Forza Horizon 6 Cars

The patch for Forza Horizon 6 Series 3 has arrived, and Italian Exotics Festival Playlist Series will officially run from July 16 (2:30 UTC) through August 13.

A large batch of new cars is heading to Japan, including both complimentary unlocks and content from additional vehicle packs. At the same time, several fairly significant mechanical adjustments are about to go live, and hope these changes will make the gameplay experience better.

Exotics Festival Playlist New Cars

Over the 4-week Series, players can unlock new cars at no extra cost by completing tasks in Festival Playlist. The two models below become available once you earn enough points:

• 80 PTS: 2024 Lamborghini Temerario
• 160 PTS: 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB

Seasonal Content

Summer

• 20 PTS: 1984 De Tomaso Pantera GT5
• 40 PTS: 2004 Maserati MC12

1984 De Tomaso Pantera GT5 features a distinctive and retro design, and its V8 engine provides a solid foundation with plenty of tuning potential. 2004 Maserati MC12, on the other hand, is an excellent track car that offers strong grip and precise handling while rarely losing traction.

Autumn

• 20 PTS: 2017 Abarth 124 Spider
• 40 PTS: 2020 Lamborghini Huracán EVO

2017 Abarth 124 Spider is a convertible sports car that blends Japanese and Italian styles. Compared to MX-5, it leans more towards speed than ultimate handling. Its performance isn't top-tier, making it unsuitable for racing.

2020 Lamborghini Huracán EVO, which was a reward car from Series 1, benefits from its AWD system to deliver astonishing grip and stability across various road conditions. Its handling is so accessible that even newcomers can drive it with ease.

Winter

• 20 PTS: 1982 Lancia 037 Stradale
• 40 PTS: 2020 Ferrari Roma

1982 Lancia 037 Stradale was the last RWD race car to secure WRC manufacturers' championship. It was developed jointly by Lancia, Abarth and Pininfarina, and it truly excels in cornering.

2020 Ferrari Roma features a more elegant and flowing design that balances sports car performance with driving comfort, which makes it well suited for everyday use.

Spring

• 20 PTS: 2022 Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder
• 40 PTS: 2022 Pagani Huayra R

Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder is a quick-accelerating open-top supercar that is very easy to get along with. Its AWD system provides formidable grip so that you can drive fast and steadily in all kinds of conditions.

Pagani Huayra R has an even shorter acceleration time than Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder, yet it is a professional racing machine that shines on the circuit while demanding a very high level of driving skill from the player.

Overall, it seems that this month's Playlist brings only one truly brand-new model, 1984 De Tomaso Pantera GT5. All the other vehicles either come from Motorsport, from previous instalments, or are cars already present in FH6's first Series.

Some new models have instead been placed within Car Pass, which might draw complaints from players; only after Car Pass content has run its course might we see more fresh cars available through Playlist.

Series 3 Car Pass

This is a long-term Series 3 car pass covering 30 vehicles that will be distributed gradually over time. During Series 3, pass holders can claim the following four new cars at no credit cost, week by week.

• Week 1: 2003 Aston Martin DB7 GT
• Week 2: 1972 Nissan Patrol
• Week 3: 2024 Toyota Prius Prime XSE Premium
• Week 4: 1972 Honda Z GT

Italian Passion Car Pack

Italian Passion Car Pack is a standalone vehicle pack. If you own Premium Edition of the game, you get it directly; otherwise, you will need to unlock it separately. This pack includes the following four cars:

• 2025 Ferrari F80
• 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB4 Spider
• 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm
• 1990 Alfa Romeo SE 048SP

Italian Aftermarket Takeover

If you have recently spent a great deal of time in Auction House hunting for certain rare Wheelspin-exclusive vehicles, then Forza Horizon 6 Series 3 brings some good news.

A large number of exclusive cars that were previously obtainable only through Wheelspins will now appear at the used car dealership located near the stadium on the western side of the map.

Throughout the Series, this dealership will offer substantial discounts on various Italian models. If you want to get your hands on some very hard-to-find cars, be sure to keep an eye on this shop and visit it often.

Auction House

Auction House will also see a fairly big change in Series 3. Credits Caps for non-Auto Show vehicles will be removed from Auction House.

This change should encourage more players to list their rare cars, because they can now earn more Forza Horizon 6 credits for them, while other players will have a better chance of obtaining the rare cars they want.

It also helps address the surplus currency issue that appeared late in FH5's lifecycle. In almost every Horizon generation, long-time players eventually end up with more credits than they could ever use, yet they find nowhere meaningful to put them.

Rivals Leaderboards

With the July 13 patch, the leaderboards for Rivals mode will be completely wiped and reset. This is because the previous boards were filled with times set using cheats or exploits, and the significant nerf to Drag Tires has also rendered a large number of road-racing leaderboard times meaningless.

That covers everything for Forza Horizon 6 Series 3 Italian Exotics. If you have already completed most of the content from the first two Series, then you will soon be able to get behind the wheel of some cool new Italian machinery.

Players, you've probably already experienced Winter Season of Series 2 in Forza Horizon 6. Everyone's been eager to experience the snowy landscapes and nighttime driving, as these elements provided players with a truly delightful experience in FH4. Many exclaimed that driving in the snow during Winter Season was simply perfect.

So, does Winter Season in FH6 still deliver that amazing performance?

FH4 Winter Season that Everyone Misses

Winter Season is considered by many players to be the most recognizable and immersive season in Forza Horizon series.

In FH4, snow actually piled up on the roads, significantly reducing road grip. Visibility was drastically reduced because of the snowstorm. The entire map felt like it had undergone a complete transformation, not just a change to a colder color filter.

No one can resist driving through a swirling snowstorm at night, headlights piercing the darkness and snow curtain; the atmosphere and emotional impact are unmatched by later installments.

Moreover, Winter Season wasn't just about visual changes; it also altered the player's vehicle handling. Rear-wheel drive cars became more difficult to steer on icy roads, forcing players to seriously consider switching to snow tires or four-wheel drive. This forced strategic adjustments because of environmental changes added depth and enjoyment to the racing game.

Even more noteworthy was the unique social environment Winter Season provided. For example, lakes on the map froze over in the freezing cold, forming wide, flat ice surfaces that attracted large numbers of players in off-road vehicles or rally cars, either competing or simply having fun.

This social and gaming atmosphere seemed unique to Winter Season. In FH4, Winter Season was a significant event, altering player driving behavior, route selection, and even the way players communicated.

FH6 Winter Season

Now we've arrived at Winter Season in FH6, and the feeling is noticeably different. While snow still falls, and roadside vegetation and buildings are covered in a layer of white, the actual driving experience is almost identical to other seasons.

The snow you see seems merely decorative in Winter Season, as your vehicle doesn't experience significant slippage, requires no conscious adjustment to driving rhythm, and even the impact of tire temperature changes is negligible.

Of course, racing tracks need to be cleared of snow for fairness, but why are non-racing roads also cleared so thoroughly?

Players used to enjoy the thrill of carefully driving on snow-covered, remote roads, but FH6 seems to have lost the realism and wildness that Winter Season should have.

At the same time, the nighttime brightness in Winter Season has been significantly increased. The romantic atmosphere that could have been created using snow and darkness in the game is now greatly diminished.

Comparing the snowflake effects in FH6 and 4 reveals that the previous snowflakes, illuminated by headlights, appeared very dense and layered, while the latest version's snowflakes look more like rapidly passing lines.

In contrast, what everyone feels now about Winter Season seems to be just a change in color temperature and lighting, without actually altering the player's gaming experience.

To put it bluntly, in FH6, Winter Season seems to have only changed the lighting conditions.

Is this change good or bad?

Advantages

Of course, these changes in the game also offer convenience to players.

This makes Winter Season less difficult to drive, eliminating the need for frequent tire changes, vehicle settings adjustments, or even abandoning the use of some rear-wheel-drive vehicles. This constant tinkering can be very time-consuming for casual players.

At the same time, it's undeniable that some people prefer driving supercars on wide-open roads, finding far more enjoyment in this than in the challenging snowy terrain.

Furthermore, FH6 already contains numerous tasks and challenges for players to complete. If Winter Season is made too harsh, it could make time-limited events even more difficult to achieve. Even high-performance vehicles unlocked with significant Forza Horizon 6 credits might not perform well in the harsh environment.

Drawbacks

Some might argue that it's precisely the difficulties and uncertainties caused by environmental changes that make FH6 worth replaying. Each seasonal change brings new challenges and new strategies.

Since Winter Season racing tracks have been protected, retaining some snow and slippery conditions in open missions isn't unreasonable.

Aspects for Improvement

First, many players do hope that FH6 can retain some iconic Winter Season elements in key areas, such as returning frozen lakes to players, allowing them to once again experience the joy of gathering together to enjoy Winter Season.

Second, if the game cannot satisfy all players' needs, perhaps a more balanced approach could be to adopt a strategy of differentiated regional gameplay.

For example, the race routes and main roads of Japanese cities could remain open, while snow accumulation in suburban and mountainous areas could be appropriately preserved. This would satisfy the requirements of fairness in the races while retaining some seasonality during free exploration.

Alternatively, the game could add an option in the settings allowing players to determine the impact of the season on driving and the terrain, similar to adjusting the difficulty level. Everyone could define what Winter Season should look like according to their own preferences.

No one wants FH6 to become so difficult that players can't progress, but seasonal changes shouldn't be reduced to mere visual alterations; that would lose the meaning of the seasons themselves.