Forza Car
September 2012
Celebrating all thats good in the world of Forza
__________________ New car pack infomation __________________ Car reveiws __________________ Best starter car __________________ And much much more...
// Issue 1
Editorial note
I have had an Xbox for only two months. Before then I had been a slave to Gran Tursimo 5 but despite the small amount of time on Xbox I feel that it’s a much better place to hang around with friends. Most of my two months have been spent on Forza 4 messing around, power sliding, drag racing and the like. I have also started to read the frankly amazing “Forza Nation” which got me inspired to make this very magazine you’re reading now. Now this month has been the hardest. Getting the basic format and recruiting a crack team of workers but I have done it finally and so here it is, issue one of Forza Car. In this you will find out what the best car is for under 5k, reviews on new cars and much more So until next month enjoy.
Meet the team
Timebomb 572
Chaotic GTS
Hustlerstill
JA 37 Viggen
The September Pennzoil Car Pack The September Pennzoil Car Pack for Forza 4 is coming to Xbox LIVE on Tuesday, September 4. For a cost of 560 MS Points you can add some of the most classic cars from all around the world including the1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, 1958 Austin-Healey Sprite MKI,1953 Chevrolet Corvette, 1965 MG MGB GT, 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and the 1983 GMC Vandura G-1500 as well as the 2011 CitroĂŤn DS4 which was removed from a previous dlc and the star is two yes two Dodge Viper racers making a total of eleven new cars to race. Sadly with the release of Forza Horizon two months away this might be the last car pack for Forza Motorsport 4.
Ford Focus ST _____________ Maserati Granturismo _____________ Ferrari 599XX _____________ Lexus IS-F _____________
New metal
F
ord’s new ST is latest in a long line of fast fords. Ranging from the early GT40 in the 60s to the fiesta 1.25 of the 90s. The 1013 focus St is the latest and the 3rd in the line of Focus ST’s. The first was good if a bit reluctant to go round corners, the second was even better despite being slightly juvenile in styling especially in orange and now we reach the latest incarnation. Styled with Fords new design language you can still tell it’s a hot hatch with that large grill, big alloys and great slathering’s of ST badges both on the outside and inside. Couple that to recaro seats and you have something truly remarkable. Sadly ford has dropped the 5 cylinder engine in favour of a 4 pot and if you think that means no more high revving fun you are wrong. With the help of a turbocharger this reaches
Quick Focus
Words: Wheelspin3 Photos: Wheelspin3 high rpm so easily. Power has been upgraded despite the lack of a cylinder and the fact it’s down to fords 2.0 litre ecoboost from 221 bhp to 247 bhp and it really shows. Yes there is wheel spin off the line but you can feel its guts wanting to give you everything from the start. Torque steer is not unknown to fast focuses and can still be felt in lower gears but is so much better in comparison to a Corsa VXR. Handling wise it’s very impressive for a fwd car especially with the power it has but remember ford can make a car with 350 bhp go around a corner in the form of the RS 500. The steering rarely feels poor but does none the less and that results in a bucket full of under steer, it’s as if it’s completely given up and suffers from depression as it luges its way down through the gears until it livens up again. Taking it around a twisty race track is so much fun with wailing tyre smoking fun only a hand brake turn
away. As for tight hairpins the handbrake is where you have to turn. But as I power down the straight snatching 3rd as I hug the apex into a tight right hander I get the feeling that this car is something special and needs to be pushed to show its true potential. There's a good balance between on the edge driving like in a go-kart and the cacoon of electrical safety providing you drive aggressively. Racing is one of the best experiances I have had in Forza, the power comes on perfectly for over taking and the car is easily nimble enough to not get rammed. The interior is a nice place to be for the price, full leather, lots of dials of which I dont know what they do and a nice gear lever. It doesnt sound much but it all adds up to make a great car. Although unusable
There's a good balance between on the edge driving like in a go-kart and the cacoon of electrical safety providing you drive aggressively.
the stereo looks such a good quality with big stylish buttons and a big knob (you in the back stop sniggering) in the centre. But the screen in the centre of the dials looks like a argos "value" range lcd clock face bu is not the worst one i have seen. Looking in from the outside the dashboard looks clunky and miss matched with two gigantic warts mounted on it. After a solid hour testing and racing the Ford that is all that
over on doing it up and making it into I could find wrong with the car. the fully track bred car it was always At 32000 credits its one of the best cars for under 40k. I would meant to be. say taht is even better than the Golf GTI R simpily because it feels sportier and is 10K cheaper as well. The Golf is great fun, powerful, good looking and very versitile but im afraid it loses to the sheer brilliance of the Focus and so I would recommend buying one right how and using the 10K left
T
his week, I was scrolling through the Forza community like I usually do when the beer is gone and the dogs are barking; a regular occurrence during my summer months between semesters. My patience was dwindling and my mind was restless; I just closed the deal with my brother. The ’94 Camaro Z28 I have hovered over and put so much patient effort into, like a doctor performing surgery on his wife, had slipped out of my hands and into the pockets of my slightly more monetarily-sound, life-long foe older sibling in return for some much needed greenbacks and his ’99 Silverado. If you can’t take a hint, my family is partial to the Bowtie. Being stuck in the upper peninsula of Michigan as a car guy is rough enough. Having the opportunity to thrash a Vortech-supercharged, LT4 Corvette powered, T56 six-speed, two-door rocket ship was the only thing keeping me sane. Now what? I’ll tell you what. Nothing. Nothing comes close. Well, nothing in my current array of time-wasters anyway. So, I took some of the money that I had required in our vehicle swapping deal and made a winning bid on a Fanatec
Gran Suprimo
Words: Timebomb572 Pictures: Timebomb572
rig. While waiting for it to arrive, I contacted Wheelspin about writing up a car review. I spent some time trying to figure out what sort of car to test, and came up with nothing. Then, after a brief phone call with a fellow gearhead and college buddy, it hit me. I wanted something fun. Something different. Something… classy. To test, and came up with nothing. Then, after a brief phone call with a fellow gearhead and college buddy, it hit me. I wanted something fun. Something different. Something… classy.With looks to kill and an interior that would please the Queen of England, the Maserati Gran Turismo S is the aesthetic vehicular reincarnation of a Cuban cigar. It’s smooth. It’s fine. It’s that sort of upper-class egotistical “I have money, and you clean shoes” mentality that went into the styling of the sinister front end, the gorgeous lines of the sloping quarter panels and elegant exhaust exits in the rear. What I love most about the Maserati is that it is unique. We’re in 2012; after countless design generations, fads, and gimmicks, it is seldom that you see a machine that doesn’t look like a Ferrari in the front. Similarities
will always exist, but the GT-S is just that. It’s a GT-S. There’s no Ferrari about it. There’s no BMW to its headlights, no Porsche to its rear end, no Lamborghini to its roof line. Surprising, considering the GT-S gained some styling cues from Pininfarina, a close friend of Ferrari. It is a trident-wielding Maserati, and that’s it. In my not-at-all humble opinion, that’s all it NEEDS to be. I took the GT-S for a test session around Indianapolis Grand Prix. Since I was testing in the morning, I naturally picked the Morning course. I selected this track for its varied and technical infield coupled with its long front stretch and diversified amount of turn radii, banking angles, and entry/exit speeds. Few tracks have decreasing and increasing radius turns backed by sweepers, long straights, short chutes, and the like. Plus, I like the bricks. The GT-S is powered by a 4.7 litre
Saleen S331 Supercab At 4,146 pounds, I This Italian naturally aspirated expected to be driving a its boat powerplant anchor. pulls all the way to However, the Trident clan worked 7500RPM redline a miracle with the Before I get into the technical specs, let me just say one thing; it sounds magnificent. This Italian naturally aspirated powerplant pulls all the way to its 7500RPM redline, where its 432 peak horsepower is made. The exhaust note at full song is magical. Though slightly down on torque compared to the American Iron I am used to driving, at 361 footpounds it is more than enough to get the job done. At the Brickyard, you feel every bit of the Maserati’s weight. At 4,146 pounds, I expected to be driving a boat anchor. However, the Trident clan worked a miracle with the suspension. Piling the GT-S into turn 1 was no issue. Leaving it in third, corner exits are manageable and actually quite enjoyable. Second gear, however, drops the “manageable” and generally ends in a powerslide. The gears are evenly spaced and keep the car in its broad torque curve. And, with a 47% front weight ratio, it is surprisingly balanced through every corner Indy has to offer. No, it doesn’t carve through the infield like a hot knife through a Thanksgiving turkey breast, nor does it perform great under
suspension.
braking. Compared to other cars of similar performance, the braking of the GT-S needs some substantial work. But, driving the Gran Turismo is… pleasant. There is just enough understeer under braking and midphase to induce a certain amount of confidence, but not so much so that the driving experience turns into a joyless ride in a land yacht. The Maserati GT-S is the gentleman’s package. It’s styling oozes seduction and class. Its exhaust note instills a little hair-raising excitement. And, when one steps down on the gopedal and throws it into the corner, weight and statistics go out the window and all that is left is the joy ride ahead. The GT-S is not a race car. It is a driver’s car. And that, my friends, is all that you need to know.
If ever I ran a competition to find the worlds most pointless car. This would come second after the BMW X6M. I mean what made Saleen turn around one day and say "I know, instead of making a 900 bhp mustang lets add a stupid body kit and a bigger engine to a F150 pickup. And lets keep the basic ladder chassis so it will handle like every other pick up in America. The damn thing is nearly as long as Florida state and it feels about as sturdy as the eurozone in the corners plus it tried to kill the virtual me taking a 3rd gear corner at Indiapolis, spewing off into the grass and trying to roll me. On a straight the saleen lives up to its name sought of. It will out run other pickups but would be owned by anything else in its class even the peugeot 308 gti famous for being as hot as kiwi fruit. Going around corners is like me playing football, Always wide or in the next field. So I would not recommend this to any one unless they enjoy being laughed at.
W
hen news reached the office that Ferrari had announced the F12berlinetta, I was probably the most excited person there. I'll make it plain now: I was never a fan of the 599 family, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was the fact it was too hardcore to be a traditional gran tourer in my eyes or maybe it was the predictive traction control. Despite that, I went to the editor in chief, Jeff, and told him I'd do a final write up on the 599 with the hopes of perhaps getting some information on the F12berlinetta out of a Ferrari employee or two. I simply told him, any model of the 599 would do, expecting I'd be driving his 599 GTB for a day. When Jeff came to my desk and
Arrivederci 599 Words: JA 37 Viggen Pictures: Wheelspin3
told me to pack my bags for a trip to Italy. In the pit lane at the Mugello Circuit sat the car I was least expecting to drive; the 599XX, a 720 horsepower, purpose built, carbon-fiber monster, that currently has the second fastest time around the Nurburgring for a production based car. One does not need to complete a walk around this red and black beast to see how different it is to a road going 599 GTB or GTO. It hugs the ground like a GT race car and has two more exhaust pipes where the tail lights would usually be. The fins behind the front and rear wheels and the fins mounted on the buttresses give it an almost shark
like appearance. The 599XX also weighs 751 lbs less than a standard 599 GTB, coming in at 2970 lbs. Inside the carbon-fiber cockpit, it's rather refined, for a pre-tuned track car. The car has two seats, air conditioning, a larger than normal driver's side window slat, and a more traditional steering wheel than on current Ferrari road cars.tuned track car. The car has two seats, air conditioning, a larger than normal driver's side window slat, and a more traditional steering wheel than on current Ferrari road cars. After a brief, but informative orientation, the Ferrari test driver wishes me "buona fortuna" and I'm set to go. The six liter V12 roars to life. No, sorry, roar is an understatement. Try screaming. Lots
Powering out of the corners is a different story though. You have to be very careful otherwise this Prancing Pony isn't afraid to buck you off the track.
and lots of screaming. Foot to the floor and 720 horses begin to gallop in tune. Before I know it, I'm already at 100 mph. The acceleration is simply unbelievable, with 0-60 taking 2.9 seconds and 0-100 taking 5.9! Climbing through the gears, I notice these are probably the most crisp gear changes I've ever felt, if not the most violent. This car's biggest trump card is downforce. At 186 mph, this car is making nearly 1,400 lbs of it! The brakes are also great. I'd been around Mugello before in a Ferrari F430 and this car is causing me to rethink braking points.are also great. I'd been around Mugello before in a Ferrari F430 and this car is causing me to rethink braking points. Powering out of the corners is a different story though. You have to be very careful otherwise this Prancing Pony isn't afraid to buck you off the track. I nearly lost it coming out of Turn 4, Materassi, and Turn 11, Palagio, a couple times. I would almost equate it to an AMG Mercedes, only more controllable and more
controllable and more violent. Coming into Turn 8, Arrabbiata, I noticed a little bit of understeer, but it was easily tamed. Perhaps now would be a good time to mention just how much this thing cost? A staggering 1.5 million US dollars. Oh and like with the FXX, it isn't road legal and you can't keep it at home either. At this point, both these facts are bugging me because I'm starting to really like this car. Disappointed? Don't be, the 599 GTO is a road going version of the 599XX, and although sales were limited to 599 cars, I'm sure there's one or two on eBay or available at a "local" Ferrari dealership. After completing three laps, I come into the pits so the Scuderia mechanics and ensure all is well. The test driver, who's been watching my lap times suggests that I'm babying the car.well. The test driver, who's been watching my lap times suggests that I'm babying the car. Between the car's price tag and the fact that getting used to all that power
takes a little time, he's damn well right. He bets me 50 Euros that I can't get my time under 1:58. "Simple" he says. I'm not so sure. Time for my "play date" with the 599XX is running short however. Ferrari needs use of the track to test their Formula 1 cars for the season. Although the car comes with a lap times on the instrument panel, I ignore it and just focus on powering down the main straight every time. The test driver comes over the radio and says that time is up. As I took one final look at the car before it was garaged, I noticed the "smile" on the grill. Looking at it, I got the impression it was saying "That was fun. I hope you had as much fun as I did today. Can we go again?" With a final time of 1:56:355, I've come out richer, and with a new found respect for the outgoing Ferrari 599.
Ultimate Lexus
T
his is a Lexus…And before you turn the page on me, hear me out. Now you’re thinking, “how boring…” as are many Lexus’ but that’s not what we’re here to talk about this time. Instead, I offer you this. Now before you go thinking “what’s the deal? It’s the same car!” I can assure you it’s not. You see, what I have here is a new division of Lexus, the F, and here is its first car, the IS-F. Beneath the subtle body work with its slightly more flared wheel wheels and slightly modified front grill is gone with the 3.5 liter V6 and in its place, a 5.0 liter V8 making 416 BHP and 371 lb of torque (Look out M3, you’ve got company). But I digress, just talking about it
Words: Chaotic GTS Pictures: Chaotic GTS it out to the Benchmark Test Track and thrash it around a bit. Running an improvised gymkhana course, the car went from under steer to over steer to wipe out. But that was just me forgetting to turn off the traction control and stability controls before starting. With the driving aids off and in the manual gearbox, the car made a lot more sense. Now then with if being a Lexus, you’d expect all the finer things included, and you’d be right. Inside you get a gauge cluster from one of those sci-fi future cars. You get the leatherwrapped everything and brushed metal. You get everything that makes this the Japanese Mercedes, which dare I say, better than what Mercedes do. The car rides well at
speed, although the automatic gearbox will drive you nuts, with its 8speed affair that was put into place solely to please Jonny Polar Bear. If you have your footing right, you shouldn’t change gears too often so the noise from the constant shifting won’t drive you crazy. Put the gearbox into manual and you get more fun, as it limits you to just 6 gears to choose from, and access to all that torque that was just out of reach with 8 gears. At the end of the day, this car will make your hair stand onend and give you the thrill that any proper track-day should. Now for the many of you going “it’s still just an IS.' and lots of people would agree, its not.
Just like what BMW do with M cars, Lexus has done with their F. Subtle differences packaged with a monster engine in the body of your daily driver. I took the car back to the owner’s house.The suspenion informs you of the bumps without breaking your spine. It really is one of those cars that can take you for a loop and back, and then take you home in comfort. And if you still think “It’s still a Lexus”, test drive it yourself.
T
Home bargains Just what is the best car for 5K
he Volkswagen Rabbit GTI has alwasy been the first choice for a car on forza. Costing only 5000 credits, the rabbit shows even a new player what a hot hatch should be like, small, cheap, good looking and fast. This is the car that single handidly started the hot hatch back war which resulted in the Ford Focus RS, Peugoet 205 GTI, Abarth 500, Mini cooper S and Vauxhall Corsa VXR to name a few. The noise it makes is truely magic, sounding like a mini Ferrari as you chuck it round a race track. This slice of 80s power was styled by Giugiaro and so looks magnificant, even with that massive bumber sticking out like Gary Linkear's ears.
Admittidly I prefer the european model's circular headlamps but the squarer lights are not that bad. Handling wise it is so much fun. With limited power they had to make it as light as possible, 2100 lbs which makes the car so chuckable. It is so happy to lift a wheel on a corner. It is so much fun driving quickly before clutching the hand brake and pretending your Gene Hunt in ashes to ashes. Smoke pours from the wheel arches as I speed off for the next corner. The original GTI was intended to be a limited run high performance car created to meet race car regulations. But it was so popular that they
made thousands. And its still in production today. Now there is a lot of compertition for 5k. So decided to try and find a car for that money that could tople VW's crown. With enterence from America, Japan, Italy, Germany and even Sweden. For my search I will factor in speed, Handling, style and the general feel of the car. So let battle comence...
1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Yes for 5k you can own an Alfa Spider. Admitidly in US spec with annoying thick black bumpers and in 3rd generation but come on. Italian Soft top with a 2 litre engine and rear wheel drive. The powers is not extraordenary and the handling is poor.
Weighing around 500 lbs more than the Golf and having 117 bhp means that its slower and a bad choice for a first car. It can be fun like riding a bike through a flaming hoop is fun, but living with the inguries after is like living with the Alfa,
1977 AMC Pacer
The passenger door is 4 inches longer than the drivers. That sums this car up really. Bad build quality, slow performance, and an interior like the inside of a 70s council flat. Described as the jetsons mode of transport with its unusual styling and large glass rear which makes it look like a fat ass. It
handles like a post box. The 6 cylinder engine would struggle to pull a card board box up a hill and in a race the only exicting bit is when your rammed but buy one and you can make it look like the Pacer from Whaynes. But not for your first car as its slow and poor alround.
1973 AMC Gremlin
5 litres is a lot for an engine. That means 400 bhp minimum unless you look at the Gremlin. Strangled by emmision laws the 5 litre V8 turned out a measly 171 bhp. My racing wheels motor produces more and dosent take up 5 whole
litres. Add a truely revolting body and you have a crap car. Cars like this are the reason why the 1970s were seen as unfashionable. Speed and handling never existed and neither did happiness behind the wheel. So in conclusion its stupid.
1986 Dodge Shelby Omni
Finally a car to contend with the Golf. FWD with 175 BHP from a 2.2 litre engine may not sound like much but you can really blast along an open road. When you reach a corner, its pure hot hatch. A little under steer, but not to bad. But
the real gem here is on the drag strip. That engine was specially developed by shelby for racing and boy it can. The insides are dated even for a 1980s car but your travelling to fast to care at all. This is a real GTI threat
1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra
1973 Ford Pinto
Famed for killing its owners during a rear collison. The pinto was cheap even back then. The handling is poor and slightly boatish feeling like its going to roll over. I felt sea sick after only 2 minuites.
At this point I sahll tell you how it burnt so easily. The rear bumper was close to the propshaft so in a rear end collison the bumber would cause the propshaft to penitrate the petrol tank. Hence this car is not in the running.
1995 Honda CRX De Sol SiR
this belive itor not is the most mordern car for 5K. The De Sol was intended as a replacemen of the amazing CRX. It cahnged froma hatch to a coupe type car with nostrols at the front. Despite being newer it was worse
than the CRX it replaced with worse handling and a slower feel. Despite the lack of power I feel this car still could contend with the GTI. I find this car to be an ok starter car. So its not the best handler but it acn teach you how to drive well and race which is very good.
A mustang, for 5k. In king cobra spec with all them decals, a V8 and with a Ludicrous body kit fitted to a mk2 Mustang. The mark 2 Mustang is not remembered as the best Mustang. Slow and
made poorly. But for a F class car from the oil crisis it is quite quick. It is one of the faster F class car. It can handle well for an American car. But as a rival to the GTI, this feels slow and has poorer handling characteistics so this is out.
1993 Honda Civic
This is a a more typical first car for real life. Easy to maintain, cheap to insure and its so easy to modify. Add a massive body-kit,some big rims and drop it and you have what you think is something from the fast and the furious, but you really need to add some power to make it as fast
as it looks. While doing that you need new tyres so the car actually grips going arond a corner. The car on its own is a typical shopping car but in its age teens have taken a liking to it but it needs modification. Fine if your affinity level is high enough but not good if your poor.
1991 Honda CRX SiR
1988 Mitsubishi Starion
Wow, look at this. A 1988 rear wheel drive turbo charged sports car. The first car to have electronic fuel injection. All this for 5K and it has an active history in motor sport. It won the SCCA several times during the 1980s. It also won the group A
rally in 1987 which should have cemented its place in the history books but they are all but forgotten about now. Why? Good handling, powerful engine, what could it be? After several minutes driving it quickly I found it. It is as dull as lard and as fat. It is not the best looker in the world with a wide face, cheap plastic body and a poor interior.
1978 SAAB 99 Turbo
I regard this car as a classic. Built in Sweden it was one of teh first turbo charged cars in Europe behind the Porche 930 and the BMW 2002, a personal favourite of mine. There is a small amont of turbo-lag and then your away. It is quick for a late 70s saloon and good looking too. Those white wheels
add character to the car while the head lights add aggresivness to the front end. Handling comes with a bucket full of oversteer and a whole lot of fun. Have we found a car to overthrow the GTI, no, it feels less well put together than the Golf and the steering is lax. The Saab is ok for for a first car for someone who wants to break from the normal.
This is a direct desendend of the GTI idea. Fast, small, good looking and discret. This in a way a Q car. The original CRX was thought up in the 80s. And for nearky 10 years the basic recipe never changed. A small engine,
front wheel drive and a small body. The handling is that of a GTI standard and could beat it in a drag race. But it lacks the soul of the GTI. On paper it is better than the Golf but personly I would buy the GTI because it feels better, even though its slower.
1988 Pontiac Fiero GT
Known as the poor mans Ferrari, or more like the poor mans MR2. The Fiero was a mid-engined sports car for men in there twenties to race around in being cool. But it was as cool as a plaid shirt. With a two litre engine, rear-wheel drive
and a stylish coupe body should result in a fast cool sports car with perfect handling and a wow factor. In reality it was under powered, ugly and handled like a shopping trolley. Against a GTI this is decades behind in speed.
2002 Suzuki Liana
1981 Volkswagen Scirocco
Volkswagen began work on the car during the early 1970s based on the platform of the Golf/Rabbit Though almost every part of the car was re-engineered in favour of a sportier
drive, and the model's allnew styling, penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was sleeker and sportier than that of the Golf. I actually would rather own this than the GTI because it is as fast but styled even better.
The Liana was best known for its appearances in the BBC's Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment, as the saloon model was used from its first show until the model's replacement by a Chevrolet Lacetti in the show's spring 2006
season. Today, it enjoys a partial retirement, only being brought back when the guest is a Formula 1 driver. The car itself is not very good. Slow and can't handle. It was never meant as a sporty car and it really shows. I feel that this could never compete with the GTI.
1982 Volvo 242 turbo
This had custom body work and interior from Bertone. The exterior coachbuilding of these two-door saloons consisted of a chopped roof a more raked windscreen. The 1980
1981 models were badged CoupĂŠ instead of 262C. These cars were further characterised by additional Bertone badges on the front wings. It is not the best starter car like the Saab 99 turbo.
1. Mitsubishi Starion because its the fastest car for 5K. 2. Volkswagen Scriocco because it is a GTI with a a beautiful body
3. Volkswagen Golf GTI because its the definitive choice without the beautiful body sadly
a c 5 p o t s ' 3 Wheelspin BMW 1 series M
The greatest drifter this century
e st rw d b e h T . y n a m from Ger
car for under 40k by far.
Aston martin Virage
Best looking British brute
that makes the best noise ever
Audi Sport Quattro
rs
Abarth 500
Nippy, small, pocket rocket
A great balance of
of speed and agility.
Ferrari F40
200 mph go-kart from he e l s w n o n o ti c e rf e P . the 1980s
Get involved
Send us your 5 favourite cars with pictures and a small decription to Driven by Stig Blomqvist and wheelspin 3 on forza fourms and it will be Gene Hunt is road form, this legend shown* *Only 1 can be shown a month. order will be on first come, first revolutionised rally in style. served basis.
Under the hood I
n this feature we go into the very depths of the best cars ever. Looking over the history of the car. The engine, the power and some trivia . So we needed to start this off wilt a bang. Something fast, a world beater, special and above all interesting. After around 20 seconds everyone knew the car. The Mclaren F1. Yes the 240 mph
hyper car from the 1990s. The original design was sketched after the 1988 Italian Gran prix. Gordon Murray was the man who first thought of a three seat super car with a 6.1 litre V12. At the time the central driving position was illegal and so after it was given the go-ahead from Ron dennis, they set about
legallising the idea, After that it was on to creating the machine. They used carbon fibre, magnesium, titanium and even gold. Yes you read correctly gold. Used around the engine to insulate it, because gold is the best heat reflectant. After that they went to BMW for a 6.1 litre V12 and they got it. The gear box was tested in Ultiama GTR's but they were
The Mclaren featured butterfly doors and a three seat layout with central driving position. destroyed after the XP1 was unveiled. The XP1 only lasted 3 months before being rollled by the test driver several times. XP2 was also crashed but into a concrete wall at MIRA for saftey reasons. The car did so well that if the headlamps were not broken the car could have been driven home. Gordon Murray wanted to sit in as the dummy to prove its safety but he was not allowed. XP2 was repaired and used for futher testing. Three futher prototypes were made before in December 1993 the first customer car was made. Gordon Murray wanted the car to be as light as possible and so did without power steering, traction control of even ABS. The cars structure was a F1 style tub bonded together from carbon fibre composite mouldings and aluminium honeycomb panels. Cost really was no object especially with the price of 3000000 cr. The 6.1 litre V12 from BMW featured twin overhead camshafts on each bank of cylinders operating four valves in each combustion chambers and variable inlet
17 inch magnesium wheels
Gold lined engine bay
valve timing. The power on offer was 627 bhp. The F1 had been designed as a competition racerand was eligable for racing but they decided to build a GTR version which was completed in 1994. To celebrate them winning Le Mans in 1995 and the FIA GT chamionship in 1995 and 1996 Mclaren built a special bright orange LM version with more power and less weight. In 1997 three long tailed F1 road cars were made to homologate the similarbodied racers. With stiffer compertion in Le Mans it could only reach fourth in the 24 hour.
Three seat layout
After the Le Mans forth place the F1's demise came.And in 1998 the car was taken off the market after less than 100 cars were sold. Mclaren planned to sell 300 but the price was to high for the mega rich. Seeing one is a extremly rare car. Its three times more likely to see a Ferrari Enzo, although I did see a F1 driving down the M1 with non other than Mr Bean driving it. The Mclaren was the ultimate super car. The million dollar super car and the worlds fastest for 12 years. No other car has that title and for that reason alone it should be respected as the ultimate car.
Virtual vs Reality F
Words: HUSTLERSTILL Pictures: HUSTLERSTILL
or my first car review on Forza Motorsports 4 I chose a vehicle whose manufacturer is not in the top five, ten or even twenty rank of the super car phenomenon we know today. I chose what I like to think of as a sleeper. This car could pull up next to you at a red light and you might expect to see a mom driving her kids to school, maybe a couple of hippies on there way to the ski mountain. I chose the Saab 9-3 Aero because I own one in the non virtual realm, life 205 Horsepower stock this vehicle comes with. . Front wheel drive, 2.0 Litre Turbo. 16 inch stock rims. The car isn’t a hot hatch, it really isn’t a compact. Certainly isn’t a saloon and by no means a super car. A stretched out hatch back if you
will. Great car in the winter and snow. Great car on gas and cruising the city. Gets any job done I have asked it whether it was going grocery shopping or picking up ten 2X4’s. Golf clubs, kids toys, bikes it all fits. Five passengers no problem room to spare. Air conditioning freezes you in the cab on the hot summer days. Every option thrown in and a sun roof. This is such a fun car to own I routinely head to New Hampshire and fly through the mountain pass which is about 2 hours from where I live. Winding, twisting roads with beautiful mountain scenery on all sides. One of the very first cars I purchased in Forza 4 was this very car. I was so excited to see how the virtual counterpart measured up. The Saab sits well in D-Class with a PI of just 321. I hopped in and took my first run stock and I was a bit board. Nothing like what I experience from the car sitting in my driveway. I quickly figured it out. For those of you who don’t own a Saab there is a wonderful button on the shifter. Two of them anyway on the center consol. One marked “W”-Winter. Low end Torque, short gear shifts, Turbo barely perks up. The other button marked “S”-Sport”! Yep the opposite of Winter. Long drawn out gear ratio, the Turbo Kicks in almost immediately and stays on the entire time a foot is on the accelerator. The Turbo also gets flooded with about 3 times the pressure then in normal every day non sports mode. This is missing in Forza 4 sadly. When I hit that “S” button the car comes alive. The engine is peppy, very agile and responsive. The gearing screams “Floor MEEEEEEEEEE” for what seems like an eternity until the next gear change.This feeling is not captured in
Forza 4 and I believe its because there is no “S” button to push. However I believe this was done due to upgrades! And Forza Motorsports 4 has upgrades galore so we can put any car in “Sports mode” all the time. I tested the Saab using the Fanatec CSR steering wheelElite Pedals and Hgate shifter mounted to a GTR Grand Touring Rig. I left
the car bone stock without tune and head out to the track where I would complete 2 laps and then the third lap was considered my final.Front Wheel Drive: Infineon Raceway Long-2.01.113 Leguna Seca-1.53.351 Not bad but I have this idea that an AWD Saab 9-3 Aero would be killer! So I slapped the AWD system in place which dropped the Saab to 317PI. I threw in the Sport coil over Spring package and I was right back to 321PI as is stock. The time results were not that different which surprised me. Perhaps next vehicle I will do more lapping in. All Wheel Drive Conversion: Infineon Raceway Long-2.02.241 Leguna Seca-1.52.178 I liked the feel of the AWD so much I left it in. Brought the Saab up to the beloved S-Class. Engine Swap V6T Saab 9-3 Turbo X was thrown in. Horsepower output bumped up to 488, Torque 485Lb-FT, weighed in at 3,071LBS.
S-Class Upgrade ALL Wheel Drive Infineon Raceway Long-1.38.265 Leguna Seca-1.32.463 AWD upgrade the car handles a lot like a Subaru WRX. Steering is very responsive and the torque is amazing. The weight balance and power got me flying around those tracks with a touch of over steer to counter. I was very impressed with what a sleeper this car turned out to be and what it could potentially do on the track. As it sat stock or slammed into S-Class I smoked the AI on professional difficulty and no assists or aids whatsoever. This is a great handling car with a lot of guts, I’m almost as happy with the car in game as I am driving to work. Check out my store front, GAMERTAG: hustlerstill where you can find pictures and videos of me bombing through the cork screw in the Saab nice and tight with the AI far behind.
The gearing screams “Floor MEEEEEEEEEE”
Coming soon. Brand new road testing on the roads thanks to Forza Horizon