The latest monthly update for Forza Motorsport is officially live as Update 8 rolls out for all Xbox and PC players.
Weighing in at 11.4GB on PC, and 13.1GB on Xbox Series S/X, the latest update brings more cars for players to build and events to test your driving.
Unlike the previous update, there is no new circuit, however there are a vast array of changes and fixes that we will be covering.
Table of Contents
- Forza Motorsport Update 8: General Game Updates
- Forza Motorsport Update 8: New Cars
- Forza Motorsport Update 8: New Events
- Forza Motorsport Update 8: Multiplayer Events
- Forza Motorsport Update 8: Rivals
- Forza Motorsport Update 8: Other Changes
Forza Motorsport Update 8: General Game Updates
There are significant changes to Featured Multiplayer for both Safety Rating and matchmaking. Players must now complete 20 races (up from 10) in order to have their rating determined. Collisions have also been updated to have a greater impact on Safety Rating.
The matchmaking algorithm has also had major tweaks to search through a narrower range of Safety Ratings against your own. This means that players with a high rating should have less chance to match with those with lower ratings.
Free Play and Private Multiplayer sees the addition of a Tire Wear Scale option. Here, you’ll be able decrease or increase tire wear from as little as 0.5x up to 10x.
Turn 10 has removed the KTM X-Bow GT2 and Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 from Forza GT and placed them in the Modern Factory Racecars for Featured Multiplayer. This is part of a wider overhaul of the Forza GT class with cars to be split into their own separate spec divisions.
Forza Motorsport Update 8: New Cars
The four latest Spotlight cars to arrive signify the update theme of track toys. Each will be made available over the coming weeks and can be purchased from the Showroom with a 30% discount using in-game credits. They will also headline the latest featured tour that we will cover later. VIP Players will also receive a 15% discount on select cars throughout Update 8.
Spotlight Cars
- Ginetta G40 Junior 2019 – May 15–22
- Porsche Cayman GTS 2015 – May 22–29
- Caterham Superlight R500 2013 – May 29–June 5
- Elemental RP1 2019 – June 5–12
VIP Discount Cars
- BAC Mono 2014 – May 15–22
- Lotus 3-Eleven 2016 – May 15–22
- Porsche 996 GT1 1996 – May 22–29
- Mazda Miata 1994 – May 29–June 5
- Brabham BT62 2016 – June 5–12
Blending road and track use is the name of the game for new Spotlight cars.
Ginetta has been one of the mainstays of racing in the UK, and its 2019 G40 Junior is an ideal step for those looking to start out their racing career. Racing in the Ginetta Junior championship, these machines are piloted by 14-17 year olds. With just 100hp from its 1.8-liter Ford Zetec, the G40 needs to be hustled hard to make the most of its agility.
One of the most well complete sports cars of the modern era is the 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS. Slotting between the Cayman S and GT4, the GTS offers 340hp from its 3.4-liter flat-six as well as improved handling over the Cayman S. Trading the hardcore nature of the GT4 for usability makes the GTS the sweet spot in the range.
Caterham has built its reputation for building giant-killing kit cars, and the Superlight R500 is one of their most hardcore models ever. The R500’s 2.0-liter naturally aspirated Ford Duratec has been tweaked to give 263hp. Caterham’s strength lies in super lightweight, and the R500 tips the scales at just over 1,100lb. As a result, the performance is enough to give hypercars a headache on track.
An even more extreme track special comes from one of the latest boutique British sports car makers, Elemental. Its RP1 intends to square off with hardcore rivals such as the VUHL 05RR and KTM X-Bow. The simple body hides aerodynamic trickery to generate huge downforce from the underbody. To put that downforce to use, the 1,400lb RP1 uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged Ford Ecoboost with 280hp.
Forza Motorsport Update 8: New Events
This month’s new featured career tour is all about the very best cars for enjoying yourself on the track. The Track Toys Tour will take you through many different machines with the extreme levels turning up each time, with the Spotlight cars being front and center.
Track Toys Tour
- Ginetta Juniors – Ginetta G40 Junior
- Weekend Warriors – Porsche Cayman GTS
- Kit Caterhams – Caterham Superlight R500
- Track Toys – Elemental RP1
Each of the four race series will see you take command of different track toys, from junior racers to hardcore specials. Once you complete each series, you’ll be rewarded with a 2019 Porsche 935 for use in the final reward showcase.
The Track Toys Tour begins on May 15 with Ginetta Juniors, with each of the following series being unlocked after seven days. The new tour will be available to complete until June 27, so you won’t need to be in a big rush.
Open Class Tour
In a change to the Open Tour, it can now be found in the Featured Tab along with the Track Toys Tour. These cars combine thrills on the road and the track as you work your way from D-Class up to A-Class.
When you finish this tour, you’ll win a 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe to drive in the final showcase event. You’ll need to be on a tighter schedule for the Open Tour as it finishes on June 12.
Forza Motorsport Update 8: Multiplayer Events
It’s another jam-packed schedule on Featured Multiplayer, with a mix of track toys and factory race cars in the new Spec events. The Spotlight cars get their own events in the Spotlight Series, which will be available for periods of seven days and can be attempted multiple times.
Lotus and Mazda bring the thrill of track toys to the Spec events, while early and modern factory race cars turning the hardcore levels up to eleven.
- Lotus 3-Eleven Spec Series – May 15–22
- Early Factory Racecar Series – May 22–29
- Mazda Miata Spec Series – May 29–June 5
- Modern Factory Racecar Series – June 5–12
Forza Motorsport Update 8: Rivals
Rivals gets updated with a fresh set of events for the Spotlight cars that will each be available for seven day periods. With no new track, the month-long event pits you in your Forza Touring Car of choice around Virginia International Raceway.
VIP Players get their own event where they can wrestle the BAC Mono around the North Circuit at Yas Marina.
There is also a special event featuring the Mclaren Senna around the Silverstone GP circuit to pay tribute to one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.
The new Rivals list for Update 8 is below:
- Spec Division – Forza Touring Cars – Virginia International Raceway – Full Circuit (May 15 – Jun. 12)
- VIP – Mono a Mono – BAC Mono 2014 – Yas Marina Circuit – North Circuit (May 15 – Jun. 12)
- Mclaren Senna Celebration – McLaren Senna 2018 – Silverstone – GP Circuit (May 15 – Jun. 12)
- Spotlight – Ginetta G40 Junior 2019 – Brands Hatch – Indy Circuit (May 15-22)
- Spotlight – Porsche Cayman GTS 2015 – Mugello – Club Circuit (May 22-29)
- Spotlight – Caterham Superlight R500 2013 – Grand Oak Raceway – Club Circuit (May 29 – Jun. 5)
- Spotlight – Elemental RP1 2019 – Lime Rock Park – Full Circuit (Jun. 5-12)
Forza Motorsport Update 8: Other Changes
Aside from some of the major changes done to multiplayer and car class organising, there are numerous other improvements and fixes to many areas.
Maple Valley receives track signage updates as part of a collaboration with Mobil 1 to celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary. Mid Ohio now has a barrier along the pit exit to prevent cutting in Turn 1. Both tracks also receive fixes for graphical pop-in.
PC receives more improvements to stability and more improved video memory usage. Changing graphics settings will now only prompt you to restart your game when necessary. Steam users get fixes for a few achievements showing incorrect progress and being shown despite not being unlocked.
Further tweaks to Drivatar AI concerns braking behavior, with the number of unnecessary scenarios being reduced in order to improve AI competitiveness.
Four cars have been rebalanced for their respective series. The Ginetta G55 GT4 has been tweaked for Forza GT, whilst the McLaren F1 GT, Ferrari F40 Competizione, and Porsche 911 GT1 have been rebalanced in Early Factory Racecars.
In addition the 2016 Shelby Mustang GT350R gets issues with suspension tuning fixed, whilst the McLaren P1 corrects an issue with the rear wing animation.
Graphics updates center around increased track material luminance to improve contrast and color saturation.
The livery editor gets a Vinyl Material tool which will adjust vinyls between matte and gloss finishes. Iconography icons have also been added to indicate mask and locked layers.
Update 8 will run over the next four weeks, and Turn 10 has confirmed a new circuit will be arriving with Update 9 in June.
You can read the full list of patch notes here. Also be sure to stop by our dedicated Forza Motorsport forums for more community discussion about Update 8, as well as any other changes discovered that are undocumented.
See more articles on Forza Motorsport Game Updates.
