Horizon Presents Races

You will recall from the tutorial that you raced a P51 Mustang - in a Mustang - well that was also the first race in the Horizon Presents class of races.

New races in this class are unlocked as you proceed through the game and gain fame and rank. There is no set order in which they have to be completed, and they do not have to be done before you do Wristband races, but if you are looking for something to break up the sameness of the Wristband races these should do the trick!

These races each feature different cars that are provided to the racer to race in, so in addition to the customary rewards you also get broader experience in cars and car types.

Each of the races -- PR stunts really -- has its own basic theme, and each offers the player the chance to pick up some extra money, and a new car as the player gets to keep the car that is provided for the race if they win it!

High Noon Balloon

This off-road point-to-point has a purse of $6,500 and is driven with the Audi Quattro, which is a B-Class car (that you will keep if you win the race).

The gimmick for this is you are racing a Hot Air Balloon -- so obviously the Balloons got a major head start on your car. Really you are running a race in which you want to catch up with the Balloon as it reaches the finish line.

The track is a mix of concrete and dirt, and the Audi is plenty fast enough to win it so this is really more about having fun than racing. So hey, go have fun! And add a new car to your garage :)

An Audi racing a Hot Air Balloon to the landing zone? Only in Forza Horizon!

The Wind Tunnel

This is a race against a helicopter in a Corvette C6 GSC! Chopper Race Route, Asphalt Point-to-point and in if you win in addition to keeping that Corvette you also score a tasty $10K

The Corvette is an interesting ride -- and it has Onstar so if you get bored you can always push the blue button and ask the Onstar Agent to tell you a story...

A Corvette racing a Helicopter - and it is a tougher challenge than you might think!

Manic Mini

This is a Carson Sprint Curcuit for the '65 Mini Cooper -- Asphalt Circuit Race of 3-Laps -- and in addition to the $8,500 purse, when you win you get to keep the Mini Cooper for your garage!

The question is - is there really a Mini Cooper racing organization? And do they really race those things??

A classic '65 Mini Cooper racing a bunch of other Mini Coopers - and yes it is rather a bit like bumper cars!

Bi-Plane Beatdown

This is the Biplane Race Route 2, a Mixed-surface Point-to-point featuring the Ferrari F40 which is an S-Class car -- the winner gets a $13K purse and the Ferrari to keep for beating the biplane.

This one turned out to be a lot different than the Mustang vs Mustang race mostly because unlike the fighter plane the biplane can make much tighter turns and does not fly quite as fast... That does not mean that this is not a challenge, because it is.

The thing is most of the challenge in this race comes from not making mistakes -- or perhaps too many mistakes.

Racing against a Biplane in a Ferrari F40 may sound like a snap but it is actually something of a challenge.

Scorpion Sting

This is a Showcase Race on the Gladstone Dirt Cross Track using the Fiat Abarth 500, which is a B-Class Car. The race is on Mixed-surfaces and is a 3-Lap Circuit. The prize for this one is $15K tot he winner, and of course coming in first place means you get to keep the Fiat Abarth.

This feels more like a go-cart race than a car race but hey you get to win a go-cart! Err... Car.

Winning this race is really just a matter of remembering that you are in a go-cart, not a car. OK it really is a car, but let me ask you, once you win it will you EVER take it out of your garage again?! I didn't think so.

The Stampede

Here we get another shot at racing a biplane in this Biplane Race Route, a point-to-point race on asphalt that has an $18K purse and if you win, you get to keep the car you ran it with -- the LP700-4, an R3-Class Lamborghini Aventadore!

While racing against a biplane is a challenge, in this car it is really hard to lose...

This is one of those situations where you are really racing against the road and yourself, and trying to make as few mistakes as possible -- though to be honest if you watch the video above you will see several checkpoints where I beat the plane through and it still gave the plane credit as if it got there first...

None of that matters though because it is not a cumulative total of checkpoints that determines the winner here -- it is who crosses the finish line first, and with minimal rewinds that should be YOU!

Ruf N Ready

This time around we get to take another whack at the P51 Mustang. Yeah, I know, once was enough but hey, we did the Biplane twice so it only makes sense to give the Mustang a chance at getting its own back, right? Right! Well, no but whatever...

The deal here is simple -- this is the P51 Mustang Race 2, an Asphalt Point-to-Point with two prizes up for grabs -- a $20K purse AND the RUF RGT-8 (if you win).

This time we give the P-51 Mustang pilot a second bite at the apple - for a RUF RGT-8 though.

The RUF is basically the Porsche for this game since the folks at Forza lacked the license for Porsche but could get RUF to license -- and there you go! Still though I have to admit that I was not looking forward to this event. The first time facing the classic Mustang was a trial itself, and don't expect this to be easier!

As demonstrated in the video above, it does not matter how many of the checkpoints you do not get through first as long as you get through the last one first. Do that, and you win!

Je M'appelle Awesome

This Showcase Event is a Gladstone Trail Mixed-Surface Point-to-Point that features the Peugeot 205 T16 (an A-Class car) and has a purse of $23K. Well, that is assuming you actually win it that is.

An entire field full of Peugeot 205 T16's for you to race - and it is a race!

Make no mistakes - the drivers in the other cars will NOT forgive them. You need to win this to get the car and to do that you need to drive very aggressively and as clean as you can manage.

The only real tip that you need that will make all the difference for this race is this: That last extreme turn? Do NOT slow down a lot of it and do NOT try to make it on the road. Cut it on the inside of the turn instead - those are WOODEN fences -- they WILL break, not wreck you!

Seriously if any of them are going to get past you and make you lose that last and severe turn is where it will happen. If you let them get past you there chances are you will lose the race. Watch the video to see what I am talking about -- and what I did -- and you can easily do that to prevent one from getting past you.

Agent of Speed

This time around it is a second go for the copter -- as this is the Helicopter Race Route 2 -- and the car that is being provided is the Aston One-77 (whoa!) which you get to keep (assuming you beat the copter that is) as well as a $25K prize for winning!

Remember this is not won by being first through all or even most of the checkpoints, it is won by being first through the FINAL checkpoint!

As this is the final Showcase Event, you will unlock the Achievement “Exhibitionist” (20G) Win every Showcase Event.

Well done you!

The thing you need to remember for this first time using this car is that little corrections are preferable to large corrections with this type of car. Large corrections are just going to cause you to drift into walls and objects, where little corrections will better keep you on the road.

The money part of the race is towards the end - the copter does not have to follow the same route as you so you need to arrive at the last checkpoint before the finish line as close to when the copter does as you can, and then you need to complete the route between the last checkpoint and the finish line with no mistakes.

Do that and you win this one!