Despite the pandemic, the team behind Forza has been hard at work at a new version of the Horizon game. This time Forza Horizon 5 heads to Mexico in one of the most expansive driving worlds ever created for a video game system. Porsche is featured several times in the official launch trailer, so we expect the company to have a big presence in the game. While not the hero car — that falls to the Mercedes-AMG Project One — we did spot some quality machines.
Here they are in chronological order in the trailer.
1989 Porsche 911 Type 964 “Desert Flyer”
The “Desert Flyer.” Screenshot: Playground Games
Because the Horizon Festival is in Mexico, there’s tons of opportunities to off-road in the desert. Cameron Healy and Jeff Gamroth built two of these 964s to participate in the 2017 NORRA Mexican 1000. One of the most grueling off-road desert races in the world, the 964s needed some major upgrades to handle the abuse. That included a conversion to two-wheel drive from all-wheel drive.
The Desert Flyer came in first in class.
2021 Porsche Taycan Turbo S
Porsche Taycan Turbo S — Screenshot: Playground Games
The Taycan lineup is the first fully electric series Porsche model, and it’s a big deal. Not only is it a credible high-performance alternative to the likes of the Tesla Model S, but it also serves as the basis for other electric models from the Volkswagen Group. While the Turbo S is the highest-performance variant, we’re pretty big fans of the base model here because of its excellent driving dynamics, better-than-expected range, and superb build quality.
LP Racing Porsche Macan Rally-Raid
Porsche Macan Rally-Raid — Screenshot: Playground Games
It’s a little difficult to make out, especially with the all-new Ford Bronco taking the key role in the final sequence, but there’s most definitely a LP Racing Macan Rally-Raid in the group of vehicles heading into the volcano of lava and steam.
According to a post at Windows Central, the only Porsche in the game that’s not in the trailer is a 992 Carrera S, but we would expect to see a whole lineup of vehicles including the Cayenne, the updated 992 GT3, and more. But we won’t get an extensive car list until the game is closer to launch.
Speaking of launch, Forza Horizon 5 goes on sale on November 9, 2021. It’ll be available on launch day for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. You can preorder the game straight from Microsoft or through Best Buy. While it’ll work on the Xbox One gaming console, you’ll get better performance on one of the Xbox Series consoles, such as the Series S or full-size Series X. Of course, with these new generation consoles, you might have a difficult time finding one to purchase. It’ll also be available on Windows PCs. With the semiconductor shortage and increased purchasing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding a new console can be a bit of a challenge.
We’ve already preordered our copy and look forward to playing it as soon as it becomes available. Not that we need an excuse to stay inside these days, having some fresh video game content is genuinely worth staying in for, especially when the weather is poor.
Updated (3:13 pm EDT, 06/16/2021): It’d be helpful to actually include the trailer video, wouldn’t it? Added.
