Forza Horizon 4: Best of Series 36

Looks like you've managed to get the three new cars that were featured on Forza Horizon 4's Series 36 update and with this update wrapping up, let's have a quick review on the new vehicles you've recently obtained throughout this update.

This here is the Mazda Savanna or RX-3 for the world market. Judging from its looks, this is known to be the first stage of the Savanna when it first launched in 1971, the S102. It's powered by a 10A rotary engine mated to a 4-speed floor-type manual gearbox. It produces 105PS of power and apart from the performance, the S102 Mazda Savanna comes with a rear bias mount shock absorbers as well as a torque rod and a 65L fuel tank. There's a known fact that the S102 Savanna was involved in numerous motorsport activities such as the Fuji Grand Champion Series, the Japan Golden Trophy Race, and the Fuji Turismo Trophy 500 mile, among many others.

Next, the Mazda Cosmo. This car deserves no explanation because this is the world's first rotary-powered car on sale when it was first launched in 1967. It defied skepticism of how a rotary engine is made and done thanks to the idea of employing a graphite-aluminum alloy seal. Not only that, the problems of excessive oil consumption and a lack of low-end torque were taken care of, thus led to the commercialization of cars powered by rotary engines. Oh, and for lovers of Japanese shows, did you know that the Mazda Cosmo was used by the MAT from The Return of Ultraman?

Lastly, there's another supercar that time nearly forgot. It's called the Saleen S1 and it's meant to be Saleen's all-new model since the S7. Meant to be a true driver's car, the mid-engined, two-seat independent suspension supercar features an all-aluminum lightweight chassis combined with a carbon fiber body and a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 450HP of power. The Saleen 1 was priced at around a hundred grand but carmakers are still waiting when will it be out, although there was a one-make race series featuring the said car...despite the fact that it will be made in China. No joke. Made in China.

Now that we have our dibs on these three cars, let's give them a quick spin just to find out how good are these newest additions. Roll the tape!

Enjoy your new rides!

FH3 Blizzard Mountain: S1 on ice

Audi's S1 may be a semi-hot A1 for the 50%, but for a small-sized compact, it tries so hard to become the super hot hatch it deserved.

Although this is classified as a super hot hatch that competes against the Astra VXR, A45 AMG, and the RenaultSport Megane, its short on power is a big disadvantage in the straights but thanks to its size, it can squeeze into corners squeaky clean as a thief in the night, as if drivers know how to watch their backs and blind spots for sudden overtakes.

Some people claimed that the S1 has the blessings of the legendary Audi Quattro but upon checking out its driving modes, it all feels wrong. Like the Sport mode, for example, which solidifies the suspension rather than sharpens it, making this car too mild to handle in the bends. It maybe small and nippy but the way the S1 behaves is...just plain mild as an Ivory soap with a point I made moments later.



As you can see, I am rejoined here with my special S1 I drove back in FH2's Storm Island years ago. It's got the same Cinderella Girls Miria design as last time, but it's been updated to handle Blizzard Mountain. With the car set, the S1 faces the harshest challenge yet under extreme icy conditions. When I say extreme, I really do mean it.



It's true. It was the harshest challenge ever faced under extreme icy conditions but the S1 managed to win the race for me, although I wouldn't want to do it against because as the Blizzard Mountain challenges get even tougher, it takes the right strategy and the right car to do such things in order to achieve the full three-star result. Winning the race is easy but winning the race while completing a specific task is a tough act to follow.

FH2 Storm Island: Second Drive with the Audi S1

Previously, I once took a drive with the Audi S1 hot hatch in Forza Horizon 2 and even though this isn't a hot hatch I was hoping because the dynamics seem to be all wrong despite its small sizing, it managed to clench a win against the foreign Johnnies. Looks like the S1 wanted me another challenge because racing on normal roads is not enough and now it wants to take on another challenge, this time in Storm Island.

Yes, Audi did name this thing well, I'll give them that, but because this is Storm Island, some necessary modifications have been made to survive the harsh terrain this pocket rocket will be traversing. As for designing this hatchback for the modification, I'd decided to ditch the old Indigo stuff and instead doing this...



Now, some of you may ask, "why did you have an image of a little girl in your Audi?" This little girl in my Audi is Miria Akagi from THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS and she fits perfectly on my little pocket rocket as I please. With the ingredients set, the Audi S1 faces the inevitable as it survives Storm Island's worst.



The S1 managed to survived the worst locations in Storm Island despite its small size. It's a good job Audi name this one after their Quattro rally car and even though this S1 wasn't made to be a rally car but rather a city car spiced for the occasion, it's not half bad driving through the rough terrain with the proper equipment installed.

Speaking of which, I got enough trophies to take on another Gauntlet before continuing my quest to the Island Finale.

Forza Horizon 2: Driving the Audi S1

See this one? That is the Audi S1, one of the cars you can drive in Forza Horizon 2's IGN Car Pack, on sale now, and notably one of the hottest hot hatches you can buy today. So, what is it then?

Back in the old days, there was the almighty Audi Sport Quattro S1, which is famed for dominating the World Rally Championship in 1982 and 1984. Now, the S1 name from the legendary rally car was been reborn, this time as a pocket rocket equivalent of the Audi A1.

It has a 2.0L TFSi engine producing 228HP of power output while mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox, that sounds like more enjoyable to have than the Renault Clio RS EDC I drove months ago. Because it has four-wheel drive, most of the power has been distributed to all four wheels if necessary but unlike the normal A1, the S1's rear suspension features a four-link setup rather than the torsion beam, resulting to a redesign to the entire rear end of the car.

You may remember back in 2014's Top Gear original video, The Perfect Road Trip 2, Jeremy Clarkson tries to make full use of the Audi S1's dynamics while racing through the Campo in Siena, Italy but as it turned out, the S1 is a lot bouncy to drive in Dynamic mode and a lot bland to drive in Auto mode. As stated, the S1 maybe a small hot hatchback but it doesn't feel any faster than any other hatchback, and that's quite a downfall for Audi's smallest hot hatch....or is it?

To find out, I pit this one to a championship made exclusively for hi-po hot hatches like these but first...



Some internal improvements have been made to make it faster and sharper than in stock form and if you might think that it's wearing a Finnish flag, no way. The design I made is heavily inspired by Ace Combat Zero's Indigo Team, just to add some flamboyant taste to its small size. With preparations complete, my S1 is ready to take on Montellino against the best hot hatches.



Hmmm, even with some improvements, the S1 doesn't feel sharp for that size and that's very odd for such small hot hatch but despite the S1's all wrong, it still managed to win a championship and its day job here at Forza Horizon 2 is done. Job done for Audi but it needs to keep up next time.

Audi S1 and S1 Sportback

2015 Audi S1

2015 Audi S1 Sportback

The Audi A1 city compact has spawned itself a hotter version called the S1 and no, it doesn't have to do with the S1 you rally fans know about. This is way different than that, ladies and gents. The S1 joins the hot hatch fray and you can think of it as a civilized version of a limited-edition Audi A1 quattro a couple of years ago because unlike the A1 quattro, the S1 looks like a regular Audi A1 but it's been sprinkled with too much sugar on it so it makes it feel like it's in a "sugar rush" right now, wondering what might have been.

The S1 is available in both the 3-door and the 5-door Sportback model and whichever S1 you're choosing, you will be greeted by the sound of its 2.0L TFSi engine. It may not be flashy but the engine that powers it delivers a modest 231PS of power output and 370Nm of torque output while mated with a six-speed manual gearbox. That sounds like fun to us but how does it behave like what every hot hatch in the world should?

Well, at that size, the S1 is worth crippling to our facial muscles but once you get this one right, it's not half-bad. Like most S-badged models, it comes with a quattro permanent all-wheel drive system that lets you have fun without crashing into something even on a rainy day in Europe. There's more in the driving dynamics because the compound link rear suspension used on the A1 has been thrown away and replaced with a four-link design, meaning that when you face it round the corner at a right speed, it feels surgical and clinical as every hot hatch should. This is somewhat more enjoyable to have than the hot Renault Clio that relies on double-clutch nonsense and the special party piece but even though this comes with a 4WD layout and a compact body, I'm afraid there's been some constraints because even with quattro, understeer can be a bit of a issue and if you mess this up, then you've been out of bounds for no reason.

2015 Audi S1 Sportback interior

2015 Audi S1 interior

So, while it maybe a decent track-day car when treated right, driving on normal roads can be somewhat not nice at all because even with quattro, the stiffened suspension really baffles you every time and when it encounters a bump, things get nasty. However, the real fun is when you stopped, you can enjoy what's inside on the S1 judging the fact that it comes with a Wi-Fi hotspot where you can spend some time surfing the net with your smartphones while on a stopover. This hot hatch can make you feel as busy as a Yuppie who yips a lot with his fellow yuppies.

So, should you buy one? The three-door S1 starts at 29,950 Euros while the 5-door Sportback is priced at 30,800 Euros so in terms of pricing, that's more affordable to own than the A45 AMG but more expensive than the Renault Clio RS or the Peugeot 208 GTi. Despite that, it's a smart buy for those who are looking for some hot hatches that does everything you want in a car that makes you smile. Treat this car with the respect and you can be good mates on the road ahead.

Photo: Audi AG