Autumn arrives in Mexico this week to herald the second week of Forza Horizon 5’s Series 22: Upgrade Heroes.
It’s all about tweaking and tuning this month, with the action centered on Donut Media once again. We last saw the Donut crew in Series 14, but it’s a more expansive offering this time round.
The car culture YouTube channel has a new Horizon Story based on one of its better-known series, Hi-Low. This sees the presenters create two versions of the same car, with one modified using expensive parts and the other using cheap ones.
You’ll be able to collect four new cars through the Story, which also sees the “Test Track” feature re-appearing but at a new multi-route, multi-surface location at the main Festival site.
Naturally there’s also the regular fleet of new cars, with four — one new, three returning — available for 20 points in each season and a fifth, new car for 160 points in the Series.
There’s Accolades for everyone too, with one for collecting the five new cars and several for the Horizon Story and Test Track feature, which also features new badges.
Table of Contents
- Series 22: Upgrade Heroes
- Series 22 Autumn/Storm Season Rewards
- Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Forzathon Events
- Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Season Events
- Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Challenges
- Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Monthly Events
- Series 22 Autumn Bonus DLC Events
- Series 22 Autumn Forzathon Shop
Series 22: Upgrade Heroes
Although the new car is, unusually, set as the higher-tier reward car this series, the huge haul of points on offer means you’ll not be stretched to collect it. In fact it’s available for the first time this week.
That’s the new Formula Drift Nissan Z, a new-for-2023 competition car for Chris Forsberg and coming into the game alongside the older 370Z it replaced.
Listed under Formula Drift rather than Forsberg Racing, the new Z is based on… the new Z. However the team has discarded the new car’s three-liter engine and replaced it with the tried and tested Nissan GT-R engine — boosted to over 1000hp.
The Z is yours for 160 points, while at 80 points you’ll pick up the Pagani Huayra BC.
It’s a rare beast in reality, consisting of a 30-car run and named for Pagani’s first ever customer, Benny Caiola. In his honor, Pagani has turned up the wick on the Huayra’s AMG engine and stripped 300lb from the chassis courtesy of a new form of carbon fiber.
Series 22 Autumn/Storm Season Rewards
Hitting 20 points this season will score you another new-to-game car, with the GMC Syclone available at this lower marker.
A performance pickup before it was cool, the Syclone throws out everything ordinary about a Sonoma and adds a turbocharged V6, all-wheel drive, and a dose of the lows to make something that was crazy fast in its day and still a match for the hottest of hot hatchbacks 30 years on.
For 40 points you’ll win the HDT VK Commodore, a similarly madcap machine made to homologate the platform for Group A touring cars.
To that end, Holden Dealer Team applied a new bodykit and a 4.9-liter V8, producing just over the 500-car minimum required to go racing.
The Autumn Season will run through to 1430UTC on Thursday July 6, while Series 22 will continue on for two more weeks until the same time on Thursday July 20.
Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Forzathon Events
JDM tuners are the theme for the Forzathon Weekly this week. You’ll need to pick up and drive the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR to get Natural Selection started.
Firstly you’ll need to earn a Hard Charger Skill in the car. This simply requires a full throttle launch and no let-up on the gas for at least ten seconds. Following that, lay down some more speed with at least a two-star pass of the Mountain Pass Speed Zone — at 105mph or more — north of the volcano.
Finally tune your Evo up to A Class (701-800PI) and win any race in either the Road Racing Series or Dirt Racing Series to claim five Playlist points and 80 Forzathon Points. You’ll pick up double FP if you own the Casa Solariega player house.
Weekly Challenge: Natural Selection
- Car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR ’04
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the Evo 8 ’04
- Chapter 2: Earn a Hard Charger skill in the Evo 8 ’04
- Chapter 3: Earn two stars at the Mountain Pass Speed Zone in the Evo 8 ’04
- Chapter 4: Win a Road Race or Dirt Race in A Class (701-800PI) in the Evo 8 ’04
- Reward: 5 points, 80FP
This week’s set of seven Daily challenges, as usual, come along at the rate of one per day, unlocking sequentially, at 1430UTC. You have a full seven days to complete each one, even if that rolls over into the next season.
It starts off with a dose of Deja Vu, which will require you to drive five miles at the Horizon Test Track. You don’t in fact need to remain on the track to do this, just head into the mode and drive off anywhere — down the Festival site runway is a good, quick way to add miles.
Do a Star Jump next, by claiming three stars at the Baja Showjump Danger Sign. Any car will do, you’ll just need to fly at least 259.1m.
A Series of Unfor”tune”ate Events follows next, as you’ll need to earn an Ultimate Wreckage Skill. Just find a location with lots of smashable objects and… well, smash them.
You’ll need to head into the Character Customization menu next, to complete Gear Up. Apply the Tuning Hoodie clothing item for this challenge — and if you don’t already have it you can win it in this week’s Photo Challenge.
Zoom Zoom about on Monday, by earning an Ultimate Speed Skill in any Mazda RX-7. You’ll need to wave the tuning stick at any model of the rotary beast, and hit a speed of around 200mph to complete this.
Win any Street Race next using any TVR vehicle to complete Street Performer.
Finally, you’ll need to earn five Dustman Skills to answer the question of Who’s Clearing This Up. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, as there’s no such Skill in FH5… but it’s the equivalent Basurero Skill, which requires you to just smash a bin.
Daily Challenges
- June 29 – Deja Vu: Drive five miles (8km) on the Horizon Test Track
- June 30 – Star Jump: Earn three stars at the Baja Showjump Danger Sign
- July 1 – Series of Unfor”tune”ate Events: Earn an Ultimate Wreckage Skill
- July 2 – Gear Up: Equip the Tuning Hoodie in the Character Customizer
- July 3 – Zoom Zoom: Earn an Ultimate Speed Skill in any Mazda RX-7
- July 4 – Street Performer: Win a Street Race in a TVR
- July 5 – Who’s Clearing This Up: Earn five Dustman Skills
Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Season Events
There’s eight more challenges in the single-player events this week, with three PR Stunts, three Seasonals, and two Event Labs.
It’s another vehicle-specific week in the PR Stunts selection, but again you’ll be able to complete all three with one car. You’ll just need a C Class (501-600PI) Cult Car in order to score the two points and Super Wheelspin that each event awards.
They’re all challenging but not too tricky targets. You’ll need to average 70mph at the Festival Speed Zone and trip the nearby Arid Hills Speed Trap at 125mph. Cannonball Danger Sign might be the hardest at a 165m leap.
Seasonal Championships are three-race events against Highly Skilled AI, which start you in eighth place to give you a pack to battle through. They all award five points for topping the championship scoring at the end, along with a bonus prize.
It’s a mixture of events this week, on all surfaces. We Came to Race is a Street Racing Series event for B Class (601-700PI) “Muscle vs Tuner” cars, awarding a Datsun 510 for victory. It’s a Custom Job puts you into A Class (701-800PI) Rods & Customs for a Dirt Racing Series event, with a Donut Media Honk Honk horn prize. Finally there’s Play Time, a Road Racing Series event for S1 Class (801-900PI) Track Toys, offering a 1969 Dodge Charger if you win.
The EventLab races involve two custom courses at two locations. Each awards three points for completing the requisite number of laps, along with a bonus prize.
Rally Rampage “Fog” is a busy, mixed-surface course based around the highway junction in Tierra Prospera. You’ll be thankful there’s no AI here, as they’re maniacs in the real thing, and keep an eye out for several shortcuts on your way to earning a Donut Media Lightning horn.
It’s a very familiar location for Purple Mountain Raceway, which consists of a replica of the Tsukuba Circuit created above the surface at Los Jardines. Reach the end and you’ll acquire a Donut Media Grey Hoodie.
EventLab: Purple Mountain Raceway
- Car: A Class
- Location: Los Jardines, Los Jardines Circuit
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, Donut Media Grey Hoodie
EventLab: Rally Rampage “Fog”
- Car: A Class, Unlimited Offroad
- Location: Tierra Prospera, Tapalpa Trail
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, Donut Media Lightning horn
Danger Sign: Cannonball
- Car: C Class, Cult Cars
- Location: Guanajuato
- Challenge: 165m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Trap: Arid Hills
- Car: C Class, Cult Cars
- Location: Colinas Aridas
- Challenge: 125mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Zone: Festival Speed Zone
- Car: C Class, Cult Cars
- Location: Horizon Festival
- Challenge: 70mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Seasonal Championship: It’s a Custom Job
- Car: A Class, Rods & Customs
- Location: Baja Circuit
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Donut Media Honk Honk horn
Seasonal Championship: Play Time
- Car: S1 Class, Track Toys
- Location: Palacio Azul
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Dodge Charger ’69
Seasonal Championship: We Came To Race
- Car: B Class, Muscle vs Tuner
- Location: Bahia de Plano
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Datsun 510
It’s another one-event list for multiplayer racing this week. You’ll need an Xbox Live subscription in order to access this on console — or play for free on PC.
Of course that’s The Trial, which remains a best-of-three championship that pits a team of up to six humans against six “Unbeatable” difficulty AI Drivatars.
Every player on either team scores 100 points for each opponent they beat, but nothing for beating their own team-mates. That means the humans must work together, hindering the AI and helping each other rather than the other way about.
It’s a Road Racing Series event this week, with relatively low-powered, A Class (701-800PI) Honda S2000s required. That should mean nicely controlled driving and an easy win inside two races (even if the first one is Volcan Sprint) for ten points and a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for everyone.
The Trial: Tune it Up
- Car: A Class, Honda S2000
- Location: Gran Caldera
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Challenges
We’re down to two Challenges this week, with the regular Photo Challenge joined by just a new Collectibles event.
This week’s Photo Challenge, #Lowrider, will send you to Teotihuacan, and the player house at La Casa Solariega.
There you’ll just need to photograph the 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS in order to earn two points and a Tuning Hoodie — which you’ll need for a Daily Challenge this week.
FH5 mascot “Tank” stars in the Collectibles event, Tune Up Tank. This week his pinata is in mechanic overalls as he checks off a list of alternative Village People costumes. Find and smash ten of them at the Horizon Baja Circuit to earn three points and a “So Cute” emote.
Collectibles: Tune Up Tank
- Cars: Any
- Location: Baja Circuit
- Challenge: Smash ten Mechanic Tank pinatas at Horizon Baja Circuit
- Reward: 3 points, So Cute emote
Photo Challenge: #Lowrider
- Cars: Chevrolet Impala SS 409 ’64
- Location: La Casa Solariega
- Challenge: Photograph the Chevrolet Impala SS at the La Casa Solariega player house
- Reward: 2 points, Tuning Hoodie
Series 22 Autumn Playlist: Monthly Events
The month-long Monthly Events remain packed out with points this Series, including two sets of challenges linked to the new Horizon Story.
Each of these — one for “Hi Team” and one for “Low Team” — is worth 12 points, adding a total of three to each season, regardless of when you complete them.
To do that you’ll need pick up stars in each branch of the Story, earning the maximum three in each of the six chapters; the initial chapter that sees you selecting a branch does not count towards progress, but will allow you to revisit the story and pick a different branch.
There’s also two regular Forza Monthly challenges for the Series, each awarding one point to each Season in a similar fashion.
As usual you’ll need to set clean times at the courses indicated using the provided cars in order to get the points. That means you don’t need to break records, just don’t break your car.
Copper Canyon Sprint will be tricky, sending you on a point-to-point in the new Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. You’ll be racing at the Los Jardines Circuit in the other event, in the Lotus Emira which is part of the $4.99 Racing Car Pack.
Horizon Story: Donut Media Hi Team
- Cars: Nissan Donut Media 350Z Hi (provided)
- Location: Tulum
- Challenge: Earn 18 stars on Donut Media Hi-Low Horizon Story Hi chapters
- Reward: 12 points (3 added to each season)
Horizon Story: Donut Media Low Team
- Cars: Nissan Donut Media 350Z Low (provided)
- Location: Tulum
- Challenge: Earn 18 stars on Donut Media HiLow Horizon Story Low chapters
- Reward: 12 points (3 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Copper Canyon Sprint
- Cars: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (provided)
- Location: Guanajuato
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Los Jardines Circuit
- Cars: Lotus Emira (provided)
- Location: Los Jardines
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Series 22 Autumn Bonus DLC Events
There’s more points on offer to players who own either — or both — of the two expansion packs, with a PR Stunt worth two points (and a Super Wheelspin) and a Seasonal Championship worth five points in each. It’s not necessary to get the points for 100% completion, but they offer a little assist to hit the targets.
As with last week — and the main map — both PR Stunts require a specific vehicle. This week that’s an S1 Class (801-900PI) Lotus. Neither target is excessive, although both are above three stars for the respective stunts, at 180mph for Hot Wheels Forest Flume Speed Zone and 105,000pt for Rally Adventure Joya Marron Drift Zone.
The Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship is A Little Pick-Me-Up, which is an unusual Street Racing event for B Class (601-700PI) Pickups & 4x4s and rewards you with a Grit Reapers Tee. In Hot Wheels it’s Burning Rubber, restricted to A Class (701-800PI) Hot Wheels cars, and offering a Hot Wheels Flame horn for victory.
Hot Wheels Speed Zone: Forest Flume
- Car: S1 Class, Lotus
- Location: Hot Wheels Forest Falls
- Challenge: 180mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Burning Rubber
- Car: A Class, Hot Wheels
- Location: Hot Wheels Forest Falls
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Hot Wheels Flame horn
Rally Adventure Drift Zone: Joya Marron
- Car: S1 Class, Lotus
- Location: Sierra Nueva Joya Marron
- Challenge: 105,000pt
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship: A Little Pick-Me-Up
- Car: B Class, Pickups & 4x4s
- Location: Sierra Nueva Tierras Verdes
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Grit Reapers Tee
Series 22 Autumn Forzathon Shop
There’s old school and new school speed in this week’s Forzathon Shop, with an electric hot hatch and an all-motor 911 on offer.
The Cupra UrbanRebel is the line-leading machine, on offer for 700FP — although you can also pick it up for 2m credits in the Autoshow. It’s a hot hatch concept, based on the Volkswagen Group’s new dedicated small electric platform. Unsurprisingly then it has a 340hp electric motor, as well as plenty of aero aids.
Alternatively you can pick up the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the ultimate in naturally aspirated 911s. It’s available for 250FP, although the 255,000cr Autoshow price seems more reasonable.
Other store items this week include the Banjo-Kazooie Spiral Mountain Horn and the Donut Media White Relaxed Tee at 75FP each. The Wheelspin (60FP) and a Super Wheelspin (150FP) occupy their regular spots.
See more articles on Forza Horizon 5 Season Change.
