Forza Horizon 5 Season Change: Lotus Now

Andrew Evans · · Comments

Forza Horizon 5’s new Series begins today, as Mexico goes all Narnia and welcomes in four weeks of nothing but winter.

Officially called “Winter Wonderland”, Series 28 brings non-stop, snow-capped peaks (or at least one of them) and dry weather across the map as — for the first time — all four weeks of the Playlist will be the same season: winter.

That’s one of a number of changes across the game world this month, which also sees the Horizon Stadium transformed into a literal winter wonderland.

For this Series only there’s mounds of snow, igloos, and a toboggan run — as well as a unique circuit within the area. That’ll return every winter season in the future too.

Series 28 also sees the return of Secret Santa for a third year. This encourages players to send vehicle gifts to one another — through a specific location now placed in the Stadium rather than Mulege — in order to score global bonus rewards.

This year all players will receive the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 for reaching half the gifting target and a “secret” car (spoiled by the patch notes) for hitting 100%.

Of course there’s some brand-new cars coming this month too, with four new vehicles — one new to Forza Horizon and three returnees — available as Playlist rewards, alongside the T.50 and “mystery” vehicle above. You’ll score an Evolving World Accolade for collecting all four.

Once more there’s also a new paid DLC pack, with the “Fast X” car pack bringing four vehicles from the tenth film in the increasingly bizarrely named Fast and Furious series, as well as a three-axle “Flip Car” based on the machine from the sixth film.

Table of Contents

Series 28: Winter Wonderland

It’s another Series in which the two main reward cars are those we’ve already seen as rewards previously, but this time the two are some pretty mean speed machines.

First, for 80 points, is the Porsche Mission R concept, which was a seasonal reward back in Series 20.

This all-electric race car was designed to preview what a future one-make Porsche cup series could look like once the combustion engine had been retired.

Intended to be as fast as a 992 GT3 Cup, the Mission R boasts 1073hp from a 40:60 split all-wheel drive system housed in an all-carbon fiber chassis.

Hit 160 points and you’ll pick up the 2011 Koenigsegg Agera, the genesis of the Swedish brand’s all-conquering Agera RS.

While not quite as rapid as its sibling, the Agera still has close to 1,000hp from its five-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 and will hit 250mph at a canter. It’s a rare chance to pick up the car which previously appeared in Series 13.

Series 28 Winter/Dry Season Rewards

The first new-to-title car is available for 20 points this week, as the Lotus 2-Eleven makes its Forza Horizon return.

Named for the 1950s Lotus Eleven racer, the 2-Eleven replaced the 340R as the brand’s track day offering — although it’s also available with a road homologation package, so you can drive it on the street too.

It’s based heavily on the S2 Exige, packing the same 252hp, supercharged Toyota engine. However it’s stripped back — per Lotus philosophy — to the bare minimum and doesn’t even tip the scales at 1500lb.

That makes for some pretty scary performance figures and the ability to carry corner momentum like little else.

A semi-British car lines up alongside it for 40pt, in the shape of the returning MG6 XPower sports sedan.

Bringing back the XPower name is a lot to live up to, but the MG6 is essentially a sensible car based on a TCR racing machine — just like the sports sedans of the 1980s.

It pairs an electric motor to a two-liter turbocharged four cylinder to produce 300hp, all to the front wheels…

First Winter will run until 1430UTC on Thursday December 14, with three more Winter seasons to follow running through to the same time on Thursday January 4.

Series 28 Winter Playlist: Forzathon Events

We’re back to the regular programming for the Forzathon Weekly Challenge this month, with a single car as the focus. For this week’s event, Driven by Dreams, you’ll need to own, and drive, the 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4.

The Stadium plays host to the Cayman for the challenges this week, so head to the Winter Wonderland (which completes a Daily Challenge too). There you’ll need to earn three Speed Skills, which might seem tricky with all the new decor.

You can either start outside the Stadium and time it so you score the Skill as you enter the zone or, more easily, just drive around the banking which remains in place between the wonderland and the stands.

After that, win a race at the Winter Wonderland track (which also earns you an accolade) in the Cayman — handling is preferred to speed — before going outside to earn three stars at the Ringroad Speed Zone, which is easy enough in the stock vehicle.

As you finish that you’ll earn five Playlist points and 80 Forzathon Points, with the FP doubled if you own the Casa Solariega player house.

Weekly Challenge: Driven by Dreams

  • Car: Porsche Cayman GT4 ’16
    • Chapter 1: Own and drive the Cayman GT4
    • Chapter 2: Earn three Speed Skills at the Winter Wonderland Stadium in the Cayman GT4
    • Chapter 3: Win a race at the Winter Wonderland Stadium in the Cayman GT4
    • Chapter 4: Earn three stars at the Ringroad Speed Zone in the Cayman GT4
  • Reward: 5 points, 80FP

The winter-themed Daily Challenges, each worth a point, pop up as usual at the rate of (as you’d expect) one a day. There’s a new challenge each day at 1430UTC, and each allows you seven days to complete.

Visit the Winter Wonderland Stadium (which you’ll do above in the Weekly Challenge anyway) to complete the first, and It’s Snow Wonder.

Head to Lap Land next by winning any Road Racing Series race on a circuit — point-to-points do not count. You could, in fact, do this in the Weekly Challenge too…

After that you’ll need to spend to Make It Reindeer, by putting 50,000cr of upgrades onto cars while at the Horizon Test Track.

You’ll be asked to Put That Coupe Down next, when you earn three Air Skills (by getting airborne and landing safely) in any car that has the word “Coupe” — including the accented version — in its name.

Earn three stars at any Trailblazers in the Ariel Nomad next, as you go on a Snowmad Dash.

Be a Yule Logger next by earning three Lumberjack Skills. For this you’ll need to smack into branches that lie on the ground — there’s many of them in any of the heavily wooded areas — three times.

Finally open your Avent Calendar by unlocking a Car Mastery (in the pause menu’s “Cars” tab; you’ll need to spend Skill Points for this) on any Lamborghini Aventador.

Daily Challenges

  • December 7 – It’s Snow Wonder: Visit the Winter Wonderland Stadium
  • December 8 – Lap Land: Win a Road Racing Circuit race
  • December 9 – Make it Reindeer: Spend 50,000cr on upgrades at Horizon Test Track
  • December 10 – Put That Coupe Down: Earn three Air Skills in any car with Coupe in its name
  • December 11 – Snowmad Dash: Earn three stars from Trailblazers in the Ariel Nomad
  • December 12 – Yule Logger: Get three Lumberjack Skills
  • December 13 – Avent Calendar: Unlock a Car Mastery on any Lamborghini Aventador

Series 28 Winter Playlist: Season Events

Nine items sit on the single-player list this week, as there’s a full complement of three PR Stunts and three Seasonal Championships, along with two EventLabs and Horizon Arcade.

That last item can of course be done solo or as a team, as the target scores scale. However you do it though, just complete a full set of three rounds of any Horizon Arcade theme — Air, Chaos, Drift, Speed, Wreckage — to earn three points.

This week’s EventLabs are both, unusually, custom routes on existing roads and tracks and are races against a small pack of AI that you’ll need to win. Both offer the usual three points.

Outskirt Scramble is a two-lap, mixed-surface race near the Festival site for A Class (701-800PI) Modern Rally and Rally Monsters cars, with a Super Wheelspin for victory. Pie del Volcan uses roads just east of the volcano for a two-lap race in A Class (701-800PI) Retro Supercars, offering Reindeer Antlers if you win.

The PR Stunts all require different vehicles this week, although as usual each is worth two points and a Super Wheelspin.

You’ll need a B Class (601-700PI) 2014 Volkswagen Golf R for the Vado del Rio Speed Trap, which will be tricky to hit the 100mph target due to the watersplash; approach it from an angle for best results. It’s a C Class (501-600PI) Toyota MR2 ’89 for the Los Jardines Danger Sign, and the 230m goal isn’t particularly tricky. The same can be said of the 90mph target for the Punta Allen Speed Zone, in a D Class (≤500PI) FIAT 124 Spider, but you will need to tune the car up a little first.

The three Seasonal Championships are their usual three-race events against Highly Skilled AI. Each is worth five points and a bonus prize, but you need to top the points table at the end of the championship to win.

Play it Forward is a Street Racing event (which means NPC traffic, unless Quick Resume intervenes) for C Class (501-600PI), front-wheel drive vehicles and offering a MINI JCW ’12 for the win. Greatest Brits! requires S1 Class (801-900PI) cars from the UK for a Road Racing Series and awards a McLaren 720S Spider. Finally there’s When Nature Calls, which is a Cross Country event for A Class (701-800PI) Land Rovers, and awarding a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 MR.

EventLab: Pie del Volcan

  • Car: A Class, Retro Supercars
  • Location: Gran Caldera
  • Challenge: Win the race
  • Reward: 3 points, Reindeer Antlers

EventLab: Outskirt Scramble

  • Car: A Class, Modern Rally/Rally Monsters
  • Location: Horizon Festival
  • Challenge: Win the race
  • Reward: 3 points, Super Wheelspin

Horizon Arcade: Mini Games

  • Car: Any
  • Location: Horizon Arcade (any)
  • Challenge: Complete a Horizon Arcade event
  • Reward: 3 points

Danger Sign: Los Jardines

  • Car: C Class, Toyota MR2 ’89
  • Location: Los Jardines
  • Challenge: 230m
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Speed Trap: Vado del Rio

  • Car: B Class, Volkswagen Golf R ’14
  • Location: Atlantes de Tula
  • Challenge: 100mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Speed Zone: Punta Allen

  • Car: D Class, FIAT 124 Spider
  • Location: Costa Rocosa
  • Challenge: 90mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Seasonal Championship: Greatest Brits!

  • Car: S1 Class, UK
  • Location: Playa Azul
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, McLaren 720S Spider

Seasonal Championship: Play It Forward

  • Car: C Class, FWD
  • Location: Copper Canyon
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Mini JCW ’12

Seasonal Championship: When Nature Calls

  • Car: A Class, Land Rover
  • Location: Baja Circuit
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 MR ’04

Only one multiplayer event remains on this week’s list, requiring an Xbox Core subscription to take part on console — although it’s free to take part on PC.

Naturally that’s the ever-present of The Trial. This is a best-of-three-race series that places you on a team of up to five other humans to race against a squad of six “Highly Skilled” AI.

You’ll need to score more points as a team than the AI do, with each player on each team scoring 100pt for each opponent they beat — and only each opponent they beat.

That means you’ll need to work together to deny the AI and help each other out, so if you have the performance advantage disappear up the road, you’re better off using it to hinder the ‘bots and help your team-mates advance.

It’s likely to be a bit chaotic this week as the S1 Class (801-900PI) Track Toys required are just the wrong side of most people’s abilities, even if it’s a Road Racing event where grip should be high. Nonetheless, it ought to be a win in two races, for ten points and a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT.

The Trial: Playtime’s Over

  • Car: S1 Class, Track Toys
  • Location: Los Jardines
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 10 points, Porsche Carrera GT

Series 28 Winter Playlist: Challenges

Three Challenges await this week, as the Treasure Hunt and permanent Photo Challenge remain and are joined by an online Horizon Open — also requiring Xbox Core to access on console.

It’s actually a little trickier than usual to complete this one this week and might require some cooperation. You’ll need to earn a Slingshot Skill — for slipstreaming someone and then passing them — during Horizon Open Racing to complete Claus & Effect, but doing so earns you two points and a red nose.

This week’s Treasure Hunt, Ain’t Snow Mountain High Enough, is a little tricksy this week and a bit reminiscent of the very last one.

The rather verbose Clue states “A chill climb you must start, from Los Arboles depart, once you get to Mountain Top you’re sure to gain a lot”.

By way of translation, this means you need to get from the Los Arboles Speed Trap on the east side of the volcano all the way up to the Mountain Top Danger Sign. You can take pretty much any route, but be sure to go through the Los Arboles Speed Trap first.

Once you reach roughly the Danger Sign, you’ll earn the Treasure Hint. That’s a red zone on your map will show you the approximate location of the chest, and this week that’s centered on the Festival site.

In fact the chest is right at the Horizon Tour location, and not tricky to spot. Smash it to earn three points and 100FP.

For the Photo Challenge, #AlpineRetreat, you’ll need to take any Alpine vehicle to the Hotel Mirador Balderrama or the nearby Hotel Castillo and take a snap of it. That will earn the two points and a Sleigh Bells horn.

Horizon Open: Claus & Effect

  • Cars: Any
  • Location: Horizon Open Racing
  • Challenge: Get a Slingshot Skill in Horizon Open Racing
  • Reward: 2 points, Red Nose

Photo Challenge: #AlpineRetreat

  • Cars: Alpine (any)
  • Location: Hotel Mirador Balderrama/Hotel Castillo
  • Challenge: Photograph any Alpine at Hotel Castillo or Hotel Mirador Balderrama
  • Reward: 2 points, Sleigh Bells Horn

Treasure Hunt: Aint Snow Mountain High Enough

  • Cars: Any
  • Location: Gran Caldera
  • Challenge: Drive any vehicle from the Los Arboles Speed Trap to the Mountain Top Danger Sign; find and smash the Treasure Chest
  • Reward: 3 points, 100FP

Series 28 Winter Playlist: Monthly Events

Two new Monthly Events are in place across the whole Series, giving you four points each — with one distributed to each Season — whenever you complete them during the 28-day window.

These events are similar to Rivals events, and you’ll be “chasing” a ghost too, but ultimately speed isn’t necessary. The goal is to complete a clean run of the courses noted in the cars provided to you for the task, so don’t hit solid objects and don’t use the Rewind feature.

As usual you’ll get to preview a new car in one, as you race the Marigold Sprint point-to-point introduced last Series in the new Subaru BRZ. You’ll get a taster of the DLC pack too, as you race the Winter Wonderland Circuit in the Dodge Charger Fast X — which will be a challenge given how tight the course is…

Monthly Rivals: Marigold Sprint

  • Cars: Subaru BRZ ’22 (provided)
  • Location: Costa Rocosa
  • Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
  • Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Monthly Rivals: Winter Wonderland Circuit

  • Cars: Dodge Charger Fast X (provided)
  • Location: Estadio Horizon
  • Challenge: Post a Clean Time
  • Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Series 28 Winter Bonus DLC Events

Up to 14 bonus points are available to players who own the DLC expansions, although these aren’t required for completion — but do count towards your goals.

Each of the two new maps hosts a PR Stunt and a Seasonal Championship, worth the same as those on the main map — at two and five points respectively — along with a bonus prize for each event.

Like those on the main map, the PR Stunts require completely different cars this week. You’ll need a C Class (501-600PI) Ford Escort ’73 for the Crateres Secos Speed Zone in Rally Adventure, and an A Class (701-800PI) Toyota GR Supra for the Dragon’s Fall Speed Trap in Hot Wheels.

Neither are incredibly tricky, at 62mph and 200mph respectively, but you will need some off-road capability for the Escort to deal with the sand dunes. The Supra ought to be just a matter of gearing, as gravity will do the rest.

The Seasonal Championships are also three-race events against Highly Skilled AI, with five points and a bonus car for coming first overall, as with those on the main map.

You’ll need an A Class (701-800PI) Hot Wheels-brand car for Too Hot to Handle in Hot Wheels, which offers a Porsche 718 GTS as a reward. It’s a B Class (601-700PI) Lancia for Reap the Rewards in Rally Adventure, awarding an Audi RS4 ’01.

Hot Wheels Speed Trap: Dragon’s Fall

  • Car: A Class, Toyota GR Supra ’20
  • Location: Hot Wheels Ice Cauldron
  • Challenge: 200mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Too Hot to Handle

  • Car: A Class, Hot Wheels
  • Location: Hot Wheels Ice Cauldron
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Porsche 718 GTS

Rally Adventure Speed Zone: Crateres Secos

  • Car: C Class, Ford Escort ’73
  • Location: Sierra Nueva Crateres Secos
  • Challenge: 62mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship: Reap the Rewards

  • Car: B Class, Lancia
  • Location: Sierra Nueva Tierras Verdes
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Audi RS4 ’01

Series 28 Winter Forzathon Shop

Thoroughbred Italian racing machinery dominates the Forzathon Shop this week, with two red, high-value cars on offer.

First up is the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2, a racing car developed by Zagato to conquer endurance racing.

It took the principles of the original TZ and added lightness by replacing the aluminum body with glass fiber, allowing the 170hp car to take class wins in multiple 6-12hr and 1000km races in the 1960s.

Alternatively there’s the Ferrari F50, which needs little introduction. Developed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ferrari, it’s effectively the result of stuffing an F1 engine (or at least one based on the Ferrari 641’s unit) into a road car.

Both are pretty pricey, but are better value than their Autoshow equivalents. You’ll need 800FP for the otherwise 4m-credit Alfa, or 650FP for the normally 2m F50. And don’t forget you can gift them for Secret Santa too…

Other store items this week include the Elf Outfit, Elf Hat, and Jingle Bells Horn at 75FP each. The Wheelspin (60FP) and a Super Wheelspin (150FP) occupy their regular spots.

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