You gotta love the freedom of Forza Horizon 2. Going from winding tarmac to a tree-lined rally->ke2464 course is as easy as spotting an easily destroyable wooden fence. It’s wholesome, manic fun for anyone feeling a bit confined by the norms of real life.
But at the end of the day, taking a ground-sucking European exotic on an agricultural expedition across a rutted field can get a bit old. Never mind how unnatural a Lamborghini Veneno looks crashing through a forest – you inevitably get a sense that there has to be something better for such exploits.
FH2 is beefing up its off-road offerings with the Rockstar Energy Car Pack. For five bucks, this slice of DLC is packed with soil-munching automobiles ready to obliterate any and all destructible doodads in your path.
First on the list is Tanner Foust’s GRC Beetle, a purpose-built machine that’s no stranger to getting dirty. There’s also the 2015 Subaru WRX STI, which needs little introduction when it comes to its rough-stuff prowess. Finally, there’s the 1970 VW Desert Dingo Racing Bug, a plucky competitor hailing from the Baja 1000.
Of course, Rockstar didn’t forget about those who might prefer blacktop, including the 1996 BMW 850CSi, the 2015 Jaguar XFR-S,->ke1236 and, as the free car for March, the 2001 Acura Integra Type-R.
This DLC pairs three off-road animals with two RWD Euro sports cars and a Japanese tuner legend, which means no matter your racing surface of choice, it looks like Rockstar has you covered.
Continue reading to learn more about the Forza Horizon 2.
Why it matters
While the two Beetles and the STI obviously hold common threads for making dust clouds, the inclusion of the Bimmer, Jag, and Type-R make this DLC nicely rounded. For those of you who might be a bit unfamiliar with any of the six cars included, here’s a little background on each:
Note: car pictured is not in-game.1}
Note: car pictured is not in-game.
Piloted by Tanner Foust in the Red Bull Global Rallycross series, this wicked little veedub was designed from the ground up to be not only fast, but extremely tough. The GRC has plenty of jumps, juking, and contact, and is decidedly not for the timid. As such, this Beetle has a 540-horsepower, turbocharged 1.6-liter engine and AWD grip, yielding a 0-to-60 just over two seconds on practically any surface.
1970 Volkswagen #1107 Desert Dingo Racing Stock Bug
Note: car pictured is not in-game.
Built on a history of competition and success in the international rally scene, the STI combines Subaru’s->ke86 rugged dependability and tenacious AWD system with a powerful, flat-four turbo engine, thus creating a street-legal racer for the masses. Easily modifiable for just about any go-faster purpose, the STI is the perfect platform to tackle the wilds of FH2, no matter where you happen to be racing.
Note: car pictured is not in-game.1}
The Baja 1000 is known worldwide as one of the most grueling off-road races in existence. Challenging this merciless event in a stock, 40-year-old car with an air-cooled engine in back is by no means easy, but that hasn’t stopped the Dingos from trying. This thing is undeniably audacious, which makes it a good fit in the zany, open world of FH2.
Note: car pictured is not in-game.1}
Note: car pictured is not in-game.
Although its two decades old, this Bimmer still has a few technological gizmos up its sleeve to keep it running with the latest and greatest. Under the hood is a 5.6-liter V-12 powerplant with 372 horsepower and 400 foot-pounds of torque, which hits the ground with electronic aides like stability control and an upgraded suspension for good tractability. It’s a good-looking, high-speed highway cruiser, which should make things interesting for those impromptu speed competitions from a roll.
Note: car pictured is not in-game.1}->ke1236
Note: car pictured is not in-game.
It’s tire shredding in an elegant, British sort of way. A 550-horsepower supercharged V-8 make this thing go like stink, while the four doors and luxury-laden interior keep it civilized. Keeping that rear end in check is just part of the fun.
2001 Acura Integra Type-R
Note: car pictured is not in-game.
When it comes to FWD tunability, few vehicles can match the old Type-R. This thing set the standard when it came to Japanese coupe performance, with a 1.8-liter inline-four VTEC engine that screamed to a 8,600 rpm redline, and a suspension set-up that demolished any preconceptions of FWD being an inferior platform for a sports car. Throw on a mod or two from the nearly infinite aftermarket support, and it gets even better.