Forza Horizon 4 - Hasta la Pista, baby

There are two new Ferraris added in the Series 16 update of Forza Horizon 4 and the first one is, I'm sorry to say, too little, too late for the party. It's a Ferrari that recently went out of production but boasts the record for being the fastest car to lap the Top Gear Test Track. I'm talking about the Ferrari 488 Pista.



As the hardcore version of the now-outgoing Ferrari 488, the Pista is a track-ready mid-engine V8 super sport that employs all the knowhow from the 488 Challenge racing machine and made it fit for road and track use, making it a real mega-multitasker.

With its 710HP four-liter V8 Twin Turbo engine, it really is the most-powerful mid-engined V8 Ferrari ever made and when mated to a Formula 1-style double clutch gearbox, it is capable of going from 0-100kph in 2.85 seconds and a top speed of over 340kph. Apart from that, the Pista features track-honed vehicle dynamics inspired from the 488 Challenge racing machine as well as weighing 90kg less than the normal 488 GTB.

It went round the Fiorano test track in 1:21.5 and recently, at the Top Gear Test Track, it set the fastest lap time in 1:12.7, faster than the Dallara Stradale and the 992.5-spec Porsche 911 GT2 RS.



It may be now old and now out of production but still rather impressive by supercar standards and for a track-focused car, it's worth a thrill. It may feel difficult at the start but when it gets faster for longer, the 488 Pista truly shows its colors as the opportunity arises. Those people (especially Mr. Harris) who claim that the 600LT is better than the 488 Pista because it's cheap might new to scratch their heads on because not only the Pista obliterates it, it humiliates it, which is a sad day for Britain's finest.



Speaking of which, the McLaren 600LT came back to play with Ferrari's ultimate super sport once again on British soil ever since the Prancing Horse humiliated it on TV and with that, let's give these two the rematch they deserved but near the castle for a more dramatic atmosphere.



I'm already familiarized with the McLaren 600LT a while back but now that it got itself a revenge match against the 488 Pista, this could be the most interesting comparo ever done since Chris Harris did a comparison between the two. Too bad he went for the slower one. Time to prove him wrong once again with a quick lap shootout between the two near Bamburgh Castle and see who's the fastest.

And now the results;

600LT - 0:58.592
488 Pista - 0:56.990

Aw man. It's Ferrari 2, McLaren zero. Another sad day for Britain.



Let's be real, folks, because while I'm starting to gain respect to the 488 Pista, it feels like it has already served its purpose because its arrival is somewhat too little, too late, not like the 600LT from McLaren. It maybe a sold-out lost cause but it feels like it's long for this world and man, I'm sounded like him now.

Anyway, enjoy your new ride if you can. You'll have mixed reactions having the Pista the moment you got one.

Forza Horizon 4: The Shadow Minister

A certain game used the McLaren 600LT, the extreme Sport Series variant, as the foundation of the British supercar maker's esports program which has the word "shadow" on it. It's a long story but since I won the extreme Sports Series variant from the Horizon Summer Playlist, how about digging a little X-file on the 600LT?



Lurking through the shadows of the 570S underneath, the 600LT is the third Longtail McLaren since the legendary F1 GTR and the 675LT, which is based on the 650S, and it is built to be both track-focused and road-legal at the same time. The 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine produces 592HP of power and 457lb-ft of torque, which is more than what the 570S produces, making it capable of going 0-60mph in less than three seconds and ownards to 204mph. Apart from the performance, the 600LT is a hundred kilograms lighter than the 570S because of its weight-saving measures such as the inclusion of the signature Ultra-Lightweight Forged Alloy Wheel, Carbon Fiber Racing Seats, fixed rear wing, and more, especially the deletion of luxury amenities.





Of course, despite being a road-legal car, the loss of luxury amenities really mean drivers are having a hard time living with it while heading to the track and because it doesn't had any cupholders, that drove drivers a bit mad. Despite being an inhabitable supercar it the city, the 600LT's hardcore performance and dynamics really ticks all of the boxes a track toy should be; free from obstructions, dynamics fit for track use, and the fun-to-drive feeling drivers are hoping for in this hardcore baby supercar.

In the world of Forza, the 600LT lives well with most of the road tracks the British mainland can throw at it and for a hardcore version of the Sports Series, it feels easy to drive. You'll plenty of ways to enjoy the 600LT at your own pace.

Well, now that I had the chance to meet the 600LT, how about taking the hardcore Sports Series member for a spin round Horizon but first...





This is what's it like to job shadow for McLaren and because of the "shadow" thing going on from them, this is as close as to job shadowing as I can get from my special 600LT. Yes, the world is wonderful with this one, but since the rest of the UK Mainland is heavily occupied for the moment, I decided to take it to LEGO Valley and find out if its any good while smelling the plastic flowers.





Of course, since time moves so fast, especially at LEGO Valley, I have no time to smell the flowers and jump into action with my very special 600LT. Want to see how it goes? Great! Let's do this.

See? No biggie.



The 600LT truly follows the shadows of its past Longtail predecessors with its hardcore styling, performance, and dynamics that wows serious drivers who owned it. It may be inhabitable on the road but it feels alive and kicking when it goes racing and McLaren surely loves treating their sportscars like this as racecars because of the F1 knowhow underneath. If the 600LT tries job shadowing for a F1 stint, then a star is born within three seconds when it sets off. The more you know.