Forza Motorsport 3 Guide

Forza Motorsport 3 Guide
Think you're a master of racing games because you've burned out
on your need for speed? Now that you've done racing ridges, it's
time to step up to a real racing challenge. Powersliding and
smashing into walls may look good for the camera, but when it
comes to legit road racing it's a recipe for looking stupid. And slow.
Success in Forza Motorsport 3 requires an intimate knowledge of
driving physics and racing theory. A healthy dose of knowledge on
tuning and upgrading your car helps, too, so we've compiled all of
our racing wisdom for your examination. Study the tips inside. Put
them to practice. We promise, your lap times will drop like Colin
Moriarty's oversized, beltless jeans.
In this Forza Motorsport 3 strategy guide, you'll find:
DRIVING 101 // An in-depth breakdown of the finer details
of proper racing technique.
TUNING & UPGRADES // A layman's explanation of the
various tuning options with tips for perfecting your car's
performance.
CAREER MODE // Strategies and tips for completing the
game's daunting career mode.
CAR LIST // A complete list of the game's myriad cars, sortable for easy viewing.
Q & A // Your chance to ask us questions (and hopefully get an informed answer).
Guide by: Mark Ryan Sallee
© 2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. May not be sold, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, in whole or part, without IGN’s express permission. You
may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. All rights reserved.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 1
Forza Motorsport 3 Driving 101
Braking &
Acceleration
Cornering
Technique
Weight Transfer
Drivetrain Types
General Tips
Real racing is a very complicated affair, but it boils down to three basic essentials: braking, accelerating, and cornering.
Consider this a lesson in Driving 101.
Braking
If you think braking is as simple as mashing the brake
button (or brake pedal), it's time to snap to reality.
Braking is as important, if not more so, than accelerating
when it comes to realistic, technical racing. Poor braking
can dramatically affect your lap times. Proper braking
technique, conversely, will set you up to swing through
corners drama-free and ready to peg the accelerator at
the soonest moment possible.
As a general rule, combining braking inputs with
steering inputs will result in oversteer, often to
catastrophic effect. In simpler terms, don't brake while
turning. Braking is much more effective when done in a
straight line, scrubbing off speed much faster than
braking while turning. If you try braking during a hard
corner, you'll effectively divide the potential grip of your
tires between turning and braking. This division of grip
results in both poor turning and poor braking. If you're
braking during a turn, you've waited far too long before
using the brakes.
Since you undoubtedly need to drive through turns
slower than the straights that precede turns, treat
braking as a necessary preparation for turning. As you
approach a turn—well before entering the actual
corner—apply the brakes while making as few steering
wheel corrections as necessary. If you time your braking
properly, you'll have slowed down enough that you can
ease through the corner without further need of the
brakes.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 2
Acceleration
Much like braking, acceleration doesn't often mix well
with cornering. The effect of acceleration on cornering is
highly dependent on your vehicle's drivetrain (see our
Drivetrain Types section for more details), but the
general rule is the same. By accelerating during a turn,
you effectively divide the potential grip of your tires
between two functions, acceleration and turning. In
some cars, this results in understeer, during which the
turning potential of the car is compromised, and instead
of turning as sharply as possible the car will push toward
the outside of the turn. In other vehicles, oversteer is
induced, during which the tail end of the car swings out,
making the vehicle more difficult to control in the turn
and crippling acceleration potential.
That said, there are very few times when you can use
the accelerator without touching the steering. The
lesson here is not that you should never steer and accelerate at the same time, but rather that you need to understand
the effects of combining the two actions. The real lesson here is to practice moderation. If you're deep into a turn with
the steering cranked to the extreme, pegging the accelerator is only going to ruin your turn. It may not be obvious in
theory, but think of the opposite action: If you're running pedal-to-the-metal down a long straight, cranking the steering
wheel left or right is going to severely wreck your acceleration (and probably more).
How you moderate your acceleration should be directly related to how hard you're steering. Through a slight right bend,
you can ease the steering a little right without stepping off the accelerator. If, however, you've just slowed down for a
sharp hairpin, you'll want to only feather the accelerator as you crank the steering to maintain the modest speed you've
set up for the corner.
After you've navigated a turn and pointed the car straight, center the steering and nail the gas to get out of the corner. In
a perfect racing line, it's okay if your acceleration out of the turn results in minor understeer that pulls the car away from
the apex and to the outside of the corner. Use the full width of the course to keep the straightest line possible when
accelerating out of a bend.
Braking &
Acceleration
Cornering
Technique
Weight Transfer
Drivetrain Types
General Tips
Turning
Now that you've got a basic understanding of the effects of braking and acceleration on your ability to turn the car, it's
time to understand a key principle to cornering: Slow in, fast out.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 3
The gist of the principle applies to every corner you take. Exiting the corner at the highest possible speed is the ultimate
goal of every turn. If you're fast out of a corner, you'll carry that speed into the following straight. But in order to exit a
corner at the highest possible speed, it's necessary to enter the corner slowly.
As we explained earlier, before entering a corner, you
want to apply the brakes as you approach your turn.
From inside the corner, feather the throttle lightly, just
enough to maintain a constant, low speed. Turn into the
corner and aim the car for the corner's apex (more on
this later). Once you've made it through the meat of the
turn, center the steering and nail the accelerator to get
out of the corner as fast as possible.
When approaching a corner, you typically want to brake
along the outside edge of the turn. Doing so will allow
you to cut a gradual turn toward the apex. If you come
into a corner from the inside of the track, you'll
effectively reduce the radius of the turn, resulting in a
loss of speed through the corner (and out of it). A more
gradual turn radius, started from the outside of the track,
will allow you to maintain a higher speed while adhering
to your racing line.
The apex of the turn is the point in your racing line that
comes closest to the inside of the turn. Typically this is
where you transition from turning to straightening the car
for acceleration out of the corner. Visualizing the proper
apex will give you an idea of what your racing line
should look like through a particular corner.
After hitting the apex on the inside of the turn, let your acceleration pull the car back toward the outside of the turn. Use
the full width of the course to cut as straight a path as possible as you exit the corner. Staying straight as possible will let
you accelerate more effectively, adhering to the original mantra: Slow in, fast out.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 4
Braking &
Acceleration
Cornering
Technique
Weight Transfer
Drivetrain Types
General Tips
Weight Transfer
Now that you've got a basic understanding of proper
driving technique, it's time to look a bit more in-depth
into the physical mechanics at play in high-speed racing.
Weight distribution and weight transfer concern the
effects of weight balance on the handling dynamics of
your vehicle. These dynamics are always changing as
you race, as everything you do affects the distribution of
weight in your vehicle.
When the vehicle is at a complete stop, its weight
balance is at its most neutral. A perfectly balanced car
will have a 50/50 weight balance, with half of the car's
weight pushing down on the front wheels and the other
half of the weight holding down the rear wheels. While
only a few cars actually achieve a perfect weight
balance, this general idea applies.
Naturally, the weight balance of a non-moving car is
instantly changed the moment the vehicle kicks into
motion. Upon acceleration, the weight balance is shifted
backward. As the car lunges forward, the front end of
the vehicle lifts while the tail end of the vehicle dips
down. This shift in the weight balance dramatically
affects the grip of the tires. Under hard acceleration, the
front tires lose grip while the rear tires gain traction from
the added weight. As acceleration slows, weight balance
gradually returns to a more neutral state.
The opposite effect can be seen under hard braking. As
a car brakes hard, the nose of the car dips down while
the tail tends to lift. In this situation, the weight balance of the car is shifted forward. The front tires of the car gain
traction from the additional weight while the rear of the car loses some grip potential as the pressure of the weight shifts
away from those wheels. This shift in weight balance is why a car's front wheels handle most of the braking.
As weight balance transfers fore and aft of the car, dynamics such as cornering ability and grip for acceleration are
affected. The effects of weight transfer vary depending on the drivetrain type of the vehicle. For more details on the
specifics, keep reading.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 5
Braking &
Acceleration
Cornering
Technique
Weight Transfer
Drivetrain Types
General Tips
Vehicle Drivetrain Types
The main components of a vehicle's drivetrain that relate to weight distribution
and transfer are the position of the engine and the wheels that are powered by
it. Many low-end economy cars are front-engine, front-wheel-drive, while
sportier rides tend to favor the front-engine, rear-wheel drive setup. There are
also mid-engine arrangements and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Each variation
affects the handling and acceleration dynamics of vehicles.
ENGINE
PLACEMENT
The placement of a vehicle's engine directly affects the weight balance of a car.
A front-engine vehicle will tend to have a frontal weight bias. While this may
help give the front wheels traction during cornering, it may also result in too little
weight holding down the rear end of the car. Under extreme speed, this lack of
traction in the rear quarters of the car may result in oversteer, as the tail end
breaks loose and kicks out ahead of the front wheels. Still, you'll find the vast majority of vehicles have their engines
located at the front of the car, from econoboxes like the Chevrolet Cobalt to performance powerhouses like the Corvette
Z06.
Conversely, you'll find very few vehicles with a rear-engine
arrangement. Pretty much only Porsche is crazy enough to
put their engines at the far rear end of their 911 (some
Volkswagens do it, too). The added weight to the rear may
help keep the rear tires planted during acceleration, but
may also contribute to oversteer if the weight is pushed too
far in a corner. As well, having the weight of the engine at
the back of the car tends to eliminate understeer. More
commonly though, you'll find vehicles with a mid-engine
arrangement. Though the engine is still located aft of the
driver, it's positioned more toward the center of the vehicle,
in front of the rear axle. This mid-engine arrangement
gives a vehicle the benefit of improved weight balance.
Vehicles like the Lotus Elise and Ferrari F430 have this
mid-engine arrangement.
FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE
A front-wheel-drive (FWD) car has
engine power delivered to the front
wheels. The benefit of this setup is
easy, simple control that's difficult to lose. Front-wheeldrive vehicles are great cars to start with because they're
typically not as rowdy as other drivetrain setups. A mistake
in a FWD vehicle will generally result in manageable
understeer, rather than out-of-control oversteer. The
downside is that the FWD setup is inherently detrimental to
acceleration.
As we discussed earlier, as a vehicle accelerates its weight
balance transfers to the rear wheels. As the weight shifts
away from the front wheels, those front wheels lose
traction. Since the acceleration of a front-wheel-drive car is dependent on the traction of the front wheels, this weight
transfer limits acceleration. Also, high-powered FWD vehicles tend to suffer from torque steer. As the front tires share
the responsibilities of both acceleration and steering, there's a real chance that quick acceleration off the line can tug the
steering left or right. As such, you'll find that few performance-minded cars have FWD drivetrains.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 6
REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE
The vast majority of
performance
vehicles are rearwheel-drive (RWD). The inherent strength of RWD is clear
when you understand weight transfer. As we explained,
under acceleration the weight balance of a car shifts
backward, pushing down on the rear wheels. This added
weight means added traction, a must for quick acceleration
both off the line and out of corners.
The downside to rear-wheel-drive is that it tends to be
more difficult to control than other drivetrains. Hop into a
powerful RWD vehicle like the Corvette Z06 and you'll
quickly become familiar with the monster known as
oversteer. During cornering, application of the throttle will tend to break traction to the rear wheels and send the rear end
of the vehicle scooting out ahead of the front wheels. In road racing, this is never a good thing. Not only does the loss of
traction to the rear wheels result in reduced speed, but it's also potentially dangerous. Unchecked oversteer can quickly
send your car into a spin and off the track.
Despite the learning curve for RWD vehicles, this drivetrain setup is generally regarded as the best for road racing
application. Skilled drivers can work with the driving characteristics of rear-drive vehicles for an optimal balance of
control and speed.
ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE
In all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles,
engine power is delivered to all wheels
of the car, though usually not all at
once. AWD vehicles have a sort of inherent, if not simple,
traction control system. Most typical, low-end AWD
vehicles will favor power delivery to the front wheels.
However, if the car senses that the powered wheels lose
traction, the car's computer automatically transfers the
power away from the low-traction tires to other tires that do
have plenty of traction.
The benefit of AWD is especially apparent during hard
acceleration off the line. As the car's computer shifts power
to the wheels with the most grip, AWD vehicles really hook
up with the asphalt and go. All-wheel-drive strengths are even more pronounced in compromised driving conditions, like
driving on a wet track or driving in dirt. The benefits are also helpful in corners where power-on oversteer is minimized
by the car's computer wizardry.
Because of the smart characteristics of an AWD drivetrain, all-wheel-drive vehicles have many of the performance
benefits of a RWD setup while maintaining the easy controlability of FWD setups. However, there are some
compromises. Like FWD vehicles, AWD cars tend to suffer understeer more than their RWD rivals. As well, all-wheeldrive drivetrains add weight and mechanical complexity to cars, neither of which are desirable in real-life road racing.
Still, AWD vehicles present a solid balance between rear- and front-wheel-drive vehicles and should definitely be
considered by neophyte racers.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 7
Braking &
Acceleration
Cornering
Technique
Weight Transfer
Drivetrain Types
General Tips
Another Motto: Outside, Inside, Outside
By now you're familiar with the motto slow in, fast out. That helps you decide when and where to brake and
accelerate through a turn, but it doesn't cover the line you should take through the turn. While each bend is unique,
this generally applies: outside, inside, outside. Start the turn from the outside edge of the track, move in toward the
inside edge to hit the apex, and then let the car move back toward the outside edge as you exit the corner and
accelerate away.
Aim for the Rumble Strips
Note the red and white rumble strips that often line the edges of a race track. These strips generally run along the
edge of the course that racers are most likely to be hugging. While that may seem inconsequential, you can use the
locations of the rumble strips as makeshift waypoints forming a preferred racing line. If you're hugging the inside of
a turn without a rumble strip, chances are you've missed the corner's proper apex. Try to stick to the outside edges
of the course when the rumble strips are present and turn in so that your apexes coincide with the inside rumble
strips.
Gas and Brake in Moderation
By far the most important thing for new players to learn is moderation. Your gas and brake pedals are analog, not
digital—use them as such. If you mash the brake pedal all the way, you can lock your tires and lose control. As well,
simply mashing the gas pedal all the time is counter-productive. Though you should always practice moderation in
your gas and brake application, it is especially important to do so while cornering. Heavy gassing or braking in midcorner is never a good thing.
Sliding Is Bad
Racing is a constant battle for traction. If your tires are sliding, you've lost the battle. Sliding is never a good thing in
road racing (it can be helpful on dirt, but that doesn't apply in Forza). Listen to your tires to gauge the limits of their
grip. If you start to hear the tires break loose, ease off the accelerator or brakes to maintain control and speed.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 8
Forza Motorsport 3 Tuning & Upgrades
Tires &
Gearing
Alignment &
Anti-Roll Bars
Springs, Damping,
Aero & Braking
Differential
Upgrades
The benefits of tuning a stock vehicle for the race track can be huge. Best of all, adjustments to your car's tuning do not
affect your car's class rating. Since these changes don't affect your class rating, you can use tuning to improve the
performance of your vehicle beyond the limits of your competition.
Tires
Adjusting your tire pressure is a good, simple way to improve the cornering performance of your vehicle. Stock tire
pressure is generally tuned for comfort rather than raw conering ability. When you take a new vehicle to the track, you
should always make some adjustments to the tire pressure, usually increasing the pressure to all four tires to improve
responsiveness and reduce tire roll in the corners.
However, take note that too much inflation can give you the opposite effect. An over-inflated tire will bow out in the
center, reducing the contact surface. This effect is maximized as the tires heat up and the air inside expands, increasing
the psi level. If you've reached the effectiveness limit of inflation, try reducing tire pressure to similarly affect the grip
levels of your tires. If your FWD car is understeering, especially as the race wears on and the tires heat up, lower the
front tire pressure to keep the contact surface flat.
Lowering tire pressure gives the tire more pliability, allowing it to conform to the ground and increase the overall contact
patch with the asphalt. Accordingly, lowering tire pressure can help straight acceleration. But low pressure comes with
negative side effects that become evident during cornering, as the more pliable tire rolls under lateral acceleration and
gives you sloppy handling.
One thing to remember is that a little adjustment goes a long way. Differences of just a few psi between wheels can
have a big effect, so don't get extreme with the adjustments.
Gearing
Gearing ratios determine how many turns of the
driveshaft result in a single turn of the wheels (the car's
wheels, not your steering wheel). A higher ratio (e.g.
3:1) makes it easier for the engine to rev high and reach
max horsepower output quickly, but minimizes the top
end speed of the gear. The effect of high gear ratios is
quick acceleration with a sacrifice to top speed. A low
gear ratio (e.g. 0.8:1) is harder for the engine to turn but
improves top-end speed in that gear. The effect of a low
ratio is slow acceleration with high top speed.
Lower gears should have higher ratios, while higher
gears should gradually move to lower ratios. Sudden
drops in the ratios between gears (e.g. having a first
Default, conservative gear ratios. Note the smooth curve of the
gear ratio of 3:1 and a second gear ratio of 1:1) will
line connecting the ratio graph bars.
make it difficult to keep your engine revving within its
peak power band. Most engines make the most power in the upper limits of their rev range (like between 4,000 RPM
and 6,500 RPM). If the jump between two gear ratios is too large, your engine will drop too many revs on the upshift,
dropping below the optimal powerband. This drop in revs will make for slow acceleration until you can muscle the revs
back to their peak power.
Imagine a curved line on the gearing graph that connects the right edges of the ratios for each gear. A gradual curve will
make it easier to keep your engine revving within its optimal RPM range. However, a curve too dull will restrict the range
of your gear ratios. A sharper turn will naturally give you more range between gear ratios, but as we mentioned earlier it
may also cause the engine RPMs to drop too much between upshifts. Experiment with your car to find its peak power
band and adjust the gears to keep your revs within that RPM range while giving you the acceleration or top speed you
need for a given track.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 9
This gearing is set for quick acceleration but low top-end
speed. The tightly spaced gear ratios will keep the engine
revving at its peak, but limits the range of each gear.
The low ratio of sixth gear makes for high top-end speed, but
the large jumps between gear ratios may drop too many revs
between upshifts, slowing acceleration.
Many tracks will not allow you to reach the maximum speed of your vehicle. In these cases, it's a good idea to increase
your gear ratios to improve your acceleration. Other tracks, however, are all about top speed. On these tracks, it's worth
sacrificing some acceleration by lowering your gear ratios to make for better top-end speed.
Tires &
Gearing
Alignment &
Anti-Roll Bars
Springs, Damping,
Aero & Braking
Differential
Upgrades
Alignment
There are three categories of alignment you can adjust:
camber, toe and front caster. Each setting should be
adjusted only slightly between testings to avoid dramatic
changes to handling. As well, these settings can
negatively affect tire wear, so consider running different
setups on longer races where tire wear is a factor.
CAMBER
Camber deals with the tilt of the wheels when viewed
from the face of the car. Wheels with the tops tilted
inward have negative camber, while wheels with the
tops tilted outward have positive camber. There's
generally no racing application for positive camber,
though some degree of negative camber can help
cornering. As the car hits hard into a corner, centrifugal
force will naturally roll the weight of the vehicle
outwards. Negative camber helps keep the tire flat on
the asphalt during this weight transfer. However, too much negative camber will prevent the tires from sitting flat during
straight acceleration and braking, reducing grip in those situations.
TOE
Toe is the tilted angle of the wheels when viewed from above the car. Positive toe moves the fronts of the wheels inward
together, while negative toe has the fronts of the wheels pointed outward, away from each other. The effects of toe are
limited, other than affecting tire wear, though a little positive toe can give the characteristic of understeer, while a little
negative toe can give the characteristic of oversteer.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
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CASTER
Caster is the angle of the steering relative to the wheels.
Imagine the front forks on a bicycle wheel. Typically, the
front forks point forwards from the handle bars (the
steering). This angle of the steering, in both bicycles and
cars, is known as positive caster.
Positive caster will naturally center the direction of the
wheels, lending some stability to straight-line driving. As
well, some degree of positive caster can help in
cornering. During hard cornering, the suspension of the
front wheels compresses and the wheels naturally take
on a negative camber which, as we described earlier,
helps grip in the corners. This effect is enhanced by
positive caster.
However, too much positive caster will make the car
fight cornering. Because of the natural tendency of
wheels with positive caster to center themselves, too much positive caster will make a fight of turning the wheels into
corners.
Anti-Roll Bars
Anti-roll bars increase the vehicle's rigidity and stability under hard cornering by effectively tying together the left and
right sides of the vehicle. Hard corners will cause the body of a car to roll away from the turn. You can adjust the
stiffness of anti-roll bars to counter the body roll and tweak the cornering characteristics of your vehicle.
Generally, increasing front anti-roll bar stiffness will also increase the tendency to understeer. Conversely, increasing the
stiffness of the rear anti-roll bars will increase the tendency to oversteer. It's a good idea to tweak the stiffness to an
even level that suits the vehicle before adjusting for understeer or oversteer. When it comes time for the fine-tuning, it's
often better to soften the anti-roll bars to correct understeer and oversteer rather than stiffen. If the anti-roll bars are too
stiff, you'll get some instability on rough roads and hairiness in tight corners where the inside tires may lift off the ground.
Tires &
Gearing
Alignment &
Anti-Roll Bars
Springs, Damping,
Aero & Braking
Differential
Upgrades
Springs
Most vehicles come from the factory with fairly soft
springs made to deal with rough public roads. On the
track, however, the range of lumpy road surfaces is
much narrower. The generally smoother track surfaces
make suspension stiffening a very helpful adjustment in
the corners. However, like all things in tuning, too much
of anything will negatively impact your lap times.
Stiffer suspension will better control suspension travel
and the always-changing nature of your wheel camber.
By holding wheel camber more constant, you can
effectively keep the tires flat against the pavement for
improved grip. Too much suspension travel will cause
the camber angle to change—since suspension does
not travel straight upward, but rather in an arc—which
will result in vastly different levels of grip depending on
the weight balance of the vehicle at any given moment.
Though as we mentioned, too much suspension
As suspension load increases, the wheel travels into the
stiffness can be a bad thing. Too-stiff suspension will not
vehicle in an upward arc. Too much travel (from too soft
have the travel necessary to properly deal with
suspension) results in vastly different wheel camber
depending on suspension load.
imperfections in the road surface. Slight bumps in the
road will then cause the tires to skip and lose traction.
As such, stiffening the front suspension too much can cause understeer, while stiffening the rear suspension too much
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 11
can cause oversteer. Conversely, you can reduce understeer and oversteer by softening the front and rear suspension,
respectively.
RIDE
HEIGHT
Ride height is another adjustment you can make to the suspension. Generally, you want as low a ride height as possible
without bottoming out the suspension on rough roads and under heavy weight transfer. However, balancing the front
and rear ride height can let you play with your vehicle's center of gravity. A higher ride height in the rear will shift the
car's center of gravity forward, which may help front tire grip.
Damping
While spring stiffness determines how much travel is in the suspension, dampers, also known as shocks, control the rate
at which a vehicle's springs oscillate. Picture hitting a large bump at high speed in a standard road-going vehicle. After
the bump, the car's suspension will continue to oscillate, bouncing up and down as the springs settle back down to their
normal state. While this oscillation is good for driver comfort on public roads, it's not so desirable on the race track. The
fluctuating weight balance during such oscillation can make tire grip unsteady, fluctuating with the suspension travel.
Stiffer shocks will control the oscillation of the suspension for a steadier weight balance. As well, stiffer springs will
increase the speed of weight transfer, letting you more quickly and predictably redistribute the weight of the car with
acceleration and braking. However, too-stiff shocks can overpower the springs, reducing their effectiveness at dealing
with imperfections in the road and contributing to a loss of traction on uneven road surfaces, including bumps, dips and
rumble strips.
Aero
Aerodynamic downforce acts as added weight, pushing down on either end of the vehicle to enhance the traction of the
tires. Note that the effect of downforce increases with speed, and at low speeds downforce has little if any effect. Add
downforce to the front of the car and you'll effectively give the front tires some added traction at speed. Add downforce
to the rear of the car and you'll boost the grip of the rear tires at speed.
However, the benefits of downforce come at a cost. As we said, downforce effectively adds weight to the vehicle, which
limits top-end speed and acceleration. Increase downforce sparingly to correct for understeer and oversteer tendencies,
especially in powerful rear-wheel-driven vehicles that tend to break loose over sweeping high-speed turns.
Braking
Generally, you want braking to be even between the front and rear wheels. However, as you make changes via
upgrades and other tuning, you may offset the balance of braking. If you find that the vehicle tends to understeer or
oversteer under braking, you may have a braking imbalance.
You can correct for some amount of braking oversteer by moving the braking balance forward. Conversely, you can
correct some understeer by moving the braking balance rearward. Too much braking balance to the rear, however, will
upset stability under braking, while too much forward braking will contribute to understeer. Look for a neutral balance in
the braking so that you feel neither understeer nor unsteady oversteer under hard braking conditions.
Tires &
Gearing
Alignment &
Anti-Roll Bars
Springs, Damping,
Aero & Braking
Differential
Upgrades
Differential
A differential splits power between the left and right halves of a car's driven axle(s) and allows either half of the axle to
rotate at a different speed than the other. Letting both axle halves rotate independently—thus rotating the two wheels at
different speeds—is necessary for maintaining traction in a turn. In corners, the wheel on the inside will naturally rotate
less than the wheel on the outside as the inside wheel travels a shorter distance. Without the allowed slip of a
differential, the wheels would be locked into the same rotational speed and either the inside or the outside wheel would
skip and lose traction.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 12
Notice that the line on the inside of the turn—where the inside wheel travels—is much shorter than the line on the outside of the
turn, where the outside wheel travels. Because of this difference in distance, a differential is required to allow the wheels to spin at
different speeds to maintain optimal traction.
Performance vehicles have a special type of differential, called limited-slip. A limited-slip differential (LSD) does what it
says—it limits the slip allowed by the differential. Remember, the slip of the differential is what allows the wheels to
rotate at different speeds. However, there is a limit to this benefit, and an LSD helps by locking the rotation of both
wheels at a certain level of slip. Slip is good for cornering, but not for acceleration and braking.
When traveling in a straight line, as in under hard acceleration or braking, you want both wheels rotating at the same
speed. A limited-slip differential makes this happen. Increasing the acceleration and deceleration rates of the differential
will make the LSD lock the wheels together sooner. Decreasing the rates will allow for more differential slip before the
LSD kicks in.
Increasing the acceleration rate of the differential in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle will tend to make more oversteer as you
exit a corner, hard on the accelerator. Increasing the acceleration rate of the differential in a front-wheel-drive vehicle
will, conversely, contribute to added understeer as you accelerate out of a corner, as the wheels lock together and begin
to lose traction under acceleration. Too low a setting in either drivetrain configuration will result in decreased
acceleration and braking efficiency. Keep the LSD settings relatively high without adding to your vehicle's natural
tendency to oversteer or understeer. If you find the car tends to lose traction to the powered wheels as you accelerate
out of a corner, consider lowering the setting of the LSD.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 13
Tires &
Gearing
Alignment &
Anti-Roll Bars
Springs, Damping,
Aero & Braking
Differential
Upgrades
Picking Upgrades
When purchasing upgrades, it's pretty obvious which
parts are better. The more the cost, the higher the gains
and the further to the right on the list they are, the better
the parts—that's a no brainer. But what makes part
choosing difficult is trying to stay within car class
restrictions. As you purchase upgrades for your vehicle,
you affect the class rating of the car. Higher class
vehicles will naturally be better performers than others,
but many races restrict how high your class can be. If a
particular race limits you to racing C-Class vehicles only,
you'll want to put together the beefiest C-Class car you
can muster without taking the upgrades too far and
bringing the car to a B-Class.
Generally speaking, the upgrades that most affect your vehicle class are power upgrades, weight reduction and
changing tires to a stickier compound. Upgrades to other areas of your vehicle will generally result in very minor
changes to your class rating (sometimes none at all), though that doesn't make their effects less valuable. For example,
upgrading your brakes hardly affects your class rating, but having a better set of stoppers can dramatically improve your
lap times.
Carefully choose upgrades that will only minorly affect your class rating. If you find that you've broken the limit of your
class, you can remove some upgrades or make some upgrades that negatively impact your class rating. Making
changes to a number of Body and Aero parts will actually drop your class rating slightly. And while these changes may
hurt your top-end speed, it won't matter on most courses—in fact, you may gain a decent handling boost in the upgrade.
Parts Guide
The below chart gives an overview of how each purchased upgrade will affect your class rating.
Key
-
+
++
+++
++++
-001 ~
-005
+001 ~
+015
+016 ~
+040
+041 ~
+090
+091 ~
+200
Air Filter
-
+
++
+++
++++
+5 hp ~ 14 hp
Intake Man. / Throttle B.
-
+
++
+++
++++
+12 hp ~ +19 hp
Fuel System
-
+
++
+++
++++
+6 hp ~ +21 hp
Ignition
-
+
++
+++
++++
+5 hp ~ +17 hp
Exhaust
-
+
++
+++
++++
+7 hp ~ +23 hp
Camshaft
-
+
++
+++
++++
+13 hp ~ +50 hp
Valves
-
+
++
+++
++++
+5 hp ~ +16 hp
Displacement
-
+
++
+++
++++
+9 hp ~ +30 hp
.
Effect
Engine and Power
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 14
Pistons and Compress.
-
+
++
+++
++++
+6 hp ~ +2 0hp
Oil and Cooling
-
+
++
+++
++++
+3 hp ~ +10 hp
Flywheel
-
+
++
+++
++++
-2 lbs ~ -8 lbs
Brakes
-
+
++
+++
++++
+1% eff ~ +5% eff
Springs and Dampers
-
+
++
+++
++++
-0.27 in ~ -1.33 in
Front Anti-roll Bars
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Rear Anti-roll Bars
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Chassis Rein. / Roll Cage
-
+
++
+++
++++
+37 lbs
Weight Reduction
-
+
++
+++
++++
-47 lbs ~ -356 lbs
Clutch
-
+
++
+++
++++
-0.05 s shift ~ -0.11 s shift
Transmission
-
+
++
+++
++++
-0.04 s shift ~ -0.15 s shift
Driveline
-
+
++
+++
++++
-2.1 lbs ~ -13.9 lbs
Differential
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Tire Compound
-
+
++
+++
++++
+0.07 grip ~ +0.13 grip
Front Tire Width
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Rear Tire Width
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Front Bumper
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Rear Wing
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Rear Bumper
-
+
++
+++
++++
--- ~ ---
Side Skirts
-
+
++
+++
++++
-1% drag
Platform and Handling
Drivetrain
Tires and Rims
Aero and Appearance
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 15
Conversion
Engine Swap
-
+
++
+++
++++
+122 hp ~ +142 hp
Aspiration Conversion
-
+
++
+++
++++
+34 hp ~ +21hp
Note: This chart was made using upgrades for the rear-wheel-drive Mazda MX-5 Gen 3. You may see some slight variation with
upgrades for other cars, though the general principles to upgrading still apply.
Forza Motorsport 3 Career Mode
«
Career Mode Tips
Driver Level Rewards
»
Career Mode Tips
YOUR
FIRST
CAR
The good news: You don't have to spend a dime on your
first car. The bad news: Your selection is pretty weak.
None of the cars offered at first could be considered fast,
and some are among the most loathsome cars on the
market. But two cars stand out above other others. Both
the Ford Fiesta and the Honda Fit have some semblance
of performance legitimacy, sporting eager handling
characteristics and light weight. No, they're not fast in a
straight line, but neither is your competition. Pick one of
those two cars to start and you'll be headin' the right
direction.
DON'T WASTE
UPGRADES
MONEY
ON
As you start winning races, you may get eager to spend money on upgrades. Fight this urge. Your first car will become
very useless very quickly, so it's not worth putting money into it. Early in the game, you earn so many free cars and
move between such a variety of race events that money spent on upgrades is essentialy wasted. Save your cash,
because eventually you will need to buy something.
USE
FREE
CARS
Continuing the theme of fiscal conservatism, we advise
you not spend money on new cars unless necessary.
Through at least the first two race seasons, you can use
the cars you earn from leveling up your driver to compete
in more and more events. Do your best to pretend that you
don't have any money to spend on new cars—the longer
you ignore your bankroll, the bigger it'll get. You'll need the
money eventually when events require new and better cars
that you can't simply earn.
PICK
EVENTS
WISELY
In order to get by in the game's career mode without
spending money frivolously, you'll need to be careful about the events you choose to fill out your calendar. When you're
tasked with filling out your calendar, view the specifics of each potential event. Note which events earn you the most
money per race, and which require vehicles you don't already own. Even if you've got a car that's eligible, it may not be
fit for competition. For example, we weren't paying attention and entered a high speed circuit event—while our car was
competitive on tight courses with lots of turns, it maxed out at a low top speed and had no chance of winning.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 16
ASSISTS
&
DIFFICULTY
When you first start the game, you're asked a vague question about how serious you want your racing experience. Your
answer to the question dictates the various racing assists that are enabled for you by default, but you can make
adjustments to these settings once you're on the main career mode menu (choose "Set Difficulty"). By disabling assists,
you can boost the amount of money you earn from every race, which helps not only your bank account but also your
driver level. Some of the assists are very helpful, but some are very expendable. Here's a quick breakdown of the lot.
autobrake
Uhh, turn it off. It's an easy +10% to your take home after a race and we find its use
fairly dubious unless you are painfully new to the game.
anti-lock brakes
ABS, or anti-lock braking system, is pretty useful in Forza. It's easy to lock up your
tires when braking hard into a turn, and that'll significantly increase your braking
distances (a bad thing) and reduce your steering control of the car (a terrible thing).
Turning off anti-lock brakes gives you +15% to your pay, but we think it's worth
keeping on.
stability control
Stability control isn't terribly useful, which is why you only get +5% to your payouts
by disabling it. Unless you're having a lot of trouble keeping your car under control,
we suggest leaving stability control disabled.
traction control
You'll find traction control very useful as you power out of corners with highhorsepower cars. But early in the game, as you're using low-powered vehicles,
traction control isn't terribly necessary. As well, traction control on an AWD car is
sort-of-kind-of redundant. We think the +10% to your pay is worth disabling traction
control, though consider reenabling the assist when you get into a race that requires
an unruly vehicle like a Corvette or other powerful, rear-drive ride.
shifting
This is a matter of preference. If you can manage a manual shift, it's certainly worth
the +10% to your take home pay. But if you're not used to shifting your racing
games, trying to learn manual shift during a career run will likely cost you way more
money than it'll earn.
suggested line
The most important part of the suggested line is the braking bit, so we suggest
instantly flipping the assist to "braking only" for a free +5% to your pay. When you're
new to the game and don't know the tracks very well, the braking line will help
prepare you for corners. But as you learn the tracks and commit them to memory,
you can disable the braking line for the full +15% to your pay.
opponent difficulty
This setting depends completely on your skill. Experiment with higher difficulty
settings to see how you stack up. If you're having trouble with a particular event, you
can drop the difficulty to get through the challenge and then bump it back up so that
future events earn you more pay.
damage, fuel, tire wear
Set to "limited," you won't feel much affect from damage, fuel and tire wear in any of
the game's early events. Only once you get to long endurance events will you really
start to feel the pains of accumulated damage and forced pit stops. As long as
you've got a decent grasp of the game's physics, you can bump up the damage
setting to "simulation" and benefit from the +15% pay while paying a bit more for
repairs, but when it comes to longer events you should consider dropping the setting
and taking a cut in cash.
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 17
«
Career Mode Tips
»
Driver Level Rewards
Driver Level Rewards
Lv.
Manufacturer
Car Name
Year
Rank
01
FIAT
Abarth 500 esseesse
2010
E 207
02
Alfa Romeo
Brera Italia Independent
2009
E 223
03
Volkswagen
Scirocco GTI
2009
D 283
04
Renault
Sport Clio V6l
2003
D 312
05
Ford
Forcus RS
2009
C 354
06
Vauxhall
VX220 Turbo
2004
C 397
07
Ford
Shelby GT500
2007
B 434
08
Maserati
GranTurismo
2008
B 435
09
Chevrolet
Camaro SS
2010
B 436
10
Lotus
Exige Cup 240
2006
B 457
11
BMW Motorsport
M5 E360
2009
B 455
12
Lexus
IS F
2009
B 466
13
SEAT
Leon Supercup
2007
B 471
14
Honda
NSX-R GT
2005
B 474
15
Ferrari
California
2009
B 488
16
Jaguar
XKR-S
2009
B 486
17
BMW Motorsport
M3-GTR
2002
B 499
18
Peugeot
207 Super 2000
2007
A 536
19
Alfa Romeo
8C Competizione
2008
A 541
20
Audi
R8 5.2 FSI quattro
2010
A 558
21
Ford
Ford GT
2005
A 557
22
Mercedes-Benz
SL 65 AMG Black Series
2009
A 548
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 18
23
TVR
Sagaris
2005
A565
24
Porsche
911 GT2 (997)
2008
A 551
25
Lamborghini
Reventon
2008
S 610
26
Nissan
MINE'S R34 Skyline GT-R
2002
S 616
27
Ferrari
599 GTB Fiorano
2006
S 631
28
Lamborghini
Miura Concept
2006
S 620
29
Dodge
Viper SRT10 ACR
2008
S 649
30
Bugatti
Veyron 16.4
2009
S 700
31
Holden
#2 Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore VE
2009
R3 717
32
Ferrari
#62 Risi Competizione F430GT
2006
R3 749
33
Porsche
#45 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
2008
R3 742
34
BMW Motorsport
#92 Rahal Letterman Racing M3 GT2
2009
R3 743
35
Ferrari
FXX
2005
R3 789
36
Chevrolet
#4 Corvette Racing C6.R
2007
R2 828
37
Nissan
#23 XANAVI NISMO GT-R
2003
R2 825
38
Aston Martin
#007 Aston Martin Racing DBR9
2006
R2 828
39
Lexus
#6 ENEOS SC430
2008
R2 831
40
Koenigsegg
CCGT
2008
R2 855
41
McLaren
#43 Team BMW Motorsport McLaren F1 GTR
1997
R2 842
42
Maserati
#15 JMB Racing MC12
2005
R2 843
43
Porsche
#26 Porsche AG 911 GT1-98
1998
R2 849
44
Saleen
#2 Konrad Motorsports S7R
2003
R2 844
45
Porsche
#7 Penske Racing RS Spyder Evo
2008
R1 952
46
Mazda
#16 Dyson Racing B09/86
2009
R1 943
47
Audi
#2 Audi Sport North America R8
2006
R1 938
48
Acura
#66 de Ferran Motorsports ARX-02a
2009
R1 984
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 19
49
Audi
50
Peugeot
#8 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 TDI
2006
R1 978
#9 Peugeot Sport Total 908
2009
R1 995
Forza Motorsport 3 Car List
Car List
Manufacturer
Car Name
Year
Etc.
Acura
#15 Lowe's Fernandez ARX-01b
2008
Disc 1
Acura
#26 Andretti-Green Racing ARX-01b
2008
Disc 1
Acura
#42 Realtime Racing NSX
2002
Disc 1
Acura
#66 de Ferran Mortorsports ARX-01b
2008
Disc 1
Acura
#66 de Ferran Mortorsports ARX-02a
2009
Disc 1
Acura
NSX
2005
Disc 1
Acura
RSX Type-S
2002
Disc 1
Acura
Integra Type-R
2001
Disc 2
Acura
NSX
1997
Disc 2
Acura
Forza Motorsport NSX
2005
Limited CE
Alfa Romeo
8C Competizione
2007
Disc 1
Alfa Romeo
Brera Italia Independent
2009
Disc 1
Alfa Romeo
Mito
2008
Disc 1
Aston Martin
#007 Aston Martin Racing DBR9
2006
Disc 1
Aston Martin
#008 Bell Motorsports DBR9
2008
Disc 1
Aston Martin
#009 Aston Martin Racing DBR9
2008
Disc 1
Aston Martin
Forza Motorsport DB9 Coupe
2005
Limited CE
Aston Martin
DB9 Coupe
2005
Disc 1
Aston Martin
V12 Vanquish
2001
Disc 2
Aston Martin
DBS
2008
VIP Member
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 20
Audi
#1 Champion RS 6
2003
Disc 1
Audi
#2 Audi Sport North America R10 TDI
2008
Disc 1
Audi
#2 FSI Champion Racing R8
2006
Disc 1
Audi
#8 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 TDI
2006
Disc 1
Audi
A4 Touring Car
2008
Disc 1
Audi
Q7 V12 TDI
2009
Disc 1
Audi
R8 5.2 FSI quattro
2010
Disc 1
Audi
RS 4
2006
Disc 1
Audi
RS 6
2003
Disc 1
Audi
S4
2000
Disc 1
Audi
S4
2004
Disc 1
Audi
S5
2007
Disc 1
Audi
Sport Quattro
1983
Disc 1
Audi
TT Coupe 3.2 quattro
2004
Disc 1
Audi
TT Coupe S-Line
2007
Disc 1
Audi
#1 Champion S4 Competition
2002
Disc 2
Audi
#4 Johansson Motorsport R8
2001
Disc 2
Audi
#5 Audi Sport Japan Team Goh R8
2004
Disc 2
Audi
#8 Audi ABT TT-R
2004
Disc 2
Audi
R8
2008
Disc 2
Audi
Forza Motorsport R8 5.2 FSI quattro
2010
Limited CE
Audi
R8 5.2 Community Edition
2010
Preorder
Bentley
Continental GT
2004
Disc 1
Bentley
#7 Team Bentley Speed 8
2003
Disc 2
BMW Motorsport
135i Coupe
2009
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
3.0 CSL
1971
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 21
BMW Motorsport
#6 Prototype Technology Group M3-GTR
2001
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
#92 Rahal Letterman Racing M3 GT2
2009
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
M3 E36
1997
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
M3 E46 Coupe
2005
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
M3 E30
1991
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
M3 E92
2008
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
M3-GTR
2002
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
M5 E60
2009
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
X5 xDrive48i
2009
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
Z4 M Coupe
2008
Disc 1
BMW Motorsport
#15 BMW Motorsport V12 LMR
1999
Disc 2
BMW Motorsport
#2 BMW Motorsport M3-GTR
2005
Disc 2
BMW Motorsport
Walmart M5 E60
2009
Preorder
BMW Motorsport
GameStop M5 E60
2009
Preorder
BMW Motorsport
GAME M3 E92
2009
Preorder
BMW Motorsport
MicroMania M5 E60
2009
Preorder
Bugatti
Veyron 16.4
2009
Disc 1
Buick
Regal GNX
1987
Disc 2
Cadillac
#8 Remington Shaving CTS-V
2008
Disc 1
Cadillac
CTS-V
2009
Disc 1
Cadillac
#16 Team Cadillac CTS-V
2004
Disc 2
Cadillac
#6 Team Cadillac Northstar LMP-02
2002
Disc 2
Cadillac
CTS-V
2004
Disc 2
Chevrolet
#3 Corvette Racing C5.R
2004
Disc 1
Chevrolet
#31 Whelen Engineering Corvette Z06
2005
Disc 1
Chevrolet
#4 Corvette Racing C6.R
2006
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 22
Chevrolet
#4 Corvette Racing C6.R
2007
Disc 1
Chevrolet
#50 Corvette Racing C5.R
2003
Disc 1
Chevrolet
#73 3R-Racing Corvette Z06
2003
Disc 1
Chevrolet
#99 Tiger Racing Corvette Z06
2005
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Aveo5 LT
2009
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Camaro 35th Anniversary SS
2002
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Camaro IROC-Z
1990
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Camaro SS
2010
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Camaro SS Coupe
1969
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Camaro Z28
1969
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Camaro Z28
1979
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Chevelle SS-454
1970
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Cobalt SS Coupe
2005
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Corvette Z06
2002
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Corvette Z06
2006
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Monte Carlo SS Stock Car
2008
Disc 1
Chevrolet
Corvette Grand Sport
1996
Disc 2
Chevrolet
Corvette Stingray 427
1967
Disc 2
Chevrolet
Corvette ZR-1
1970
Disc 2
Chevrolet
Corvette ZR1
2009
VIP Member
Chrysler
300C SRT-8
2008
Disc 1
Chrysler
Crossfire SRT6
2006
Disc 1
Chrysler
Plymouth Barracuda Formula-S
1968
Disc 1
Chrysler
PT Cruiser GT
2004
Disc 2
Chrysler
Eagle Talon TSi Turbo
1998
Disc 2
Citroen
C4 VTS
2009
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 23
Dodge
#1 Team Zakspeed Viper GTS-R
2002
Disc 1
Dodge
#11 Primetime Racing Group Viper Competition Coupe
2008
Disc 1
Dodge
#2 Mopar Viper Competition Coupe
2008
Disc 1
Dodge
#22 3R-Racing Viper Competition Coupe
2004
Disc 1
Dodge
#23 Magellan Financial Viper Competition Coupe
2003
Disc 1
Dodge
Challenger R/T Hemi
1970
Disc 1
Dodge
Challenger SRT-8
2009
Disc 1
Dodge
Charger R/T
1969
Disc 1
Dodge
Charger SRT8
2006
Disc 1
Dodge
Charger Stock Car
2008
Disc 1
Dodge
Ram SRT-10
2006
Disc 1
Dodge
Viper Competition Coupe
2003
Disc 1
Dodge
Viper SRT10
2003
Disc 1
Dodge
Viper SRT10 ACR
2008
Disc 1
Dodge
#126 Team Zakspeed Viper GTS-R
2003
Disc 2
Dodge
#57 Carsport Holland Viper GTS-R
2000
Disc 2
Dodge
#91 Viper Team Oreca GTS-R
2000
Disc 2
Dodge
SRT4
2003
Disc 2
Dodge
Stealth R/T Turbo
1996
Disc 2
Dodge
Viper GTS ACR
1999
Disc 2
Dodge
Xbox 360 Charger Stock Car
2008
Limited CE
Ferrari
#11 Larbre Competition 550 Maranello GTS
2005
Disc 1
Ferrari
250 GTO
1964
Disc 1
Ferrari
#30 MOMO Doran Racing F333 SP
1998
Disc 1
Ferrari
330 P4
1967
Disc 1
Ferrari
F355 Berlinetta
1994
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 24
Ferrari
F355 Challenge
1995
Disc 1
Ferrari
360 Modena
1999
Disc 1
Ferrari
Challenge Stradale
2003
Disc 1
Ferrari
512 TR
1991
Disc 1
Ferrari
575M Maranello
2002
Disc 1
Ferrari
599 GTB Fiorano
2006
Disc 1
Ferrari
612 Scaglietti
2004
Disc 1
Ferrari
#62 Risi Competizione F430GT
2006
Disc 1
Ferrari
#71 Tafel Racing F430GT
2008
Disc 1
Ferrari
#88 Veloqx / Prodrive Racing 550 Maranello
2003
Disc 1
Ferrari
#90 Farnbacher Racing F430GT
2008
Disc 1
Ferrari
California
2009
Disc 1
Ferrari
Dino 246 GT
1969
Disc 1
Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
2002
Disc 1
Ferrari
F40
1987
Disc 1
Ferrari
F40 Competizione
1989
Disc 1
Ferrari
F430
2004
Disc 1
Ferrari
F50
1995
Disc 1
Ferrari
F50 GT
1996
Disc 1
Ferrari
FXX
2005
Disc 1
Ferrari
GTO
1984
Disc 1
Ferrari
#12 Risi Competizione F333 SP
1998
Disc 2
Ferrari
#72 Team Alphand Aventures 550 Maranello GTS
2003
Disc 2
Ferrari
430 Scuderia
2007
VIP Member
Fiat
500 Abarth SS
2010
Disc 1
Ford
Shelby GT500
2007
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 25
Ford
#1 TeamVodafone FG Falcon
2009
Disc 1
Ford
#10 Tiger Racing Mustang
2004
Disc 1
Ford
#25 Britek Motorsport FG Falcon
2009
Disc 1
Ford
#5 Ford Performance Racing FG Falcon
2009
Disc 1
Ford
#9 Stone Brothers Racing FG Falcon
2009
Disc 1
Ford
Fiesta Zetec S
2009
Disc 1
Ford
Focus RS
2009
Disc 1
Ford
Focus ST
2006
Disc 1
Ford
Focus SVT
2003
Disc 1
Ford
Fusion Stock Car
2008
Disc 1
Ford
Ford GT
2005
Disc 1
Ford
Mustang Boss 429
1970
Disc 1
Ford
Mustang Cobra R
2000
Disc 1
Ford
Mustang SVT Cobra R
1993
Disc 1
Ford
RS200 Evolution
1985
Disc 1
Ford
GT40 MkII
1966
Disc 2
Ford
Mustang GT
2005
Disc 2
Holden
#2 Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore VE
2009
Disc 1
Holden
#33 Garry Rogers Team Commodore VE
2009
Disc 1
Holden
#39 Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore VE
2009
Disc 1
Holden
#51 Sprint Gas Racing Commodore VE
2009
Disc 1
Honda
#18 TAKATA DOME NSX
2005
Disc 1
Honda
#8 ARTA NSX
2005
Disc 1
Honda
Mugen Civic Type-R
2004
Disc 1
Honda
Civic Si Coupe
2006
Disc 1
Honda
Civic Type-R
2007
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 26
Honda
CR-X SiR
1991
Disc 1
Honda
Fit Sport
2009
Disc 1
Honda
Mugen Integra Type-R
2002
Disc 1
Honda
Integra Type-R
2000
Disc 1
Honda
Integra Type-R
2002
Disc 1
Honda
NSX-R
1992
Disc 1
Honda
NSX-R GT
2005
Disc 1
Honda
S2000
2003
Disc 1
Honda
#16 G'ZOX NSX
2003
Disc 2
Honda
Civic Type-R
2004
Disc 2
Honda
Civic Si Coupe
1999
Disc 2
Honda
Civic 1.5 VTi
1994
Disc 2
Honda
CR-X Del Sol SiR
1995
Disc 2
Honda
NSX-R
2005
Disc 2
Honda
Prelude SiR
2000
Disc 2
Hyundai
Genesis Coupe
2010
Disc 1
Hyundai
Tuscani Elisa
2003
Disc 1
Infiniti
G37 Coupe Sport
2008
Disc 1
Infiniti
G35 Coupe
2003
Disc 2
Jaguar
XKR-S
2009
Disc 1
Jaguar
E-type S1
1961
Disc 2
Jaguar
XJ220
1993
Disc 2
Koenigsegg
CCGT
2008
Disc 1
Koenigsegg
CC8S
2002
Disc 2
Lamborghini
Countach LP5000 QV
1988
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Diablo GTR
1999
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 27
Lamborghini
Diablo SV
1997
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Gallardo
2005
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Miura Concept
2006
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Murcielago
2005
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Murcielago LP640
2007
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Reventon
2008
Disc 1
Lamborghini
Gallardo Superleggera
2007
VIP Member
Lancia
Delta Integrale EVO
1992
Disc 2
Lancia
Stratos HF Stradale
1974
Disc 2
Lexus
IS300
2003
Disc 1
Lexus
IS350
2006
Disc 1
Lexus
IS F
2009
Disc 1
Lexus
SC430
2002
Disc 1
Lexus
#25 ECLIPSE ADVAN SC430
2008
Disc 1
Lexus
#36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430
2008
Disc 1
Lexus
#6 ENEOS SC430
2008
Disc 1
Lotus
Elise 111S
2005
Disc 1
Lotus
Evora
2009
Disc 1
Lotus
Exige Cup 240
2006
Disc 1
Lotus
Carlton
1989
Disc 2
Lotus
Elan Sprint
1972
Disc 2
Lotus
Esprit V8
2002
Disc 2
Range Rover Supercharged
2008
Disc 1
Maserati
#15 JMB Racing MC12
2005
Disc 1
Maserati
GranTurismo
2008
Disc 1
Maserati
MC12
2004
Disc 1
Land Rover
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 28
Maserati
#35 Risi Competizione MC12
2005
Disc 2
Maserati
#9 Vitaphone Racing Team MC12
2005
Disc 2
Maserati
GranSport
2006
Disc 2
Mazda
#16 Dyson Racing B09/86
2009
Disc 1
Mazda
Mazdaspeed 3
2009
Disc 1
Mazda
Miata
1994
Disc 1
Mazda
MX-5 Roadster Coupe
2007
Disc 1
Mazda
Mazdaspeed Roadster
2001
Disc 1
Mazda
RX-7
1997
Disc 1
Mazda
RX-7 Spirit R Type-A
2002
Disc 1
Mazda
RX-8 Mazdaspeed
2004
Disc 1
Mazda
Axela Sport 23S
2005
Disc 2
Mazda
Mazdaspeed Familia
2001
Disc 2
Mazda
Savanna RX-7
1990
Disc 2
McLaren
#43 Team BMW Motorsport McLaren F1 GTR
1997
Disc 1
McLaren
F1 GT
1997
Disc 1
McLaren
#41 Team McLaren F1 GTR
1997
Disc 2
McLaren
#41 Gulf Team Davidoff McLaren F1 GTR
1998
Disc 2
Mercedes
A200 Turbo Coupe
2009
Disc 1
Mercedes
C32 AMG
2004
Disc 1
Mercedes
C-Class Touring Car
2009
Disc 1
Mercedes
ML 63 AMG
2009
Disc 1
Mercedes
SL 65 AMG Black Series
2009
Disc 1
Mercedes
SLR
2005
Disc 1
Mercedes
300SL Gullwing Coupe
1954
Disc 2
Mercedes
CLK55 AMG Coupe
2003
Disc 2
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 29
AMG Mercedes CLK GTR
1998
Disc 2
MINI
Cooper S
2003
Disc 1
MINI
John Cooper Works
2009
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
Eclipse GT
2006
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
HKS Time Attack Evolution
2006
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution IX MR
2006
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution VI GSR
1999
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution VIII MR
2004
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution X GSR
2008
Disc 1
Mitsubishi
Eclipse GSX
1995
Disc 2
Mitsubishi
Eclipse GTS
2003
Disc 2
Mitsubishi
FTO GP Version R
1998
Disc 2
Mitsubishi
GTO
1997
Disc 2
Mitsubishi
GameStation Lancer Evolution X GSR
2008
Preorder
Nissan
#12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R
2008
Disc 1
Nissan
#12 CALSONIC SKYLINE
2003
Disc 1
Nissan
#23 XANAVI NISMO GT-R
2008
Disc 1
Nissan
#24 WOODONE ADVAN Clarion GT-R
2008
Disc 1
Nissan
#3 YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R
2008
Disc 1
Nissan
370Z
2010
Disc 1
Nissan
Datsun 510
1970
Disc 1
Nissan
Fairlady Z
2003
Disc 1
Nissan
Fairlady Z Version S Twin Turbo
1994
Disc 1
Nissan
Sentra SE-R Spec V
2007
Disc 1
Nissan
Silvia CLUB K's
1992
Disc 1
Nissan
Silvia K's
1994
Disc 1
Mercedes
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 30
Nissan
Silvia Spec-R
2000
Disc 1
Nissan
Skyline GT-R V-Spec
1993
Disc 1
Nissan
Skyline GT-R V-Spec
1997
Disc 1
Nissan
Skyline GT-R V-Spec II
2002
Disc 1
Nissan
MINE'S R34 Skyline GT-R
2002
Disc 1
Nissan
Top Secret D1-Spec S15
2000
Disc 1
Nissan
Versa SL
2009
Disc 1
Nissan
#23 XANAVI NISMO GT-R
2003
Disc 2
Nissan
#23 Nissan Motorsports R390
1997
Disc 2
Nissan
#3 HASEMISPORT ENDLESS Z
2003
Disc 2
Nissan
#32 NISSAN R390 GT1
1998
Disc 2
Nissan
#46 Dream Cube's ADVAN Z
2005
Disc 2
Nissan
Fairlady Z 432
1969
Disc 2
Nissan
R390
1998
Disc 2
Nissan
Skyline Coupe 350GT
2003
Disc 2
Nissan
MINE'S R32 Skyline GT-R
1993
Disc 2
Nissan
Forza Motorsport Fairlady Z
2003
Limited CE
Opel
Speedster Turbo
2004
Disc 1
Opel
#5 OPC Team Phoenix Astra V8
2003
Disc 2
Pagani
#17 Carsport America Zonda GR
2003
Disc 1
Pagani
Zonda C12
1999
Disc 1
Panoz
#50 Panoz Motor Sports LMP-01
2002
Disc 1
Panoz
#51 Panoz Esperante GTLM
2005
Disc 1
Panoz
Esperante GTLM
2005
Disc 1
Panoz
#11 JML Team Panoz LMP-01
2003
Disc 2
Panoz
#81 Team LNT Panoz Esperante GTLM
2006
Disc 2
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 31
Peugeot
206 RC
2004
Disc 1
Peugeot
207 RC
2007
Disc 1
Peugeot
207 Super 2000
2007
Disc 1
Peugeot
#8 Peugeot Sport 908
2007
Disc 1
Peugeot
#9 Peugeot Sport Total 908
2009
Disc 1
Peugeot
#1 Peugeot 207 Super 2000
2007
Disc 2
Peugeot
#3 Peugeot Talbot Sport 905 EVO 1C
1993
Disc 2
Pontiac
G8 GXP
2009
Disc 1
Pontiac
Solstice
2006
Disc 1
Pontiac
Firebird Trans Am Ram Air
2002
Disc 1
Pontiac
Firebird Trans Am SD-455
1973
Disc 1
Pontiac
Firebird Trans Am GTA
1987
Disc 1
Pontiac
GTO
2004
Disc 2
Pontiac
GTO Hardtop
1968
Disc 2
Porsche
#16 Dyson Racing RS Spyder Evo
2008
Disc 1
Porsche
#17 Racing Porsche AG 962c
1987
Disc 1
Porsche
#2 Gruppe Orange Racing 911 GT3 Cup
2008
Disc 1
Porsche
#26 Porsche AG 911 GT1-98
1998
Disc 1
Porsche
#31 Peterson-White Lightning 911 GT3-RSR
2005
Disc 1
Porsche
#45 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
2008
Disc 1
Porsche
#5 XBOX 360 911 GT3-RSR
2005
Disc 1
Porsche
#55 Applied Materials 911 GT3 Cup
2005
Disc 1
Porsche
#66 AXA Racing 911 GT3 Cup
2005
Disc 1
Porsche
#7 Penske Racing RS Spyder Evo
2008
Disc 1
Porsche
#80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
2007
Disc 1
Porsche
#82 Red Bull 911 GT3 Cup
2006
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 32
Porsche
911 GT2
1995
Disc 1
Porsche
911 Turbo 3.3
1982
Disc 1
Porsche
914/6
1970
Disc 1
Porsche
944 Turbo
1989
Disc 1
Porsche
959
1987
Disc 1
Porsche
911 GT1
1998
Disc 1
Porsche
911 GT3 (996)
2004
Disc 1
Porsche
911 GT2 (997)
2008
Disc 1
Porsche
911 GT3 (997)
2007
Disc 1
Porsche
911 Turbo (997)
2007
Disc 1
Porsche
Boxster S
2003
Disc 1
Porsche
Carrera GT
2003
Disc 1
Porsche
911 Carrera RS
1973
Disc 1
Porsche
Cayenne Turbo S
2009
Disc 1
Porsche
Cayman S
2006
Disc 1
Porsche
#3 Lechner Racing School Team 1 911 GT3 Cup
2005
Disc 2
Porsche
#5 Zakspeed Racing 911 GT1-98
1998
Disc 2
Porsche
911 GT3 RS (997)
2007
VIP Member
Renault
5 Turbo
1980
Disc 1
Renault
Sport Clio V6 RS
2003
Disc 1
Renault
Clio Renaultsport 197
2007
Disc 1
Renault
Twingo Renault Sport Cup
2009
Disc 1
Saab
9-3 Turbo X
2008
Disc 1
Saab
9-3 Aero
2002
Disc 2
Saleen
#11 Graham Nash Motorsport S7R
2002
Disc 1
Saleen
#2 Konrad Motorsports S7R
2003
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 33
Saleen
S281 E
2006
Disc 1
Saleen
S331 Supercab
2008
Disc 1
Saleen
S7
2004
Disc 1
Saleen
#26 Konrad Motorsports S7R
2001
Disc 2
Saleen
S281
2000
Disc 2
Saturn
ION Red Line
2006
Disc 1
Saturn
Sky Red Line
2007
Disc 1
Scion
tC
2005
Disc 1
Scion
xD
2009
Disc 1
SEAT
Ibiza Cupra
2009
Disc 1
SEAT
Leon Cupra
2007
Disc 1
SEAT
Leon Supercup
2007
Disc 1
SEAT
Leon Cupra R
2003
Disc 2
Shelby
Mustang GT-500KR
1968
Disc 1
Shelby
Cobra 427 S/C
1965
Disc 2
Shelby
Series 1
1999
Disc 2
Subaru
#77 CUSCO SUBARU ADVAN IMPREZA
2003
Disc 1
Subaru
Impreza S204
2006
Disc 1
Subaru
Impreza WRX STi
2004
Disc 1
Subaru
Impreza WRX STI
2005
Disc 1
Subaru
Impreza WRX STi
2008
Disc 1
Subaru
Impreza 22B STi
1998
Disc 2
Subaru
Legacy B4 2.0 GT
2005
Disc 2
Toyota
Altezza RS200
2004
Disc 1
Toyota
Celica SS-I
2003
Disc 1
Toyota
Celica GT-Four ST205
1994
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 34
Toyota
Celica Supra
1984
Disc 1
Toyota
MR-S
2002
Disc 1
Toyota
Sprinter Trueno GT Apex
1985
Disc 1
Toyota
Supra RZ
1998
Disc 1
Toyota
Yaris S
2008
Disc 1
Toyota
2000GT
1969
Disc 2
Toyota
#25 ECLIPSE ADVAN SUPRA
2006
Disc 2
Toyota
#3 Toyota Motorsports GT-ONE TS020
199
Disc 2
Toyota
#35 Yellow Hat YMS Supra
2004
Disc 2
Toyota
#36 OPEN INTERFACE TOM'S SUPRA
2005
Disc 2
Toyota
#6 EXXON Superflo Supra
2005
Disc 2
Toyota
MR2 GT
1995
Disc 2
Toyota
Tom's T020 MR2
1995
Disc 2
Toyota
Tom's W123 MR-S
2002
Disc 2
Toyota
Soarer 430SCV
2002
Disc 2
Toyota
Supra 2.0 GT Twin Turbo
1992
Disc 2
Toyota
Top Secret 0-300 Supra
1998
Disc 2
TVR
Sagaris
2005
Disc 1
TVR
Cerbera Speed 12
1998
Disc 2
TVR
Tuscan S
2001
Disc 2
Vauxhall
Astra VXR
2006
Disc 1
Vauxhall
Corsa VXR
2009
Disc 1
Vauxhall
VX220 Turbo
2004
Disc 1
Vauxhall
Monaro VXR
2005
Disc 2
Volvo
C30 R-Design
2009
Disc 1
Volvo
S60 R
2004
Disc 1
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 35
#24 At-Speed S60 R
2004
Disc 2
Volkswagen
Bora VR6
2003
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Corrado VR6
1995
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Golf GTi
2006
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Golf GTI Mk6
2010
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Golf Gti 16v Mk2
1992
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Golf R32
2003
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Rabbit GTI
1984
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Scirocco GT
2008
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Touareg R50
2008
Disc 1
Volkswagen
Beetle
2004
Disc 2
Volvo
Forza Motorsport 3 Q & A
You've got questions, we've got answers. If you need help with something you didn't find
in our guide, please shoot us an e-mail question and we'll do our best to answer. We'll
publish the best and most common questions here.
QUESTION
Ask a question!
Which is the best car to start with?
ANSWER
All of the cars you get to choose from at the start are pretty slow. To make picking the best one
difficult, you don't get to see any specs on the cars, so unless you're a fan of cars you might be
picking blind. While none of the cars have a huge advantage, the Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit are
the two best vehicles of the bunch. They're just as low on power as the others, but both sport
commendable handling characteristics.
QUESTION
Whilst racing, if you press RIGHT on the D-PAD you get an image of your car. I get that as
your car gets more damaged, the image gets more red, but what are the consequences of
each section of the car being damaged?
ANSWER
The damage results in various effects, depending on the severity and location of the damage, as
well as your difficulty settings. You could lose steering ability, or greatly reduce the power of your
engine. Front end damage is most likely to affect your car's internals and overall performance.
Damage is reset at the end of the race, so it doesn't carry over to the next one.
Question submitted by Jack
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 36
QUESTION
ANSWER
Some cars say that they're avalible to VIP members only. What does that mean and how do
I become one?
From what I can tell, you have to have bought the Limited Collector's Edition of the game, which
comes with a code for becoming a VIP. I don't have an LCE version to check, sadly.
Question submitted by Greg
QUESTION
What causes me to be gridded in a certain position (so far 7th or 8th) at the start of a race?
It makes it hard to pass everyone to winin a short race.
ANSWER
Yeah, that's a problem with the early races. I was never able to find something that lets you qualify
for a better starting position. To make up for it, I just drove very aggressively and didn't feel bad
about diving inside corners and hitting the sides of other cars to pass.
Question submitted by Eddie
QUESTION
ANSWER
I'd like to know, between a turbocharger and supercharger, which to pick over the other
and why.
Depends on the particular car--but assuming both upgrades give you the same amount of
horsepower gain, you should also look at the dyno charts, which the game provides. Generally,
turbocharged cars suffer what's called "turbo lag." Since the turbochargers require exhaust to
spool up, you need to first get the engine up to speed before their effect really kicks in. This
means that the first part of your RPM range will not really get the benefit of the turbo, but once the
engine is up to speed you'll get a sudden kick of power as the turbocharger is spun up.
A supercharger is driven by the motor itself, so even at low RPM it's having an effect. If you look at
dyno charts, the line for a supercharged engine is usually more steady, with less steep an incline
than the sudden burst of power a turbocharger gives. A turbocharged dyno might look like a
normally aspirated dyno for the first few thousand RPM before quickly and steeply rising in
horsepower.
In general, given the same ultimate horsepower gains, a supercharger is preferred because it
affects more of your RPM range.
Question submitted by Matthew
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 37
QUESTION
ANSWER
Any pointers on passing? I know that out-braking an opponent is a big part of it, but it's
still hard for me to past unless my opponent makes a huge mistake. Or I can muscle my
way past them by pushing the rear end of their car from the inside of the corner, but I
regard this is cheating.
Passing can be tough, and in the really short races you sometimes have to be aggressive and
engage in what you call cheating (I hate it, too) since there's no time for patience. But when you
wanna race legit, out-braking is for sure a big part of passing. Take the inside line and slip in front
of the opponent, even if it means deviating from an ideal line. A lot of passing attempts will
actually slow you down, but it's less of a problem if you can also force the opponent to slow down
behind you. Get in the opponent's way--it's perfectly legit--by stuffing your car in front of him.
You can also get good passes coming out of slow turns and heading into long straights. Into the
slow turn, try to set yourself up so that you can get on the accelerator as soon as possible, which
sometimes requires going into the turn deeper than you normally would. You can frequently gain a
few MPH on the opponent as you exit the turn into the straight. Stay right behind the opponent to
draft and gain a further speed advantage. If you get it right, just a few MPH in your favor will let
you slip past the opponent, at least enough to stuff him in the next corner and force him to deviate.
Don't get too frustrated, though. In real racing, passing can be the most challenging aspect of an
event, especially if a given course doesn't have great passing spots. Patience is key/
Question submitted by Ryan
© 2009 IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Page 38