Forza Motorsport – Celebrating 20 Years of Racing

It’s been 20 years since we released our first game! Forza Motorsport made its debut on the original Xbox console in May 2005. It was the start of a new journey for our team and a mission to bring car lovers and gamers together through a shared passion for cars, community, and competition.

In the two decades since that first game, we went on to release seven additional Forza Motorsport installments. These would be available on the Xbox 360 before making the jump to Xbox One, PC and Xbox Series X|S.

Forza Motorsport (2023) is our latest game and most recently saw the return of the legendary Fujimi Kaido track and Meetups in our 20th Anniversary update. If you haven’t already played it, the 20th Anniversary Tour in the Career mode invites you to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and re-discover each of the previous Forza Motorsport titles in a special homage that celebrates a small part of what made each of these games so special to so many in our Forza community.

Let’s take a closer look at each Forza Motorsport game – as well as their iconic cover cars – and celebrate some of the features that players liked the most about them!

Forza Motorsport (2005)

• Release Date: May 3, 2005

• Platforms: Xbox

YOU ARE WHAT YOU RACE

Forza Motorsport made its debut on the original Xbox in 2005. The game featured over 230 cars, 17 track locations with 35 layouts, accessible physics, and a Career mode featuring five distinct racing series.

Some of the included tracks, such as Laguna Seca, Maple Valley, and Road Atlanta, would become Forza staples, while original tracks like Fujimi Kadio and Sunset Peninsula remain fan favorites.

Car customization, Drivatar AI training, and Multiplayer racing modes were also present.

Cover Car: 2005 Honda NSX-R

Meet the cover car of the first Forza Motorsport game: the legendary 2005 Honda NSX-R!

This second generation NSX-R features carbon fiber on many of its body panels.

Skilled Honda technicians hand-built each motor to an exact standard, weight-balancing and matching each component to produce a smoother, more responsive engine.

This is a machine of unprecedented precision, and in the hands of a skilled driver, it can knock out a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in under eight minutes.

Forza Motorsport 2

• Release Date: May 29, 2007

• Platforms: Xbox 360

REAL DRIVERS WANTED

Forza Motorsport 2 made the jump to Xbox 360 in 2007 with 60fps gameplay at 720p HD.

The introduction of Arcade modes like Exhibition, Time Trials and Free Run helped the series to cement its place in the racing genre, while mainstay modes like Career and Multiplayer returned!

The game included almost 350 cars (including Car Packs), 15 track locations with 52 layouts, and upgraded physics and damage – alongside the livery editor, car auctions, online leaderboards, and more.

Cover Car: 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z

The 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z was an upgrade over the original in almost every way.

It features a stout, naturally aspirated V6 up front, a long hood, and short deck proportions.

The front-mounted, 3.5-liter engine, which produces 287 horsepower and reaches 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, is placed well back in the chassis for superior weight balance and excellent performance.

Its handling also shines thanks to its rear-wheel drive layout with independent suspension.

Forza Motorsport 3

• Release Date: October 22, 2009

• Platforms: Xbox 360

WHERE DREAMS ARE DRIVEN

Released for the Xbox 360 in 2009, Forza Motorsport 3 shipped on 2 discs!

Its fresh take on Career, Season Play introduced a calendar inspired structure with championship weekends.

There was also a first-person car camera, drifting and drag racing, new driving assists like Rewind, customizable multiplayer rulesets, and players could paint and upgrade every car in the game.

With almost 500 cars to collect – as well as 25 tracks and 138 layouts – it was the biggest Forza game of its time!

Forza Motorsport 3 also has one of the most beloved Forza trailers ever, featuring the community legends at Team Blackjack tandem drifting at Fujimi Kaido!

Cover Car: 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro

The 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro was your invitation to speed in Forza Motorsport 3.

Under the Audi R8’s glass engine cover is the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4’s incredible V10, nestled in the middle of a highly advanced aluminum monocoque.

The R8 5.2 FSI quattro is an all-wheel drive supercar of class and comfort: a larger engine with increased performance (525 bhp) over its predecessor, with alluringly athletic sheet metal that draws comparisons with its competitors from Stuttgart.

Forza Motorsport 4

• Release Date: October 11, 2011

• Platforms: Xbox 360

ENDANGERED SPECIES

Celebrated as a favorite amongst many Forza enthusiasts in our community, Forza Motorsport 4 introduced new social and online features to connect our players.

It was the last Motorsport game released on Xbox 360. Career mode features the World Tour – a racing calendar spanning 10 years – the Event List and Rivals. Meanwhile, Multiplayer features included Clubs and shared garages, custom public lobbies, Storefronts, and car soccer.

There was also the debut of Autovista and Kinect support! In addition, the Forza Motorsport 4 Limited Collector’s Edition features a unique cover with the 2012 BMW M5, as well as a special steelbook and 96-page book celebrating some of the greatest cars in the game.

Cover Car: 2009 Ferrari 458 Italia

Just like the game it graced the cover of – Forza Motorsport 4 – the 2009 Ferrari 458 Italia is a driver’s ultimate fantasy, combining stunning lines with nearly perfect driving dynamics.

Its high-revving V8 manages to pull 562hp out of 4.5 liters by using direct-injection, high compression, and precisely balanced internal components.

Meanwhile, the dual-clutch, F1-inspired 7-speed transmission seamlessly shifts without interrupting the torque – all for a top speed that exceeds 202mph.

Forza Motorsport 5

• Release Date: November 22, 2013

• Platforms: Xbox One

A NEW GENERATION OF RACING

Marking the start of a new console generation, Forza Motorsport 5 charged out onto the Xbox One in 2013 with stunning visuals, enhanced physics, and open-wheel race cars.

It also featured laser-scanned tracks like Bathurst, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Yas Marina. Later updates would go on to introduce Long Beach, Road America, and the Nürburgring.

Career Mode introduced Drivatar opponents that adopted the driving of your friends, while Forzavista was expanded to every car in the game.

Cover Car: 2013 McLaren P1

The 2013 McLaren P1 integrates racecar technology in its design and performance with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) and Drag Reduction System (DRS). The KERS gives the P1 an additional 176 horsepower to boost its overall speed.

Its 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged, V8 exceeds 900 horsepower with torque above 660 lb⋅ft while its seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission carries the P1 up to a stratospheric top speed of 217 mph.

With such ridiculous numbers, the McLaren P1 feels at home on the track.

Forza Motorsport 6

• Release Date: September 15, 2015

• Platforms: Xbox One, PC (FM6: Apex)

WHAT WE’VE BEEN RACING TOWARDS

Forza Motorsport 6 was first revealed in January 2015 alongside the 2017 Ford GT at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

The game launched with over 450 cars and 26 tracks, introducing wet weather and night racing, and 24 players on track. Its single-player Career mode, the Stories of Motorsport, celebrates the history of automobiles and racing.

Forza Motorsport 6 also saw Forza make its PC debut with Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, which was free for players to download through the Microsoft Store when it was released in May 2016.

Cover Car: 2017 Ford GT

Marking the 50th anniversary of the original Ford GT 40’s victory at “The Big Race” – where Ford won with a first, second and third place podium sweep – Forza Motorsport 6’s cover hero, the 2017 Ford GT, was built to prove that Ford can still dominate at the highest level of sports car racing.

Throughout the carved aerodynamics and gloriously sculptured form, the active elements and static design create not only unique allure, but also massive downforce. Its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 delivers 647 of EcoBoost driven horsepower to the massive rear wheels.

In 2016, almost 50 years after that original, impressive 1-2-3 finish, the 2016 Ford #66 Ford Racing GT Le Mans crossed the finish line in the LM GTE-Pro class in first place at “The Big Race” that year. It would also go on to secure a 1-2 victory at the six-hour races in both Fuji and Shanghai.

Forza Motorsport 7

• Release Date: October 3, 2017

• Platforms: Xbox One, PC

TAKE YOUR PICK. TAKE YOUR SHOT. TAKE THE LEAD!

Forza Motorsport 7 harnessed the power of the Xbox One X and high-end PCs to deliver visually stunning racing at native 4K resolution, 60fps and HDR.

New dynamic weather scenarios brought more unpredictability to racing, while a huge variety of cars (over 700!) and driver suits ensured there was always something new to chase – all showcased in the Forza Driver’s Cup.

Post release updates introduced an enhanced Drift mode and the initial iteration of Forza Race Regulations!

Cover Car: 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Forza Motorsport 7’s cover car, the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS, was unveiled alongside the game at the Xbox E3 2017 Briefing!

This stunning, rear-wheel drive, high-performance 911 GT car is a monster. It delivers almost 700 horsepower from its 3.8-liter engine – accelerating from zero to 60mph in just 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 211mph.

In 2021, it set a lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife of 6:38.83 using a performance kit – at the time, the fastest for a production car.

Forza Motorsport (2023)

• Release Date: October 10, 2023

• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC

SEE YOU AT THE STARTING LINE

Forza Motorsport featured the stunning 2023 Cadillac #01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R and 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray as its cover cars.

It also marked the beginning of a new era for Motorsport. Career mode received new features such as Open Practice and Challenge the Grid. Meanwhile, Featured Multiplayer introduced a new race weekend structure, Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and driver and safety ratings.

Racing was enhanced by upgraded physics, fully dynamic time of day with weather, tracks that rubber in and react to temperature changes, and powerful new assists and accessibility options – all made to help you fall in love with cars and build community through competition and skill.

Since the release of the game, Forza Motorsport has received 20 updates which added more cars and tracks, new events to complete, and additional experience improvements like Car Proximity Radar, Spectate, Open Track Day and Drift Meetups, Endurance and Multi-Class Races, Ray Tracing Global Illumination on PC, the ability to install car upgrades at any time, and more.

Today there are more than 600 cars in Forza Motorsport – if you count DLC cars and reward cars – and 30 tracks to master. These include 5 new-to-Motorsport locations that have been in the game since launch: Eaglerock Speedway, Grand Oak Raceway, Hakone Circuit, Kyalami GP Circuit and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in addition to returning fan-favorite locations, which include Bathurst, Fujimi Kaido, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Road Atlanta, and Sunset Peninsula.

Thank You

We’d like to take this opportunity to express a special thanks to everyone in our Forza Motorsport community. We appreciate your passion and dedication to our games over the last 20 years, and we’re grateful to share the track with you. We will see you at the Fujimi Kaido Drift Meetup!