My GT7 Log: Legendary Rivalry

The rivalry between McLaren and Ferrari has become a significant part of Formula 1 history. As the 2024 season finale approaches, it will determine which team will be crowned Constructors' Champion. Their Vision Gran Turismo concepts offered in Gran Turismo 7 will help predict which team is likely to claim the title.

Before my little prediction over the duel between the Papaya and the Prancing Horse, let's get to know these two Vision GT concepts envisioned by the two legendary rivals.

First off, let's get to know the McLaren Vision Gran Turismo. This concept imagines what motorsports might look like in the future. Apart from its center-positioned driving layout and futuristic cockpit surrounding the driver, its turbocharged 4.0L hybrid powertrain produces 1134HP of power and 627ft-lb of torque. There's a well-known fact that this concept spawned the track-only Solus GT, making it the first Vision Gran Turismo concept to spawn a production equivalent.

Now, let's get to know the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo Concept. Unveiled at the 2022 GT World Series Finals, the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo celebrates 75 years of the Italian sports car maker while envisioning the future of motorsports in Ferrari's terms. Running on a 3.0L V6 hybrid powertrain through all four wheels, it produces 1363hp of power and 664.2ft-lb of torque.

With the introductions of the VGTs complete, let's focus on the intense rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the Suzuka Circuit, a racetrack known for the memorable battles between the two drivers. 

There's a well-known story about the decisive battle in this track. During the finale of the 1989 F1 season, Senna and Prost, the two McLaren drivers, collided in a decisive showdown. Although Prost retired from the race, Senna managed to finish, but he was penalized for corner-cutting after the crash, which dashed his title hopes and ultimately awarded the championship to Prost.

In the 1990 season, Senna sought revenge by crashing Prost, who switched to Ferrari, out of the race. Both drivers were forced to retire, but this incident allowed Senna to secure his second World Championship title.

Long story short but you get the point. It's time to decide which one stands tall as I search for the answer in this high-octane crystal ball. Roll the tape.

And now the results...

McLaren VGT - 1m50.147s

Ferrari VGT -  1m49.317s

Somewhere, Alain Prost is likely smiling. The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo narrowly defeated the McLaren Vision Gran Turismo by less than a second, suggesting a small possibility that a Ferrari driver (I’m betting on Charles Leclerc) could outpace a McLaren driver (I’m betting on Lando Norris) by such a slim margin. I understand that neither team holds a clear advantage in today's Gran Turismo World Series finals, but our VGT machines offered us a remarkably close prediction for today's Formula 1 finale.

James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton vs. Kimi Raikkonen, and Lando Norris vs. Charles Leclerc—these rivalries have become legendary in Formula 1 history. The competition between McLaren and Ferrari is particularly infamous. With my prediction in place, whether it turns out to be right or wrong, I believe this upcoming duel will be the most exciting of the new era.

I wish them good luck to the two motoring factions.

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: Roman Holiday

Ferrari is known for its race cars, but they also make elegant grand tourers for everyday use. The California and Portofino are two such models.

By the time the age of the new normal came, a new Ferrari Grand Tourer stepped into the spotlight.

We called it "La Nuova Dolce Vita" but Ferrari officially called it "Roma".

This is the Ferrari Roma, it's the latest grand tourer that picks up where the California and the Portofino left off and I got this car from Forza Horizon 5's Italian Automotive Car Pack.

So, what's it all about the Ferrari Roma?

The Ferrari Roma is a different kind of Ferrari. It's a grand tourer that prioritizes road performance over track performance. It has a front-mid-engined 4.0L turbocharged V8 engine that produces 620PS of power and 760Nm of torque. It can go from 0-100kph in three and a half seconds and onwards to over 320kph.

By the time I tried the Roma in-game, I got my hopes up to experience Ferrari's latest grand tourer, and judging by its performance, it's still a Ferrari despite being developed for comfortable road use just like the McLaren GT a while back. It may be classy and elegant but deep down, it's got the beating heart of the Scuderia racer, meaning it loves to take its day out in the middle of its day out. See what I mean?

Going back to the main festival grounds, it's time to find out how good is the Roma compared to its predecessor, the Portofino, but to spice things up, I've added a wildcard entry for this comparison; the Ferrari 812.

Let's find out if the Roma is worthy to be called a "Super GT" in the Ferrari stable. Roll the tape.

And here are the results...

812 - 1m06.400s

Portofino - 1m11.705s

Roma - 1m10.003s

Being around four seconds slower than the 812 but nearly a second quicker than the Portofino it replaces, the Ferrari Roma proved its worth as Ferrari's newest Super Grand Tourer. It may be road-focused but deep down, it behaves like a real Ferrari.

At this point, I would conclude my little story about the Ferrari Roma in Forza Horizon 5, but I got other ideas because in the spirit of Let's ¡Go!, the Roma looks rather suited for an extravagant role...

As MC AIMU would say, "AiPriVerse Day!" because today, my Ferrari Roma has donned the extravagant role of the Himitsu no AiPri character Sakura Ichijoji, the leader of Quartet STAR. Suits its personality. Miss Sakura, I presume.

As for the 812 and the Portofino, meanwhile...

I remember the time I made an Anna Akagi design for my 812 back in Horizon UK but this is her Season 3 look. Brings back memories, huh?

The same goes for the Portofino as it dons the role of Kiratto PriChan character Mel Shido in her Season 3 look.

Three Ferrari Super GTs dressed as Pretty Series rival idols are showcasing their extravagant but extreme prowess in three EventLab creations I'm showcasing it to you, the people. Miss Sakura is pushing her extremes in an EventLab re-enactment of the legendary Shutokou C1 Loop while Anna takes on what seems to be an EventLab re-enactment of the Grand Tour Eboladrome and Mel takes on the EventLab presentation by Forza fanatic "Dexter 4130D". Let's roll the tapes.

I guess Miss Sakura's too powerful for me to handle. It goes to show that you have to be as good as the leader of the Quartet STAR team. Oh well, welcome to the verse.

Ferrari's Super Grand Tourers have proven that there's more to their cars than just on-road performance. With some extravagant imagination, these cars performed like they were a threat to the competition. This is the Ferrari way, and the world should take note.

My FH5 Log: A true heir to the Scuderia's throne

The SF90 took over the F8 as the newest V8 masterpiece of the Ferrari stable. Although it's similarly sized to the F8, the LaFerrari-inspired hybrid drivetrain and the PHEV setup made it too extreme to fit into its shoes. Ferrari created a lesser version of the SF90, eschewing its 4WD layout, sizing it to 488 proportions, and chopping two cylinders off.

The result is the Ferrari 296, a V6-powered hybrid supercar that's part of Forza Horizon 5's Italian Exotics Car Pack. It's supposed to be the successor to the Ferrari F8 Tributo, but it has the same know-how as the SF90 and is sized for both road and track.

The Ferrari 296 is the second series-production PHEV from Ferrari after the SF90 Stradale. It is also Ferrari's first V6-powered model in nearly half a century. The 296 has a 3.0L V6 twin-turbo engine coupled with an electric motor with MGU-K, which produces a combined output of 830PS and 740Nm of torque. This configuration enables the 296 to accelerate from 0 to 100kph in just 2.9 seconds and attain a top speed of 330kph. In testing, the 296 lapped the Fiorano circuit in just 1:21. 

In addition to its electrified performance, the 296 features eSSC, eTC, eDiff, a brand new 6-way Chassis Dynamic Sensor, a new brake-by-wire system, and ABS evo.

The Assetto Fiorano package includes adjustable Multimatic shock absorbers derived from GT racing, high downforce carbon-fiber appendages on the front, and various lightweight materials throughout the vehicle. It is even offered in a special livery inspired by the 250 Le Mans.

I've been itching to drive the 296 because of its appearance not just on the road, but on GT3-class races from the DTM to IMSA. It even won the 2023 Nurburgring 24-hour race as well. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and feel the power of this hybrid supercar for myself. Because it's here, I have plenty of reasons to enjoy Ferrari's newest masterpiece judging by its brake-by-wire system, the race-derived dynamics, the V6 PHEV powertrain, and its overall Ferrari-ism. Although not as cool as its V8-powered predecessors from the 458 to the F8, it's more than enough to thrill me into bits.

To prove that the 296 is the true heir to the Scuderia's throne, I've lined up against the F8 Tributo, the ultimate V8 masterpiece Ferrari has ever made. With the stadium grounds the main venue, it's time to see if the V6 PHEV horseman can topple its V8-powered predecessor. Roll the tape.

And now, the results...

F8 - 1m04.531s

296 - 1m02.830s

A near-two-second gap between them, proving that the V6-powered 296 can be as good as its V8-powered predecessors such as the F8. That's downsizing done right. You can sacrifice your size without sacrificing performance.

The Ferrari 296 is a true thoroughbred that was tried and tested on the road and track. It proves that Ferrari still kept its head in the game despite costly sacrifices in the pursuit of performance. It showed its worth at the world's most demanding racetracks and here in Horizon Mexico, it shines bright as the sun undergoing a solar flare.

EPILOGUE

Having been pleased with both the F8 and the 296, it's time to give these two Ferrari supercars their moment to shine in a series of exhibition races I've prepared for them. But first...

After doing a little angelus prayer, the F8 Tributo prepared its...you guessed it...fortune carat for the role of Prichan idol Anju. As for its successor, the 296...

The Ferrari 296 is proudly wearing its...how should I say this...Solar Crown as it plays the role of PriMagista Jennifer. Like I said, the toughest ones are always in the Ferrari and Ferrari is the alpha male of the supercar realm. Two Ferrari supercars as the two final bosses from the Pretty Series. Touche...

With the makeover done, the Angelus and the Regia Solis are performing against a pack of fans who can't wait to get their hands on these two Ferrari machines. The F8's going underground against a pack of street racers blasting outside Festival grounds while the 296 battles against a pack of expendable drivers uphill. Let's roll the tapes.

The Angelus or the Regia Solis? Who performed better? Can't say...

The F8's Perfect Finale and the 296's Lux Aeterna. The Angelus and the Regia Solis performed like they've never performed, and watching these two Ferraris showcasing their Ferrari-ism made me fired up for more.

Think you're up against these Ferraris? I'm looking forward to seeing you try.

Dismissed.