The Top 10 Cars for Forza Motorsport 5

While this is a very subjective area of choice when it comes to cars and racing largely because more depends on just how fast you like to drive, since most gamers who are fans of the Forza series are like us, and like a car that is fast but handles well enough to compete in the more turn-based racing that can be found in that environment, we are pretty confident in our selections.

Bearing in mind that we put in a LOT of hours racing in each of these bad boys before forming any sort of opinion, the lessons that we learned may very well stand in true for you! We can save you some time by pointing you in the right direction -- particularly when it comes to the more unique S-Class cars, but we will get to that in a moment.

With all that in mind, here are the Top 10 Cars for Forza Motorsports 5 - eat your heart out Richard Hammond!

10. Cadillac 2011 CTS-V Coupe

The ultimate statement in luxury and performance is one way that the CTS-V has been described -- it has also been described as visible proof that the driver has no children. That is fair enough we suppose but in terms of luxury sports cars, in this case they mean it. The CTS handles better than most of the other cars in its class, and it does so with panache.

There is a lot to like about this unique car -- and part of that is that you don't see a lot of them on the road. That may well be due to its price tag, which runs about $24K more than the next model of Cadillac they make, but we like to think it is the supercharged 6.2 liter V8 and sharp aggressive lines of the car that are the real points in its favor.

09. Ferrari 2012 F12berlinetta

The Ferrari F12berlinetta (unofficially called the F12) is the hottest front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer produced by Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari. Introduced to the public at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the F12 features a naturally aspirated 6.3 liter V12 engine, and was named "The Supercar of the Year 2012" by Top Gear.

When Forza Horizon was first announced the chatter on the Forza boards included speculation that the F12 Berlinetta might be added to that game, though the money was really on Forza 5 -- so when the dust settled and the car appeared in BOTH games, well, we call that win-win.

The fact that the F12 replaces the 599 series as the grand touring car for Ferrari says a lot about where Ferrari believes this car will fit in to its market both now and in the future. Based upon what we have seen when the Top Gear guys put this puppy to the test, the process of creating the model in the game seems to have produced a true-to-form copy of the car in all its driving glory.

The F12 was one of the special cars that was granted via the Forza Rewards Program for Forza Faithful of sufficiently high Tier Level to obtain it. Which is all the more reason why you should sign up with Forza Rewards via the Forza Website and start building Tier Points today!

08. Toyota 1985 Sprinter Trueno GT Apex

Another car that will be familiar to the Forza Faithful both from Forza 4 and Horizon, the '85 Sprinter Trueno was, at the time of its release, exclusively sold in the Japanese domestic market, and was aimed to be sportier than its Corolla sibling. That fact had a lot to do with efforts that were made first by rally racers in Australia and later, elsewhere, to get their hands on the model for use in competition.

The fifth generation of the Sprinter series, the GT Apex was a popular rally car and for circuit racing, as well as showroom stock racing, and even after production of the model was discontinued, many privateer teams continued to race it. It is still a popular choice for rallying and club racing.

A major point in the appeal for the Trueno GT Apex was its rear-wheel-drive, which was not available in most newer, lightweight coupes. It may not look like it when compared to more modern designs, but the GT Apex line was a highly competitive model that placed strongly in competition, cementing its reputation throughout Europe as a go-to rally car.

07. Audi 2013 RS 7 Sportback

Introduced at the Detroit Auto Show, the Audi RS7 Sportback is in fact an A7 Sportback given the hardcore RS treatment, which means a 552hp 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 with an 8-speed transmission, making it faster than the most recent Porche 911 -- and for that matter BMW's M6 GC and Mercedes CLS63 -- good news for Audi fans. Unfortunately to get that sort of performance the buyer has to order the de-limit option, which sadly is not available to US buyers.

While the performance of the RS7 certainly will make the typical Petrol Head stand up and take notice, the appearance of the Sportback is sufficient to make pedestrians green with envy.

Starting at the front with its gloss black honeycomb radiator grill and unique bumper design, the aerodynamic styling flowing to the rear, with its two large oval exhaust pipes clearly distinguish the RS7 from the run-of-the-mill Audi. From the side the upsized alloys and its heavy-duty brakes complete the picture, though there are plenty of RS7 badges on the car for the two-by-four spectator unable to pick up those subtle hints.

The thing about the RS7 is that it is not really a race car -- it is more an everyman car that you can take racing. It doesn't have the following of Toyota's Trueno or the reputation of the BMW M series, but what it does have is speed, handling, and a road-eating love to be driven. That's why it made our list.

06. Subaru 2004 Impreza WRX STi

The second generation of the Impreza line, the WRX STi is equipped with racing parts developed by Subaru Tecnica International (STi) turning this small AWD sedan into an impressive 300 horsepower beast whose turbocharged and intercooled 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine would take it to 60 mph from a standing start in 4.7 seconds.

Unlike the vanilla WRX, which could be had with a standard 4-speed automatic transmission, the STi comes only with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission -- which means you have to learn how to shift it -- but that's all for the best considering that the car was designed to go places, and at speeds, that its lighter-weight WRX siblings are clearly not.

What you get in the WRX STi is a great race car for not a lot of money, and that is why it makes our Top 10 list!

05. Ford 2005 Ford GT

The Ford GT was originally created as a concept car to celebrate the automaker's centennial year, with the idea being to harken back to the era of muscle that Ford practically ruled in North America. The reaction of the public was so enthusiastic that the decision was made to put the car into limited production.

While it was inspired by the 1960's vintage GT 40, the new GT had no structural similarity to the original car. All of the under-the-skin mechanical parts are newly engineered, including its superplastic formed frame, aluminium body panels, roll-bonded floor panels, and a wide array of features that were custom-engineered specifically for the GT.

Its mid-mounted 5.8 liter modular V8 engine is all aluminium with Lysholm twin-screw-type superchargers, with a forged rotating assembly in its aluminium block designed specifically for the GT program. Power output is 560hp which will take this beast from 0 to 60 in just 3.5 seconds. The top speed is unknown, primarily due to the electronically limited maximum speed of 205mph, but that's still hauling ass!

A grand total of 4038 were built and sold worldwide and when it was first released, the demand far outpaced the supply. Not surprisingly a fair number of the cars have been used in racing, with a Swiss team driving the Ford GT winning the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2008.

Its unique appearance and dreamy performance made it a lock for our Top 10 List!

04. BMW 2011 1 Series M Coupe

The 1 Series M landing on our list should not be all that surprising, considering its well established reputation and the fact that it is a BMW M3 chassis with competition package packed into a modified 1 Series body.

The smallest car in the lineup, the 1 Series M was, according to BMW, created to be an affordable ride that the young could obtain without selling their soul to the Devil -- a popular notion indeed, so it should not be a surprise to learn that the initial production run for the 1 Series M Coupe sold out quickly.

Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the 1 Series M is equipped with a twin-turbo 3-liter in-line 6-cylinder engine (which happens to be the first turbo 6 for an M car) -- its power plant produces 340 horsepower and is good for 0-60 in 4.7 seconds!

Its translation into Forza 5 makes it a particularly fun and pleasant driving experience for a wide-range of tracks and environments, and it was naturally our choice for the Modern Sport League races for which it qualifies.

03. #4 Corvette Racing ZR1

It is fair to say that when you get to this type of R-Class car they are all pretty equal when it comes to handling at low and turning speeds, they get very individual at handling at medium speeds, but with all due sincerity, there really is a difference at top speeds. The #4 Corvette Racing ZR1 takes off like it has a jet engine strapped to the back.

This thing is FAST. Pushing the throttle all the way in sort of reminds me of pulling the pin on a grenade -- once you do it, you have to deal with the consequences!

Having sampled most of the cars that are eligible for the GT Racing Series, the Corvette Racing ZR1 was the hands-down favorite, hands down winner -- should be spelled Winner -- and all around just the most fun ever on those tracks.

02. Arial 2013 Atom 500 VB

While we knew that there would be open-wheel racing in Forza 5 we had no idea that it would be this much fun -- and feature this monster of a car. No, no, we can see the doubt in your face upon first catching sight of the Atom -- after all it certainly does not look like a monster car, right? Riiigghhhtt!

To put this in perspective this tiny little car that looks more like a go-cart than a racing car has the power -- and the same speed capabilities -- of the huge (in comparison) GT R-Class racers! Not only that but if you get lazy the car will quickly get away from you and make you pay. In spades. On the other hand if you keep a deft hand -- and eye -- on your driving you can do things in this beast that make other cars mere conveyances by comparison!

Considering the wide selection of cars that there are to choose from in the game, the fact that this one not only made the list but very nearly made the list at number one (two is nothing - NOTHING -- to be ashamed of!) says all that needs saying here.

01. Saleen 2004 S7

In the realm of Supercars a lot of racers will choose the McLaren F1 or a Ferrari over the Saleen S7 -- why? We are hard put to answer, particularly considering the speed, handling, and over all joy of racing the S7... Clearly this is a case of personal choice.

When you look past its elegance and its performance the fact that the S7 happens to be a limited production, hand-built, high-performance AMERICAN supercar -- and the only car that is built by Saleen that is not based upon an existing chassis than you start to get a hint of a clue what makes this car so different. After all you are used to hearing about European supercars that can hit these types of speed and compete at that level, but an American supercar? Not so much.

With all that in mind consider this: the Saleen S7 is not a racing car -- it is a supercar to be sure, but it was not built for racing (they do make an S7R that IS a racing car). That means that a basic luxury supercar can go toe-to-toe with a class of cars that were in fact built for racing and still hold its own. And that is why the Saleen S7 made our Top Choice among the stable in Forza 5!