================ Forza Motorsport ================ For XBox Game by Microsoft Game Studios FAQ by sinfony 12 June 2005 Version History =============== .3 - First version - 12 June 2005 I decided to release this before it is complete because the most useful section (on how to drive) is complete enough to make it worthwhile for many people. Disclaimer ========== This FAQ is intended for personal use only. Posting, duplication, distribution, etc. is strictly prohibited unless you have express written permission from me. You may not include any information from this guide in your own guide or anything else you might care to write about the game unless I tell you you can. That means you can't just take what I say and paraphrase it. If you want to post this on your site, just ask me and I'll probably be cool with it. You may not, however, change anything. If you happen to see this guide at a site other than GameFAQs, please let me know. How to use this guide ===================== As is common practice, the table of contents will include some combination of letters and numbers for each item. To quickly jump to whatever it is you're looking for, hit Ctrl+F (that's Apple key+F for our Mac using friends, I believe) and type in the combination that correlates with the section you're looking for, and hit find next twice. This should get you right to the section of the guide that you're looking for. Contents ======== I. Introduction fm_01 II. Controls fm_02 III. Modes fm_03 IV. How to Drive fm_04 V. Courses fm_05 VI. Career Mode fm_06 VII. Contact Information fm_07 VIII. Credits and Thanks fm_08 =============== I. Introduction fm_01 =============== Quite some time after its release, there are still no general FAQs here at GameFAQs available for the excellent Forza Motorsport. Now, I may not be the best Forza driver out there, but I'm pretty good and, judging from some of the competition on XBox Live, I know things that a lot of people out there could stand to learn. I've done an FAQ for a racing game before, so I think I am equal to this task. In the next section, I'll list the controls. You know the controls, of course, but every guide includes the controls, so I will as well. Section III provides a quick introduction to the various modes in Forza. Section IV is where you learn about driving techniques, common mistakes, and everything else you need to be a good Forza player. It will NOT include specific tips for every car, but there will be notes dealing with general classes of cars and a few particular cars that are tricky to corral but useful once you know how to handle them. Section V will include information on every track in the game: length, number of turns, strategies, and best cars to use. I will also break down how to handle the trickier spots on each track. Section VI will include an in-depth look at career mode, with strategies and car recommendations for the various events to be found in career mode. I will not include a list of what you receiver for every level you move up because those lists already exist here at GameFAQs. Finally, should you wish to contact me with your own tips, strategies, or to point out an error, I encourage you to do so, and Section VII will tell you how. ============ II. Controls fm_02 ============ Right trigger - Accelerate Left trigger - Brake/Reverse A button - Emergency Brake B button - Shift up (manual transmission only) X button - Shift down (manual transmission only)/Reverse Y button - Look behind Black button - Change camera White button - Change HUD (damage, tire heat, off) Left thumbstick - Steer Right thumbstick - Look behind/sides D-pad - Steer/Control music in-game (choose in controller options) Please note that the triggers are analog, and so different amounts of pressure will yield different acceleration and braking. It is absolutely crucial that you not always slam the things all the way down, but instead use an amount of pressure appropriate to the car and situation. Also, I highly recommend switching the D-pad to music control (it defaults to steering but is useless for that purpose). Up and down change the volume, left and right switch tracks. ========== III. Modes fm_03 ========== A. Arcade Mode Arcade mode is a series of races at the various tracks in Forza. After choosing the race you want, you choose the class of car you want to race, and then a car from that class. Alternatively, you can race with any of the cars from your career mode garage. Personally, I don't much care for this mode and never play it. B. Career Mode Career mode is the real meat of Forza Motorsport. When you begin, you are given a choice of D class cars with which to start your career. With your new car, you can begin racing in the level 0 races. As you earn money, your level increases, opening up new races and rewards from manufacturers. As you move up in level, the races become longer, harder, and more rewarding, culminating in the incredibly long and incredibly lucrative endurance races. Also in career mode you can buy and sell cars, upgrade your cars, paint them, and tune their setups. Finally, you can train your drivatar, allowing you to skip the races you aren't interested in running. For a more in-depth discussion of career mode, see section VI of this guide. C. Multiplayer There are three types of multiplayer in Forza Motorsport: Split screen, system link, and XBox Live. In split screen you race head to head with a friend on one system. In system link you can connect up to 8 systems on a LAN and play that way. XBox Live uses the popular service to play games of up to 8 players, and you can also buy and sell cars over Live. D. Time trials Very simple: Running the courses by yourself to get the best times possible. E. Free Run Race any course with any car. Includes autocross mode, in which you race through a series of cones. ================ IV. How to Drive fm_04 ================ Before getting into specifics, there is one thing that you absolutely must take to heart if you are going to have success in this game: BRAKE EARLY. If I ever fall behind in a race on Live, I know that it won't be too hard to get back in it because everybody brakes too late and either slides off the track or loses a ton of speed. If you brake early, you can take the optimal line through every turn and begin accelerating sooner. If a car comes roaring up behind you and brakes too late, they will pass you in the first part of the corner, and you will immediately repass them when they slide out wide and slow and you cut quickly below them. It is imperative that you brake sooner rather than later. Okay, onward. Starting ======== Makes sense to begin at the beginning of things. How you accelerate off the line can be very important in setting you up to win the race. Before the race starts, you can rev your engine a bit during the countdown. Whether or not you should depends on what kind of car you're in. If you've got a 4 wheel drive car, revving the engine a bit before the start can help you jump off the line quicker than coming from a dead standstill. However, if you have a very powerful car with rear-wheel drive, you absolutely should not rev the engine before the start. Doing so will cause you to spin your wheels right at the beginning, which will cause the car to try to spin out of control and will also cause you to damage your engine because the car will over rev. With these cars it is best to hit the accelerator right as the race begins, but not press the trigger down all the way. You should press it down to the point that you feel the controller starting to rumble a bit. When it is rumbling, you know that your tires are losing their grip, so keeping it right at the edge will give you the best possible acceleration. Stopping ======== In general, you can be a bit tougher with the brakes than the acceleration. If you have the anti-lock brake assist on, you can pretty much slam the trigger all the way down when the time comes to slow down. However, if you are doing this every time even a little bit of slowing down is required, you are wasting valuable speed. For many slight corners and bumps in the road, a light touch on the brakes or even just letting off the accelerator will be enough to get you through cleanly without losing a lot of speed. Without the ABS on, braking becomes a much trickier enterprise. You will have to pump the brake to keep yourself from locking the wheels, which kills your ability to corner well. Cornering ========= The corners are where you win races. A slower car can beat a far better car if it is driven well in the corners. As mentioned above, it is imperative that you slow down before the corner. If you try to brake during the turn, you are using some of your tires' traction to slow the car down, limiting your ability to corner. Slow down before the corner and you will take it faster than your opponent, who is probably braking too late. Generally, you will want to start at the outside edge of the track going into a corner. Once you have slowed down enough to take the turn, cut in towards the apex of the turn, and begin accelerating as soon as you can safely do so. It is not a good idea to start accelerating too early or too hard coming out of a corner. If you accelerate too early, you will not be able to complete the turn without going off the track and you will need to slow down again, wrecking your line and your speed coming out of the corner. Accelerating out too hard is mainly a problem in very powerful cars and rear-wheel drive cars because it will cause your car to spin out, obviously not an ideal situation. Again, pay attention to how much the controller is rumbling, and listen for the sound of the tires spinning. If you've got a lot of rumble and you hear them spinning, you will be skidding out. If you have no rumble, try putting up the tire heat indicator on the hud. When you see the tires go red, they're spinning and you need to let off the accelerator. On a related note, as tempting as it may be to slide through corners, it is a bad idea to do so. Skidding through a corner is slower than taking it normally because it compromises your ability to accelerate quickly out of the corner. Also, it puts you at risk for spinning out. If the back end of your car begins to slide out, immediately lay off the accelerator, but do not hit the brakes. Countersteer the car to bring the back end in line before accelerating again, preferably more slowly than you did before. Hitting the brakes will lock your wheels and exacerbate the problem. Finally, probably the easiest way to become good at cornering is to run some races with the suggested line turned on, and to follow it rigidly. Once you are used to handling the different types of turns, you can turn the line off and find your own line through the course, since the suggested line is not necessarily the fastest line. Drafting ======== Drafting is crucial on tracks with long straightaways, especially if your car is not as fast as some of the others. To draft, simply get in behind another car. The car in front of you plows through the air so that you don't have to, and with lower wind resistance your car will pick up a lot of speed. Works best on straightaways but you can draft any time just by getting behind another car. Obviously, you have to be fairly close to the car to benefit from the lower air resistance. Passing ======= The importance of passing is obvious. How to do it is not quite so apparent. Passing on a straightaway is fairly simple. If you have the faster car, simply drive on by your slower opponent. However, if your car is evenly matched or even slower than the car in front of you, you can still pass by drafting. Stay in behind the car until you are right up behind it and then swing out to the wide part of the track and go past. Passing in corners is trickier. Try to see how your opponent is taking the corner before you decide how you are going to pass. If it looks like they are braking too late, brake earlier and you will beat them on the way out of the turn. It will be harder if they are making the turn correctly, but you can still get past them: Line up to the inside of them and brake late. You will take the turn much slower than they do, but you will also be blocking the turn and they won't be able to get through you. Finish the turn and continue to block them while you get back up to speed, and you will have made the pass. The risk here is in braking too late and not being able to stay on the course. If you don't want to take that risk, then stay in close behind the car and either wait for a straightaway to make your pass or, if there aren't any straightaways of any length, stay close, play it safe, and hope your opponent makes a mistake. Be ready to strike as soon as they get too wide on a turn. ========== V. Courses fm_05 ========== Note: I have determined the best cars by looking at which cars are most often used in the top runs on the XBox Live scoreboards in addition to my own experience. You will notice that there are generally only two or three cars appearing in each class. In each class, there are one or two cars that are clearly better than the rest of the class. There are other cars that you can still win with, but these cars are the best that class has to offer. =Maple Valley Raceway Short= Length: 1.15 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, CRX Si-R Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Very simple, fast course. Nothing tricky to worry about. =Tsukuba Circuit= Length: 1.29 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, CRX Si-R Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Three hairpin turns create a lot of opportunities to pass, or to mess up and lose it. Also, a long, sweeping turn that tightens up at the end can trip up some drivers. =Silverstone Circuit Short= Length: 1.64 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7, Enzo Ferrari Class R: #27 TS020, #12 F333 SP General info: A fast course with several long straights. Try to get on the brakes a little early going into the turns, it's easy to get going too fast on the straightaways and take the turn too wide or slide off the course. =Road Atlanta Short= Length: 1.77 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, CRX Si-R Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP, #17 962c General info: The S-curves that follow the first turn can be taken a little faster than you might expect. The chicane at the end of the long straight can ruin you; be sure to brake well in advance of this turn. If you slide off, the surface is incredibly slow and will ruin your chances of winning. Also, coming up the hill after this turn, stay in the middle of the track, as it will bend to the right after the top of the hill and it is hard to stick with the bend if you are on the outside of the track. =New York Circuit Short= Length: 1.80 Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, CRX Si-R Class A: CRX Si-R, Lotus Elise 135 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Very fast course since it is basically two straightaways. Be sure to break early because what turns there are are very tight and hitting the wall at these speeds will be big trouble. =Alpine Ring= Length: 2.21 Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7, Enzo Ferrari Class R: #12 F333 SP, #27 TS020 General info: The hairpin at the bottom of the hill is tougher than it looks, slow down more than usual. Also, the s-curve between the hairpins can pretty much be blown through without slowing down. =Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca= Length: 2.24 Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP, #17 962c General info: The first hairpin can ruin your race pretty quick. Hang back and let your opponents go sliding off the track here. Also, the famous corkscrew turn deserves to be so; as tempting as it may be to cut through the sand, it is far slower than simply braking properly and taking the turn correctly. Let your opponents plow the sand and you'll blow right by. Don't try to rush the final hairpin corner, go for a late apex and get moving up the straightaway. =Tokyo Circuit= Length: 2.25 Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, CRX Si-R Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: This course is all about acceleration. Take the hairpins slow and turn late in the right angle corners. Stick to the right side of the tunnel so you can straighten out before braking for the hairpin at the end. =Sunset Peninsula Speedway= Length: 2.50 miles Best cars: Class D: Honda Accord, Hyundai Tiburon Class C: Audi S4 V8 Class B: Lotus Elise 135 Class A: Lotus Elise 135 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #27 TS020 General info: For class B and above, the first and third turns can be tight enough to force you to slow down. If you start sliding up toward the wall, lay off the accelerator until you have the car back at the bottom. If you try to bring it back down while accelerating full throttle, you will either not make it and hit the wall or start to slide. Also, slow down just a little bit at the end of the third turn when the course levels out again or you will skid. Alternatively, cut to the inside of the track and straighten out at the end of the turn, heading toward the wall. This way, you are not turning when course levels out, so you won't slide. Gently turn it back away from the wall once you're clear. =Road Atlanta= Length: 2.54 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Advice from the short version still holds. Also, the second right angle turn is tougher than it looks, slow down or you will slide off the track. =Sunset Peninsula Infield= Length: 2.77 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Most of the turns in the infield are fairly tight, although the track looks very wide open. Be sure to start braking right after the finish line in faster cars, the first turn isn't tight but it's easy to skid right through it and slam into the wall. With most cars, a simple tap on the brakes to lock the wheels and a brief skid will get you through this turn without sacrificing much speed. The R class cars can mostly go through it without any braking at all. =Maple Valley Raceway= Length: 2.98 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #27 TS020, #12 F333 SP General info: Not a lot of surprises here. Don't go full throttle up the hill, it's easy to get loose at the top and not be able to stay on the course through the little bend. =Blue Mountains Raceway= Length: 3.10 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: The kink at the end of the straightaway is a little tricky, but if you miss it and plow through the grass, you won't lose too much speed. Still better to take it correctly, but not the worst thing in the world if you miss. Obviously a very twisty course, but the best passing opportunity is probably the straightaway. =Blue Mountains Raceway II= Length: 3.10 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: It's just Blue Mountains Raceway run the other direction. You can take the kink faster now because it's at the beginning, coming off a turn, so you won't be going fast enough to have to worry about it. =Rio De Janeiro Circuit= Length: 3.13 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, Lotus Elise 135 Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Approaching the fast chicane early in the course, stay close to the right side of the track, but not right on the wall. You want to have enough room to get through without braking, but you don't want to set up wide because you'll come through the chicane too wide and have a big problem setting up for the next turn. Try to get through at a very tight angle and stay close to the left on exiting the chicane to set up for the quickly approaching right turn. =Silverstone Circuit= Length: 3.19 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP, #27 TS020 General info: The turn at the end of the long straightaway is far tougher than it looks, slow down even before the suggested line tells you or you might well be off the track. This does not apply to R class cars, their superior braking allows them to handle this turn much better. =New York Circuit= Length: 3.90 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Lotus Elise 135, Ferrari F355 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Retains the long straights of the short version, but a lengthy section of right angle turns makes it slower and tougher. The first turn can wreck your car if you don't slow down enough since there is just a wall as soon as you are off the track. =Road America= Length: 4.00 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, Lotus Elise 135 Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #27 TS020, #12 F333 SP General info: The third tight turn is easy to slide out of, slow down a little more than you might think you have to. Also, the turn at the top of the hill right after this is tricky since you can't see it until it is too late; you need to start slowing down before you crest the hill. =Nurburgring Nordschleife= Length: 13.04 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: An incredible track. All kinds of turns and also some long straightaways, so you'll have to be prepared for anything. There are two slightly banked turns with light colored squares. Slow down a lot for these; if you slide over the edge of these squares the turn will no longer be banked and you will go off the track. =Test Track Infield= Length: 4.78 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b, Dodge Stealth Class A: Ferrari F355, Subaru STI C Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: A test track with every kind of turn you will ever encounter, all in one place. More useful for practice than actual races. Let it be known that I hate this course. =Test Track Infield II= Length: 4.78 miles Best cars: Class D: CRX Si-R Class C: CRX Si-R Class B: TommyKaira M20b Class A: Ferrari F355, Subaru STI C Class S: Saleen S7 Class R: #12 F333 SP General info: Same as above but backwards. I still hate it. =Test Track Oval= Length: 4.97 miles Best cars: Class D: Honda Accord, Hyundai Tiburon Class C: Audi S4 V8 Class B: Continental GT Class A: Lotus Elise 135 Class S: Enzo Ferrari Class R: #27 TS020 General info: A simple oval, very popular on XBox Live. Tune your car for top speed and try to keep the back end from sliding out at all through the turns. Drafting is a must since everybody will be using the same cars. Point-to-point courses coming soon. =============== VI. Career Mode fm_06 =============== Level 0 events ============== Which car you use on these races is not terribly important because most of them are quite easy. In those cases where it is a bit trickier, I will note my preferred car. Will be completed in a future update; for general info on each event, see the recent FAQ by HereticalG0d. Amateur ======= =European Open= Level 0 Race 1: Silverstone Circuit Short, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Maple Valley Raceway Short, 3 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Alpine Ring, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. =Asian Open= Level 0 Race 1: Tsukuba Circuit, 3 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Maple Valley Raceway Short, 3 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Tokyo Circuit, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. =North American Open= Level 0 Race 1: New York Circuit Short, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Road Atlanta Short, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. =Front-Wheel Drive Event= Level 0 =All-Wheel Drive Event= Level 0 Race 1: Silverstone Circuit Short, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Road Atlanta, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Blue Mountains Raceway, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. =Front-Engine RWD Event= Level 0 Race 1: New York Circuit Short, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Maple Valley Raceway, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, 2 laps, 3,000 credits for 1st. =Tuner Face Off (Eclipse vs. Integra)= Level 5 =Low-Power Open (Less than 200 hp)= Level 5 =Hatchback Challenge= Level 5 Race 1: Rio de Janeiro Circuit, 2 laps, 5,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Tokyo Circuit, 2 laps, 5,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Blue Mountains Raceway II, 2 laps, 5,000 credits for 1st. =Mid-Engine Event= Level 5 Race 1: Maple Valley Raceway, 2 laps, 5,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Tokyo Circuit, 2 laps, 5,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Silverstone Circuit, 2 laps, 5,000 credits for 1st. =Roadster Challenge= Level 5 =Rotary-Engine Challenge= Level 10 =Z Cars Challenge= Level 10 =Rallisport Face Off (Impreza vs. Lancer)= Level 10 Race 1: Silverstone Circuit Short, 4 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Maple Valley Raceway, 2 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: Road Atlanta, 2 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. Race 4: Blue Mountains Raceway, 2 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. =American Muscle Challenge= Level 10 Race 1: Sunset Peninsula Infield, 2 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. Race 2: Road Atlanta Short, 3 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. Race 3: New York Circuit, 2 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. Race 4: Road America, 2 laps, 7,000 credits for 1st. =Superstreet Face Off (RX-7 vs. Supra)= Level 15 =Club Mustang Event= Level 15 =Heavyweight Challenge (Greater than 3850 lbs.)= Level 15 =Club Corvette Event= Level 20 For this event, and the next one, the Corvette Z06 is the best choice if you can handle it. However, maxed out, it's a rear-wheel drive car with 851hp, so it may be tricky to handle. If so, consider swapping out the engine or going with a different model. In general, the Corvettes are pretty tough to handle. =All American Face Off (Viper vs. Corvette)= Level 25 ======================== VII. Contact Information fm_07 ======================== If you have spotted an error in this guide, have a tip that I haven't mentioned, want to recommend a certain car for a certain event, or have others questions not covered in this guide, email me at eidolon365 at yahoo dot com. Before emailing, please make sure that the answer to your question is not contained either in this guide or in the game manual. Also, please include something about "Forza Motorsport FAQ" in the subject line, otherwise I'm just going to delete it. I will of course give you credit for any suggestions you make that I include. ======================== VIII. Credits and Thanks fm_08 ======================== Thanks to Microsoft Game Studios for finally developing the game that Gran Turismo 4 should have been (yeah I said it). Also thanks to GameFAQs for hosting so many excellent guides.