good motivation to get it ticked off over the next four weeks.
Of course there’s also a bunch of new cars, new collectibles, and new props to place in EventLab too — and a new Series means new Evolving World Accolades.
The Playlist will slightly increase the number of points available, up to 230, from the lower numbers in S4 and S5. However the reduced prize thresholds — at 20 and 40 points within each Season, and 80 and 160 points for the Series — remain in place, with the Exclusive cars all sitting in the lower bracket.
Series 6
With a brand new Series comes a similarly new set of reward cars, but — despite the additional Monthly reward from the Drift Club Story — you’ll still just be window-shopping during the first Summer season.
Neither of the cars is exclusive to the playlist, but they will save you a lot of time, trouble, and money trying to find them.
The first car on the list, available for 80 points across the season, is the Honda NSX-R GT. Produced as a highly limited run of five cars — at an eye-watering $300,000 apiece — the NSX-R GT was intended to homologate a new body for Super GT.
Based on the existing NSX-R, the GT is longer and wider, and sports additional aero devices — though it’s neither more powerful nor lighter than the original.
One particularly notable change comes by way of a huge snorkel mounted on the engine cover. While that was used to force-feed the race car’s engine with cold air, it’s non-functional on the road car.
You can’t get the NSX-R GT easily in FH5, as it’s only available through the Forzathon Shop or the Seasonal Playlist — and it goes for 20m a time in the Auction House — so it’s a decent prize for the low points required.
The 160-point car is actually easier to pick up, despite being rarer still than the Honda, it’s just rather expensive.
Ford’s GT40 MkII was the first car from the Blue Oval to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The story behind it is legend; Ferrari snubbed Ford’s attempt to buy it, so Ford set out to smash it in its most important arena: on the race track.
How the Ford won was controversial. With the lead two cars running effectively together, Ford wanted to stage a dead-heat (along with the third-placed GT40 that was 12 laps down). However, under endurance racing rules, the #2 car of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon had travelled 20 yards further due to starting behind the #1 of Ken Miles and Denny Hulme, and was declared the winner.
Ordinarily, this car would set you back 11 million credits in the Autoshow, so for 160 points of the 230 available this Series it’s a bit of a saving.
Series 6 will run through to 1430 UTC on Thursday, April 28, with the Summer season lasting until the same time on Thursday, April 7.
Summer
During the Summer playlist you’ll be able to win two highly exclusive, British-built cars.
Despite the name of the brand and the initials of the owner that make up the car’s name, the Ascari KZ1R — named for Italian racing driver Alberto Ascari and Dutch businessman Klaas Zwart — is the quintessential British shed racer.
Built in a factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire — the very same building which now houses the Haas F1 Team’s European base of operations — the KZ1R was development of a development of the limited-production KZ1.
Both cars featured a spaceframe chassis, with a BMW M5-sourced V8 powering the rear wheels. However where the KZ1 was a supercar, the KZ1-R was a stripped back GT3 racing machine, and confusingly bore the name of the brand’s earlier prototype racer.
The KZ1R, just to keep with the strange naming traditions, effectively re-sanitized the car for road use. It kept all of the upgrades of the KZ1-R — power and aero most notably — but added the creature comforts back.
It’s available for 20 points this Season, and is exclusive to the Playlist.
For the higher threshold of 40 points you can pick up an even more unusual British supercar: the Jaguar C-X75.
This was originally developed as an all-electric machine with an onboard generator. It was to have four individual in-wheel electric motors, good for 780hp between them, with gas turbines providing electricity to the battery pack.
A radical redesign of the powertrain followed for the production model, with two motors — one on each axle — and a twincharged 1.6-liter straight four combining to make for a nearly 900hp hybrid.
However the car was abruptly cancelled after Jaguar and Williams had produced just five prototypes. It later appeared as a star car in the James Bond flick Spectre, but it was an unrelated chassis dressed to look like the C-X75.
It’s usually 1.5 million credits in the Autoshow, so if you can’t scrape together the points this Season — and you will need Xbox Live Gold (or to play on PC) to achieve it — it’s not lost for all time.
Forzathon Events
This week’s event wants you to Rise to the Challenge; pick up a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon to get started.
You’ll need to give the custom theme a swerve for the next stage, as the challenge is to win an A Class (701-800 PI) Drag Race (there’s three, at the airport, the main Festival site, and Teotihuacan) with the Demon in standard trim.
After that, get modding and bring the Challenger up to S1 Class (801-900 PI). The task this time is… to win another drag race, but in the new class.
Finally take a photo of the car to complete the final step. You’ll win five season points and 80FP (doubled to 160FP if you own the La Casa Solariega player house).
Daily Challenges will run to the Customs theme of the Series too. You can try for a new one each day, with seven days to complete the task, and each gives you one point for your season total and 10FP.
Your starter for the season is Play By The Rules. All you need to do is play any Event Blueprint created by any player. There’s a few ways to achieve this, but you can simply head to any race start point of any type and select any “Community Creations” race.
Full Potential looks to custom cars on Friday, as you’ll be tasked with earning nine stars (or scoring nine stars’ worth of distance) from any Danger Signs using an S1 Class (801-900 PI) Vans & Utility vehicle.
It’s a simple challenge to start the weekend, as My Precious merely requires you to take a photo of any vehicle.
Sunday’s task is no harder. You’ll need to paint your car in order to pass the Lick of Paint challenge; at the moment it’s not clear if this will auto-complete if you’ve already done this, or whether you need to do it again. Either way though, it’s hardly complex.
The customization follows as we start the working week. A French Revolution requires you to spend 25,000cr on upgrades for any French vehicle. Again, this may complete automatically if you have already done it, but we’ll need to wait to Monday to find out.
Go One Better follows, and you’ll need to win a Road Racing Series event in any vehicle in the X Class (999 PI).
Finally Throwing Shade is another challenge set around tweaking your car. Change the color of the window tint to pass.
Season Events
It’s all about EventLab this Series, with two player-created challenges each week. Three PR Stunts and a Seasonal Championship lend a sense of familiarity to the slightly unusual list.
The Airfield Rally X Circuit is, as the name suggests, a rallycross circuit set at the airfield. You’ll need any car from the Rally Monsters category, tuned to S1 Class (801-900 PI) to take part.
It’s a three-lap race against AI, with some tight corners, obstacles, and jumps. Watch out for the big jump, which the AI will go into far too hot, and the sneaky “joker lap” section on the back stretch which will save you five seconds or so. Win the race and you’ll grab three points and a Toyota AT38.
Stunt Race Circuit is another S1 Class (800-901 PI) event, but with no category requirements — although we’d recommend something with plenty of suspension travel to soak up some heavy landings.
The track consists of a huge number of extremely large obstacles that you’ll jump through as you climb into the skies above Mulege. You only need to finish the two laps to complete it though, to win three points and Builder’s Gloves for your avatar.
This week’s three PR Stunts are a Danger Sign, a Speed Trap, and a Speed Zone. Each awards two points and a Super Wheelspin.
You’ll need a D Class (up to 500 PI) Reliant Supervan for the Danger Sign, jumping 115m into the heart of Ek’Balam to pass. The Speed Zone requires a B Class (601-700 PI) Alpine A110 ’73, and a tricky average speed of 90mph over the dirt route below the Gran Puente bridge.
Finally take any S1 Class (801-900 PI) Super GT category car to a 195mph target speed through the Speed Trap on the long road north of the volcano heading to Guanajuato.
For the Seasonal Championship you’ll need to grab a B Class (601-700 PI) Alumi Craft Class 10, and get ready for a three-race Cross Country Series event against the Highly Skilled AI. Come out on top of the points table to take three points and a Morgan 3-Wheeler.
EventLab: Airfield Rally X Circuit
- Car: S1 Class, Rally Monsters
- Location: Aerodromo en la Selva
- Challenge: Win the Race
- Reward: 3 points, Toyota AT38
EventLab: Stunt Race Circuit
- Car: S1 Class
- Location: Mulege, Arch of Mulege
- Challenge: Finish the Race
- Reward: 3 points, Builder’s Gloves
Danger Sign: Eagle’s Perch
- Car: D Class, Reliant Supervan
- Location: Ek’Balam, Eagle’s Perch
- Challenge: 115m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Trap: Northern Passage
- Car: S1 Class, Super GT
- Location: Gran Caldera, Northern Passage
- Challenge: 195mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Zone: Orilla del Rio
- Car: B Class, Alpine A110 ’73
- Location: Gran Puente, Orilla del Rio
- Challenge: 90mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Seasonal Championship: Hand Crafted
- Car: B Class, Alumi Craft
- Location: Hotel Mirador Balderrama, Foto Final Cross Country
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Morgan 3-Wheeler
There’s just two online multiplayer events this week, with Seasonal Playground Games and The Trial filling the spots; Horizon Open appears elsewhere in the Playlist. As usual, you’ll need to either play on PC or have an active Xbox Gold subscription to take part in these.
For the Games, you’ll need any C Class (501-600 PI) Retro Hot Hatch as you’ll play on a team of up to six against another squadron of players in a best-of-three set of Flag, King, and Zombies games at the Horizon Stadium.
Winning the event isn’t necessary; just complete it to take three points and a Honda NSX-R ’92.
The Trial looks set to be tricky this week, as vehicle speeds will be high while handling and braking might not be quite on point.
You’ll be teamed up with five other players to take on six “Unbeatable” rank AI Drivatars in a three-race series. It’s a Road Racing Series event this week, featuring S1 Class (801-900 PI) cars from the Classic Racers category.
The real challenge of The Trial is that it needs teamwork. In order to win you’ll need to outscore the six AI as a team, rather than individually. You’ll gain 100pt for every AI you beat (and a 50pt bonus for a race win), while the AI gain 100pt for every human they beat.
That means that you’ll need to work with your team to help each other to maximum points while also hindering the AI. Sometimes it can be better to drop back and block a ‘bot to help your colleague pass than to try to chase down an AI you can’t catch.
Win out over the three races, you’ll take ten season points and a Porsche 356 ’59.
Seasonal Playground Games: Retro Wave
- Car: C Class, Retro Hot Hatch
- Location: El Estadio Horizon
- Challenge: Finish the Event
- Reward: 3 points, Honda NSX-R ’92
The Trial: Fine Art
- Car: S1 Class, Classic Racers
- Location: Playa Azul, Playa Azul Circuit
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Porsche 356 ’59
Challenges
There’s a big list of Challenges this week, boosted by Horizon Open events to use the new levelling system and Custom Race options.
For Choices, Choices! you’ll need to enter and complete and Horizon Open Custom Race. Tap the pause button, pick Online from the top menu, then Horizon Open and Custom Race.
You’ll then need to pick a preferred race type and car class, and if there’s a sufficient number of other people looking for the same thing you’ll be dropped into a race hopper. Complete the race and you’ll take two points and a Mercedes C63 AMG.
Just Getting Started will require you to earn two levels in Horizon Open. Any Horizon Open event will do, and if you haven’t raced, drifted, or gamed in any of them yet you’ll find that gaining two levels is a matter of taking part in a single round. Complete the task to take two points and 50,000cr.
This week’s Photo Challenge, #CircleOfLife, takes you to Playa Azul, and the lion mural you’ll find on the main street. Take a photo of a Porsche Cayman GT4 ’16 with the mural in shot and you’ll win two points and a t-shirt with the lion mural — designed by Farid Rueda — for your avatar.
The Collectibles event, Colour Festival, will have you smashing up paint barrels. You can find them at the main Horizon Festival site, littering the area. Hit 25 to take three points and the Doodle Pattern Face Mask.
Technically there’s two Monthly Events, with the Monthly Rivals being joined by a special new Horizon Story: Drift Club Mexico.
This story sees Rob fly in from the UK, where he hosted Drift Club both on the mainland at on Fortune Island, to start the series up on a new continent.
You’ll need to work through six chapters of the story, gaining 18 stars, in the four-week Series to complete it, and you’ll get three points added to each season (12 in total) — even backdated if you leave it until later in the Series. There’s also a Mustang Mach-E 1400 as a bonus prize.
That leaves the regular Monthly Rivals challenge, also running across all four weeks of the Series. It’s available at any time, awarding four points to each of the four seasons — also backdating it if necessary.
For this month it’s a lap around the Emerald Circuit, up at Palacio Azul del Oceano. Complete a clean lap in the Ascari KZ1R to win the points.
Collectibles: Colour Festival
- Cars: Any
- Location: Horizon Festival
- Challenge: Smash 25 Paint Barrels
- Reward: 3 points, Doodle Pattern Face Mask
Horizon Open: Choices, Choices
- Cars: Any
- Location: Horizon Open Custom Race
- Challenge: Complete a Custom Race in Horizon Open
- Reward: 2 points, Mercedes-AMG C63 ’16
Horizon Open: Just Getting Started
- Cars: Any
- Location: Horizon Open
- Challenge: Earn 2 Levels in Horizon Open
- Reward: 2 points, 50,000cr
Photo Challenge: #CircleOfLife
- Cars: Porsche Cayman GT4 ’16
- Location: Playa Azul
- Challenge: Photograph the Porsche Cayman GT4 ’16 at the Farid Rueda Lion Mural in Playa Azul
- Reward: 2 points, Farid Rueda’s Lion Relaxed Fit Tee
Horizon Story: Drift Club Mexico
- Cars: Provided
- Location: Horizon Festival
- Challenge: Earn 18 Stars in Drift Club Mexico
- Reward: 12 points (3 added to each season), Ford Mustang Mach-E 1400
Monthly Rivals: Emerald Circuit
- Cars: Ascari KZ1R (Provided)
- Location: Palacio Azul del Oceano, Emerald Circuit
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 16 points (4 added to each season)
Forzathon Shop
As usual, there’s a new Forzathon Shop with some pretty tasty cars on offer this week.
The McLaren F1 is one of the most famous cars ever produced, and an almost-instant “lottery garage” pick for just about anyone with even the slightest interest in cars.
Although it was the fastest production car in the world and a Le Mans-winning race car, it was never intended to be either. Gordon Murray simply wanted it to be the best car in the world. We think that qualifies as a successful outcome.
In total McLaren only made 106 cars, initially selling at £540,000 ($800,000), but these days — on the rare occasions they come up for sale — you shouldn’t expect any change from $20 million.
Appropriately enough, the McLaren isn’t easily attainable in FH5, coming up only in the Forzathon Shop, Playlist events, and Wheelspins. That being the case, the 700FP price is probably a bargain.
The Hyundai Veloster N is the other car available this week, and it too is not a car you can purchase from the Autoshow. However the 500FP price is a little high for a B Class hot hatchback, even one we really rather like, so save your points and rely on a Wheelspin.
Store items this week are the Pinball Machine Horn and a Builder’s Outfit for your avatar, at 75FP each. The Wheelspin (80FP) and Super Wheelspin (300FP) are in their usual spots too.
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