Sport League

0Welcome to the Sport League -- a well defined League Event in FM5 that includes 6 Unique Events and a total of 96 Races. This League includes Modern SportsCars. Iconic Sportscars, Coupsters, Executive Sportscars, Modern Muscle Cars, and an American Muscle Revival Event!

As with the previous League and its Events Series, the Sport League includes a number of carefully selected race venues with a specific subset of rules and restrictions in terms of the type of Cars that can be used as well as the restrictions placed upon their body and power mod's. Then there are the rules and restrictions per venue plus a very creative collection of event types which we will cover shortly.

The basic idea is to take a stable of Cars that best represents, well, the best in that class, and permit the racers to use them to demonstrate their skills in presenting the best driving they are capable of!

Along the way there is the chance for you to unlock more Achievements -- and the bragging rights that come with them -- and set some times for your mates to try and beat!

Racing Events Offering a Mix of Themes

As you work your way through each of the Leagues you can expect to encounter the following theme-based race and event types:

Autocross Events -- The Autocross event is one of those quirky and unique challenges that you are either going to love or hate - there is no middle ground. The basic challenge is to drive as fast as you can through the marked gates, while avoiding actually hitting or even brushing the cones and gates.

Hit a gate and you lose 5 seconds from your time (or it adds it to your time/score anyway). Now for us this is one of the most entertaining of events in the game as we never tire of setting a time on the thin-edge of insanity and then challenging our mates to beat it!

Chase Events -- A true challenge for racers who love rush hour traffic! In Chase Events there are one or two opponents in the same class of car as you are in, and you are racing them through challenging Tracks that are filled with the next class down from yours to provide the "traffic" element in the whole rush-hour-traffic theme!

Circuit Race -- The oldest and most traditional of racing events, the circuit race consists of a multi-lap race against a field of 15 Drivatars, set out on a track that has been specifically laid out and designed to offer the drivers a competitive challenge that is a mixture of the track and its changing surface and navigational hazards, and the competition field itself.

Signature Events -- This special class of event consist of a bog standard circuit race as the starting point, whereupon an army of Drivatar opponents selected to match the car you are using either by its Model Family or Make and Model -- and to keep things interesting add a mixture of Drivatars in the next lower class for you to navigate around while you compete with YOUR class!

Top Gear Themed Events -- While these races appear in the lists under the official title of "Top Gear" race that is a very misleading classification because the racing that takes place under that heading can (and will) differ from regular short-track, high-speed sprints to auto bowling, obstacle courses, and everything in-between.

Take the Auto Bowling type of race - which is precisely what it sounds like! Picture in your mind a series of over-sized bowling pins spread around the track in clusters and you have a pretty good idea of the meat of this race. The objective is to knock over as many pins as possible, while at the same time maintaining your speed as consistently as possible!

The theme-based obstacle course racing -- like the London Course -- has you dodging the sort of obstacles one actually finds in London! From dumpsters to rolling trash bins, multi-level buses, and even building mocks in the narrow (NARROW) lanes! We call that fun!!

Track Day Events -- You're the only cookie in a jar full of unpredictable and slower Cars whose purpose for existing is to be passed by you -- but we said PASSED, not hit, brushed, or caressed. You only get credit for the cars that you cleanly pass - and as easy as that may sound, it only takes one mistake to cost you first place and in this race, second place is the first loser.

Finally there is one more race type that is, in every respect, unique to Forza Motorsport:

Stig's Digital Cousin Events -- Any fan of the BBC's Top Gear will instantly know about The Stig... The Tame Racing Car Driver who the Top Gear crew relies upon to drive the Cars that are featured in each show -- but them through their paces, make them sing and dance, and push them to the very edge of the envelope of the performance that they are capable of doing. Note we did not say "safely doing" did we?

The Stig is NEVER seen on camera without his tinted full-face helmet -- the point being that you don't know who he is because you are not meant to know who he is. The show is so serious about Stig being anonymous that when the original Stig was outed by a newspaper Top Gear immediately killed him off in Episode 1 of Season 3, the first episode to be made following his identity being made public by the paper.

The lore surrounding The Stig is fascinating, and so are the different ways that he has been introduced by show presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who has since the start of Season 6 introduced Stig in the following manner:

"Some say that [insert two characteristics from the brief list below]. All we know is, he's called the Stig."

• All of his legs are hydraulic

• Banned from the Chelsea Flower Show

• Confused by stairs

• Developed the "wonderful" scent of Wednesday

• Face appears on high-value stamps in Sweden

• Has terrible plans involving the Moon

• His favourite T-Shirt has a picture of a T-Shirt

• His sweat can be used to clean precious metals

• Is convinced Star Wars is a documentary

• Left nipple is shaped like the Nürburgring

• Naturally faces magnetic north

• Never blinks

• Once punched a horse to the ground

• Only knows two facts about ducks, and both of them are wrong

• Thinks crisps are animals.

• Wanted by the CIA

Just mix any two of the above - which is a list of our favorites -- and you get the idea!

The Stig Races

When you race the Stig your goal is to set a faster time than him - sounds simple, right? Yeah.... it SOUNDS simple - doing it is another matter entirely.

Cash Prizes and Experience

Payouts are based on your finish position relative to opponents, with a Gold medal awarded for the first few places, Silver medal for say 4th through 7th, and Bronze medal for the next few places.

The actual amounts in both cash and XP depends on which assists you have turned on and which are turned off -- we list the base amounts in this guide.

I. Modern Sportscar Event

The basic challenge scheme that has been created for the career mode racing in FM5 consists of a mix of race types that compliment the bog standard Circuit-style of race -- the Circuit-style being the backbone of the racing scene in this Forza.

As you can see by the structure of each section, the racing uses specific genres of Cars as its natural focus. That being the case, the cars that are available are, for the most part, very predictable.

When you already have a car in your personal garage that is either eligible for the race -- or that can be made eligible for the race, you are notified of that in the car selection screen before each event. You can either pick from a car you own, then pay to modify it if that is required to make it eligible for the race, or buy a new car to use in it.

Generally speaking once you make a car eligible or you buy one, you use it for the rest of the races in the series. Money being tight at this stage in the campaign you will want to choose your car(s) carefully and if you mean to unlock the manufacturer Affinity Achievements you will also need to choose the maker with some care!

A Selection of Modern Sportscars

The selection of Cars that you can use for this event include a set recommended by the game, and a stable of others that are of the appropriate class for use in this event.

The recommended car choices available here are:

• 2006 Audi RS 4

• 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo S

• 2012 Infiniti IPL G Coupe

• 2013 Audi S4

In addition to that you can also choose from:

• 2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

• 2008 BMW M3

• 2009 Lexus IS F

• 2010 Nissan 370Z

• 2012 Jaguar XKR-S

• 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series

• 2013 Audi RS 4 Avant (DLC)

• 2013 Lexus GS350 F Sport (DLC)

Wrapping up the Modern Sportscar Event at Long Beach

A Selection of 16 Modern Sport League Race Venues

• Yas Marina Circuit (1 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit (2 of 8)

  Track Days -- Test your passing skills by overtaking as many Cars as possible.

  Gold Payout = 2,100 CR / Gold: 17 Cars.

• Prague (3 of 8)

  Signature Events -- Race through a field of competition customized to your car.

  Gold Payout = 4,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Top Gear (4 of 8)

  The Top Gear London Challenge -- Race for gold through the London-themed Top Gear test track.

  Gold Payout = 2,700 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Catalunya (5 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,200 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Challenge (6 of 8)

  Stig's Digital Cousin Challenge -- Measure your skills against Stig's Digital Cousin.

  Gold Payout = 2,900 CR / Gold: 1st Place.

• Road America (7 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Long Beach (8 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mount Panorama Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 6,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,000 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Le Man Circuit de la Sarthe -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 3,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Raceway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

As you work your way through the event championship races you will unlock the Achievement "Golden" (20G) Earn 50 Gold Medals in Career races.

Time for Extra Achievements!

Now would be a good time for you to get crafty -- create two or three custom car designs and perhaps add a Tuning Setup to one of them -- that way you get a head start on the related Achievements which you can be passively unlocking as you work on the Leagues!

i find one of the easiest ways to get motivated to create livery is to pick things from your own life and past to immortalize in your livery -- for instance I created a livery for the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST that is based upon the livery of the plane I served as crew on the RAAF. I was surprised at how popular the design ended up being!

If you have a 2014 Ford Fiesta and you want to check out my designs make sure it is your active ride and then pop up to the main menu.

From there select "Paint Car" then "Find New Designs" and then -- with that screen up -- hit the Search Button and under "CREATOR" enter my name without the quotes: "RECNEF" -- and that will cause the server to show you the designs that i made for the 2014 Ford Fiesta.

They are "raaf12" and "raaf10" -- those being the "tail numbers" I put on the livery... Personally I like the number 12 so that is the one I use...

I also created an RAAF Livery for the 1968 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds 442 if you have one of those and wanted to take a look?

Anyway go ahead and make a Livery or three and upload them to the server, then be sure to mention then on your home page or on a fame related board you are active on. That way people who play the game are re likely to download and use it!

II. Iconic Sportscar Event

Just what constitutes an Iconic Sportscar is a subject that has been much debated among men -- usually while sitting around a warm fire drinking libations and sharing the company of friends -- the reason that the question is a subject for debate being that Cars are objects of subjectivity.

Everyone seems to have an opinion about them, and the question of what is weighed when the goal is determining what makes a car "iconic" -- is it design, popularity, exclusivity, performance or all of the above?

There are plenty of lists out there and opinions inevitably vary (widely), but for our humble screed of 50 we’ve used a single rule: which Cars are truly significant in our own minds.

A Selection of Iconic Sportscars

The recommended car choices available here are:

• 1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec

• 1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec

• 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z

• 2005 Honda NSX-R

In addition to that you can also choose from:

• 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 (DLC)

• 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II

• 1991 BMW M3

• 1992 Honda NSX-R

• 1994 Nissan Fairlady Z Version S Twin Turbo (DLC)

• 1997 BMW M3

• 1997 Mazda RX-7

• 1997 Mitsubishi GTO (DLC)

• 1998 Toyota Supra RZ

• 2001 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II

• 2005 BMW M3

Wrapping up the Iconic Sportscar Event at Road America

A Selection of 16 Iconic Sport League Race Venues

• Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe (1 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit (2 of 8)

  Chase Event -- Race your rivals to the finish through the traffic-filled circuit.

  Gold Payout = 2,100 CR / Gold: 1st Place

• Circuit de Spa-Francochamps (3 of 8)

  Signature Events -- Race through a field of competition customized to your car.

  Gold Payout = 5,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place

• Bernese Alps (4 of 8)

  Track Days -- Test your passing skills by overtaking as many Cars as possible.

  Gold Payout = 1,500 / Gold: 12 Cars.

• Long Beach (5 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta (6 of 8)

  Bondurant Autocross Event -- Weave your way through cones with precision to set the fastest time.

  Gold Payout = 1,500 CR / Gold: 02:15.000

• Circuit de Catalunya (7 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,200 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road America (8 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mount Panorama Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Prague -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Raceway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 6,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

If you are following the guide you likely will not have unlocked any Achievements for this League.

III. Coupsters Event

If you are not familiar with the finer points of racing car body types, classed, and the like, we would not be surprised at all of you are scratching your head while you say "Coupster?" with an amused tone....

The thing is the answer to just what is a Coupster is not simple, or common sense, and if you don't know it can be pretty darn hard to work out unless you happen to be looking at three of four different examples from a span of eras.

In the meanest of terms a Coupster is a car that was designed to be a combination of a "coupe" and a "roadster" that is build for racing. This concept in racing car has actually been around for almost as long as purpose-built race Cars have been around! In the 40's and 50's -- as in 1940s and 1950s -- there were "Rod Masters" who were building Coupsters by mating the body of a Model A Ford to the chassis of a fasst Dodge or Mercury!

My neighbor down the street owns a towing company, and he has a car he has been working on for years that while it might look like a Frankencar, is actually a 28 or 29 Ford sport coupe with the roof cut off, that has been mated to a Mustang chassis and power plant. Seriously!

There were some purpose built Coupsters over the years, as smaller automakers offered the consumer the opportunity to buy a properly engineered and manufactured production model Coupster but World War II put a stop to that. After the Korean War the Coupster as a production car came back into fashion, and today it is not an uncommon design for light, fast, and hip sports Cars from some of the major car makers.

While I would not describe them as the most nimble of sports Cars, the Coupster certainly has a place in the modern racer's appetite for going fast in a small and intimate package!

A Selection of Coupster-Class Sportscars

The recommended car choices available here are:

• 2010 Audi TT RS Coupe

• 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is

In addition to that you can also choose from:

• 2000 BMW Z8 (DLC)

• 2008 Ferrari California

• 2010 Forza Motorsport TT RS Coupe (FREE)

• 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG

Taking our Coupster to the Gold Line at Circuit de Catalunya

A Selection of 16 Coupster-Class Sport League Race Venues

• Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe (1 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Prague (2 of 8)

  Chase Events -- Race your rivals to the finish through the traffic-filled circuit.

  Gold Payout = 2,300 CR / Gold: 1st Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit (3 of 8)

  Signature Events -- Race through a field of competition customized to your car.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps (4 of 8)

  Track Days -- Test your passing skills by overtaking as many Cars as possible.

  Gold Payout = 1,700 CR / Gold: 18 Cars

• Road America (5 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit (6 of 8)

  Bondurant Autocross Event -- Weave your way through cones with precision to set the fastest time.

  Gold Payout = 1,700 CR / Gold: 02:10.000

• Long Beach (7 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Catalunya (8 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,200 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Prague -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mount Panorama Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,000 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

If you are following the Guide you will by now have unlocked the Achievements "Slipstreamer" (20G) Earn 20 perfect Drafting scores, and "Movin' Up" (20G) Earn 125 perfect Pass scores.

IV. Executive Sportscar Event

It should be pretty obvious by the selection of Cars that Executive Sport is precisely what it sounds like it is... Not a lot of surprises there -- or are there? One thing that may surprise is how well this class of car performs on the track :)

A Selection of Executive-Class Sportscars

The recommended car choices available here are:

• 2011 Audi RS 5 Coupe

• 2012 BMW M5

• 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8

In addition to that you can also choose from:

• 2003 BMW M5

• 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

• 2013 Audi RS7 Sportback

• 2013 BMW M6 Coupe (DLC)

• 2013 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG (DLC)

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Executive Championship Race

A Selection of 16 Executive-Class Sport League Race Venues

• Prague (1 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit (2 of 8)

  Chase Events -- Race your rivals to the finish through the traffic-filled circuit.

  Gold Payout = 2,700 CR / Gold: 1st Place.

• Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe (3 of 8)

  Signature Events -- Race through a field of competition customized to your car.

  Gold Payout = 5,800 CR / 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit (4 of 8)

  Track Days -- Test your passing skills by overtaking as many Cars as possible.

  Gold Payout = 1,300 CR / Gold: 12 Cars

• Long Beach (5 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta (6 of 8)

  Chase Events -- Race your rivals to the finish through the traffic-filled circuit.

  Gold Payout = 2,300 CR / Gold: 1st Place.

• Road America (7 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Spa-Francochamps (8 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,000 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 6,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Catalunya -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 6,300 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Raceway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mount Panorama Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

If you are following the Guide you will have unlocked the Achievements "Pure Gold" (20G) Earn 70 Gold Medals in Career races, "Major League" (10G) Complete 10 Championship Series. You should also have unlocked the Achievement "Committed" (20G) Reach Driver Level 20..

V. Modern Muscle Car Event

When you start making distinctions and you draw a dividing line between Muscle and Modern Muscle what you are really doing is declaring for Technology. Sound odd? Well it is not!

Where Vintage Muscle Cars -- the Classics -- relied on large bore pistons and tuned valves, ram air or forced air turbos, and the artistic touch of a Muscle Mechanic to craft custom made gaskets and polish the heads to take 'em well, you are NOT talking tech you are talking arts and crafts.

Now that you know what old Muscle is, let's look at Modern Muscle -- smaller (but still very large) engines with critically engineered parts that are custom mated and custom matched. Computer controlled fuel injection systems, temperature probes and coolant flush systems, the name of the game is Tech baby, and tech = power!

It has been said that a shade tree mechanic with a good ear could tune the six pack on a 1968 and-a-half AC Bristol Cobra with a Shelby 427 package and make that darling sing... Take that same mechanic and his magic ear and have him try to tune a Modern Muscle car and you know what you end up with? A badly out of tune Modern Muscle Car!

You need a hacker and his computers to tune the MMCs of the world, and that? Well, that is just sad... Cool, sure, but sad.

A Selection of Muscle-Class Sportscars

The recommended car choices available here are:

• 2007 Ford Shelby GT500

• 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8

In addition to that you can also choose from:

• 2011 Holden HSV GTS

• 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL 1

• 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

• 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

Modern Muscle Championships at Sebring International

A Selection of 16 Muscle-Class Sport League Race Venues

• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (1 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps (2 of 8)

  Track Days -- Test your passing skills by overtaking as many Cars as possible.

  Gold Payout = 1,700 CR / Gold: 18 Cars

• Road Atlanta (3 of 8)

  Signature Events -- Race through a field of competition customized to your car.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / 3rd Place.

• Prague (4 of 8)

  Chase Events -- Race your rivals to the finish through the traffic-filled circuit.

  Gold Payout = 2,300 CR / Gold: 1st Place.

• Mount Panorama Circuit (5 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Top Gear (6 of 8)

  Top Gear Bowling Event -- Knock down as many pins as possible while maintaining your speed.

  Gold Payout = 1,200 CR / Gold: 225,000 Points.

• Road America (7 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Raceway (8 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Catalunya -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,200 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Prague -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,600 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

If you are following the Guide you will likely not unlock any Achievements with this League Event.

The Cars that are coming up shortly in the next half-dozen events are not going to be cheap, so you might want to start knocking off some Bonus Races for the categories and car classes that you like best. It would be an idea to build a nest egg of a million or two in CR...

VI. American Muscle Revival Event

Before you start to think that what they mean by American Muscle Revival is a bunch of classic Muscle Cars from the 60s no! Stop that fantasy right now! That is not what they mean by Revival...

Basically what this celebrates is the return to Muscle -- big block, larger bore, specialized fuel systems, higher horse to pound -- basically the revival of the notion that a car should be a work of art, and it should go as fast as it looks like it can go!

After the last truly great Muscle Cars rolled out of Detroit in the late 60s there were some sorta-Muscle-Cars that arrived in the very early 70s but the art of engineering and building the classic American Muscle Car died with a whimper, not a bang, when the dark days of petrol rationing and the birth of that many-armed, many-handed nasty piece of work that we call Opec made the care and feeding of the typical Muscle Car beyond the means of most blue-collar motorheads.

Now that did not mean fast Cars were forever gone -- the small-block sports car just temporarily took over for a decade! But slowly as petrol prices fell to reasonable levels in the early 80s the urge to go fast was rediscovered, and a new era of Muscle -- the forerunner of the Modern Muscle Car -- began to appear.

Pontiac lead the way with its Trans Am and Firebird lines, and Ford began to increase the block size and displacement of its sports lines, and once Buick and Chevy got on board well, THAT is what they mean by Muscle Revival!

A Selection of American Muscle-Class Sportscars

The recommended car choices available here are:

• 1990 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

• 1995 Ford SVT Cobra R

• 2000 Ford SVT Cobra R

In addition to that you can also choose from:

1987 Buick Regal

1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA (DLC)

1993 Ford SVT Cobra R

2002 Chevrolet Camaro 35th Anniversary SS

2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Ram Air (DLC)

American Muscle Revival Championships at Road Atlanta

A Selection of 16 American Muscle Revival Sport League Race Venues

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Top Gear (2 of 8)

  Top Gear Bowling -- Knock down as many pins as possible while maintaining your speed.

  Gold Payout = 1,200 CR / Gold: 200,000 Points.

• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (3 of 8)

  Signature Events -- Race through a field of competition customized to your car.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps (4 of 8)

  Chase Events -- Race your rivals to the finish through the traffic-filled circuit.

  Gold Payout = 3,100 CR / Gold: 1st Place.

• Road America (5 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Raceway (6 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Mount Panorama Circuit (7 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Road Atlanta (8 of 8)

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Silverstone Racing Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,900 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Prague -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Yas Marina Circuit -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 5,500 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Bernese Alps -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 6,100 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Circuit de Catalunya -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,200 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

• Sebring International Raceway -- BONUS RACE

  Circuit Race -- Finish among the leaders to earn gold and maximum credits.

  Gold Payout = 4,800 CR / Gold: 3rd Place.

Summary and Conclusions

If you are following the Guide and you took my advice in the previous event and spent some time building a nest egg like I did, you will have unlocked the Achievements:

• "Professional" (20G) Reach Driver Level 30; and

• "Brand Loyal" (10G) Reach Affinity Level 25 with any car manufacturer.

If your driving was tight like ours was (the game we are playing for this guide is a team-based racing effort) you may also have unlocked

• "Apex Ace" (20G) Earn 300 perfect Turn scores like we did.

If you took our advice and created some Livery Designs and Tunings and uploaded them to the Server, depending on how good they were you may have the same experience that we had about this time... As we reached this phase in our racing we were happily surprised to unlock the following Achievements on the same day:

• Pro Tuner (10G) Earn 1,000 credits from the community using your tune setups.

• Painting by the Numbers (10G) Earn 1,000 credits from the community using your paint jobs.

• Museum Quality (15G) Earn 15,000 credits from the community using your designs.

By the next weekend the following had also unlocked (though not all on the same day):

• Master Tuner (15G) Earn 15,000 credits from the community using your tune setups.

• Color of Money (20G) Earn 30,000 credits from the community using your designs.

• Artisan Tuner (20G) Earn 30,000 credits from the community using your tune setups.

At that point I was bitten by the whole social networking side of the game, and I ended up posting a notice to my Facebook telling my friends that I had posted a bunch of screenshots to the game and suggesting that they download them... And they did, which caused the following Achievements to be unlocked:

• New Wallpaper (10G) Get 50 downloads across all of your shared photos.

• Gone Viral (20G) Get 100 downloads across all of your shared photos.

I wish I could say that there were more Achievements that came as easy as those ones but no, everything else had to be unlocked (and earned) the hard way - without serendipity!