Forza Horizon 5’s new Series is now upon us, as the Horizon Festival goes absolutely wild.
The new Summer season marks the first week of Series 18 and the Horizon Wilds Takeover. That means players can look forward to a whole four weeks of getting down and dirty.
Horizon Wilds is the game’s hub for its Dirt Racing Series — races that take place on marked roads, but primarily unpaved ones that cut oddly shaped and undulating ribbons through the Mexican landscape.
Accordingly, the majority of your challenges and events for the next lunar month will be dirt-based and feature legendary off-road vehicles.
That includes the series and season prize cars, with a total of seven new vehicles available over the Series, and of course a new Evolving World Accolade for collecting them all.
There’s more besides too, with a special set of Accolades marking the life of Ken Block, and the return of the Horizon Stunt Park built inside the Horizon Stadium.
The Wilds Outpost itself also gets a makeover, as the game — and players — prepare for the Rally Adventure expansion coming at the end of the month.
Series 18: Horizon Wilds Takeover
Both of the reward cars this Series are new, consisting of one returning to Horizon and one all-new vehicle. Unusually, that entirely new car is available as the higher tier Series reward, whereas we’ve seen such vehicles sit in the lower slot for much of the game’s life.
Nonetheless, hit 80 points across the Series — which won’t be possible until the Autumn next week — and you’ll earn yourself a Subaru BRAT.
This dinky little pickup truck is actually a car, although you might not know it. Essentially a cut-down Subaru Leone two-door, the BRAT featured a pair of rear-facing plastic seats in the load bay area, which allowed Subaru to class it as a car rather than a light truck.
All BRATs — which is short for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter — came with all-wheel drive and a small version of Subaru’s boxer four engine, and curiously the car was never sold in Subaru’s native Japan.
At 160 points you’ll earn the Sierra Cars 700R, adding a sibling for the Utah brand’s RX3 which is already in the game.
Curiously described as “faster and improved in every way” by the Forza website, the 700R is in fact a budget model. It’s certainly developed from the RX3, and both lighter and more advanced, but faster is one thing it’s not.
That’s because where the RX3 packs close to 200hp from the 1.3-liter Suzuki Hayabusa bike engine, the 700R uses a single-cylinder unit from the Yamaha Raptor 700 quad bike, with 45hp on tap.
Series 18 Summer/Wet Season Rewards
You’ll be aiming to score a long-awaited returning vehicle in the Summer season, with 20 points earning you the Audi Sport quattro S1 rally car.
One of the icons of the Group B era, the quattro was also one of the most successful machines ever made and popularized all-wheel drive; the original car was the first WRC event winner with four driven wheels.
The S1 was essentially the quattro’s final form, with a much shorter wheelbase, wider track, and a 2.1-liter straight five wound up to almost 450hp.
However it wasn’t quite as successful as its predecessors, as rivals had caught up and offered some truly wild, bespoke machinery, and the Group B era subsequently ended in infamous fashion.
In both S1 and last-of-line S1 E2 forms, the Sport Quattro conquered Pikes Peak in record times, for Michele Mouton and Walter Rohrl, and it’s very much a must-have for climbs up Gran Caldera.
Slightly less of a garage centerpiece is the 40-point car: BMW’s X6 M.
An answer to a question nobody asked, the X6 is a coupe-bodied version of BMW’s X5 SUV — a car which in essence boasts barely more off-road capability than a 5 Series with xDrive but majors on a high driving position and high-roof practicality. The X6 takes away that latter quality with a sloping roof line.
In M form it does at least have plenty of power, with a 445hp, twin-turbo V8. As the saying goes though, you can’t outrun ugly — even if BMW has committed worse design sins since.
Summer will run through to 1430UTC on Thursday March 9, with Series 18 continuing for another three weeks until the same time on Thursday March 30.
Series 18 Summer Playlist: Forzathon Events
It’s a Hoonigan month on the Weekly Challenges, with the classic Gymkhana 10 Escort Cosworth Group A up first. Own and drive the car — you can win it in the Utopia Gardens EventLab this week — to start Ready to Hoon.
You’ll be jumping around in the Escort as you’ll need to earn ten Ultimate Air skills — get all four wheels off the ground for as long as you can and land safely — following that up by taking victory in any Dirt Race.
Finally smoke some tires and earn five Burnout Skills, by either launching from a standing start in a plume of smoke or just doing donuts, to complete the event. You’ll earn five points and 80FP, with the Forzathon Points doubled if you own the La Casa Solariega player house near Teotihuacan.
Weekly Challenge: Ready to Hoon
- Car: Hoonigan Gymkhana 10 Ford Escort Cosworth Group A 1991
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the Hoonigan Escort Cosworth ’91
- Chapter 2: Earn 10 Ultimate Air Skills in the Hoonigan Escort Cosworth ’91
- Chapter 3: Win a Dirt Race in the Hoonigan Escort Cosworth ’91
- Chapter 4: Earn five Burnout Skills in the Hoonigan Escort Cosworth ’91
- Reward: 5 points, 80FP
As usual, the seven Daily Challenges this week drop sequentially at 1430UTC each day. You’ll get seven days to complete each (overlapping into next season for later ones), with one point and 10FP for each one.
It’s a simple one first, as you’ll need to visit the Horizon Wilds Outpost to earn A Wild Welcome; there’s no need to make a special effort as you’ll visit the site repeatedly (and the Photo Challenge this week requires it).
You’ll need to Bulk Smash next, by smashing 25 breakable items in 30 seconds. A spot where there’s a long set of smashable crash barriers is ideal.
It’s all about the Bear Necessities after that; head to Playa Azul and take a photo of Farid Rueda’s Bear Mural — near the Lugar Tranquilo player house — for the point.
Win any Dirt Racing event next, to complete Rally-Oop.
Gold Star, Retro Car is next up, requiring you to earn at least one star at any Trailblazer in a Retro Rally car. It might be possible to combine this with the PR Stunt this week too.
One of the easiest challenges this week is Hoonkigan. Just honk the horn of any Hoonigan.
Finally you’ll be Clearing a Path by earning Landscaping Skill in any Sports Utility Hero. This requires you to smash a fence, which many SUV drivers manage by accident…
Daily Challenges
- March 2 – A Wild Welcome: Visit the Horizon Wilds Outpost
- March 3 – Bulk Smash: Smash 25 items in 30 seconds
- March 4 – Bear Necessities: Take a photo of Farid Rueda’s Bear Mural in Playa Azul
- March 5 – Rally-Oop: Win any Dirt Racing event
- March 6 – Gold Star, Retro Car: Earn at least one star in any Trailblazer in a Retro Rally Car
- March 7 – Hoonkigan: Honk your horn in any Hoonigan
- March 8 – Clearing a Path: Earn a Landscaping Skill in any Sports Utility Hero
Series 18 Summer Playlist: Season Events
With the exception of Horizon Arcade, all of your events this week — three PR Stunts, two Seasonal Championships, and two EventLabs — are dirt-based.
The PR Stunts are open-class events, with S2 Class (901-998PI) limits — though you can use lower category vehicles too — each offering two points and a Super Wheelspin.
They’re all clustered down at the area between Atlantes de Tula, San Sebastian, and Gran Puente this week, at the Cascadas Trailblazer, the Orilla del Rio Speed Zone, and the Valle Danger Sign.
None of the targets are particularly tricky if you can manage a clean run, though they are all beyond the three-star requirement. You’ll need to make sure to avoid the rocks and river ramps for the 27-second goal at Cascadas, and make sure your landing zone is clear of trees to hit 300m at Valle.
120mph at Orilla del Rio might be the hardest, with the trade-off between entry speed northbound and gravity assistance southbound.
It won’t be a surprise to find that the Seasonal Championships — each a three-race series against Highly Skilled AI — will be Dirt Racing events. In both cases you’ll need to top the final points table to win five points to your season total.
Instant Classic uses C Class (501-600PI) Classic Rally cars, awarding a Ford Racing Puma for victory, while #43 is limited to S1 Class (801-900PI) Hoonigan models and gifts the new Gymkhana 9 Focus RS RX for the win.
Naturally the rally theme continues in the EventLab races. Castillo Scramble is a short, two-lap sprint around the tracks near Hotel Castillo — watch out for the wall half way round — for S1 Class (801-900PI) Hoonigan vehicles, with three points and a Super Wheelspin on offer.
Utopia Gardens is also an S1 Class (801-900PI) event, for Rally Monster category cars. It’s another two-lap affair, around some very other-worldly architecture, with the Hoonigan Escort Cosworth you need for the Weekly Challenge as a prize alongside three points. Make sure you’ve got enough speed for the jumps…
That just leaves the three points for Horizon Arcade, which can be completed solo or as a group due to the scaling of the targets required by the number of participants. Just complete three rounds of any Horizon Arcade theme — Air, Chaos, Drift, Speed, Wreckage — at the pink zones on the map.
EventLab: Castillo Scramble
- Car: S1 Class, Hoonigan
- Location: Hotel Castillo, Hilltop Descent
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, Super Wheelspin
EventLab: Utopia Gardens
- Car: S1 Class, Rally Monsters
- Location: Palacio Azul, Emerald Circuit
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, Hoonigan Escort Cosworth Group A
Horizon Arcade: Mini Games
- Car: Any
- Location: Horizon Arcade (any)
- Challenge: Complete any Horizon Arcade theme
- Reward: 3 points
Danger Sign: Valle
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Gran Puente, Valle Danger Sign
- Challenge: 300m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Zone: Orilla del Rio
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Gran Puente, Orilla del Rio Speed Zone
- Challenge: 120mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Trailblazer: Cascadas
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Atlantes de Tule, Cascadas Trailblazer
- Challenge: 27s
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Seasonal Championship: #43
- Car: S1 Class, Hoonigan
- Location: Riviera Maya, Mangrove Scramble
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Hoonigan Focus RS RX
Seasonal Championship: Instant Classic
- Car: C Class, Classic Rally
- Location: Gran Caldera, Caldera Scramble
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Ford Racing Puma
Hot Wheels DLC owners can pick up some additional points through the usual pair of bonus events. These aren’t needed for 100% completion of the Playlist without them, but given some alternatives if necessary.
This week’s PR Stunt is the lightning fast Forest Edge Speed Trap. You can do this in any care up to S2 Class (901-998PI) car, and the 260mph target should be a breeze for two points and a Super Wheelspin.
You’ll need an S1 Class (801-900PI) Super GT category car for Shadow Realm. It’s a three-race championship against the Highly Skilled AI, with five points and a Mosler MT900S for victory, and we’d recommend something that can deal with unexpected hazards on the orange track…
Hot Wheels Speed Trap: Forest Edge
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Hot Wheels Forest Falls, Forest Edge Speed Trap
- Challenge: 260mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Shadow Realm
- Car: S1 Class, Super GT
- Location: Hot Wheels Ice Cauldron, Snow Fields Hazard Circuit
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Mosler MT900S
We’re back to the single multiplayer event, for which you’ll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription — unless you play on PC — in order to access.
That is, of course, the ever-present The Trial, consisting of a three-race championship for a team of up to six humans against six “Unbeatable” AI.
Each player on each team earns 100 points for each opponent they beat, but there’s no reward for beating team-mates. That means you’ll need to help each other out as much as possible while hindering the ‘bots.
This week it’s, oddly, a Street Racing Series event for B Class (601-700PI) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or Subaru Imprezas. Win as a team — pretty easily in two races — to earn ten points and a Honda Civic Coupe.
The Trial: That Don’t Impreza Me Much
- Car: B Class, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution/Subaru Impreza
- Location: Atlantes de Tula, Granjas de Tapalpa
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Honda Civic ’16
Series 18 Summer Playlist: Challenges
Three challenges are available this week, once again taking the form of a Treasure Hunt, the regular Photo Challenge, and a multiplayer Horizon Open event.
Horizon Open requires Xbox Live Gold subscription — unless you play on PC — to access, but it’s a not a tricky one to complete. Just race in any Horizon Open Custom Race using any Hoonigan vehicle to complete Go Fast and earn the Hoonigan Bel Air.
The Photo Challenge, #WildHorizons, is a relatively simple one, as you only need to take a photograph of a Modern Rally car (your choice for The Trial will probably be just fine) at the newly decorated Horizon Wilds Outpost. You’ll unlock the A Moment Apart track for Horizon Mixtape (and a Daily Challenge point too!).
This week’s Treasure Hunt, Retro Skills to Pay The Bills, is a little complex. The clue is “Banking 25k required serious skill back in the 80s. Do you rally think you can do it?” and is a bit of a multi-parter.
Piecing it all together, you’ll need to bank 25,000 Skill Score, using any rally car from the 1980s — we used a Retro Rally car, but Rally Monsters also work, and Classic Rally may as well — which isn’t particularly difficult. You don’t even need to do it all at once, but when completed you’ll reveal the hint which takes the form of a red zone on your map containing the chest.
This week that’s in the solar farm just off the main highway, northeast of Mulege. Smash the chest to take three points and 100FP.
Horizon Open: Go Fast
- Cars: Hoonigan
- Location: Horizon Open Custom Race
- Challenge: Complete any Horizon Open Custom Race in any Hoonigan
- Reward: 2 points, Hoonigan Bel Air
Photo Challenge: #WildHorizons
- Cars: Modern Rally Car
- Location: Horizon Wilds Outpost
- Challenge: Photograph any Modern Rally Car at the Horizon Wilds Outpost
- Reward: 2 points, Odesza “A Moment Apart” track
Treasure Hunt: Retro Skills to Pay The Bills
- Cars: Retro Rally/Rally Monster/Classic Rally, 1980s
- Location: Any
- Challenge: Bank 25,000 Skill Score in any 1980s rally car; find and smash the chest
- Reward: 3 points, 100FP
There’s two new Rivals challenges, which run across the entire Series and offer four points apiece for completion — with one point distributed to each of the four seasons in the series regardless of when in the Series you complete them.
In each case you’ll need a clean laptime at the tracks indicated, using the vehicles provided to you. Although listed as Rivals event, there’s no need to beat any laptimes; slow and steady may not win the race, but it will clear the challenge.
Unusually there’s no Forza EV event this month, with two regular Rivals events. There’s La Selva Scramble, using the new Hoonigan Gymkhana 9 Focus RS RX, and River Scramble for the new Sierra Cars 700R. The loose surface will make these tricky, so keep the pace down.
Monthly Rivals: La Selva Scramble
- Cars: Hoonigan Gymkhana 9 Focus RS RX (Provided)
- Location: Atlantes de Tula, La Selva Scramble
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: River Scramble
- Cars: Sierra Cars 700R (Provided)
- Location: La Selva, River Scramble
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Series 18 Summer Forzathon Shop
Offroad also leads the way in the the Forzathon Shop this week, from different disciplines of the rally world.
At the front of the store we see the Porsche 959, best known as the all-wheel drive supercar that almost became the first production vehicle with a 200mph top speed, but which was also designed with some extreme off-road racing in mind.
Porsche entered the 959 in the Paris-Dakar Rally (as it was called back then, and also where it actually visited), which seems like an odd place for a supercar to go but Porsche had actually made it as a Group B rally car first — taking the lead from Audi.
It was pretty successful too, taking a 1-2 in the 1986 race in the hands of Rene Metge and Jacky Ickx but then, as noted earlier, the Group B class was banned. Porsche made its minimum 200 road cars (and then some) anyway.
The rally raid 959 is available for 600FP this week, against a 1.5m credit Autoshow price.
Cheaper in both senses is the RJ Anderson Polaris RZR Pro 2 Truck. Effectively a spaceframe with a monster V8 in the nose and a composite pickup truck body on top, this is a sports truck designed for extreme short-course off-road racing. It’s available this week for 300FP, with the regular Autoshow price sitting at 500,000cr.
Store items this week are the Beautiful Morning Horn and the Farid Rueda’s Lion Crew Socks, at 75FP each. The Wheelspin (60FP) and Super Wheelspin (150FP) remain in their usual spots.
See more articles on Forza Horizon 5 Season Change.
