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 Dodge Viper is the first road car powered by a V10 engine, but the Lamborghini Huracan is the last to have one. With the V10 engine officially laid to rest, it's time for a ten-cylinder salute with the first and the last to have the glorious engine that made such a glorious noise.
Here they are, the first-generation Dodge Viper and the Lamborghini Huracan on Gran Turismo 7, two sports cars that made their mark in the history of the ten-cylinder engine. Before having our last words with these ten-cylinder marvels, let's get to know them first.
Let's begin with the first-generation Dodge Viper, the SR model. The Dodge Viper was first conceived as a concept car in 1989. It was intended to be a modern interpretation of the legendary Shelby Cobra. The first-generation Viper was introduced in 1991 as the RT/10 roadster and was later joined by the hardtop GTS variant.
Now, let's get to know the Lamborghini Huracan, the last V10-powered road car. Launched in 2014, the Lamborghini Huracan is the successor of the Gallardo. It was named after a Mayan god. It was powered by a 5.2L V10 engine developing 602HP of power and when mated to a double-clutch gearbox derived from the Audi R8 as well as its 4WD system, it has a top speed of 202mph. The Lamborghini Huracan has gone through numerous updates over its near-decade lifespan and the STJ is in its final form with only 10 built and sold.
With their quick introduction done, it's time to drive these V10-powered road cars around Tsukuba Circuit just like the good old days. Obviously, the Viper came at a time when cars were fitted with ABS and Traction Control but being an all-American sports car, it eschews such driving aids in favor of total control from the driver. The Huracan, meanwhile, is all about relying on 2010s technology derived from its big brother, the V12-powered Aventador, but with a double-clutch gearbox to match its V10 performance.
Anyway, no time to mince more words. It's time to have a quick time attack with these two ten-cylinder legends. Roll the tape.
And now, the results...
Viper GTS '02 - 1m06.025s
Huracan - 1m02.212s
Even though the Huracan trumped the Viper by around four seconds, the results didn't matter because what mattered was that they'd fulfilled the V10 engine's dying wish, giving these two the biggest send-off to the greatest high-performance engine of all time.
From the Dodge Viper to the Lamborghini Huracan, the V10 engine powered some of the most iconic cars of our time. Now that it's permanently gone, nothing will ever be the same.
GOODBYE FOREVER, V10 ENGINE. You made us proud and loud.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR and the Lamborghini Reventon made their way back to Forza Motorsport's Update 10 and having won these two timeless exotics, it's time to have a word with them.
Let's begin with the Lamborghini Reventon that I won by completing Update 10's Open Tour until the August 14, 2024 deadline.
Unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and limited to 20 units, costing about two million dollars each, the Reventon is one of the rarest and most unique Lamborghini models ever made, using some of the components from the Murcielago LP640. It was named after a fighting bull famed for the death of Mexican bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943 and heavily inspired the design of the fighter jet.
The 6.5L V12 derived from the LP640 Murcielago gave a 10HP boost, therefore it has 650HP of power and 660Nm of torque. When it was driven somewhere in Dubai, it achieved 356 kilometers per hour (221.2 mph) of top speed.
Of 20 made, 10 were delivered to the United States, 7 to Europe, 1 to Canada, and 2 to Asia. Notable owners include Khalid Abdul Rahim of Bahrain, Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov, and Ken Lingenfelter who is a car collector in Michigan.
Lastly, let's get to know the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, the one that I got from Update 10's Nemesis Tour until the August 28, 2024 deadline.
Introduced in 1997, the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a GT1-class racing machine that is made to compete in the FIA GT Championship. A year later, it spawned its road-legal homologated equivalent. Powering the road car is a 6.9L V12 engine that produces 604HP of power, making it capable of going from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 198mph.
Only 26 road cars were made and sold, making it one of the most exclusive and desirable Mercedes-Benz models ever produced. 20 were coupes and 6 were roadsters. Two of them, a coupe and a roadster, were RHD models built for the 29th Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The other two coupes left the factory with SuperSport specifications powered by the 7.3L V12 engine that would later power the Pagani Zonda.
Let's take these two iconic supercars for a quick spin around South Africa's Kyalami GP Circuit. We'll see how fast they can go and how much power they have.
These cars really are in a class of their own. They are unrivaled from the way they look to the way they feel.
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.
Countach is an exclamation of astonishment that someone from Italy might make when seeing an extremely beautiful woman. It was the name applied to what's known to be The Greatest Lamborghini of All Time. The pin-up car for a generation.
From its 1971 debut to 1990, when it was replaced by the Diablo, the Countach is no doubt The Greatest Lamborghini of All Time. Because of its crowning glory, Lamborghini decided to create a 21st-century remake of the icon using bits and bobs from the Sian.
This is the result...
This is the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4, the modern-day remake of the greatest Lambo of all time and I won this car at the Horizon Retrowave update's Wet Season Playlist. Another long-overdue car to be featured in the Forza game since the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series from the High Performance update eons ago.
The Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4, unveiled in the summer of 2021, is a modern take on the legendary Lamborghini Countach that made headlines at its 1971 Geneva Motor Show debut.
The reborn Countach uses components from the already sold-out Sian, and its 6.5L V12 engine is armed with an electric motor and a supercapacitor, generating a total output of 808hp. It can go from 0-100kph in 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of 355kph.
All 112 units were sold out before its world premiere.
Although better late than never, the reborn Countach feels right at home at the Horizon Retrowave update because of the 80s vibes making waves, a chance to rediscover the coolest decade of all. Driving one while listening to the newly added Horizon Wave radio station is time travel for players like you and me because it really is the homage to the original. Retro looks, futuristic drivetrain, and the overall Lamborghini-ism made the modern-day remake of the Countach a real blast from the past.
To see how much evolution the modern-day reboot has gained compared to the original, it's time to compare these two Countach models around the Horizon Mexico Circuit. Roll the tape.
And now the results...
Countach LP5000 QV - 1m17.928s
Countach LPI 800-4 - 1m08.268s
Nearly nine seconds. That's how much evolution the modern Countach has gained compared to the original. Welcome back to the 80s.
The Lamborghini Countach is the greatest Lamborghini of all time, and its legend continues with the LPI 800-4. Having experienced this modern-day reboot, the message is clear: The Countach is eternal.
Asked which Lamborghini is the best after six decades, most would go for the Huracan. Sure, it is not as good as its V12-powered masterpieces from the Miura to the Aventador but it's known as the last of its kind. The last to don the V10 engine in history.
The Lamborghini Huracan served as the hero car of Forza Horizon 2 in 2014 and in Forza Horizon 5, there are different versions of the Huracan offered from the LP610-4 to the STO. What Forza fanatics didn't know, is there's another Huracan in the stable and like the STO from the High Performance series update a few months ago, it's also a purists' choice except for one thing; it isn't as radical as the STO.
This is the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica from the Italian Exotics Car Pack and although not the peak of the Huracan lineage, it's the Lambo purists wanted.
Unveiled in the spring of 2022, the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica slots between the Evo and the hardcore STO variant. With STO-inspired styling but with a less aggressive approach to make it look tamed on the road and track, the Huracan Tecnica's 5.2L V10 engine produces 630hp and 416ft-lb of torque. Mated to a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox, it sprints from 0-100kph in three seconds and has a top speed of 325km/h, 15km/h more than the STO.
The Huracan Tecnica also comes with the LDVI system that takes control of the car's behavior such as the rear-wheel steering, suspension, torque vectoring, and traction control.
To demonstrate the true potential of the Huracan Tecnica, I've invited a bunch of V10 enthusiasts to play with, even Lamborghini fanatics, for this V10-powered bull's one last dance. Let's roll the tape.
What? I had to be desperate at the end but hey, this is the V10-powered raging bull at the fit of peak.
Be it a four-wheel-drive or a purist-friendly rear-wheel-drive, the Lamborghini Huracan is proven to be "the last one" in the age of the new normal. It really is the last car to have a V10 engine in it, which is rather a sad undertone to spell it out. Although it may not be forever, the last V10 car on earth is proven to be the final gambit that never gives in unless it uses its last resort to keep speedo boys happy until the very end.
With all units of the Huracan officially sold out, it really is the end not just the car itself but what's known as the best-sounding engine ever made. They said all good things must end, and for the last V10-powered vehicle on earth, its final mission in this unstable world is complete.
Grazie ragazzi, Lamborghini Huracan. You made us proud.
Two Italian works of art, the Giulia Sprint GTA and the Murcielago SV, made their comeback in Forza Motorsport as prize cars in two separate limited-time tours in Update 4.0.
First up is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, a motorsport legend obtained after fighting through Update 4's Open Tour until February 14th.
Launched a year after the first Giulia sedan of 1962, the Giulia Sprint is the coupe version styled by Giugiaro, who was part of Bertone then. At launch, the Sprint GT is powered by a 1.6L DOHC 4-cylinder engine producing 104HP of power and 102.7ft-lb of torque.
Three years later, the lightweight GTA version was launched, featuring aluminum body panels, plexiglass rear and side windows, and a stripped-off interior which drops the weight to 745kg for the road version. The 1.6L engine was upgraded with two spark plugs per cylinder, new camshafts, and a pair of twin-barrel carburetors which bumped the power to 115hp, giving it a top speed of 185kph.
500 examples were made between 1965 and 1969 to comply with Group 2 homologation. In the 1966 racing season, the Giulia GTA scored over 200 wins with official team drivers and privateers behind the wheel.
Lastly is the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV which was obtained by clearing the time-limited Italian Challengers tour until February 28, 2024.
The Murcielago LP670-4 SV served as the "last special edition" before production, as well as its legendary V12 engine traced back to the Miura, ended in 2010 after its near-decade-run tenure. The 6.5L V12 engine was improved to produce 670PS of power.
It is limited to 350 cars worldwide and costs 450,000 US Dollars. However, only 186 models were built before the factory had to be reserved for Aventador production. In 2010, there was a China Limited Edition launched exclusively in China that comes with the same specs but with a middle stripe on it.
Let's give these Italian works of art around Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and see how legendary these icons are. Let's roll the tapes.
If Forza Motorsport is art, these Italian legends are masterpieces that deserve to be driven. This is the art of driving, the Forza way.
I respect the Italians because their supercar-building status made them the nuclear power of the motoring world. In Forza Horizon 5, I've been greeted by three of the most extreme Italian track superweapons ever made. All three of them are DLC cars, sadly.
Are these number codes? I think not.
These are the Italian track superweapons in question; the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12, the Pagani Huayra R, and the Ferrari FXX-K Evo. These de-restricted weapons of mass velocity are armed and ready to shake, rattle, and roll to the extremes.
Let's begin with the Ferrari FXX-K Evo, the most extreme version of the LaFerrari-based FXX-K, and yours to keep if you got the Car Pass. Although the V12 hybrid powerplant remains the same, meaning it still pumps out 1050PS of power output while torque output is over 900Nm, the FXX-K Evo features improved aerodynamics resulting in 23% improved downforce, improved drag resistance, improved dynamics, and more.
Next up is the Pagani Huayra R, part of FH5's Italian Exotics Car Pack currently available. Essentially the finale for the Huayra hypercar, this track-only version, with only 30 units made and sold, is powered by the naturally-aspirated 6.0L AMG V12 engine producing 850PS of power while mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
Lastly, the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12, also part of FH5's Italian Exotics Car Pack currently available. With only 40 made and sold, this track-only superweapon made by Lamborghini Squadra Corse is powered by the same 6.5L V12 engine as the Aventador but it pumps out 830PS of power output, 20PS less than the Huayra R. It is mated to a 6-speed X-track sequential gearbox, which doubles as a structural element within the fully carbon-fiber chassis, with the pushrod rear suspension installed directly on it for better weight distribution.
With their introduction made, it's time to find out which of the three track nukes is the deadliest behind the wheel and with that, it's off to the Horizon Mexico festival grounds to conduct...this nuclear test. Let's roll the tape.
And now the results...
Essenza - 1m03.130s
Huayra R - 1m00.878s
FXX-K Evo - 59.326s
It looks like Scuderia Ferrari is still the top dog in the Italian supercar arms race after all. The FXX-K Evo is the definite proof that you don't want to mess with Maranello's mightiest.
The FXX-K Evo, Huayra R, and the Essenza are proof that Italy is the motoring nuclear superpower because these weapons of mass velocity are like an explosive mix of, let's say, Capsaicin, Pitaya Dragon, and Golden Cheese. If you mess with them, they'll hit you to the extreme. Approach with extreme caution with these track nukes behind the wheel. Their mind-blowing performance and dynamics are too much for puny humans behind the wheel.
Go ahead, take a spin with these three if you are heroic enough. The results will shock you through the earth's core.
