The latest set of events in Forza Horizon 5’s ever-changing playlist are now available as, confusingly, Summer continues into Autumn.
That’s because it’s the new Autumn season in Mexico, but the theme of the latest Series — Series 23 — is “Summer Party”.
As the second week in the four-week Series, there’s more new events and prizes packing out the Playlist, with a new-to-Forza car popping up as a season reward. It’s one of six available this Series, and you’ll need to collect most of them to earn an Evolving World Accolade.
The odd-one out there is a prize car for the new Horizon Story. “Icons of Speed” is a permanent addition to the game, but it’s also part of the Playlist this Series so you’ll need to complete it during this four-week spell.
More Evolving World Accolades are available as part of a world makeover which sees the Horizon Street Scene Outpost and Horizon Stadium transformed into beaches. A more global change sees a permanent adjustment to make the nights longer, in response to a similar feature in Series 19.
Table of Contents
- Series 23: Summer Party
- Series 23 Autumn/Storm Season Rewards
- Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Forzathon Events
- Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Season Events
- Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Challenges
- Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Monthly Events
- Series 23 Autumn Bonus DLC Events
- Series 23 Autumn Forzathon Shop
Series 23: Summer Party
A new Story means lots of points on offer this month, so you could be picking up both of the Series reward cars during this week’s events.
First of all, for 80 points, is the Ford Mustang GT DeBerti Design. This custom muscle car returns from FH4 where it was a Car Pass car, so it might be the first chance for many players to own it.
There’s changes both inside and out, as the Mustang DD gains a big widebody kit and a ducktail wing, backed up with 750hp from a supercharged, Roush-tuned, five-liter V8.
At 160 points you’ll have another opportunity to earn the Playlist-exclusive Dodge Super Bee.
This is the US version of the car, rather than the probably more appropriate Mexican model, but the Super Bee combines the two-door Coronet body with a seven-liter V8 that kicks out close to 1hp per cubic inch.
Series 23 Autumn/Storm Season Rewards
Picking up 20 points during Autumn will see you earn a Hot Wheels car with a difference: the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Custom.
This entirely real machine is pretty loosely based on a 1970 Trans Am, but consists of a custom tube chassis with Trans Am-ish panels draped over it and a 1000hp V8 stuffed into the nose.
It won the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in 2020, earning it the right to be transformed into a 1:64 die-cast toy, as well as gaining entry to the Horizon Festival.
The 40-point fare is more ordinary, but even so the 2018 Audi RS4 Avant isn’t exactly slow.
Sporting a downsized, 2.9-liter V6 twin turbo, the B8 model might not have the soundtrack of its V8-powered predecessor but it does come with exactly the same power figure — 444hp — and more torque to boot. In estate form, it’s one of the quickest ways to move stuff from one place to another.
The Autumn Season will run through to 1430UTC on Thursday August 3, with Series 23 continuing for another two weeks until the same time on Thursday August 17.
Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Forzathon Events
The V8-themed month of Forzathon Weekly Challenge moves on from Dodge to Ford this week, and one of the biggest names in the American performance car scene: Shelby. Own and drive the Ford Shelby GT500 ’13 to start Summer Shelby.
Firstly you’ll need to take the GT500 to victory in any Road Racing Series event. There’s not an event on the Playlist this week where it’s eligible, so just take your pick of Horizon Apex events.
Follow that up by earning five Awesome Speed Skills in the Shelby. Heading up the main highway should be enough for this to pop, but you’ll need to be cresting 180mph in order to earn the skill.
Last of all, get to a paint booth and repaint the GT500’s body in any color you like. That will earn you the five Playlist points and 80 Forzathon Points — with the FP doubled if you own the Casa Solariega player house.
Weekly Challenge: Summer Shelby
- Car: Ford Shelby GT500 ’13
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the Shelby GT500
- Chapter 2: Win a Road Race in the Shelby GT500
- Chapter 3: Earn five Awesome Speed Skills in the Shelby GT500
- Chapter 4: Paint the body of the Shelby GT500
- Reward: 5 points, 80FP
One new Daily Challenge will arrive each day in the season as usual, landing at 1430UTC each day and giving you a full seven days to complete each one.
You’ll need to head into the redecorated stadium in any Ford Fiesta model to complete the first challenge, Summer Fiesta.
Big Car, Big Leap will require you to earn three stars from any Danger Sign in any Jaguar next.
Get some Hummer Lovin’ in next by driving five miles in any Hummer. Note that, as a GMC vehicle, the Hummer EV may not count for this.
After that, you’ll be the Hot Tropic of conversation when you equip any pair of sunglasses in the Character Customizer.
Spend 15,000cr upgrading any Modern Sports Car (ideal for the Mulege Grand Prix EventLab this week) to complete a Tune to Sing to.
Be the Talk of the Town next when you win any Street Racing event. The Light Up The Night seasonal in Rally Adventure might be a good one to double-up on this, although The Trial might not qualify.
Close out the week with a Showstopper, by banking 100,000 Skill Score at the Stadium Summer Party. There’s plenty of space to drift and lots of things to smash, so this should be a breeze.
Daily Challenges
- July 27 – Summer Fiesta: Visit the Summer Party at the Stadium in any Ford Fiesta
- July 28 – Big Cat, Big Leap: Earn three stars from any Danger Sign in any Jaguar
- July 29 – Hummer Lovin’: Drive five miles in any Hummer
- July 30 – Hot Tropic: Equip a pair of sunglasses in the Character Customizer
- July 31 – Tune to Sing to: Spend 15,000cr upgrading any Modern Sports Car
- August 1 – Talk of the Town: Win a Street Race event
- August 2 – Showstopper: Bank 100,000 Skill Score at the Stadium Summer Party
Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Season Events
It’s another eight-event week on the solo Playlist this week, consisting of three PR Stunts, three Seasonals, and two EventLabs.
The first EventLab, Sherwood Forest Raceway, transforms some of the beach location at Bahia de Plano into a novel course which splits into two paths twice. Complete the laps in any B Class (601-700PI) Modern Rally car to earn three points and a “Never Tell Me The Odds” Forza Link greeting.
Mulege Grand Prix is pretty closely based on the Arch of Mulege track, but splits off just after halfway to be yet another creation that uses the town’s two bridges over the river to the south. Reach the end to claim three points and a Super Wheelspin.
All three PR Stunts also offer Super Wheelspins as usual, along with two points apiece. Again they’re open-class challenges for S2 Class (901-998PI) cars, so you can use the same one for all three… but probably shouldn’t.
You’ll need road speed for the Gran Puente Speed Trap, with a tricky 260mph target, but the other two events require some off-road capability. That’s the difficult Watersplash Speed Zone, requiring a tough 100mph average, and the Puerta Petra Trailblazer which isn’t too difficult with its 28s target but will probably see a lot of use of the rewind feature thanks to all the rocks in the finish zone.
As usual the Seasonal Championships are three-race events against Highly Skilled AI. Each starts you in eighth place, so you’ll need to fight through the AI to score the points you need to top the points table at the end of the championship. Doing so earns you five points and a bonus prize in each case.
Show Off is a Road Racing event, for A Class (701-800PI) Open Top Cars, and awarding a 2020 McLaren GT for the series win. However both of the other events send you into the rough stuff.
That starts with Trailing Dirt, which is a Dirt Racing event for S1 Class (801-900PI) Rally Monsters and awards a Porsche 911 Turbo ’14. Cross Country is the theme of Rocks and Roll, requiring a B Class (601-700PI) Pickups & 4x4s vehicle and giving a 2020 Toyota Supra for the win.
EventLab: Mulege Grand Prix
- Car: A Class, Modern Sports Cars
- Location: Mulege
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, Super Wheelspin
EventLab: Sherwood Forest Raceway
- Car: B Class, Modern Rally
- Location: Bahia de Plano
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, “Never Tell Me The Odds” Forza Link
Speed Trap: Gran Puente
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Gran Puente
- Challenge: 260mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Zone: Watersplash
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Gran Pantano
- Challenge: 100mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Trailblazer: Puerta Petrea
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Hotel Mirador
- Challenge: 28s
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Seasonal Championship: Rocks and Roll
- Car: B Class, Pickups & 4x4s
- Location: Guanajuato
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Toyota Supra ’20
Seasonal Championship: Show Off
- Car: A Class, Open Top Cars
- Location: Playa Azul
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, McLaren GT ’20
Seasonal Championship: Trailing Dirt
- Car: S1 Class, Rally Monsters
- Location: Dunas Blancas
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Porsche 911 Turbo ’14
Again The Trial remains as the sole multiplayer event this week. You’ll need an Xbox Live subscription in order to race this event on console, though PC players have free multiplayer access.
As usual it’s a best-of-three-race championship event against Unbeatable AI Drivatars, pitting a team of you and your up-to-five human team-mates against a squad of six AI. We’ll say that again: team.
You’ll need to work together for this, as each player on each team scores 100 points for every opponent they beat, but nothing for beating their own team-mates. Keeping the AI behind your slowest team-mates and not bumping your fellow blues about is the key to success.
This week it’s a Street Racing Series event for A Class (701-800PI) cars from the 1990s. Hopefully that should result in more controlled driving, although the speeds are getting up towards the danger zone and NPC cars might pose a hazard.
However it should be a relatively unfussy two-race win, with ten points and a Jaguar E-Type for all.
The Trial: Sun & Summer
- Car: A Class, 1990s
- Location: Rio de la Selva
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Jaguar E-Type ’61
Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Challenges
We’re back down to two Challenges this week, with the regular Photo Challenge joined by the new Collectibles event for this Series.
For the Photo Challenge, #StoneColdAudi, you’ll simply need to take any Audi to the waterfalls at Cascadas de Agua Azul. Take a snap to earn two points and an “Action!!!” Forza Link greeting.
The Collectibles event, Treats and Tribulations, will send you to the east side of the map and the beach at Playa Azul.
There you’ll find a selection of oversized ice cream cones. Smash into at least ten of them to complete the challenge and earn the Ice Cream Van Horn.
Collectibles: Treats and Tribulations
- Cars: Any
- Location: Playa Azul
- Challenge: Smash ten Ice Cream Cones on the Playa Azul beach
- Reward: 3 points, Ice Cream Van Horn
Photo Challenge: #StoneColdAudi
- Cars: Audi (any)
- Location: Cascadas de Agua Azul
- Challenge: Photograph any Audi at the Cascadas de Agua Azul
- Reward: 2 points, “Action!!!” Forza Link
Series 23 Autumn Playlist: Monthly Events
As it’s week two of four, the Monthly events remain in place unless you’ve already completed them.
All three run across the entire Series, allowing you to complete them at your leisure. In each case they award their points evenly across the four Seasons, regardless of when you complete them.
This month that includes a new Horizon Story for the second successive Series. Icons of Speed is an eight-chapter event awarding 12 points — three to each week — depending on your progress through the event.
You’ll need to score the maximum three stars in each of the eight chapters, which focus on different legendary performance machines from across the decades, to take all 12 points.
There’s also the two Monthly Rivals events, which require you to set clean times in the cars provided. Although billed as “rivals” events, you don’t need to beat anyone else’s time (although there will be a ghost available, so you can if you want); all that matters is that you don’t hit anything solid or use Rewind.
Both courses are littered with solid objects though, with tight tunnel walls in the Toyota GR86 at Cathedral Circuit, and slightly wayward handling and barriers close by for the Ford XB Falcon at the Arch of Mulege Circuit.
Horizon Story: Icons of Speed
- Cars: Provided
- Location: Playa Tranquila
- Challenge: Earn 24 stars on Icons of Speed Horizon Story chapters
- Reward: 12 points (3 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Cathedral Circuit
- Cars: Toyota GR86 (provided)
- Location: Guanajuato
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Arch of Mulege Circuit
- Cars: Ford Falcon XB (provided)
- Location: Mulege
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Series 23 Autumn Bonus DLC Events
Each of the two DLC expansion packs offers a further seven bonus points, with a two-point PR Stunt and a five-point Seasonal Championship in each location.
It’s not necessary to score these to reach 100% playlist completion; they’re just there as a little boost for DLC owners if you don’t like the look of some of the regular events.
The PR Stunts should be relatively easy, with the generous space for the Hot Wheels Turbo Knot Drift Zone and the roomy landing area for the Rally Adventure La Cantera Danger Sign — though the approach is tricky and might need a few Rewinds.
With targets of 210,000pt and 400m respectively and S2 Class (901-998PI) cars permitted, it won’t be too tough to earn two points and the Super Wheelspin for each.
Again there’s some very different Seasonal Championships this week, but both are the standard format three-race championships against Highly Skilled AI.
In Hot Wheels you’ll need an S1 Class (801-900PI) car from Sweden for It’s Snow Joke, which awards a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro for the overall win. Rally Adventure’s Light Up the Night is a Dirt Racing event for B Class (601-700PI) Unlimited Buggies, awarding a Blue Stripe Casual Shirt clothing item.
Hot Wheels Drift Zone: Turbo Knot
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Hot Wheels Giant’s Canyon
- Challenge: 210,000pt
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: It’s Snow Joke
- Car: S1 Class, Sweden
- Location: Hot Wheels Ice Cauldron
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Buick GSX
Rally Adventure Danger Sign: La Cantera
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Sierra Nueva Orogrande
- Challenge: 400m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship: Light Up The Night
- Car: B Class, Unlimited Buggies
- Location: Sierra Nueva Orogrande
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Blue Stripe Casual Shirt
Series 23 Autumn Forzathon Shop
There’s more time-separated speed legends in this week’s Forzathon Shop, with again close to 90 years between the two cars on offer.
That starts with the Napier-Railton, a record-setting car powered by a 24-liter W12 engine lifted from a pre-WW2 airplane.
Famously the Napier-Railton holds the Brooklands lap speed record at 143mph, as the circuit — the world’s first purpose-built banked circuit — was taken over as part of the war effort and fell into disrepair.
Joining it is the 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista. This track-special based on the “regular” 488 outpowers the Napier by close to 150hp, despite having a much smaller 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8, that helps it up past 200mph — but unlike the Napier doesn’t currently hold any lap records.
Both cars are also available in the Autoshow, with the Napier at 1.5m credits against the 600FP cost this week, and the 488 Pista’s 250FP not quite so favorable compared to its 320,000cr price.
Other store items this week include the Air Guitar Emote and the Orange Suit Outfit at 75FP each. The Wheelspin (60FP) and a Super Wheelspin (150FP) occupy their regular spots.
See more articles on Forza Horizon 5 Season Change.
