Forza Horizon 5 received its first expansion this week in the form a huge Hot Wheels map. It features three biomes – forest, canyon and ice mountain – connected together with a spaghetti-like mess of the iconic orange plastic track that Hot Wheels is known for. It’s an expansion that takes an already superb open world racing game and makes it even better.
It’s not just a new map with new activities though. The Hot Wheels expansion comes with a selection of new vehicles unlocked through progression of the expansion’s various challenges. Each car comes with its own strengths and weaknesses, from the fast but unwieldy to slow chunky trucks that thrive when thrown offroad. Here’s a rundown of all of them, based on their stock model.
10 2018 Chevrolet Hot Wheels COPO Camaro
A strangely specific model of the Camaro, based on the Hot Wheels toy, itself based on the drag racing model, it’s essentially just a cartoonishly fast version of an already beastly drag car.
It’s unsurprising that the Camaro’s speed is its major strength, as it will rocket off at the slightest touch of the accelerator. This is also the main problem with the car, as any attempt to steer it mocks the player as it slams into a wall on any mild curve, a huge issue for the winding Hot Wheels tracks.
9 2019 Brabham BT62
Produced in honour of Australian manufacturer Brabham’s 70 years of operation, only 70 models of the BT62 were produced. Debuting at Brands Hatch for the 2019 Britcar Endurance Championship, it’s a solid car designed for racing.
While it is a good car, that’s really all there is to say about it. Good handling, good speed, it’s just all around good. However, with more exciting options elsewhere in the expansion, it doesn’t really stand out that much. Likely to gain some fans, though.
8 2018 Subaru WRX STI ARX Supercar
Forza Horizon 5 already features an extensive line-up of solid Subaru rally cars, and here is another one. Based on the 2018 rallycross model, it’s not one of the faster cars in the expansion, but it’s got excellent handling, especially when you take it offroad. It is a rally car, after all.
It’s also just not as exciting as other cars in the expansion. While rally cars are always a fun time, there’s little to distinguish this from other WRX and Impreza models already in the game, making it one of the least exciting additions.
7 2020 Sierra Cars No. 23 Yokohama ALPHA
While Sierra Cars have a strong pedigree of rallycross vehicles, the ALPHA is built for asphalt, specifically for tough hill climbs. With Hot Wheels Park featuring plenty of loops and vertical climbs, it’s an ideal choice.
It helps that the ALPHA also boasts explosive acceleration, making it quick off the grid, and it handles effortlessly, gliding around the winding plastic tracks with ease. Where it falls, however, is its low top speed for its class, although no doubt this can be boosted with the right tune.
6 2013 Hot Wheels Baja Bone Shaker
Forza Horizon 5 already features the Bone Shaker, a car that causes havoc with the meta for its strong combo of high speed and strong handling. The Baja Bone Shaker is an offroad model, based on 1970s trophy trucks, but still retaining the original toy’s goofy skeleton aesthetic.
It’s also a lot of fun to fling around on the offroad sections of the Hot Wheels map, although it’s less enjoyable to drive around the plastic tracks themselves due to its slow speed. It is a B Class car and the first you receive in the expansion though, so it’s expected.
5 2021 Hennessey Venom F5
Hennessey are a manufacturer determined to reach the record of having the world’s fastest production car, and with the Venom F5, they’re almost there. It’s even named after the F5 tornado, the highest rating on the Fujita scale. The Hot Wheels expansion shows how serious they were in reaching these high speeds.
This is the last car likely to be unlocked in the expansion, and it’s clear why. Its speed is absurd, reaching 250-300mph with relative ease, and has to be one of the fastest cars in the game. And yet, it somehow keeps its together in its handling as well. It’s not the smoothest ride, but it’s surprisingly controllable.
4 2006 Mosler MT900 GT3
While the road legal MT900S is already in Forza Horizon 5 as an Autoshow purchase, the racing version of George Lucas’ favourite car is new to the Hot Wheels expansion. The GT3 takes the already sleek, attractive MT900 and gives it a bunch of extra performance.
Not the most exciting addition since it is just a variant on an existing car, but it’s such a treat to drive around. A perfect blend of high speeds and smooth handling, the Mosler is likely to become a favourite for many players.
3 1993 Schuppan 962CR
Built in tribute to Australian driver Vern Schuppan’s 1983 Le Mans victory and based on the Porsche 956, the Schuppan 962CR is a legendary sports car that only saw six models built.
As the Hot Wheels expansion shows, that’s a real shame because this car is excellent. Much like the Mosler, it’s a brilliant combo of speed and handling, but it also gets a major highlight in one of the expansion’s story missions, and its sleek design manages to make it look both retro and futuristic all at once.
2 2000 Hot Wheels Deora 2
The Deora has a fun history. The original model was a heavily customised Dodge A100 built as a custom concept, later turned into a Hot Wheels toy and then heavily modified into the Deora II in 2000.
It’s one of the more popular Hot Wheels models out there due its quirky design, and it’s one of the best new cars in Forza Horizon 5’s Hot Wheels expansion. It doesn’t boast the best speed or handling, but it is still a lot of fun to throw around the new map.
1 2012 Hot Wheels Bad To The Blade
Looking like a strange mixture of a fighter jet and an IndyCar, Bad to the Blade is a popular Hot Wheels toy that saw its debut at a stunt event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Its also the best car in the new batch of cars added in this expansion. Aside from looking incredibly cool with its sleek reflective paint job and aggressive design, it also handles like its glued to the track, with only a mild reduction in top speed to keep it in check. Players will love gliding around the track in this one.
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