Playground Games has previewed the next Forza Horizon 5 series update during the latest Forza Monthly livestream. Dubbed American Automotive, Series 27 brings a raft of new cars from US muscle to electric supercars plus the return of the Oval circuit, new race routes, and more.
Here’s everything you can look forward to in the Forza Horizon 5 American Automotive series update this week.
New cars
As the name suggests, the new series celebrates all things American automotive, with eight new vehicles joining the roster as Festival Playlist rewards. While every car is from a US manufacturer, there’s plenty of variety, from absurdly fast EVs to classic muscle cars.
Out of all the American Automotive reward cars, the 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire is the standout. Previously leaked in a datamine, the Air Saphire is a luxury electric saloon from US startup Lucid based in California.
In its range-topping Saphire guise, the Lucid Air has a tri-motor setup, with two electric motors at the rear and one at the front delivering a staggering 1,234hp combined. This enables the Air Saphire to accelerate from 0-60 mph in a neck-snapping 1.89 seconds, earning it the accolade of the world's quickest and fastest electric saloon.
Notably, the Air Sapphire appearing in Forza Horizon 5 will mark the first time the Lucid brand has featured in a racing game.
Joining it is the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, a track-focused version of the C8 Stingray sporting a wider body and a more powerful 5.5-litre V8 engine. This setup rockets the car from 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The Plymouth Belvedere also makes its Forza debut in the American Automotive series.
Elsewhere, the 1966 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport, 1968 Pontiac Firebird, and 1969 Pontiac GTO The Judge return from past Forza Horizon games, while the 1962 Lincoln Continental returns from Forza Motorsport 4.
New customisation items will also include 20 new HRE rims and three widebody kits for the 1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM GTA, 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R, 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
American Automotive Car Pack
While the eight reward cars can be won in Festival Playlist challenges, the standalone American Automotive Car Pack brings four outlandish US cars to the Horizon Festival:
- 2017 Saleen S7 LM
- 1961 DeBerti Ford Econoline ‘Shop Rod’
- 2020 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss
- 2024 Czinger 21C
Available from 7 November, the American Car Pack costs $4.99/€4.99/£3.99 but is not included in the Car Pass. Incidentally, the Saleen S7 is also coming to Forza Motorsport as part of Update 2 this month.
Oval Circuit returns
After debuting in the High Performance series, the Oval Circuit is returning to the Horizon Festival. Set inside the Stadium, the Oval Circuit will be available in free roam for four weeks during the American Automotive playlist rotations. It’s a fitting track for an American-themed series, but it’s not the only new location.
New road races
Alongside the Oval Circuit, four new road race routes are being permanently added to the map. These new race routes will take you across the mountains to the jungle and by the seaside. Completing each route will earn you a new accolade included in the update.
Autoshow Car Vouchers
The American Automotive series also introduces a new way to collect cars by purchasing Autoshow Car Vouchers with real-world currency. These can be exchanged for any car in the game except Festival Playlist reward cars or Car Pack cars, allowing players to build their collection at their own pace.
Microtransactions are always controversial, but they are entirely optional. Forza Horizon 5’s in-game credit rewards are also generous, so it doesn’t take long to earn credits to buy the more desirable cars anyway.
Release date
The Forza Horizon 5 American Automotive series kicks off on Thursday 9 November. Before then, a patch update will bring a host of quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes on Tuesday 7 November.
Patch notes
The American Automotive patch notes are out now. To summarise, though, Playground Games previewed some of the changes the update:
- Solved an issue that caused the camera to shake in EventLab Route Creation
- X button to Delete Prefab has been added to the UI
- Fixed an issue in which Eliminator sessions would crash if you went to EventLab Island after creating them
- Fixed issues with the 1996 BMW 850 CSi’s interior speedometer and roll cage
- Fixed the issue in which the 2010 Nissan Tsuru’s doors and boot would not close in ForzaVista
- Fixed cosmetic issues on the 2022 Porsche Cayman GT4RS
- Logo on the 2021 BMW’s rims will no longer increase in size when accelerating
Winter Wonderland
Playground Games also offered a sneak peek at Series 28 dubbed Winter Wonderland. starting on 7 December, this series will bring four Christmas-themed items including the return of Secret Santa, a Stadium Makeover, new racetrack, and new cars.
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