6 cars driving down a road during sunset
Horizon brush

Drive Icons of Speed in Forza Horizon 5’s Summer Party

17 July 2023- Playground Games
Welcome to the Horizon Summer Party! Drive Icons of Speed, celebrate into the early hours with a permanent night extension and unlock 6 reward cars.

Mexico’s Summer Party is here and what better way to celebrate the sunshine festivities than with 6 unmissable cars, and for those eager to drive into the sunset and beyond, we’ve heard your feedback and permanently extended the night cycle in Forza Horizon 5.

We recognized how much you loved the longer nights during the Midnights at Horizon series and carefully evaluated the best way to prolong the night hours indefinitely without it feeling too stretched overtime. What we’ve landed on is a balance where night-time is noticeably longer than before, but not as long as during Midnights at Horizon. This change was made entirely thanks to your contributions to the Suggestions Hub, the best place to share your Forza Horizon 5 feedback. So, try out the new extended night duration and let us know how you feel about it!

Toyota GR86 riding a wave

Forza Horizon 5 Summer Party will be available to download from Tuesday, July 18 with series content available to play from Thursday, July 20 until August 17.

Games Fixes & Release Notes

Here’s a look at some of the fixes and improvements you can look forward to in this update:

  • Sometimes Auction House thumbnails would not match the car paint.
  • Horizon Test Track UI “Performance Class” filter displayed instead of Manufacturer.
  • Fixed incorrect collisions and clipping issues on the 2003 Donut Media 350Z ‘Hi Car’ and 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.
  • Improvements for 2022 Pagani Huarya R – flaps now function as an air brake, paintable panels, fixed displacement stat displaying 0 when switching between stock and race engine block.
  • Added missing anti-lag pop animation to 2019 BMW Z4, 2019 Subaru STI S209 and 1997 BMW E36 M3 when respective AC Schnitzer, Varis and Rocket Bunny bodykits are installed.
  • 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series V12 engine swap price has been reduced to 75,000 CR.
  • Removed invisible thumbnail for Alejandra’s Truck from appearing in Horizon Promo.
  • Fixed the audible blimp sound on the highway despite it not being there.
  • [PC] Graphics setting reset upon closing the game.
  • [PC] Binding or unblinding Steer Left or Steer Right might also unbind the other.
  • [PC] Combine Steering and Combine Acceleration/Brakes options are not saved after changing unless Steering and Gas/Brake are rebound.

Once the Summer Party update has released for download, we will publish the release notes with the full list of included fixes. Here’s where you can stay in the know with the issues that we’re investigating. Remember to report any game bugs that you encounter on the Troubleshooting Hub, our official issues tracker available on the Forza Forums.

Icons of Speed

Toyota GR86 passing in front of two other cars

Available to play on Thursday, July 20, the next Horizon Story introduces you to Icons of Speed. You’ll experience the first chapter once the summer season kicks into gear. Across 8 chapters, team up with Alejandra, the head mechanic at the Horizon Festival, and experience iconic cars across the history of racing as you inspire her spark once more!

2019 Hennessey Camaro Exorcist

2019 Hennessey Camaro Exorcist cruising on a road
Complete the Icons of Speed Horizon Story.

Experience the definition of unlimited horsepower on four wheels. The Exorcist is one monstrous car with over 1,000 horses under the hood and 966 lb-ft torque, all courtesy of its powerful 6.2-liter V8 engine. The performance numbers are just as wild, accelerating from 0-60mph in 2.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 217mph. With its high-flow supercharger upgrade, the hypercar manufacturer has successfully transformed the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and its already impressive performance into a formidable muscle car that celebrates the thrill of the open road and supercharges it to new heights.

Icons of Speed Accolades

Unlock 10 new accolades by playing the Icons of Speed Horizon Story and unlocking the 5 Festival Playlist reward cars included in this series.

Accolade Description Career Points Reward
Back to School Complete the "Lessons from the Past" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
No Parachute Required Complete the "History 101" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
The Golden Age Complete the "Hot Rod Time Machine" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
Time to Flex Complete the "Come With Me If You Want To Race" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
Breaking 200 Complete the "One Thing After Another" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
Join The Club Complete the "Past Midnight" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
That Was Close Complete the "Pressure and Time" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500
A New Era Complete the "A Race for the Ages" chapter of Icons of Speed 1500 2019 Hennessey Camaro Exorcist
A True Icon Earn 3 Stars on all chapters of Icons of Speed 1500
Summer Party Collector Own the 2022 Toyota GR86, 1970 Hot Wheels Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Custom, 2018 DeBerti Ford Mustang GT, 1973 Ford XB Falcon GT and the 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455 1000

Enter the Summer Party Stadium

The Horizon Stadium is transformed for the warm weather with its own Summer Party vibes. With summer-style ramps and smashable props, it’s the perfect location to break a sweat! Horizon Street Scene is also dressed up for the occasion with new decorations and smashable objects.

Palm tree carboard cut-out and wave-shaped ramp on a beach scenario

Our Horizon Facilities team are here to help you cool off in the hot weather. Look for their smashable Ice Cream Cone Collectibles on the beach near Playa Azul in Week 2 of the series. That’ll keep the engines at optimal temperatures, hopefully!

EventLab creators will find the Palm Tree Cut-Out, Wave Cut-Out, Ice Cream Cone, Giant Beach Ball and Inflatable Ring in the Blueprint Builder.

Palm tree carboard cut-out on a city during night time

Festival Playlist

It’s important to look the part at the Horizon Summer Party and we’ve got 5 unmissable reward cars to keep you cool in the heat.

Availability dates for 6 cars coming in the Summer Party update. See below for details.

2018 DeBerti Ford Mustang GT

Ford DeBerti Mustang GT behind container units
Earn 80 PTS during the Summer Party Festival Playlist series. Available from July 20 – August 17.

TwinTurbos invites car fans to experience the process of how a DeBerti build comes to life, and the fun thrills that ensue once the build is complete. This DeBerti Ford Mustang GT is fitted with a custom TT Designs widebody kit, a Roush supercharged 5.0-liter engine, and 18 inches of Mickey Thompson tires on the back. Throw in a custom hood designed by Brad DeBerti, billet grille transforms, Bullseye Retro custom headlights and taillights, and an Air Design rear wing to complete the look, and the result is a modern muscle build that celebrates the joys of driving fast in style. It’s an impeccable list of high-end modifications, all which contribute to one truly menacing-inspired car.

1973 Ford XB Falcon GT

Ford XB Falcon GT standing on a beach setting
Earn 20 PTS during the Week 1 Summer Party Festival Playlist. Available from July 20 – July 27.

This might be the most famous Australian car abroad. Not only has it been the star of a major motion picture set in a post-apocalyptic Outback wasteland (that would be “Mad Max”), it’s also been celebrated as the well-loved first car of Australia’s Eric Bana in the 2009 documentary film “Love the Beast.” As one of the first all-Australian designed cars from Ford, it was a no-brainer to send the XB Falcon racing. It battled the Holden LH Torana at the most famous Australian race, the Bathurst 1000 (although it's very similar predecessor, the XA Falcon, had a bit better luck). However, race and film career aside, the Falcon stands on its own as a car worthy of admiration. With a snarling 300 horsepower 351 “Cleveland” V8 (an American design locally built in Australia and celebrated in large graphics on the side proclaiming “GT 351”) rumbling under the twin-scooped hood, the GT has plenty of punch to back up its spot at the top of the XB Falcon lineup. With less than 1,000 XB GT hardtops produced, this iconic Australian muscle car is a rare bird.

1970 Hot Wheels Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Custom

Hot Wheels Pontiac Firebird Transam Custom driving on top of a bridge
Earn 20 PTS during the Week 2 Summer Party Festival Playlist. Available from July 27 – August 3.

Winner of the 2020 Hot Wheels Legends Tour, Riley Stair saw his 1970 Pontiac Trans Am made into a die-cast 1:64 Hot Wheels scale model released in 2021. The car was selected based on its authenticity, creativity and garage spirit. Between its aggressive looks and motorsport-inspired features, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Custom screams racing passion with a custom-fabricated tube chassis, large flared fenders, a monstrous iron block LSx V8 outputting over 1,000 steadfast horses and a four-speed manual transmission, which for the record was swapped from a NASCAR stock car! Stair’s build certainly stood out above the rest, which makes it a must have addition to your Forza Horizon 5 garage – test its limits on Hot Wheels Park and see just how fast you can push this power-hungry muscle machine.

2022 Toyota GR86

2 Toyota GR86s driving on a wet road
Earn 20 PTS during the Week 3 Summer Party Festival Playlist. Available from August 3 – August 10.

It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s ready for a road trip. The new Toyota GR86 features a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine that delivers 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 in 6.1 seconds with a top speed of 140mph ensure the GR86 takes you anywhere in speedy time. It’s also fitted with a dual chrome-tipped exhaust, track-tuned suspension and 18-inch matte-black painted alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport4 tires that assist with traction control. With a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, the GR86 feels nimble around every twist and turn on the road.

1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455

Pontiac Firebird TransAm SD455 on a dirt road
Earn 20 PTS during the Week 4 Summer Party Festival Playlist. Available from August 10 – August 17.

Literally the last breath from the muscle car era, the Super-Duty 455 was the dream of a few enthusiastic Pontiac engineers wanting to maintain the performance image of the brand. This was done in the face of the OPEC oil crisis and GM management that had no stomach for anything that didn’t effuse economy. So, the SD-455 was snuck in as an option for Formula and Trans-Am models. While out-the-door performance was hindered by a mild camshaft and restrictive exhaust manifolds, the SD-455 was the perfect starter kit for anyone seeking to find and unleash horsepower. Underneath the emissions-friendly components are a heavily fortified block, forged steel connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, and modified cylinder heads. Basically, this wolf just needs its sheep’s clothing to be stripped off to really roar.

What’s Next

Ford DeBerti Mustang GT passing on a race track

Italian Automotive celebrates its rich heritage in Horizon Mexico as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Abarth and Lancia all return to the festival this August. We can’t wait to share more details about this incredibly exciting event in Forza Horizon 5 next month. Until then, we’ll see you at the Horizon Summer Party!