Forza Horizon 5 Season Change: Missing Lynk

Andrew Evans · · Comments

The Lunar New Year celebrations continue in Forza Horizon 5 this week, with a new Playlist for the next seven days.

Although not officially referred to as such, this is the 30th Series in FH5, and it once again marks the occasion of the Lunar New Year with a series of Asian-themed events. Korean and Chinese cars feature heavily, as the Year of the Dragon begins on February 10.

As you may expect, there’s a few cosmetic alterations in the game world, most notably at the Arena once again. This becomes the “Lunar Drift Arena” for the duration of the series, featuring a new layout, Chinese decorations — including the long dragons — and paper lanterns.

The dragon makes an appearance in the sky too, as a drone show circles the stadium throughout the series, visible day or night thanks to the illuminated paper lanterns.

Brand new cars from China and Korea are available throughout the Series, at 20 points each season and 80 points overall, along with an Evolving World Accolade for snaring all five. A new China-themed, paid-DLC pack is also available.

Table of Contents

Series 30: Lunar New Year

There’s a good chance you’ll have done so already, but collecting 80 points across the series will see the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 6 added to your garage.

For now, the 6 is the flagship of Hyundai’s “Ioniq” EV sub-brand, and comes as a rather sensible four-door sedan with either single-motor with rear-wheel drive or dual-motor AWD forms.

Naturally the AWD version is the most powerful, with 320hp available, but Hyundai had planned an N model to go with its racing plans before the ETCR series folded.

Racking up 160 points lands you the NIO EP9, a limited production halo hypercar concept designed to get the NIO name into people’s minds.

It did that with an EV lap record at the Nurburgring in 2017, although on slick tires, along with similar records around COTA and Shanghai.

That’s largely down to the fact it produces 1MW of electric horsepower, through four identical, in-wheel, 250kW motors. For those who aren’t fans of conversion, that’s 1,341hp.

Series 30 Autumn/Storm Season Rewards

It’s an all-Chinese affair in this week’s playlist though, with an all-new car from the convolutedly named Lynk&Co and a returning touring car from MG.

At 20 points you’ll pick up the Lynk&Co 02 HB — the hatchback version of the regular 02. The car shares underpinnings with the 03 sedan model and also Volvo’s XC40.

In this guise the car sports a 250hp, two-liter turbocharged petrol engine just like the one in the 03+ and powering the front wheels. This makes it something of a handful!

Turning the handful stakes up a bit is the MG MG6 XPower #20, which you’ll win at 40 points.

This is a similarly front-wheel drive machine, this time attempting to put 350hp through those poor, tortured tires. However it’s also a fully fledged, TCR race car, so puts most of the power to good use.

Autumn will run until 1430UTC on Thursday February 15, while Series 30 will continue for a further two weeks until the same time on Thursday February 29.

Series 30 Autumn Playlist: Forzathon Events

The legendary Lexus LFA is the star of this week’s Forzathon Weekly event, so own and drive one — and it’s a reward for completing The Trial this week — to get No Expense Spared underway.

It’s all about testing its performance this week, so firstly you’ll need to rack up a speed of 200mph in the V10 performance car. The runway or main highway are safe bets even for the stock car.

Although perhaps not most famous for racing, the LFA was developed at the N24, so win two Road Racing Circuit events — Sprints won’t count — in the car to complete the next step.

Finally just drive a total distance of 20 miles (32km) in the Lexus to round out the tasks, earning five Playlist points and 80 Forzathon Points.

Weekly Challenge: No Expense Spared

  • Car: Lexus LFA ’10
    • Chapter 1: Own and drive the Lexus LFA
    • Chapter 2: Reach 200mph in the Lexus LFA
    • Chapter 3: Win two Road Racing Circuit events in the Lexus LFA
    • Chapter 4: Drive 20 miles in the Lexus LFA
  • Reward: 5 points, 80FP

Your seven Daily Challenges pop at their usual rate of one a day during the week, at 1430UTC each day. In each case you’ll earn one point for completing the challenge, with seven full days to do so.

Be a Snap Dragon first, and take a photo in the Lunar Drift Arena. You can double this up with the Photo Challenge this week, by taking your snap on one of the viewing platforms in the arena.

Go on to win a Road Race in any Chinese car (and note that the MGs are UK cars) to complete Dragon Dash next.

You’ll want to be a Street Racer next by winning any such race in a Korean car.

Get a Lucky Landing when you earn a Crash Landing Skill — combining an Air Skill for a clean jump with a Wreckage Skill for breaking a destructible object.

There’s plenty of Super Wheelspins on offer this week for the PR Stunts. Just redeem one — or a regular Wheelspin — to complete Lucky Dip.

Do a Drift Drop next, as you score three stars at any Danger Sign in any Drift category car.

Finally drive three miles (4.8km) in any Alfa Romeo in the Lunar Drift Arena (around the inner banking is quickest) to prove that Romeo Must Drive.

Daily Challenges

  • February 8 – Snap Dragon: Take a photo in the Lunar Drift Arena
  • February 9 – Dragon Dash: Win a Road Race in any Chinese car
  • February 10 – Street Racer: Win a Street Race in any Korean car
  • February 11 – Lunar Landing: Earn a Crash Landing Skill
  • February 12 – Lucky Dip: Redeem a Wheelspin or Super Wheelspin
  • February 13 – Drift Drop: Get three stars at any Danger Sign in a Drift car
  • February 14 – Romeo Must Drive: Drive three miles in any Alfa Romeo at the Lunar Drift Arena

Series 30 Autumn Playlist: Season Events

There’s a large solo list this week, with three sets of three: three EventLabs, three PR Stunts, and three Seasonal Championships.

Each of the three EventLabs — worth three points and a bonus prize each — features heavily altered route and some very different atmospheres.

Dystopia Ruins carries on from last week’s Utopia Gardens, but with a post-apocalyptic vibe. It’s a similar track layout (with the same uphill blind jumps and uphill 180-degree square corners) but there’s a lot more going on. You’ll need a — and we’d recommend small — A Class (701-800PI) Offroad or Ultimate Offroad car, and you’ll earn a Super Wheelspin for completing two laps.

Autodromo Int. B. Cecilia gives off an abandoned east European race track aura. It’s a three-lap race against AI for A Class (701-800PI) Retro Supercars, and there’s an Epitaph Red Logo Relaxed Tee bonus.

EventLab Island hosts JCO Project Race2 Refinery, which is a race around… well, a refinery. B Class (601-700PI) Retro Muscle is required for the three-lap race against AI, and watch out for those easy-to-miss post-corner checkpoints. A 1972 Ford Falcon is the bonus prize.

All three of the PR Stunts this week are Speed Zones, requiring an A Class (701-800PI) Lynk&Co vehicle — you can win one in the Last Chance Saloon Seasonal or for 20pt elsewhere on the list — with two points and a Super Wheelspin.

You shouldn’t find any of them all that tricky, with 110mph the target at Cliffside, 90mph at Switchbacks (obviously run this one downhill), and 87mph for Ringroad.

The Seasonal Championships are three-race events against “Highly Skilled” AI. You’ll need to top the points table at the end of the championship to claim five points and a bonus prize.

Heavy Duty Dash is a Cross Country event for B Class (601-700PI) Pickups & 4x4s, with a DeBerti F-150 as the reward. You’ll need B Class (601-700PI) Retro Saloons for the Last Chance Saloon Road Race, awarding a Lynk&Co 03+. Finally it’s A Class (701-800PI) Nissan or Infiniti cars for To Infiniti & Beyond, a Road Race which gifts a Formula Drift #777 Nissan 240SX.

EventLab: Autodromo Int. B. Cecilia

  • Car: A Class, Retro Supercars
  • Location: Copper Canyon
  • Challenge: Win the race
  • Reward: 3 points, Epitaph Red Logo Relaxed Tee

EventLab: Dystopia Ruins

  • Car: A Class, Offroad/Unlimited Offroad
  • Location: Palacio Azul
  • Challenge: Win the race
  • Reward: 3 points, Super Wheelspin

EventLab: JCO Project Race2 Refinery

  • Car: B Class, Retro Muscle
  • Location: EventLab Island
  • Challenge: Finish the race
  • Reward: 3 points, Ford Falcon ’72

Speed Zone: Cliffside

  • Car: A Class, Lynk&Co
  • Location: Horizon Rush
  • Challenge: 110mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Speed Zone: Ringroad

  • Car: A Class, Lynk&Co
  • Location: Estadio Horizon
  • Challenge: 87mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Speed Zone: Switchbacks

  • Car: A Class, Lynk&Co
  • Location: Gran Caldera
  • Challenge: 90mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Seasonal Championship: Heavy Duty Dash

  • Car: B Class, Pickups & 4x4s
  • Location: Hotel Mirador
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, DeBerti F150

Seasonal Championship: Last Chance Saloon

  • Car: B Class, Retro Saloons
  • Location: Horizon Festival
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Lynk&Co 03+

Seasonal Championship: To Infiniti & Beyond

  • Car: A Class, Infiniti/Nissan
  • Location: Palacio Azul
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Formula Drift #777 Nissan 240SX

The Trial stands as the only multiplayer event this week, requiring an Xbox Core subscription in order to take part on console — although it’s free to take part on PC.

This is a best-of-three race team championship, with up to six human players racing against a squad of six “Unbeatable” AI racers, this week all in A Class (701-800PI) Lexus models.

Each player on each team scores 100pt for each opponent that they beat, but nothing for beating a team-mate. That means you’ll need to help each other out while hindering the AI to get the highest team score.

As with last week it should be a breeze as a relatively slow-paced, Street Racing event, and you should clear it inside two races — although the courses are relatively new and unfamiliar.

Winning earns ten points and the Lexus LFA needed for Forzathon Weekly this week.

The Trial: Pursuit of Perfection

  • Car: A Class, Lexus
  • Location: Atlantes de Tula
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 10 points, Lexus LFA

Series 30 Autumn Playlist: Challenges

There’s two Challenges up this week, as a Treasure Hunt joins the permanent Photo Challenge — but it’s worth doing them in that order.

The verbose Treasure Hunt gives most of the game away in its clue — “It may not be a tiger, but a big cat that’s for sure, send it sideways 3 times and the treasure you’ll secure” — and thumbnail.

Naturally you’ll need to score three Drift or E-Drift skills in any Jaguar to reveal the hint, a red zone on your map which shows you roughly where you can find the treasure chest.

This week that’s at the Stadium, and you’ll find the chest right next to the parking bays near the center of the arena. Smash it to score three points and 300FP.

While you’re there you can complete the Photo Challenge, #LunarLookout. This requires you to photograph any car at one of the three lookout platforms dotted around the outer areas of the drift track, and you’ll net two points and the Snap Emote for doing so. Handily it’ll also complete the first Daily Challenge too!

Photo Challenge: #LunarLookout

  • Cars: Any
  • Location: Lunar Drift Arena
  • Challenge: Photograph any car on one of the three lookout platforms at the Lunar Drift Arena
  • Reward: 2 points, Snap Emote

Treasure Hunt: Riding a Tiger, Hard to Get Off

  • Cars: Jaguar (any)
  • Location: Any
  • Challenge: Earn three Drift Skills in any Jaguar; find and smash the Treasure Chest
  • Reward: 3 points, 300FP

Series 30 Autumn Playlist: Monthly Events

For the second Series in a row there’s four Monthly Events to get to grips with, offering up a massive 16 points across the month.

Each event is worth four points, with one added to each season regardless of when you op to complete them.

Similar to Rivals events, Monthly Events put you against a ghost car but you’re not required to beat it. You just need to a clean lap (or run, on the point-to-points), hitting all the checkpoints, not hitting anything solid, and avoiding any use of Rewind.

As with last month, there’s two regular events and two Forza EV events. You’ll be racing the DLC pack MG Cyberster around the Tierra Prospera Circuit, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 on the Aerodromo Sprint course for Forza EV, while Monthly Rivals is the Lynk&Co 02 at the Estadio Circuit, and — a little unusually — the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker monster truck at the Baja Scramble course.

Forza EV: Aerodromo Sprint

  • Cars: Hyundai Ioniq 6 (provided)
  • Location: Aerodromo en la Selva
  • Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
  • Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Forza EV: Tierra Prospera Circuit

  • Cars: MG Cyberster (provided)
  • Location: Tierra Prospera
  • Challenge: Post a Clean Time
  • Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Monthly Rivals: Estadio Circuit

  • Cars: Lynk&Co 02 (provided)
  • Location: Estadio Horizon
  • Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
  • Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Monthly Rivals: Horizon Baja Scramble

  • Cars: Hot Wheels Bone Shaker (provided)
  • Location: Baja Circuit
  • Challenge: Post a Clean Time
  • Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)

Series 30 Autumn Bonus DLC Events

As usual you’ll find 14 bonus points in the DLC expansion packs, consisting of a two-point PR Stunt and a five-point Seasonal Championship in each location. This gives players who own them a little bonus, but they’re not required for 100% completion.

TVR is the star car in the PR Stunts this week, with both requiring an S1 Class (801-900PI) car from the brand. You’ll need some ground clearance for the Duna Escarpada Speed Trap, but 115mph isn’t a tough goal. 210mph at the Hammer’s Shadow Speed Trap just requires power and precision. Each gives a Super Wheelspin bonus.

Like those on the main map, the Seasonal Championships are three-race events against “Highly Skilled” AI. You’ll need to top the points table at the end of each to earn the points and bonuses.

B Class (601-700PI) Volvos are required for Racing Reapers in Rally Adventure, which offers a Grit Reapers Desert Scarf for the win. There’s a custom “World’s Fastest” hopper in Record Breakers, comprising Retro Supercars; you can use any A Class (701-800PI) car eligible, and you’ll pick up a 2020 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 for the win.

Hot Wheels Speed Trap: Hammer’s Shadow

  • Car: S1 Class, TVR
  • Location: Hot Wheels Giant’s Canyon
  • Challenge: 210mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Record Breakers

  • Car: A Class, “World’s Fastest”
  • Location: Hot Wheels Forest Falls
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 ’20

Rally Adventure Speed Trap: Duna Escarpada

  • Car: S1 Class, TVR
  • Location: Sierra Nueva Valle de Foreanos
  • Challenge: 115mph
  • Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin

Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship: Racing Reapers

  • Car: B Class, Volvo
  • Location: Sierra Nueva Tierras Verdes
  • Challenge: Win the Championship
  • Reward: 5 points, Grit Reapers Desert Scarf

Series 30 Autumn Forzathon Shop

There’s 1800hp of cars in the Forzathon Shop this week, and two rather different approaches to getting there.

Coming in at the lower end of the two is the Lamborghini Sian Roadster, which pairs a pretty beastly, 6.5-liter V12 with a in-drivetrain, supercapacitor-powered electric motor.

This small, 30hp unit can power the Sian on its own at parking speeds, but also provides a little boost to fill in any blanks during shifts — with the supercapacitor able to provide power rapidly and recover through regenerative braking.

There’s no such trickery with the Ford Mustang RTR #25. It delivers 1000hp right to the rear wheels from a naturally aspirated, 7.2-liter V8.

You’d need 3,500,000cr to score the Sian in the Autoshow, so the 850FP price is pretty decent value. It’s a coin toss on the 400FP Ford though, which is just 500,000cr in the Autoshow.

The other store items this week are the White Drift Zone Tee and So Cute Emote at 75FP each. The Wheelspin and Super Wheelspin are also available at their usual 60FP and 150FP respectively.

Series 30 Autumn Forzathon Shop

  • Lamborghini Sian Roadster – 850FP
  • Ford Mustang #25 RTR – 400FP
  • White Drift Zone Tee – 75FP
  • So Cute Emote – 75FP
  • Wheelspin – 60FP
  • Super Wheelspin – 150FP

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