A new season is now available in Forza Horizon 5, taking us into the second week of the current Series.
Unofficially called Series 12, the theme for the current four-week bloc is “Horizon Road Trip“. This will see players taking on new events and challenges, with each week centering on a different type of race event.
We’ve already had the Road Racing week, with events on paved roads, while this week’s challenges are all about Cross Country: races across the terrain on unmarked paths. Dirt Racing and Street Racing will follow later in the Series.
Some changes come to the Playlist this month too, with some longer events appropriate to the “Road Trip” name. Each of the giant courses — Colossus, Gauntlet, Marathon, and Titan — will feature in a one-race championship each season, while there’s also a five-race championship in each week too.
On top of all of that, there’s new cars to collect, consisting of three brand new models and two returning vehicles. Of course there’s also a new “Evolving World” Accolade for those who pick up all five.
Series 12: Horizon Road Trip
Players should be gearing up to pick up the first of the two main Playlist rewards this week, with just 80 points across all four weeks required.
That’s the new Audi RS e-tron, which you may have already driven in the Forza EV Monthly Rivals event. If you couldn’t already guess from that alone, the RS e-tron is a fully electric car, sharing a platform with Porsche’s Taycan.
It’s not quite as powerful as the top Taycan models, but then Audi pitches the RS e-tron as an executive car rather than a sports model. However the twin-motor setup still puts 590hp of electricity — up to 637hp is available in bursts — onto the road.
You’ll need to wait another week before you can pick up the higher-tier reward which, at 160 points, is the McLaren 765LT.
Although it’s named “LT”, referencing McLaren’s famous “longtail” cars which started with the elongated model of the McLaren F1 GTR, the 765LT doesn’t have an especially long tail. It’s two inches longer than the 720S from which it’s derived, but most of that is on the nose.
There’s no denying its performance though, with a raft of technical tweaks and another 45hp from the twin-turbo V8 making the 765LT incredibly quick on the open road.
You may already have one in your garage, as the car was previously available as a Series 6 Playlist reward, but this week is another chance to score it.
Series 12 Autumn/Storm Season
Across the Autumn season you’ll be racing for two very different takes on four-wheel drive — which will come in handy on the rather moist roads.
That starts with the 20-point reward car, which is the all-new Audi RS7. This four-door, V8 coupe is made in pretty much the same mold as the RS e-tron GT, but with a combustion engine rather than two electric motors.
One thing it does have two of though is turbochargers, with twin snails added to a four-liter V8 to make 592hp, delivered to all four corners. That should make for an entertaining head-to-head battle between the two Audi products.
Speed is not a primary concern of the 40-point prize, which is the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro — previously available as a Series 5 reward car.
Although modified by Toyota’s TRD performance arm, it’s a very different kind of performance for the 4Runner. Instead of speed, it’s the ability to get over rough terrain. TRD has beefed up the suspension and underbody protection with that in mind.
Autumn will last until 1430UTC on Thursday September 29, while Series 12 will continue through to the same time on Thursday October 13.
Forzathon Events
With Cross Country as this week’s focus, and the Horizon Baja Outpost being the hub in the game, it’ll come as no surprise that the Weekly Challenge will hinge on a famous Baja racer.
This time it’s the Desert Dingo racing Volkswagen Beetle #1107. Get the stock-class racer and drive it to start the 1107 challenge.
Next up, as Class 11 is a stock category, you’ll need to win a race with the unmodified vehicle. Oddly it’s a Dirt Racing Series race you’ll be tasked with winning, despite the Cross Country focus this week; this may be something to do with the Treasure Hunt…
After that, earn six stars at any Trailblazers in the #1107, then round things off by simply taking a snap of the car. Complete that to earn five points and 160FP.
Weekly Challenge: 1107
- Car: Volkswagen Beetle #1107 Desert Dingo
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the VW Beetle Desert Dingo
- Chapter 2: Win a Dirt Racing Series race in the VW Beetle Desert Dingo without upgrades
- Chapter 3: Earn 6 Stars at Trailblazers in the VW Beetle Desert Dingo
- Chapter 4: Take a photograph of the VW Beetle Desert Dingo
- Reward: 5 points, 160FP
The seven Daily Challenges for the week arrive at their usual one-a-day rate. Each has a seven-day window to complete, with one point (and 20FP) for each.
It’s another simple starter; head to the Green Lane by visiting the Horizon Baja Festival Outpost.
Look Out Below follows on Friday. Just jump any Unlimited Offroad vehicle to at least a 152m distance to pass.
You’ll be blazing a trail in Spinning Tyres, as you need to earn at least two stars at the Cascadas Trailblazer — just west of Atlantes de Tula — using the International Scout.
It’s Muddy Good Fun on Sunday. Take any Pickups & 4x4s vehicle to a win in any Cross Country event. Handily there’s an entire Seasonal Championship for this too…
Jumping Jacks starts the working week off. Earn three Kangaroo Skill Combos — earned for two successive “Air” Skills for getting all wheels off the floor and landing again — to complete it.
A challenge for cars with far too many wheels follows on Tuesday. Earn a total of 100,000 Skill Score in any six-wheeled vehicle to complete 6×6.
That leaves you with Sports & Recreation. Win the Costera Cross Country — located near Palacio Azul del Oceano on the south-west coast — in any Sports Utility category vehicle to take the final point.
Daily Challenges
- September 22 – Green Lane: Visit the Horizon Baja Festival Outpost
- September 23 – Look Out Below: Jump at least 500ft (152m) in any Unlimited Offroad vehicle
- September 24 – Spinning Tyres: Earn at least two stars at the Cascadas Trailblazer in the International Scout
- September 25 – Muddy Good Fun: Win a Cross Country Event in any Pickups & 4x4s vehicle
- September 26 – Jumping Jacks: Earn three Kangaroo Skill Combos
- September 27 – 6×6: Earn 100,000 Skill Score in any six-wheeled vehicle
- September 28 – Sports & Recreation: Win Costera Cross Country in a Sports Utility Vehicle
Season Events
The key changes to the Playlist continue this week, with the three PR Stunts and three Seasonal Championships all taking place on the rough stuff.
As with last week, the PR Stunts can be completed with the same car — as can every PR Stunt this Series — with a Super Wheelspin and two points as a reward for each. The only restriction across the Series is that you use an S2 Class (901-998PI) car of any kind.
You’ll need to complete the Cordillera Speed Zone at an average of 120mph, hit a huge distance of 335m at the Cascadas Danger Sign, and complete the Juggernaut Trailblazer with at least 100s remaining in your chosen vehicles; we’d recommend AWD this week, just to deal with the loose surfaces involved.
The Trailblazer in particular is a bit of a beast, as the five-minute time allocation should hint, running from the volcano to Ek’Balam. We’d recommend staying left through the gate as you start, then aiming for the highway rather than cutting through the badlands.
Once you pass the intersection at Cordillera head for the surfaced road past the south of Teotihuacan and the Barn Find and then head east through the trees and come at Ek’Balam from the north; the finish line is atop the main pyramid.
The three Seasonal Championships are worth five points as usual, but consist of one-, three-, and five-race events. In all cases you’ll face Highly Skilled AI opponents and need to top the overall points table to win.
Cross Country Odyssey is the regular three-race event. You’ll need a C Class (501-600PI) Pickups & 4x4s category vehicle for the championship, which awards a Jeep Cherokee for the overall win.
Meanwhile the similarly named Cross Country Endurance takes you on a five-race tour. It’s for Unlimited Offroad category vehicles in A Class (701-800PI), and there’s a Toyota FJ40 bonus for taking first place.
That leaves The Titan, which hosts the one-round race. This monster of an offroad course requires B Class (601-700PI) Unlimited Buggies — and a lot of time — with a Bentley Bentayga reward.
You’ll also face another EventLab this week, which features a boardwalk course in the forest. Jungle-Coaster requires an A Class (701-800PI) Extreme E vehicle, for a relatively gentle but entertaining course; don’t slow down too much when you see the on-screen warning… Finish the two laps to win two points and a Puebla Mexican Suit.
Last of all there’s Horizon Arcade. You’ll need to take part in any type of Horizon Arcade event — Air, Chaos, Drift, Speed, or Wreckage — and complete three rounds to earn the three points on offer. This event scales with the number of participants, so it’s as easy to do solo as it is in multiplayer.
Danger Sign: Cascadas
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Cascadas de Agua Azul, Cascadas Danger Sign
- Challenge: 335m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Zone: Cordillera
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Cordillera, Cordillera Speed Zone
- Challenge: 120mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Trailblazer: The Juggernaut
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: La Gran Caldera, Juggernaut Trailblazer
- Challenge: 100s
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
EventLab: Jungle Coaster
- Car: A Class, Extreme E
- Location: Atlantes de Tula, Granjas de Tapalpa
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 2 points, Puebla Mexican Suit
Horizon Arcade: Mini Games
- Car: Any
- Location: Horizon Arcade (any)
- Challenge: Complete Horizon Arcade
- Reward: 3 points
Seasonal Championship: Cross-Country Endurnace
- Car: A Class, Unlimited Offroad
- Location: Guanajuato, Urban Cross Country
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Toyota FJ40
Seasonal Championship: Cross-Country Odyssey
- Car: C Class, Pickups & 4x4s
- Location: La Gran Caldera, Las Dunas Cross Country
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Jeep Cherokee ’14
Seasonal Championship: The Titan
- Car: B Class, Unlimited Buggies
- Location: La Gran Caldera, The Titan
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Bentley Bentayga
If you have the Hot Wheels DLC there’s a chance to pick up seven more points through two special events in “SkyDrivers Park”. They’re not required for Playlist completion, so you won’t miss out if you don’t have the pack.
This week’s PR Stunt is the Hammer’s Shadow Speed Trap. Like the regular events, it requires an S2 Class (901-998PI) car of any type, with a relatively easy 250mph target. Two points and a Super Wheelspin await.
The Seasonal Championship, is On Orange Alert. This uses the regular three-race format against Highly Skilled AI, which you’ll need to top the points table to win. It’s a Dirt Racing Series event open to A Class (701-800PI) Sports Utility Heroes, and offers five points and a Chevrolet ZR2 for victory.
Hot Wheels Speed Trap: Hammer’s Shadow
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Hot Wheels Park Giant’s Canyon, Hammer’s Shadow Speed Trap
- Challenge: 250mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: On Orange Alert
- Car: A Class, Sports Utility Heroes
- Location: Hot Wheels Park Forest Falls, Forest Falls Hazard Sprint
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Chevrolet ZR2
The Trial sits in its usual spot this week as the only multiplayer event. You’ll need Xbox Live Gold or to play on a PC to access this.
This three-race series is usuall the most difficult on the Playlist, partly due to the team of six “Unbeatable” AI drivatars you’ll face, but also due to your up-to-five human team-mates who — somehow — might still not be familiar with the rules.
Each driver on each team earns 100 points for every opponent they beat to the finish, with a 50pt bonus to the overall winning driver as a tie-breaker. The team that wins is the one with the most points, and not necessarily the winning driver.
That means that to win as a team you’ll all need to finish ahead of as many opponents as possible. Helping your team-mates is much more important than personal glory, so don’t drive into the blue cars or punt them out of checkpoints, and hold up the red ones if you can.
With this week being a Cross Country event, control is likely to be at a minimum. The low speed, B Class (601-700PI) cars — from the Sports Utility Heroes category — should help things out a little.
Work together to win and everyone will earn ten points and an Alumi Craft C10.
The Trial: Cross Country Sports
- Car: B Class, Sports Utility Heroes
- Location: Teotihuacan, Restos Cross Country
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Alumi Craft C10
Challenges
It’s another three-challenges week, with a Treasure Hunt and the regular Photo Challenge joined again by The Eliminator.
You’ll require multiplayer access for that last one, but it’s a simple enough task. Just finish 30th or better in any Eliminator event — usually a case of surviving a couple of minutes — to claim two points and a “Mwahahaha!” Forza Link greeting.
The #IntoTheBaja Photo Challenge this week sets you the task of photographing the Jeep Cherokee 2014 at the Horizon Baja Outpost. You’ll earn two points and a Dial Up Modem car horn for doing so, and the vehicle is available from the Cross Country Odyssey seasonal if you don’t already have it.
Your Dune Buggy Treasure Hunt clue is “Only a buggy could get so muddy and leave your opponents across the country”. Combined with the picture clue, and of course everything else this week, you should be aiming to win any Cross Country Racing Series event using any Buggy category vehicle.
Once you’ve done that task you’ll receive the treasure hint: a red circle on your map showing roughly where the chest is located.
Unsurprisingly, given last week’s treasure chest location, that’s up at the Horizon Baja Outpost — and pretty much in plain sight right by the road. Smash the chest to take three points and 100FP as a prize.
Photo Challenge: #IntoTheBaja
- Cars: Jeep Cherokee 2014
- Location: Horizon Baja Outpost
- Challenge: Photograph the Jeep Cherokee 2014 at the Horizon Baja Outpost
- Reward: 2 points, Dial Up Modem horn
Treasure Hunt: Dune Buggy
- Cars: Buggies
- Location: Any Cross Country Series event
- Challenge: Win any Cross Country Series event in any Buggy, find and smash the Treasure Chest
- Reward: 3 points, 100FP
The Eliminator
- Cars: Any (provided)
- Location: Valle de las Ranas, The Eliminator
- Challenge: Finish 30th or better
- Reward: 2 points, “Mwahahaha!” Forza LINK
There’s two new Rivals events up for the month, both centering on the new Audi models introduced in the update. Each offers four points, with one added to each week of the Series — added to completed seasons if you leave it later in the month.
In both cases you’ll need to run a clean lap of the required Rivals course in the vehicle provided for the challenge. You don’t need to go fast or set a good leaderboard time, just drive a clean loop.
The Forza EV challenge puts you into the new Audi RS e-tron GT for a lap of the Emerald Circuit, over near Palacio Azul del Oceano. For Monthly Rivals it’s the Audi RS7 around the difficult Bolo Ocho course in Guanajuato.
Forza EV: Emerald Circuit
- Cars: Audi RS e-tron GT (provided)
- Location: Palacio Azul del Oceano, Emerald Circuit
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Bolo Ocho Circuit
- Cars: Audi RS7 (Provided)
- Location: Guanajuato, Bolo Ocho Circuit
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Forzathon Shop
The Forzathon Shop this week deals with immense power — but not necessarily the same amount of responsibility.
Taking pride of place is the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari. When a car is named after the company’s founder you know it’s going to be something special, and when that’s applied to a brand already famous for its special cars that moves on a bit.
So it is with the Enzo. Ferrari only made 399 cars originally (a 400th was made for the Pope) and only sold them to customers who had previously bought both an F40 and an F50.
Powered by a 650hp, six-liter V12, the Enzo used a variety of advanced materials and technologies derived from F1, as well as active aerodynamics, to hit a top speed of 221mph and generate 65% of its own body weight in downforce at 185mph.
You can pick it up for 600FP this week, although the 2.8m price in the Autoshow may be more to your liking.
Dwarfing the Enzo’s output is the 900hp Deberti Toyota Tacoma “Performance Truck”. This combines a lightweight chassis with the body of a Tacoma and a NASCAR V8 engine to make a supreme — and loud — drift truck.
At 400FP it’s a little steep though, considering it sits in the Autoshow for just 500,000cr.
Store items this week are the Doodle Jumper and the Windows Tada 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.
