Three undesirable old cars have plagued Forza Horizon 5's Hidden Horizons update like disease-carrying rodents.
Let's face it, there's no stopping a game like Forza Horizon 5 from featuring undesirable old cars no one asked for and the Hidden Horizons update is no exception. Time to meet this update's worst offenders.
First, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III from the Hidden Horizons Summer Season Playlist. Launched in 1995, the Lancer Evolution III is the third and the last verse based on the fourth-generation Lancer. It features a revised body style compared to the Evo II while the turbocharged 2.0L 4G63 engine was bumped to 266HP of power output.
Next, the fourth-generation Toyota Chaser, in turbocharged 2.5GT twin-turbo guise, from the Hidden Horizons Winter Season Playlist. Powered by a 2.5L 1G-GTE engine, it produces 210PS of power, making it the most powerful of the X80-series Chasers.
Lastly, the facelifted Volvo C30, in T5 R-Design Polestar Limited Edition guise, from the Hidden Horizons Spring Season Playlist. A byproduct of the SCC Concept, the C30 is the last 3-door Volvo ever made.
Let's give the latest batch of junk cars a quick race to prove their worth. Roll the tapes.
These junk cars still know how to funk themselves.
The plague of junk cars in Forza Horizon 5 is far from over because the next update, the Back To The 90s update, sees another plague of junk cars from the 1990s. Brace yourselves, more junk cars are coming.
Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Kanketsu-hen Chapter 1, the first of the Nijigasaki movie trilogy, saw Ayumu Uehara, Kasumi Nakasu, Shizuku Osaka, Kanata Konoe, Emma Verde, and Zhong Lanzhu taking part at the School Idol GPX in Okinawa to determine who is "the most popular school idol right now".
Having enjoyed the first chapter of the Nijigasaki movie trilogy, the movie's theme song has arrived, giving you plenty of reasons why you became part of the recent Nijigasaki adventure.
Doko ni Itemo Kimi wa Kimi
"Doko ni Itemo Kimi wa Kimi" is the theme song of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Kanketsu-hen Chapter 1 and this mini album not only features the movie's theme song but also songs heard from the movie as performed by the Nijigasaki girls who took part in the School Idol GPX such as Ayumu Uehara, Kasumi Nakasu, Shizuku Osaka, Kanata Konoe, Emma Verde, and Zhong Lanzhu, as demonstrated by the alternate covers also available.
Shizuku performs "Rise Up High!",
Kanata performs "Daydream Mermaid",
Emma performs "Cara Tesoro",
Lanzhu performs "PHOENIX",
and Ayumu performs "Stellar Stream".
You get the idea.
This mini album is a way of saying thanks for taking part in the first Nijigasaki movie adventure. As said before, don't expect anything in return, but be prepared for what comes next!
The third-generation Honda N-BOX range welcomes its newest member; an outdoor-themed variant designed to take on the likes of the Mitsubishi Delica Mini, Daihatsu Tanto FunCross, and the Suzuki Spacia Gear.
2025 Honda N-BOX Joy
2025 Honda N-BOX Joy
This is the first-ever Honda N-BOX Joy, an outdoor-themed variant of the third-generation N-BOX priced at 1,844,700 Yen plus additional costs, which is cheaper than the recent Suzuki Spacia Gear but slightly more costly to own than the Mitsubishi Delica Mini. A fair trade in the market for outdoor-oriented kei minivans.
2025 Honda N-BOX Joy interior
2025 Honda N-BOX Joy interior
Although it's basically a third-generation N-BOX by the looks of it, the Joy features black cladding underneath, a front bumper with holes on the center-right followed by six holes above the front bumper, specially-made Full HED headlamps, taillights from the N-BOX Custom, black side mirrors, and to top it all off, the Joy badge. For an additional extra, customers can have a special package with front fog lamps and a front grille that spells Honda on it.
While the interior works just like the other N-BOX variants, the Joy features Brown-and-Black checkered seat fabric that is surprisingly stain-proof, making cleanup a breeze. Fold the rear seats down, and you will have a Furatto Terrace to relax. It even comes with a floor-under box to store your necessities. With a space of 148cm in length, 117cm in width, and 115cm in height, this outdoor-themed N-BOX means business and leisure at a snail's pace.
Like the rest of the lineup, the N-BOX Joy is powered by a 660cc i-VTEC engine that produces 58PS of power output and 65Nm of torque, and when mated with a CVT, fuel efficiency is around 21.3km/L based on WLTC Mode standards. That's more than the Delica Mini, as expected. Of course, you can exercise your options with the available turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive.
As for safety, the N-BOX Joy comes with Honda Sensing, VSA, emergency stop signal, hill start assist function, and a multi-view camera system, among many others.
The Honda N-BOX Joy is the first Honda N-BOX variant designed for outdoor enthusiasts. It's a kei minivan, which means it's small and light, but it has a lot of room inside. It also has a lot of features that make it perfect for camping and other outdoor activities. The market for outdoor-oriented kei minivans is growing thanks to the arrival of the first-ever Honda N-BOX Joy.
Available Colors: Platinum White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Slate Grey Pearl & Black, Fjord Mist Pearl & Black, Autumn Yellow Pearl & Black, Botanical Green Pearl & Black, and Desert Beige Pearl & Black.
The Subaru WRX S4 VB made its way on Forza Horizon 5 as a prize car in the Hidden Horizons Storm Season Playlist and this is the only desirable car of the update packed with nothing but undesirable old cars plaguing around Horizon Mexico grounds like disease-carrying rodents.
So, what's it all about the VB WRX S4?
A rally legend two decades in the making, the second-generation Subaru WRX S4 was unveiled in 2021 and it now runs on the Subaru Global Platform for the first time in its two-decade history, which offers increased safety, improved dynamics, and reductions in noise, vibration, and harshness. It's the same platform used in its estate equivalent, the Levorg, currently in its second generation.
The new model's flat-four boxer turbo engine's size has been increased from the previous model's 2.0L to 2.4L. It produces 275PS and 375Nm of torque. It is mated exclusively with the newly-developed Subaru Performance Transmission, a sport-tuned CVT with an 8-speed manual mode that delivers 30% faster upshifts and 50% faster downshifts compared to the previous WRX S4's Sport Lineartronic CVT.
It boasts high levels of safety thanks to its EyeSight driver assistance with Lane Centering Function and Speed Sign Recognition, among many others.
Recently, a race-spec WRX S4 won the SP4T class in the 2024 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring, a first in the VB model's second outing at the Nurburgring.
The one featured in Forza Horizon 5 is different from the WRX S4 as I know it. It is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, which is offered only in overseas markets. This is the kind of gearbox that Japanese Subarists are missing out on. With the WRX STi officially discontinued before the year of COVID, the call for a manual-mated WRX S4 from Japanese Subarists has never been louder, although Subaru has declined to comment.
Consumer Reports, infamous for calling American cars terrible, recommended the WRX S4 VB because “Its 59 mph speed through our avoidance maneuver (…) puts the four-door WRX firmly in high-level sports-car territory, matching the speed of the Porsche 718 Boxster, for example.”
Unfortunately, this is Forza Horizon 5, and I can't find a way to demonstrate the WRX S4's capabilities until some luxury four-door saloon is accepted to be its sparring partner.
The all-electric BMW i4, in eDrive40 trim, has been rejoined by the WRX S4. The WRX S4 is confident that it can compete with a luxury German saloon. The i4 may pack more power than the S4, the WRX S4, but because the electric drivetrain is darn bulky, the old-school Nurburgring hero from Gunma has a fighting chance.
With Horizon Mexico's shortest track becoming my laboratory, it's time to find out if Japan's own S4 can take down Germany's own i4. Let's roll the tape.
Here are the results:
i4 - 1m03.080s
WRX S4 - 1m01.812s
The WRX S4 beat the all-electric i4 eDrive40 by over two seconds. That's impressive, considering the i4 has more power and is twice as expensive. The future is bright for the WRX S4!
The Subaru WRX S4 is the only desirable car in an update filled with undesirable old cars. Although it's not as good as its predecessors, my experience with the current-generation WRX S4 in the game makes me want to drive it some more.
From rallying to Nurburgring survival, there are plenty of reasons to love the WRX S4 but there's one greater reason to love this car; it's a Subaru.
Case Closed. Welcome to your new WRX S4, FH5 Subarists.
The 11th-generation Honda Civic has gained its minor change for the 2025 model year and now's the ideal time to reintroduce this current-generation Civic to the world from a different perspective.
2025 Honda Civic
The latest minor change of the 11th-generation Honda Civic now starts at 3,448,500 Yen for the petrol-powered LX variant up to 4,307,600 Yen for the e:HEV EX variant, plus additional costs.
2025 Honda Civic
What's new in this minor change? Let's begin with the front view as it now dons the Acura-esque front grille as well as the new front bumper. The range-topper of the petrol-powered Civic FL1, the RS, features slightly larger air curtains and exposed tailpipes at the back, making it part-subtle, part-obvious but that's the Civic way and the RS is just the tip of the iceberg.
2025 Honda Civic interior
Inside, the updated Civic looks nearly identical to the pre-facelifted model except for the slightly enlarged touchscreen to differentiate it. Still, you can expect commodities such as push-button and remote engine start, the Honda Smart Key system, rear air-conditioning vents, automatic air-conditioning, Smart Key card, and dual-zone air-conditioning, among others.
2025 Honda Civic
The facelifted Honda Civic still offers a choice of a 1.5L VTEC TURBO and the 2.0L SPORTS e:HEV hybrid powertrain. The turbo variant produces 182PS of power and 240Nm of torque. Most variants are mated to a CVT gearbox that promises 15.7km/L of fuel economy based on WLTC Mode standards while the RS-exclusive 6-speed manual gearbox returns a 15.3km/L fuel economy.
The LFC-H4 2.0L SPORTS e:HEV powertrain mated to a twin-motor electric CVT with manual mode operated via paddle shifters has a combined power output of 184PS, 315Nm of torque, and a fuel economy of 24.2km/L based on WLTC Mode standards.
The new Civic features an updated Honda SENSING system featuring a Forward Collision Warning System, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist System, improved Adaptive Cruise Control, and Adaptive Driving Beam, among many others.
With this latest facelift, it's the ideal time to get familiarized with the 11th-generation Civic again.
PRICE LIST:
1.5 LX - 3,448,500 Yen
1.5 EX - 3,798,300 Yen
1.5 RS - 4,198,700 Yen
2.0 e:HEV LX - 3,998,500 Yen
2.0 e:HEV EX - 4,307,600 Yen
AVAILABLE COLORS: Platinum White Pearl, Sonic Grey Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Premium Crystal Red Metallic, and Seabed Blue Pearl.
This AUTOBACS Super GT Series season has been exciting, but the fifth round in Suzuka has been postponed until December due to a typhoon. The series now moves on to Round 6 at Sportsland SUGO. Although fall is here, the on-track action is still hot.
Screengrab from SUPER GT
The #37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra of Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi wins the sixth round of the Autobacs Super GT 2024 Series, beating the likes of the #38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra and the #12 MARELLI IMPUL Z. In the GT300 class, meanwhile, the #65 LEON PYRAMID AMG of Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shinohara is the winner while the #45 PONOS FERRARI 296 finished 2nd and the #777 D'station Vantage GT3 finished 3rd.
The action continues in Autopolis for Round 7 on October 20th, 2024.
The Suzuki Spacia Gear is back, and it's now based on the third-generation Spacia that was released last year. This new model is designed for the outdoors and aims to compete with the Daihatsu Tanto FunCross and Mitsubishi Delica Mini.
2025 Suzuki Spacia Gear
With prices starting at 1,952,500 Japanese Yen plus additional costs, the all-new Spacia Gear chomps down its outdoor-oriented kei minivan rivals in the name of fuel efficiency while donning its new and exciting ways to keep it afloat in the midst of the new normal.
The new Suzuki Spacia Gear looks just like the third-generation Spacia. However, Suzuki revived the headlamps from the previous model and added a Jimny-styled grille. Flashbacks are anything but cute for the all-new Spacia Gear until you take a peek at its interior.
2025 Suzuki Spacia Gear interior
Just like the entire Spacia range, the renewed interior features a wide array of convenient features such as the multi-use flap, independent rear seat slide, rear seat slide straps, and a personal table for rear passengers, not to mention lots of compartments to place, giving these new models plenty of uses in various situations.
2025 Suzuki Spacia Gear
The all-new Spacia Gear has Mild Hybrid technology and features an Integrated Starter Generator linked to a lithium battery pack collaborating with its fuel-efficient R06D 660cc engine. Thanks to this fuel-efficient measure as well as Suzuki's HEARTECT platform, the all-new Spacia Gear has 23.9km/L of fuel economy based on WLTC Mode standards. It's the most fuel-efficient outdoor-themed kei minivan ever made and Suzuki is still the king of fuel efficiency.
The Spacia Gear's turbo variant features Power Mode, which makes it more responsive on slopes or when merging onto the highway. It sounds great but the fuel economy is around 21.9kmpl.
For safety, the all-new Spacia Gear comes with the latest version of SUZUKI SAFETY SUPPORT, which is a suite of safety features such as a Lane Departure Warning function, wandering alarm function, high beam assist, sign recognition function provided by its optional Omni-directional monitor camera package, advanced car departure notice function, dual sensor brake support, false start suppression, brake support, backward error start suppression, and more.
The all-new Suzuki Spacia Gear is the most expensive of the outdoor-oriented kei minivans, but it's also the most fuel-efficient. That puts its rivals, the Daihatsu Tanto FunCross and Mitsubishi Delica Mini, back into the toybox. With this one, Suzuki is still the king of fuel efficiency, even in the midst of the new normal. Your quiet weekend drive to Mt. Fuji has turned into a fun and fuel-efficient adventure.
Iroha Inukai (Cure Friendee), Komugi (Cure Wonderful), Mayo Nekoyashiki (Cure Lilian), and Yuki (Cure Nyami) showcased PreCure fanatics with their wonderful superpowers in the Wonderful PreCure! TV series, and they can showcase more to moviegoers with the latest movie from the world of PreCure!
Wonderful PreCure! The Movie! Dokidoki Game no Sekai de Daibouken
The girls and their pets from Wonderful PreCure have arrived on the big screen! In Wonderful PreCure! The Movie! Dokidoki Game no Sekai de Daibouken, our heroes have popped up in a game called Dokidoki Tanukingdom as they're on a mission to save the game and prevent the game's final boss from taking over the world. The girls are not alone, though. Teaming up with past PreCure pals from Hirogaru Sky! PreCure and Maho Girls PreCure, this is one big adventure they'll never forget.
This movie showcases more from Cure Friendee, Cure Wonderful, Cure Nyami, and Cure Lilian as they use their superpowers even further in their theatrical debut. Not to mention, their Game Mode looks in this movie are adorable!
To add more fun to this latest PreCure movie, comedy duo Junpei Goto and Shusuke Fukutoku made special guest appearances in this movie as Ponta and Pokota, the two tanuki brothers Komugi and pals met in the gaming world.
This movie is a wonderful way to end the summer season. From the moment the girls enter the gaming world to the final battle, Komugi and her friends show they are serious about using their magical powers to save the world.
Trust them, there's no stopping them, just like past PreCures. The latest PreCure movie is the talk of the neighborhood, and you won't be able to escape the conversation.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III is the peak of the first saga of the Lancer Evolution. It arrived in Forza Motorsport, and there's so much to talk about this JDM gem in so little time.
Here's the TMI on the LanEvo III.
Launched in 1995, the Lancer Evolution III is the third and the last verse based on the fourth-generation Lancer. It features a revised body style compared to the Evo II while the turbocharged 2.0L 4G63 engine was bumped to 266HP of power output.
Inside the world of Initial D, the Evo III was driven by the Emperor boss, Kyoichi Sudo. Takumi Fujiwara dueled against Sudo in an unofficial match in Akagi and lost because of the AE86's blown engine, but Sudo let him slide for now. Following the AE86's blown engine, Sudo battled Ryosuke Takahashi of Redsuns and lost. Later on, on his home turf Irohazaka, the rematch between Takumi and Sudo ended in a dead heat.
I respected this Evo ever since it popped up in Initial D. From its rally knowhow, the clever 4WD system, and legendary performance, it's no wonder it became one of the most formidable rally weapons in the 90s and now, to prove its worth, let's take the Evo III a hot lap around Suzuka Circuit, just to experience what's like to be inside the car driven by the Emperor boss. "It's a seminar" like what Sudo said. Roll the tape.
Mr. Emperor can do better than mine but hey, it's the experience that counts, right?
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III is the peak of the first saga of the Lancer Evolution. It's no wonder it became one of the most formidable rally weapons in the 90s. In the world of Initial D, you have to be brave and bold enough to take him down.
It's an honor to drive this iconic Mitsubishi rally car in the game.
A wrong Pennzoil Skyline GT-R JGTC machine and an outdated Aston Martin Vantage GTE popped up on Forza Motorsport's Update 11 as prize cars for completing the time-limited featured tours. Having won these cars, let's get to know about these two outdated racing machines.
First up is the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R that I won from Update 11's Open Class Tour until the September 11, 2024 deadline.
The #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R was based on the R33 Skyline GT-R and competed in the 1998 All Japan GT Championship (JGTC). This was the last year of racing for the R33 before it was replaced by its R34-based successor.
The R33-based JGTC racer was driven by Erik Comas and Masami Kageyama, and featured an increased engine displacement from 2658cc to 2708cc, resulting in a regulated power output of 500PS. In the 1998 season, Comas took home the Driver's trophy.
Next up is the #97 AMR Vantage GTE that I won from the Road to Race Tour until the September 25, 2024 deadline.
Aston Martin unveiled its racing version of the new Vantage, the Vantage AMR, after launching the second-generation Vantage.
The Aston Martin Racing squad run by Prodrive sealed a 1-2 in the GTE Pro championship with four wins between the two factory cars entered in the 2019-20 season.
Aston Martin continued to support its privateer teams even though its factory effort was scaled back. In 2022, Aston Martin returned to the top spot in GTE racing.
In 2023, the final season for the Vantage AMR, no team managed to win a race with the turbocharged machine. However, ORT by TF secured second place at Le Mans and third in Spa, while the season closer in Bahrain saw a rostrum round-up, with D'Station finishing second and Northwest AMR third in Bahrain.
Let's give these two outdated racing machines, the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R and the #97 AMR Vantage GTE, a chance to redeem themselves around Road Atlanta, which was recently added to this update. Roll the tapes and enjoy the show!
These two outdated racing machines, the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Skyline GT-R and the #97 AMR Vantage GTE, sure know how to perform in their natural habitat.
When the Toyota GR86 and the second-generation Subaru BRZ were launched in 2021, they were expected to be the stars of the show. However, the Japanese arrival of the Chevrolet Corvette C8 stole their thunder and went on to win Japan's Performance Car of the Year award. Why?
That's an interesting but silly question. Why did the C8 Corvette win the award that was supposed to be for the second-generation ToyoBaru twin coupes? Before that, let's have a quick re-introduction of these cars.
The Toyota GR86 and the second-generation Subaru BRZ were unveiled in 2021. They are built on an improved version of the signature platform, with upgraded suspension and chassis for better cornering and traction. The flat-4 engine has been increased from 2.0L to 2.4L, resulting in more horsepower and torque.
The eighth-generation Corvette is no longer the Corvette the world knows. For the first time in its history, it's been morphed into a mid-engined supercar, a move that displeased most Corvette purists. Being the first production mid-engined car from General Motors, the C8 Corvette is powered by an all-new 6.2L LT2 V8 engine with 495HP of power and 470lb-ft of torque. Mated to a Corvette-first 8-speed Double Clutch Gearbox, it does 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and flat-out in 312kph. It features a brand-new Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 which reads the road every millisecond and adapts in about 10 to 15 milliseconds, as well as double wishbone suspension with height adjustable capability.
The Chevrolet C8 Corvette defeated the second-generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 to become the 2021-2022 Japan Performance Car of the Year, the first for an American-made car to win the title.
With Horizon Mexico's smallest circuit track set in the town of Guanajuato becoming my laboratory, the second-generation ToyoBaru coupe twins joined forces to battle against the C8 Corvette. The question is, will they beat the mid-engined American monster machine? Let's roll the tape.
And here are the results...
BRZ ZD8 - 1m00.077s
GR86 - 59.526s
C8 Corvette - 55.005s
The C8 Corvette massively defeated the second-generation ToyoBaru twin coupes with such margins. It's no wonder the Japanese motoring press turned their faces away from them in favor of the Corvette.
Despite being defeated by the Chevrolet C8 Corvette in the title of 2021 Japan's Performance Car of the Year Award, both the GR86 and the BRZ are still one of the best sports cars of the early 2020s because of their affordability, accessible dynamics, and limitless tuning possibilities to turn these reasonably fast cars around. Speaking of which, it's time to reward the ToyoBaru twins for the hard work they've done today. In the spirit of Let's ¡Go!, how about a little Making Drama to spice things up? But first...
The GR86, for the first time in Horizon Mexico, is donning the role of Himitsu no AiPri's main character, Himari Aozora. Suits her personality. As for the BRZ...
My BRZ is donning the role of Himitsu no AiPri's other main character, Mitsuki Hosihkawa. When you look at them, they remind you of the two heroines from "Himitsu no AiPri" who are known for their idol activities across the metaverse. Today is "AiPriVerse Day!"
With the ToyoBaru twins versed in, the GR86 will be battling against the competition in a neon-packed EventLab creation called "Neon City Race" while the BRZ takes on what's known to be an EventLab re-enactment of Malaysia's Genting Highlands, where the mountain roads evoke the drivers' Initial D fantasies. As MC AIMU would say, "AiPriVerse Day!"
Who performed better? Himari or Mitsuki?
The GR86 and BRZ are the fruits of the wonderful collaboration between Toyota and Subaru. These two cars are fit to take on the bold challenges of the Reiwa era. These cars may not live forever in the age of electrification, but the 86 and the BRZ have created an impressive legacy that will be remembered forever for many generations to come.
