Ferrari 12cilindri v Aston Martin Vanquish III

Ferrari's newest masterpiece, the 12Cilindri, is a fitting tribute to the company's 12-cylinder masterpieces spanning from the Testarossa, the 575M, the 599, the F12, and the 812. Let's get to know more about Ferrari's final pure 12-cylinder ICE half-a-million-euro masterpiece.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

The 12Cilindri comes in coupe and open-top Spider configurations and honors Ferrari’s hard work on iconic 12-cylinder masterpieces. As a car, this model embodies the heart and soul of the brand. The 12Cilindri is the last pure V12 ICE masterpiece.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri interior

The Ferrari 12Cilindri was designed with inspiration from past models. The 12Cilindri's fastback styling harks back to the Monza model. The front view is a tribute to the 365 GTB4. The rear design was inspired by the triangular shape of the Testarossa. The interior, meanwhile, dons Ferrari's dual-cockpit layout from the Roma and the Purosangue to make it more driver-focused. Complimented with the handcrafted materials in the making of sports seats and trim, the 12Cilindri shows its true colors as contemporary art on four wheels.

Powering the 12Cilindri is the 6.5L V12 engine with Direct Injection lifted from the 812 Competizione. It produces 830PS of power and 678Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed F1 DCT and weighing nearly one-and-a-half tons, it does 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and flat-out at 340kph. That's supercar quick in Super GT standards.

Being a road-focused GT car, going through the open roads is the main specialty but for the 12Cilindri, that's not the case because while being an excellent road car, it incorporates Ferrari's F1 know-how to make it vaguely usable on the track. It takes a Charles Leclerc-level driver to get a good grip on its dynamic character and with notable track-honed gizmos such as the brake-by-wire, ABS Evo, and the new SSC 8.0, among many other useful gadgets in store, the 12Cilindri is too addictive to be ignored or fully satisfied.

From the road to the track, the Ferrari 12Cilindri is the ultimate V12 Super GT ever made thanks to its addictive features too impossible to miss, especially for those who ended up with the keys to the old 812 Competizione. However, by the time the 12Cilindri made its inception, this is no longer the ultimate V12 Super GT in the world because of this...

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish interior

Yes, Aston Martin managed to resurrect the Vanquish as the ultimate V12 Super GT in the world. The nearly half-a-million-pound Super GT is the must-have for the 2024 Autumn Season.

For the Vanquish's third outing, what the folks from Aston Martin did is make a mashup between the DB12 and the rear view of the non-existent Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake from 2017, don the familiar DB12 interior, make it macho, and Bob's your uncle. This is the Vanquish's third coming the world anticipated and by the looks and feels of it, the Turn 10 Studios people should better think twice before turning a cold shoulder on it.

Powered by an all-new 5.2 V12 Twin Turbo engine, it produces a historical 835PS of power and 1000Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT, it has a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 214mph. The Ferrari 12Cilindri should be slightly worried about taking this one on.

With its bonded aluminum structure, front double wishbones, rear multilink suspension, a heavily advanced ABS, and Corner Braking 2.0, among other sport-tuned dynamics outlandish for Super GT standards, it takes a Fernando Alonso-level driver to master the Vanquish on the track but no need while on the road because it drives extremely beautiful. Dynamic as expected but like the 12Cilindri, it's too addictive to be ignored to be fully satisfied.

The 12Cilindri and the Vanquish are two of the top V12 Super GTs on the market. It's hard to choose between the two, but the Vanquish is probably the clear winner. The Vanquish features a bonded aluminum structure, front double wishbones, rear multilink suspension, and Corner Braking 2.0. All of these amazing features make for one fantastic car.

Photo: Ferrari/Aston Martin

My FH5 Log: Gone Lagonda

Forza Horizon 5's Back to the 90s Winter Season Playlist introduced us to an Aston Martin sedan we are unfamiliar with, the Aston Martin Lagonda.

We, Forza babies, don't know about this ancient Aston Martin saloon. The only Aston Martin saloon we remember is the Rapide. Anyway, long story short. Let's get to know about the Aston Martin Lagonda, the sedan.

First launched in 1974 and designed by William Towns, the Aston Martin Lagonda is the company's second attempt at creating a premium sedan and served as the successor to the ancient Lagonda Rapide. The first model was originally a saloon version of the Aston Martin V8. Still, later updates gave the Lagonda sedan a squarish and edgier shape, something unheard of on premium sedan standards. 

Seen in FH5 is the final version of the Lagonda, the Series 4. Featuring a more rounded but slab-sided styling compared to the Series 3, the Series 4 Lagonda is powered by a 5.3L V12 engine producing 289bhp of power and 321ft-lb of torque.

Until production ended in January 1990, only 105 units of the Series 4 Lagonda were made.

The Lagonda managed to last until the start of the final decade of the 20th century. But do you know something that came out before that? The comedy-horror movie Beetlejuice came out in 1989. That's why I've sent the ancient Lagonda to GT Deny's reenactment of Lydia Deetz's neighborhood in time for Halloween celebrations. Ready for a little tour around the hood? Let's roll the tape.

Nostalgia is all part of the game, more or less.

What are your thoughts on the ancient Aston Martin Lagonda sedan? Do you think the car looks good? Is the Lagonda a good car? Are there any particular features of the Lagonda that you like or dislike? Let me know what you think of the Aston Martin Lagonda.

Anyway, enjoy your new ride!

MINI Countryman U25 v Mini Cooper F66 5-door v Aceman

The MINI Countryman is now in its third generation and it just got a Masters degree in Wumbology because this is the biggest MINI you can buy.

2025 MINI Countryman

With prices starting at £29,350 plus on-road costs, the all-new third-generation MINI Countryman is the biggest MINI ever made. With such size, it feels like it's no longer fit to be called a MINI, perhaps it should be called a Wumbo from now on. These folks behind this car did set it to Wumbo.

2025 MINI Countryman Electric

The first-generation Countryman in 2010 has an associate degree in Wumbology. The second-generation model is just a bachelor's degree. This all-new third-generation model earned the right to claim the Master's degree in Wumbology because this is the biggest MINI ever made. While donning a fresh new take on the familiar styling, the sizing is the proof.

2025 MINI Countryman interior

Like today's MINIs, the all-new Countryman adapts to the new MINI interior featuring a 240mm OLED screen in the middle that works as a speedometer also, backed by MINI Operating System 9. This OLED touchscreen features an onscreen mascot named Spike and he pops up upon using the rather annoying and Alexa-ish MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant feature.

There are switches below the screen that can control the power, the volume, the air conditioning, and of course, seven MINI Experience Modes that each have a specific user interface design that also affects the lighting inside the vehicle.

On the topic of boot space, the all-new Countryman can carry up to 450L of boot space with the rear seats present but if you fold the rear seats down, it goes up to 1450L. That's the biggest boot space of any Mini you can find.

2025 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman

The normal Countryman is offered a choice of a 1.5L 3-cylinder petrol engine for the front-wheel-drive C variant, and a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine for the S ALL4 with 204HP of power. All are mated to a 7-speed gearbox and mild-hybrid technology.

The Countryman Electric, meanwhile, is offered a choice of a 204HP front-wheel-drive variant with up to 286 miles of driving range and the 313HP S ALL4 variant with up to 266 miles of driving range.

Those wanting more from the Countryman can go for the high-performance MINI John Cooper Works Countryman. With the 300HP 2.0L turbo engine, ALL4 4-wheel-drive system, and seven-speed AT to match, the can-go-anywhere JCW Countryman has a 0.62mph time of 5.4 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. This model is too cool to be ignored, even by the likes of people behind the Forza games.

Although it drives slightly better than the previous model, the U25 MINI Countryman is packed with numerous safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and Remote 360, among others, not to mention the Parking Assistant and optional Parking Assistant Plus systems.

Less of a MINI, and more of a Wumbo. This all-new third-generation Countryman is taking shape in this brave new world it faces. Let's admit it with such sizing, it no longer deserves to be called a MINI. Thankfully, there is a MINI worthy of its name but with extra doors for practicality just like the latest Countryman.

2025 MINI Cooper 5-door

This is the five-door version of the Mini Cooper F66. With prices starting at £24,050, you can afford one rather than the Wumbo-fied Countryman.

Although it features several nooks and crannies from its 3-door equivalent, the extra doors at the back make it fit for family use or road trips with your mates. With boot space from 275 to 925L, it fits for almost everything.

The Mini Cooper F66 5-door has two versions; the C and the S. The Cooper C has a 1.5L turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that produces 181HP of power and it will go from 0-62mph in 8 seconds and a top speed of 140mph. The range-topping Cooper S, meanwhile, has a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 215HP of power. 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and flat-out in 150mph seconds. All are mated to a 7-speed DCT.

Sadly, there's no five-door version of the J01 MINI Cooper at the moment so you might need to take a look for an alternative like this;

2025 MINI Aceman

This is the first-ever all-electric MINI Aceman. With prices starting at  £31,800 plus additional costs, it's £10,280 cheaper than the MINI Countryman Electric, a hard bargain for what's surprisingly known as the coupe-crossover equivalent of the said car.

2025 MINI Aceman

2025 MINI Aceman interior

At first glance, the Aceman looks and feels just like today's Countryman but because being the coupe-crossover equivalent, the boot space can accommodate up to 1,005L of boot space. That's less than what you get from the Countryman but more than what you get from the five-door Mini Cooper F66.

Being an FWD-only all-electric coupe crossover, the Aceman features two different electric powertrains. The E with the 38.5kWh battery has 184HP of power and can go from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds with a driving range of up to 192 miles. The SE, meanwhile, has a 49.2kWh battery pack that produces 218HP of power. It can go from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds and has a driving range of 251 miles.

The MINIs of the new normal are not as MINI as they were in the past as demonstrated by the all-new Countryman. Even with the F66 or the coupe-crossover Aceman, they're still deemed not worthy to be called MINIs. It hurts but that's maturity for you. They grow up so fast.

Photo: MINI

My FM Log: Midship Commencement Exercise

Update 12 concludes Year 1 of Forza Motorsport and wrapping up its first year since the game's release are two midship prize cars; the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder and the McLaren Artura.

Having obtained Year 1's last two prize cars, let's get to know our midship honors before carrying out our commencement exercises.

Beginning with the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder that I won from the Update 12 Open Class Tour until the October 16, 2024 deadline.

At the start of 2019, Lamborghini unveiled the Huracan EVO, the minor change version of the Huracan that became part of the Lamborghini stable in 2014.

In addition to the revamped exterior design, the 5.2L V10 engine that powers it has been updated to produce 640 hp (470 kW) at 8,000 rpm with 600 Nm of torque delivered at 6,500 rpm. The double-clutch gearbox propels the Huracan EVO from the 0-100kph time of 2.9 seconds and flat-out in over 325kph.

The Huracan EVO is the first to feature the Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata, a new rear-wheel steering and torque vectoring system working on all wheels, controlling every aspect of the car's dynamic behavior. Functioning alongside the Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale and enhanced Lamborghini Dynamic Steering, it results in a more rewarding driving experience on the road and track.

The open-top Huracan EVO Spyder is the follow-up to its hardtop equivalent. Featuring the same updates as its hardtop equivalent, it comes with a foldable roof that can be opened or closed at the push of a button in just 17 seconds up to a driving speed of 50kph. It boasts improved aerodynamic efficiency compared to the previous Huracan Spyder.

Production of the Huracan lineup ended in 2024, signaling the end of the V10-powered road cars.

The last one, after clearing the Midship Tour until October 30, 2024, the McLaren Artura.

The McLaren Artura is the company's first V6-powered PHEV supercar that injects most of its motorsport know-how into the making of this unorthodox machine. The 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine is mated to an axial flux motor and a refrigerant-cooled Li-ion battery producing 680PS of power and 720Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed SSG, it sprints from 0-60mph in three seconds and has a top speed of 205mph. Running on electricity alone, it can go for as little as 19 miles.

Aside from the performance, the Artura has near-perfect weight distribution courtesy of its carbon bodywork, front double wishbone, multi-link rear, Proactive Damping Control, electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering, Carbon Ceramic Discs, forged aluminum brake calipers, and specially-developed Pirelli P-ZERO tires. It even comes with a Variable Drift Control that can adjust its drifting angle.

Quick introductions dealt with, it's time to do the commencement exercises as two midship supercars will tackle Road America, the venue of the IMSA season-ender, the MOTUL Petit Le Mans. What a way to conclude the game's first year. Anyway, let's roll the tapes.

I have to admit that the new Forza Motorsport game for the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles went to a slow start when the game was launched last year, probably because of the car content packed with old cars I am not heavily interested. Let's hope Year 2 will see some much-needed improvements for the new Forza Motorsport game to reclaim its throne. 

Seriously, let's hope Forza Motorsport's Year 2 updates will feature lots and lots of modern road cars and race cars because this is the world we live in. New World Order. As 2025 draws near, will Forza survive? Only time will tell.

And that is the end of this commencement exercise. See you next semester!

The Grand Tour presents One For The Road EPISODE REVIEW

When it comes to cars, adventure, and crude toilet humor, no one comes close to Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. These three men have been butting heads for over two decades and now, their time has reached its bittersweet end as the final Grand Tour adventure, titled One For The Road, signals the end of the world's most undesirable but desirable threesome.

The Grand Tour presents One For The Road

The Grand Tour trio bought three classic cars for their final road trip across Zimbabwe. They ventured and survived to Botswana, the fateful place where the first-ever Top Gear special occurred nearly two decades ago. James chose the Triumph Stag, Richard chose the first-generation Ford Capri, and Jeremy chose the Lancia Montecarlo.

Tackling through Zimbabwe's worst road conditions, forest fires, coal dust, crocodile-infested waters, and bustling towns, the trio is doing whatever means necessary to get from Zimbabwe to Botswana, where they will relive the fateful moment they conquered their first-ever Top Gear special nearly two decades ago by driving through the flats towards Kubu Island.

After over two decades, the days of seeing Clarkson, Hammond, and May butting each other came to a complete end. From Top Gear to The Grand Tour, driving and rambling across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, they have cemented themselves as the greatest motoring trio that ever existed and now that they've fully served their purpose, it's hard to imagine what's next for them after their final Grand Tour.

An appropriately grand goodbye to TV's most iconic motoring trio that sped around the globe in fast cars and crude toilet humor.

Goodbye forever, Clarkson, Hammond, and May.

My FM Log: Racing Shoebill

A wrong Pennzoil Skyline GT-R JGTC machine and an outdated Aston Martin Vantage GTE popped up on Forza Motorsport's Update 11 as prize cars for completing the time-limited featured tours. Having won these cars, let's get to know about these two outdated racing machines.

First up is the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R that I won from Update 11's Open Class Tour until the September 11, 2024 deadline.

The #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R was based on the R33 Skyline GT-R and competed in the 1998 All Japan GT Championship (JGTC). This was the last year of racing for the R33 before it was replaced by its R34-based successor. 

The R33-based JGTC racer was driven by Erik Comas and Masami Kageyama, and featured an increased engine displacement from 2658cc to 2708cc, resulting in a regulated power output of 500PS. In the 1998 season, Comas took home the Driver's trophy.

Next up is the #97 AMR Vantage GTE that I won from the Road to Race Tour until the September 25, 2024 deadline.

Aston Martin unveiled its racing version of the new Vantage, the Vantage AMR, after launching the second-generation Vantage. 

The Aston Martin Racing squad run by Prodrive sealed a 1-2 in the GTE Pro championship with four wins between the two factory cars entered in the 2019-20 season. 

Aston Martin continued to support its privateer teams even though its factory effort was scaled back. In 2022, Aston Martin returned to the top spot in GTE racing.

In 2023, the final season for the Vantage AMR, no team managed to win a race with the turbocharged machine. However, ORT by TF secured second place at Le Mans and third in Spa, while the season closer in Bahrain saw a rostrum round-up, with D'Station finishing second and Northwest AMR third in Bahrain.

Let's give these two outdated racing machines, the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R and the #97 AMR Vantage GTE, a chance to redeem themselves around Road Atlanta, which was recently added to this update. Roll the tapes and enjoy the show!

These two outdated racing machines, the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R and the #97 AMR Vantage GTE, sure know how to perform in their natural habitat. 

Enjoy your new rides!

MG Cyberster

The first-ever Cyberster is the culmination of MG's 100-year history as a carmaker that forever changed the rules of motoring and with prices starting at 54,995 Pounds, it's the most affordable GT car you can drive.

2025 MG Cyberster

The MG Cyberster is a fully electric roadster that was imported from China. It is the first all-electric roadster in Britain. The Cyberster served as the catalyst for MG's 100-year history. Although it's two times more expensive than the Mazda Roadster, it's considered the cheapest fully-electric sports car you can drive.

2025 MG Cyberster

The concept-turned-reality exterior design is one of the key points of the Cyberster. From its round-shaped headlights, the arrow-shaped taillights, the racy side skirts, and the Lambo doors that make its statement, its subtleness is all part of the plan for this electric sports car.

2025 MG Cyberster interior

The MG Cyberster's interior is designed to make you feel like you're on top of the world. It has a triple-screen digital display panel, Y-shaped sports seats with Nappa and Alcantara leather, six-way powered seats, 64-color ambient lighting, a BOSE sound system, and dual-zone air conditioning.

2025 MG Cyberster

The Cyberster is offered in two variants. The rear-wheel-drive single-motor variant produces 250KW of power and with launch control, it does 0-62mph in five seconds and a top speed of 121mph while the driving range is good for 316 miles. The range-topping 4WD dual motor variant has 375KW of power with a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds, 125mph top speed, and a range of 276 miles. That said, the dual-motor variant is as fast as a Mazda Roadster RF but it's quicker from the starting line thanks to its Launch Control.

On the road, the Cyberster is a silent and smooth GT car. But on the track, it reminds drivers of the Porsche 911 in terms of dynamics. For a car weighing nearly two tons, the Cyberster is all show-and-go and the more you drive it, the more addictive it becomes.

Although controversial for a two-ton sportscar, the Cyberster, hence the name, is armed with noticeable safety features such as lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, lane change assist, forward collision warning system with AEB braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and braking intervention.

MG's return to the sports car business with the first-ever Cyberster is a must-have for speedo boys everywhere. Although it's made in China, it still has the beating heart of a British soldier. This is what 100 years of MG looks like. 100 Years Young.

Photo: MG Motor UK

My Top 10 Favorite Grand Tour Episodes

Popped up from the time Trump won the presidency, The Grand Tour welcomed back the infamous Clarkson Hammond and May trio for more exciting motoring mayhem since leaving Top Gear in 2015. For eight years, fans have witnessed their globe-trotting motoring mischief from Portimao to Sahara, but sadly, the time has come to say goodbye as The Grand Tour's series finale is coming next month.

The Grand Tour Episode 1

As the world prepares for The Grand Tour's final road trip, it's time for me to jot down my top ten favorite episodes from the hit Prime Video TV series.

10) Season 3 Finale - Season 3 finale not only marked a fitting tribute to Ford saloons but it also marked the final time the show featured the tent full of audience and the Eboladrome.

9) Season 2 Episode 3 - The third episode of The Grand Tour Season 2 featured James May driving a Kia Stinger against skateboarders. Hammond and May turned a business park into a racetrack for salarymen to enjoy. And Clarkson took a trip from Monaco to Italy in the Bugatti Chiron. The Chiron segment is my favorite in terms of mindfulness.

8) Mongolia Special - The penultimate episode of The Grand Tour Season 3 saw the boys explore the Mongolian wilderness using their DIY off-roader. With scarce supplies at their arsenal, the trip became a struggle for survival. The epic struggle of survival comes with massive twists even at the end of their Mongolian adventure.

7) Season 1 Episode 11 - This episode of The Grand Tour features the trio driving second-hand Maseratis in the north of France. The climax is truly a thriller and comedy gold, and I couldn't stop laughing at the "Deshabille" sign on James' Zagato Spider.

6) Season 1 Episode 2 - The second episode of the first season saw the boys in a military training ground in Jordan which involves rescuing a VIP from a hijacked plane and escorting the VIP to safety while being pursued by terrorists. After several attempts later, the boys cleared the exercise...only if they didn't count Jeremy Clarkson as a casualty at the end of the exercise. On the plus note, we get to see the Audi S8 Plus in action.

5) Seamen - After the end of Season 3, The Grand Tour moved on to focus on cross-country adventures, and one such is Seamen; where the boys are on an aquatic adventure from Cambodia to Vietnam. The watery hijinks and some history lessons from Clarkson made this adventure one of my favorite Grand Tour episodes to watch over and over.

4) Season 1 Episode 9 - This episode features one of Clarkson's craziest inventions: a Mercedes SL rigged with monster off-road wheels called "The Excellent." It also showcases post-apocalyptic vehicles that are not immune to attacks from military vehicles such as tanks and battleships.

3) Season 1 Episode 3 - This episode of The Grand Tour features the trio on an epic Italian road trip. They drive an Aston Martin DB11, a Rolls Royce Dawn, and a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. While in Venice, Hammond's American habits ruin the rest and relaxation of the other presenters. Even after they reach the end of the trip, no one is safe from Hammond's American antics. In the segment following the road trip, Hammond and May destroy Clarkson's home after losing a bet from the pilot episode.

2) Season 2 Episode 5 - This episode of The Grand Tour features one of my favorite moments. Jeremy Clarkson stages his own Gymkhana-style video using a Subaru Impreza WRX. In true Clarkson fashion, some sheep are killed in the making of that clip.

1) Eurocrash - Of all the Grand Tour episodes I've watched, this ended up being my favorite. In Eurocrash, the boys set off on a road trip no one tried; from Gdansk, Poland, to Lake Bled, Slovenia. A cheeky-named backup car, Formula Easter, the second-largest Jesus statue in the world, an old WW2 POW camp, a stolen Nigel Mansell wax statue, a Praga Bohema hypercar, archers, and a climactic race to the airplane, this is The Grand Tour like no other.

The Grand Tour presents One For The Road premieres this September 13, 2024, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Before the tearful finale, be sure to binge-watch the entire series!

My FH5 Log: Getting Infested

The Cars and Coffee update on Forza Horizon 5 is a disaster. The game is now infested with old cars swarming all over the Horizon Mexico grounds. These old cars are like disease-carrying insects ruining everyone's summer vacation.

Our first offender is the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae that I've obtained from the Wet Season Playlist. Lamborghini said goodbye to the Aventador with the LP780-4 Ultimae, the final special edition that combines all the greatest feats from the normal Aventador to the SVJ. It's limited to 350 coupes and 250 roadsters, and features an updated 6.5L V12 engine producing 780PS of power, making it the most powerful Aventador ever made.

Our second offender is the so-called Volkswagen SP-2 that I won from the Storm Season Playlist. Developed by Volkswagen do Brasil, the SP-2 runs on the chassis of the Brazil-spec Type 3. Despite its sleek looks, sales were drastically poor and 10,205 cars were built with 681 exported to Nigeria, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The "brood mother" of the Cars and Coffee infestation is the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato that I won as the overall prize car of the update. Unveiled at the Concourse d'Elegance event at Lake Como, this limited-to-99-unit collectors' model is the fifth car that emerged from the ongoing partnership that spans back from the DB4 GT Zagato, the barn find that you got since you first moved to Horizon UK. Although based on the Vanquish S underneath, the 6.0L V12 engine has been uprooted to produce 600PS of power, which allowed the Vanquish Zagato to get from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds, and it features a more comfort-oriented suspension setup for a more GT feel, unlike most ultra-expensive sportscars. Apart from the Coupe, the Vanquish Zagato has spawned various variants such as the open-top Volante, the Speedster, and the Shooting Brake. Combining the "family" of four Vanquish Zagato models, all 325 cars have been sold before being shown to the world.

Finally, the mole rat of the horde is the Volkswagen Type 181 that I won from the Hot Season Playlist. Called by the Americans as the VW Thing, this vehicle was originally made for the German army, this military vehicle has been sold to the general public as the Kurierwagen in the country where it was made and has some of the major components from the People's Car, the VW Beetle. This peculiar vehicle lasted until production ended in the early 80's.

Let's take the recent horde of disease-carrying vermins on various races to prove how much of a vermin they really are. Roll the tapes.

Old cars are a scourge that swarm the festival like disease-carrying insects. These old cars ruin everyone's summer vacation and that's the bottom line. It's the halfway point of 2024 and a game like Forza Horizon 5 is still spreading old cars to the roster like The Plague 

This plague is far from over if you catch my drift. Be warned.

Enjoy your new rides!

My FH5 Log: Cyber Cat Coord

2024 marks the 100th anniversary of British carmaker MG and what better way to celebrate MG's centennial than by experiencing one of the most anticipated sports cars of the year?

From Forza Horizon 5's Chinese Stars Car Pack comes MG's first-ever electric sports car, the Cyberster.

Before enjoying MG's centennial gift, let's get to know about the Cyberster.

The first-ever MG Cyberster marks MG’s return to the sports car business since the MG TF. The Cyberster was first revealed as a concept car in 2021, and it made its world premiere at the 2023 Auto Shanghai. It will arrive in British showrooms in the summer of 2024 and select EMEA markets shortly.

The Cyberster comes in two variants: a 313PS single motor and a 544PS dual-motor AWD. The dual-motor AWD variant can go from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds, has a top speed of 125mph, and has a range of 276 miles.

The Turner twins recently took the MG Cyberster on an epic road trip all the way from London to Shanghai. This adventure was in celebration of the launch of the MG Cyberster and was MG's way of giving a nod to their 100th anniversary. Along their journey, they stopped in various countries in the EMEA region, including Belgium, Germany, Czechia, Hungary, Austria, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. This new car from MG looks like a lot of fun to drive and I'm really happy for the Turner twins.

If the Turner twins approved the Cyberster, it's good enough for every Forza Horizon 5 player behind the wheel of MG's all-electric sportscar. MG has a long history of producing no-nonsense sports cars that are easy to drive everywhere. The Cyberster continues that legacy with style.

Having been satisfied with the Cyberster, it's time to prove that it's the real deal by battling against an MG sports car that broke the rules of what a proper sports car is.

Today, in the streets of Guanajuato, the Cyberster is battling against the MG XPower SV, a V8-powered recipe of disaster that got Jeremy Clarkson bumped his head while cornering hard in a certain Top Gear episode. Specifically, the 5.0L V8-powered MG XPower SV-R with the 4-speed AT.

Let's see if my favorite Made-In-China British EV sportscar can rip through the V8-powered disaster machine. Roll the tape.

And now the results...

XPower SV-R - 1m12.022s

Cyberster - 1m04.815s

MG's return to the sports car business with the first-ever Cyberster really is a must-have for Speedo Boys everywhere where MG is sold. It may be made in China but it still has the beating heart of a British soldier who spends too much eating Chinese take-outs from the London Chinatown. This is what 100 years of MG looks like...100 Years Young.

EPILOGUE

With the Cyberster winning my heart after its tango with the V8-powered MG XPower SV-R, it's time for its one-car performance in front of its virtual audience but first...

"Tsumugi...wants to play with the driver."

Good one, Tsumugi-chan. 

Anyway, with Little Miss Tsumugi Suzukaze's programming at the helm of my Cyberster, it's time to take it to a certain EventLab creation that feels right at home with this car. This EventLab creation curated by player JJOEY ROCKET has some cyberpunk vibes if you catch my drift. Feel at home, my Cyberster! Tsumugi-chan's watching your performance right now.

"Tsumugi...happy with the EventLab venue...and the car..."

It may be made in China but the MG Cyberster is officially my new favorite China-made British sports car in the game. What a way to celebrate MG's centennial with this EV sportscar that blends heritage and innovation the MG way.