Forza Motorsport 6 Turns Up the Heat with Summer Car Pack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GxsHB9X8kM

Is it August already? We’re now deep into summer, and Turn 10 is celebrating by adding some seriously fast machinery to its 2015 simulation title. The latest seven additions may not offer as much variety as the racing truck or bubble car from last month’s pack, but we’ll let you judge:

• 2016 Abarth 595 Biposto
• 2000 BMW 323Ti Sport
• 2016 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan
• 1979 Datsun #33 Bob Sharp Racing 280 ZX Turbo
• 1964 Ferrari F-158 F1
• 1991 Nissan #23 Nissan R91CP
• 1964 Watson #1 Sheraton-Thompson Special Roadster

In addition, Turn 10 confirms at least one of the cars will be appearing in next month’s Horizon 3, with the CTS-V driving off from the group shot to romp through the Australian countryside.

The pack is available now for the usual $6.99 price on the Microsoft Store. We’ll cover each of the cars in more detail below.

Abarth’s pumped-up 500 esseesse — a car already in the game — gets a welcome update, with the 2016-spec 695 Biposto. Taking the hot hatch formula in a more hardcore direction, the Biposto’s name is a nod to the empty space where the rear seats used to be. Competition-spec polycarbonate windows replace the usual side glass, helping keep the curb weight under 1000kg. The little 1.4L turbo engine now pumps out 190hp, thanks in part to a full Akrapovic exhaust. It’s no wonder Abarth bills the the 695 as “the smallest supercar”.

The 323ti is an unusual car in BMW’s history. While it looks just like the contemporary E36-generation 3-series from up front — and indeed, shares the same front suspension and wheelbase — things come to an abrupt stop at the tail. It’s back here that the 323ti has ties to the Z3, using the trailing-arm rear suspension of the older E30. This setup was more prone to oversteer, which should make players looking to go sideways quite happy.

Cadillac briefly held the title of fastest four-door production car at the vaunted Nürburgring back in 2008, with the second-generation CTS-V sedan. Its replacement again borrows the heart of the latest super-Vette, meaning there’s a supercharged, 640hp monster lurking under that swollen hood. The CTS-V was built to take the fight to the the M, AMG, and RS camps, and on paper, it certainly seems capable of giving the Germans a bloody nose.

The first of two open-wheel cars introduced in this update (both from 1964 no less), the Ferrari F-158 was driven to victory in the 1964 F1 championship with John Surtees behind the wheel. When a squabble broke out between Enzo and the Italian Racing Authorities, he vowed to never race his cars in the national colour, throwing his support behind the blue and white of the NART (North American Racing Team). It would be Surtees’ only world championship.

The other 60’s vehicle is historic in its own right: the Watson Sheraton-Thompson Roadster was the last front-engined car to win the Indy 500. A.J. Foyt was the man tasked with this challenge, and delivered a stellar performance in a race that would be remembered for the tragic accidents that claimed the lives of two of his fellow racers. Foyt won the first seven races of the season, before finishing the season with 10 wins in 13 races.

It’s been a while since Turn 10 added cars from the glory days of IMSA. The Datsun 280ZX Turbo breaks that drought, adding another car with outrageous bodywork and explosive power. The tail on the Z in particular is quite unusual, with the road car’s tail-lights still occupying the space they normally would, a solid foot forward of where the extended body ends. The Datsun had a famous driver of its own, too: Paul Newman.

Finally, the car seen in the thumbnail of the article: the Nissan R91CP. While Gran Turismo players have enjoyed the similar R92CP since GT4, this is the first time the company’s Group C racers have arrived in the Forza franchise. The R91CP was the first Japanese car to win the Daytona 24 Hours, and it left its mark on the event: 762 laps were completed, a total that has yet to be beaten.

Stay tuned for our reports on the new cars next week. Pop your head into the Forza Motorsport 6 forum to discuss the game in more detail.

See more articles on Forza Horizon 3 Car List and Forza Motorsport 6 DLC.