After four weeks of blasting us with the past, Forza Horizon 5 moves up to the present day in its new Series starting today.
Modern Horizons is the 35th Series so far, and takes a look at — you guessed it — modern motoring. It is all about the cars this month, as the majority of challenges require vehicles made no earlier than 2010 and there’s a thoroughly modern list of new cars.
You’ll be able to earn five vehicles in total from playlist activities, taking their usual places as a 20pt reward in each of the four seasons and a final car for 80 points across all four (no matter how you earn it).
A further five (or arguably three) cars are available through a DLC pack, though one that very much belongs to the Retrowave we’ve just bade farewell, while the map returns to its standard form for the month.
Table of Contents
- Series 35: Modern Horizons
- Series 35 Summer/Wet Season Rewards
- Series 35 Summer Playlist: Forzathon Events
- Series 35 Summer Playlist: Season Events
- The Trial: Ford of the Streets
- Danger Sign: Stadium Leap
- Speed Trap: Caballo Blanco
- Speed Zone: Watersplash
- EventLab: Hong Akai Nightrace
- EventLab: Sunhaven Nightfall
- Horizon Arcade: Mini Games
- Seasonal Championship: Kitty Cat, Toy Track
- Seasonal Championship: Rally and Camaro-raderie
- Seasonal Championship: Round the Clock
- Series 35 Summer Playlist: Challenges
- Series 35 Summer Playlist: Monthly Events
- Series 35 Summer Bonus DLC Events
- Series 35 Summer Forzathon Shop
Series 35: Modern Horizons
Like it or not, modern motoring is heading down an electrifying path — quite literally — and the series rewards reflect that. Hit 80 points and you’ll pick up the Kia EV6 GT, as the Korean manufacturer makes its debut in FH5.
It’s quite a different animal from the regular EV6, which is a pretty neat electric SUV. The GT model reworks just about everything under the skin right down to a different construction for the platform, as well as winding up the motors to almost 600hp.
That’s small fry compared to the 1,250hp RAESR Tachyon Speed. This concept model sports six — yes, six — electric motors, combining for a posited top speed of 240mph. That isn’t quite as fast as the particle for which it’s named, but pretty quick for an EV.
Series 35 Summer/Wet Season Rewards
It’s the series’ cover car up first in the weekly rewards, with 20 points netting you the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
This is effectively a new branding for the top dog (well… horse) of the regular Mustang line-up on the seventh-gen cars, with the five-liter V8 packing some 500hp. If you want more with a Ford badge on the warranty, you’ll need the GT3-based GTD road car and that requires you to stick a “3” at the start of the Dark Horse’s price…
The Mission R meanwhile is Porsche’s vision of what its own GT3 racer would look like when EV becomes the standard powertrain even on the race track. It’s designed to be the Porsche Cup car for 2030 and beyond, and puts out twice what the Dark Horse does, in a rear-biased AWD setup.
Summer will run until 1430UTC on Thursday June 27, while Series 35 will continue for another three weeks until the same time on Thursday July 19.
Series 35 Summer Playlist: Forzathon Events
The first 2010s hero car of the series is the 2017 Alpine A110, a modern reinterpretation of the classic from the 1970s. Own and drive the new Alpine — and it’s available in the Forzathon Shop this week for a steep 650FP — to get Forefront of Innovation underway.
It’s a relatively gentle set of challenges this week, and you can upgrade the car first if you wish. First, win a Road Race of any kind in the Alpine, then take a photograph of it to complete the penultimate stage.
Finally head out and earn five Great Speed Skills in the car — requiring an approximate speed of 155mph, easily achieved even in the stock car down the highway — to complete the challenges and earn five Playlist points and 80 Forzathon Points.
Series 35 Summer Forzathon Weekly Challenge: Forefront of Innovation
- Car: Alpine A110 ’17
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the Alpine A110 ’17
- Chapter 2: Win a Road Race in the Alpine A110 ’17
- Chapter 3: Take a photo of the Alpine A110 ’17
- Chapter 4: Earn five Great Speed Skills in the Alpine A110 ’17
- Reward: 5 points, 80FP
There’s lots of modernity in the first seven Daily Challenges of the Series, with a new challenge unlocking each day at 1430UTC, with seven days to complete each for a point apiece.
You’ll complete the first one in your normal driving this week. Drive of the Decade requires that you rack up ten miles of driving in any 2010s vehicle, and that doesn’t appear to require a single session in a single car.
Be Faster than Light next, scoring three stars at the Avenida Speed Trap in Playa Azul. There’s plenty of ways to hit the 205mph required, and trying to pass through the trap perpendicularly will give you the highest speeds.
Get your Pedal to the Metal after that, reaching 100mph in the 2019 model Lamborghini Urus.
Take a photograph of any vehicle from the Modern Supercar class next for a News Report.
It’s all about Smoke and Mirrors on Monday’s challenge, as you’ll need to earn five Awesome Drift or E-Drift skills in any Formula Drift vehicle. As they’re pretty much made for that, it shouldn’t be an issue.
You’ll be Night Racing next, as you try to win any Street Race event.
Finally be a Pending Email as you send a Gift Drop to any other player.
Series 35 Summer Daily Challenges
- June 20 – Drive of the Decade: Drive ten miles (16km) in any 2010s vehicle
- June 21 – Faster than Light: Earn three Stars at the Avenida Speed Trap
- June 22 – Pedal to the Metal: Reach 100mph in the Lamborghini Urus ’19
- June 23 – News Report: Take a photo of any Modern Supercar
- June 24 – Smoke and Mirrors: Earn five Awesome Drift/E-Drift skills in any Formula Drift vehicle
- June 25 – Night Racing: Win a Street Race event
- June 26 – Pending Email: Send a Gift Drop to another player
Series 35 Summer Playlist: Season Events
Only one Multiplayer event awaits you this week, requiring either an Xbox Core subscription or a PC — on which it’s free — in order to take part.
Naturally that’s The Trial which this week puts you into A Class (701-800PI) Ford cars from the 2010s in the Ford of the Streets Street Racing event.
It’s a best-of-three race challenge which pits you and up to five other human players against a squad of six “Unbeatable” AI, with the goal being to hit the best total team score each race.
Each player on each team scores 100pt for each opponent they beat, but nothing for beating a team-mate. The target then is to get as many of your team as high as possible to outscore the AI as a squad. Blocking the AI to help team-mates is ideal, blocking team-mates is not.
The low PI and hard surface should mean a controlled race from all and an easy enough win inside two races to earn 10pt and — oddly — a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro.
The Trial: Ford of the Streets
- Car: A Class, Ford, 2010s
- Location: Gran Puente
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Chevrolet Camaro ’17
We have nine challenges on the solo Playlist though, consisting of three PR Stunts, three Seasonal Championships, two EventLabs, and Horizon Arcade.
That last one is its usual challenge. Head to any Horizon Arcade zone (the pink circles on the map) from any of the five themes — Air, Chaos, Drift, Speed, and Wreckage — and complete three rounds of stunts to earn yourself three points. If you’re in Horizon Life, other players may join you, and the targets required scale by the number of participants.
All of the PR Stunts this series are open to any vehicle so long as it doesn’t exceed 998PI at the top of the S2 Class, making it a good chance to set some personal records. All are worth two points and a Super Wheelspin.
This week’s trio are the Danger Sign at Stadium Leap, the Caballo Blanco Speed Trap, and the Watersplash Speed Zone. Only the middle of those three is awkward, as the approach is pretty difficult from either side, but you shouldn’t find the 160mph target too tricky. The 400m jump and 95mph average through the eponymous splashes won’t challenge you anywhere near as much.
EventLab’s two offerings are entirely custom routes and you’ll be required to beat the AI in races to score three points and a bonus prize.
Hong Akai Nightrace takes place around an oriental village laid out in the swamps. It’s a Street Race for B Class (601-700PI) Nissan models, and shortcuts are possible but not especially effective. Win to earn a Ferrari Portofino. Meanwhile you’ll be in a four-lap, three-car urban sprint on EventLab Island in Sunhaven Nightfall, for S2 Class (901-998PI) Extreme Track Toys, with a Super Wheelspin up for grabs.
That leaves the three Seasonal Championships, each of which is a three-race event against “Highly Skilled” AI requiring you to top the points table at the end to earn five points and a bonus reward.
Round the Clock is a Road Race event for S1 Class (801-900PI) cars of any kind from the 2010s, with a Range Rover SVR the reward. Kitty Cat, Toy Track also requires S1 Class (801-900PI) cars for a Road Race, but this time Track Toy models only, with a 2015 Dodge Charger as a prize. Finally there’s the Dirt Racing Rally and Camaro-raderie event for S1 Class (801-900PI) Chevrolet Camaro cars, with the reward being a Deberti F150.
Danger Sign: Stadium Leap
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Estadio Horizon
- Challenge: 400m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Trap: Caballo Blanco
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Hotel Castillo
- Challenge: 160mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Speed Zone: Watersplash
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Gran Pantano
- Challenge: 95mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
EventLab: Hong Akai Nightrace
- Car: B Class, Nissan
- Location: Riviera Maya
- Challenge: Win the Race
- Reward: 3 points, Ferrari Portofino
EventLab: Sunhaven Nightfall
- Car: S2 Class, Extreme Track Toys
- Location: EventLab Island
- Challenge: Win the Race
- Reward: 3 points, Super Wheelspin
Horizon Arcade: Mini Games
- Car: Any
- Location: Horizon Arcade (any)
- Challenge: Complete three rounds of Horizon Arcade
- Reward: 3 points
Seasonal Championship: Kitty Cat, Toy Track
- Car: S1 Class, Track Toys
- Location: Bahia de Plano
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Dodge Charger ’15
Seasonal Championship: Rally and Camaro-raderie
- Car: S1 Class, Chevrolet Camaro
- Location: Mulege
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Deberti F150
Seasonal Championship: Round the Clock
- Car: S1 Class
- Location: Mulege
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Range Rover SVR
Series 35 Summer Playlist: Challenges
There’s just two Challenges this week, with a Treasure Hunt joining the regular Photo Challenge.
The Photo Challenge, #MorganMural, requires you to photograph any (either?) Morgan model at the CIX mural in San Sebastian — near the Gran Puente bridge. Hit the shutter button to earn two points and a “World’s Fastest!” Forza LINK greeting.
Birdspotting is a curious Treasure Hunt, but from the image and Clue you can probably guess what you need to do.
The goal here is to get ten Stars at Danger Signs in any car with a bird-based logo; the tile shows the winged Bentley badge, but we weren’t able to get it to trigger with an Aston Martin (the badge of which is literally trademarked as “Wings”). A Rossion Q1 — featuring an eagle on the badge — had no trouble.
Completing that reveals the location of the treasure chest which is, this week, at the bandstand in the center of Mulege. Smash it to earn three points and 100FP.
Photo Challenge: #MorganMural
- Cars: Morgan (any)
- Location: San Sebastian
- Challenge: Photograph any Morgan at the CIX mural in San Sebastian
- Reward: 2 points, “World’s Fastest!” Forza LINK
Treasure Hunt: Birdspotting
- Cars: Any car with a bird logo
- Location: Danger Sign (any)
- Challenge: Earn ten stars at Danger Signs in any car with a bird logo; find and smash the Treasure Chest
- Reward: 3 points, 100FP
Series 35 Summer Playlist: Monthly Events
Two new Monthly Events await, and you’ll have the full four weeks to complete them. Each awards one point to each season across the series (past, present, and future), so there’s eight points in total available here.
You’ll find yourself racing a ghost car from a human opponent, like in Rivals, but you’re not required to beat their time. Just set a clean run to complete the event, by not hitting solid objects, passing through all checkpoints, and avoiding the Rewind button.
The regular Monthly Event puts you into the DLC Pack Universal Studios Jeep Wrangler Jurassic Park at San Juan Scramble, while it’s the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at Linea Costera Sprint in Forza EV. And yes, that last one is not a circuit but a point-to-point.
Forza EV: Linea Costera Sprint
- Cars: Hyundai Ioniq 5 (provided)
- Location: Costa Rocosa
- Challenge: Post a Clean Time
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: San Juan Scramble
- Cars: Universal Studios Jeep Wrangler Jurassic Park (provided)
- Location: San Juan
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Series 35 Summer Bonus DLC Events
Owners of the DLC expansion packs will find there’s an extra seven points in each of the two locations, comprising a two-point PR Stunt and a five-point Seasonal Championship.
Both PR Stunts require the same cars as the main map: anything of any kind up to S2 Class (901-998PI). There’s a Super Wheelspin on offer for each too.
The Treetops Speed Zone in Hot Wheels’ Forest Falls area is pretty easy at just 180mph, while the Joya Marron Drift Zone in Rally Adventure features a loose surface and plenty of tight bends to make the 105,000pt target a breeze.
Both Seasonal Championships require A Class (701-800PI) cars. You’ll need something from Japan for Holden to Your Hats in Hot Wheels, which awards an HSV Maloo, while it’s Modern Muscle for the Shiver Up My Spine event in Rally Adventure and a Hot Wheels Bone Shaker reward.
Hot Wheels Speed Zone: Treetops
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Hot Wheels Forest Falls
- Challenge: 180mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Holden to Your Hats
- Car: A Class, Japan
- Location: Hot Wheels Ice Cauldron
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, HSV Maloo
Rally Adventure Drift Zone: Joya Marron
- Car: S2 Class
- Location: Sierra Nueva Joya Marron
- Challenge: 105,000pt
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship: Shiver up my Spine
- Car: A Class, Modern Muscle
- Location: Sierra Nueva Orogrande
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Hot Wheels Bone Shaker
Series 35 Summer Forzathon Shop
Modern classics pack out the Forzathon Shops this month, starting with a duo at different ends of the European driving spectrum.
At 200FP you can pick up the Aston Martin DB11, an epic GT car which owns the main roads and motorways courtesy of prodigious power and an exemplary ride. Meanwhile there’s the 2017 Alpine A110 — as needed for the Forzathon Weekly Challenge this week — that is just about unmatched on the winding paths between thanks to a keen chassis and a hot hatch engine in the back.
Although those prices seem like they’re the wrong way round, the A110 isn’t ordinarily available to buy. The Aston Martin is, in the game at least, the more common car thanks to a mere 300,000cr buy-in.
This week’s other store items are the Farid Rueda’s Lion Thin Watch, This is Fine Forza LINK, and Announcer Countdown Horn. A Wheelspin and a Super Wheelspin are also available at their usual 60FP and 150FP respectively.
Series 35 Summer Forzathon Shop
- Alpine A110 ’17 – 650FP
- Aston Martin DB11 – 200FP
- Farid Rueda’s Lion Thin Watch – 75FP
- This is Fine Forza LINK – 75FP
- Announcer Countdown Horn – 75FP
- Wheelspin – 60FP
- Super Wheelspin – 150FP
See more articles on Forza Horizon 5 Season Change.
