Forza Horizon 4 is one of the most celebrated open-world racing games set in Great Britain. It offers players an expansive, dynamic environment with beautiful landscapes and over 500 cars of all kinds. Moreover, players can enjoy the virtual world in four seasons – summer, spring, autumn, and winter.
Compared to other popular racing franchises, Forza Horizon is well-known for its balanced stimulation-style racing instead of the arcade-style racing of the Need for Speed series or the meticulous simulation-style racing of the Gran Turismo series. Here are some of the most challenging races in the game that require extreme focus, skill, and understanding of the driving mechanics.
10
The Marathon
Valleyside Racing At Night With Tight Corners
- Type: Street Scene
- Location: Near Slate Quarry
- Distance: One Lap Throughout The Map
Like most street scene races, The Marathon occurs at nighttime. It’s a long race that goes through hills, villages, and dirt tracks with sharp 90-degree turns that are easy to miss due to low visibility. The turns appear after a moderate straight, which means that one would already be at speeds of above 150 mph. Street scene races are notorious for not having barricades, like road races. Plus, players also have to watch out for traffic.
As mentioned, Forza Horizon 4 has driving mechanics similar to simulation-style racing. Tuning plays a massive part in handling the car, and mastering it takes a lot of time. Players can share their tuning online, and others can download and apply it to their vehicles. They can browse it from the pause menu or enter the tuning code. For The Marathon, players can try to complete the race in low-tier cars ranging between A and C. Otherwise, they can alter their difficulty settings to keep traction control and try to play it in manual shifting. It can provide better car control and for sticking to the road.
9
North Coast Rush
Another Night Race With Snake-like Turns
- Type: Street Scene
- Location: Edinburgh City
- Distance: From Edinburgh City to Near the Lighthouse
The race takes place between night and dawn and begins in Edinburgh City. It is another street scene, meaning players will face traffic, low visibility, and no barriers. Compared to The Marathon, the North Coast Rush is a little easier but has a series of snake-like turns. As a result, players can quickly lose control of the car and find themselves off-road or crash into the trees.
Although gaining a lead in the beginning is easy, players have to watch out for the crazy turns. Therefore, changing difficulty settings to turn on traction control and using manual shifting for better turning is recommended. Unless the car is between A and D class, making the sharp turns in S and above classes is doable in 2nd or 3rd gears. Players must also avoid using hand brakes, as they can quickly shake the car’s balance and veer it sideways off the road instead of a sharp turn, as one would expect from the NFS or The Crew series.
8
Ambleside Village Circuit
Closed-knitted Circuit Race Around a Small Village
- Type: Road Racing
- Location: Ambleside Village
- Distance: 3 Laps Around the Village
Located in the lower south-west part of the map, the Ambleside Village Circuit takes place around the village itself. Plus, it belongs to the road racing series, which means that there will be proper barricades and spectators set up. The normal race involves three laps around the village, but players can edit it based on their preferences. Most Forza Horizon 4 players recommend it in cars between A and C classes.
Due to quick and tight turning, players will find it hard to beat it properly with S and above-tier cars. There is only one narrow strait if one can align the car properly where they can pick speeds up to 100 mph. Other than that, those who play on manual shift will notice that the car hardly goes above 3rd gear throughout the race (until they’re in the narrow strait). Overall, Ambleside Village Circuit is a short and fun race that tests one’s skill, reaction time, knowledge of the path, and patience.
7
The Titan
Longest Off-Road Racing With Wonky AI
- Type: Cross Country
- Location: Near the Lighthouse
- Distance: From the Lighthouse to Express Railyard – 9.4 miles
Starting near the lighthouse, The Titan is the longest cross-country race filled with water paths, jumps, wide turns, and narrow pathways. Although you can use S-tier off-road vehicles, it is equally fun in the lower tiers. Moreover, the entire race is not particularly hard as long as players can expand their focus throughout the race.
Since it is a cross-country race, the player must have good drifting or car-sliding skills. It is very easy to lose traction when racing on a dirt road, and some may find themselves unable to compete. Moreover, the artificial intelligence of the rival cars can get a little tricky since they have less bump penalty and can also lose control of their designated path. Therefore, they can actually block the narrow pathways or crash into the players.
6
The Gauntlet
All-Terrain Racing That Requires Heavy Focus
- Type: Dirt Racing
- Location: Bamburgh Castle
- Distance: From Bamburgh Castle to Near Derwent Water – 3.9 miles
Like The Marathon, The Gauntlet is also challenging due to long straits that end with quick, tight turns. Moreover, it belongs to the dirt racing type with a mix of concrete roads, dirt roads, and open country scenes. It is relatively easy for players to reach speeds above 150 and 200 mph and then have to turn suddenly. Therefore, they can quickly go off-road if they lose focus for even a second.
The race is pretty long, and the AI can crash into you in the corners. Some seasoned players recommend manual shifting and traction control to handle the turns quickly. Alternatively, it can be fun to take on the corners if one has good drifting skills. Some tight turns also occur on dirt roads, making it more challenging. The weather can also further influence the difficulty if it’s autumn or winter due to rain or snow.
5
Ambleside Rush Cross-Country
Many Jumps and Water Trails With Fragile Barriers
- Type: Cross Country
- Location: Tarn Hows
- Distance: From Tarn Hows to near Derwent Water – 3.3 miles
With only 3.3 miles in the distance, Ambleside Rush Cross Country is an excellent, challenging track for off-road fans. It starts off with a narrow path but with wide turns. Naturally, it becomes easy for the vehicle to drift on grass, causing players to miss checkpoints. The difficulty is the same regardless of which tuning or class vehicle one uses.
When it comes to barriers at the turn, there’s just a mesh fence that is very easy to break through. Ultimately, it comes down to vehicle control and drifting skills to make the most without deviating from the race line. After that, the race has many jumps and water trails that can slow down the breakneck speeds, so players must be prepared. Overall, the race is doable in auto shifting and with or without ABS or traction control.
4
The Juggernaut
Longest Drag Racing On The Favorite Highway Stretch
- Type: Drag Strip
- Location: Near Queensforth Golf Course
- Distance: From Queensforth Golf Course to Before Astmoor – 2.6 miles
Drag strip races are straightforward, requiring players to shift gears onto a straight path manually. But what if that straight has a curve? That’s what happens in The Juggernaut, the longest drag strip in its category. Starting from near Queensforth Golf Course, the race continues for a good straight until it curves towards the end. As a result, losing control of the car is very easy due to the steering being wonky in the drag strips.
Most players prefer a controller or a gaming wheel for drag races, as even the littlest turns matter. Players must choose their car properly and watch out for its tuning. However, racing in X tunings would be considered a cheat since the AI cannot match up to it. For a better experience, consider racing in an S1 or S2 tier car. After that, change gears on time, as one could waste a good lead. Players could either pay attention to the ODOmeter or listen to the engine’s sound to make perfect shifts.
3
Greendale Super Sprint
Competitive Racing With Good Twists & Turns
- Type: Road Racing
- Location: Edinburgh City
- Distance: From Edinburgh City to Moorhead Wind Farm – 4.3 miles
Starting in Edinburgh City, the Greendale Super Sprint is a great race to push a car to its limits. Irrespective of class, besides X tunings, the AI offers a competitive edge to the overall race due to the exciting turns. The race begins with narrow roads with tight corners until it stretches into the highway for a good straight. After that, a sharp U-turn can be challenging for some, more so if the AI crashes into the car during the turn.
After the U-turn, the race continues with more exciting turns until the finish line. For some players, the straight is the best opportunity to gain a lead if it wasn’t possible during the turns exiting the city. The race is also doable with high-difficulty settings, with manual controls and traction off. Depending on the player’s choice of cars, it can be an enjoyable and challenging ride.
2
Moorhead Rally Trail
Off-road Adrenaline Rush With Tight Turns
- Type: Dirt Racing
- Location: Bamburgh Castle
- Distance: From Bamburgh Castle to Near Mudkicker’s Adventure Park – 4.6 miles
Moorhead Rally Trail belongs to the dirt racing series that starts from Bamburgh Castle and ends by going through the Mudkicker’s Adventure Park. The race goes through concrete roads and dirt trails before reaching the park. It has a lot of tight turns, and players will get little chance to speed in a straight. Although it has barriers, bumping can quickly reduce the player’s speed during the race.
Unfortunately, many players have already pointed out that the AI has a better grip and fewer bump penalties. Therefore, they must have reasonable control of their cars and brake for the turns at the right moments. The race is doable with manual shifting as it would come in handy during the tight turns and managing the jumps in the adventure park. Getting a good lead during the start is a great way to hook in a win.
1
Glen Rannoch Trail
Off-road Racing Across a Mountain
- Type: Dirt Racing
- Location: Glenfinnan Viaduct
- Distance: From Glenfinnan Viaduct to the Beginning of Lakehurst Forest – 4.0 miles
Glen Rannoch Trail is a challenging race from the dirt racing series with beautiful sights. It begins from the Glenfinnan Viaduct and consists of mostly dirt trails on a mountain. And yes, one would need to drive up a hill and back down till it ends near Lakehurst Forest. The race is only 4.0 miles long but has some good turns with the typical zigzag shapes.
Since the race takes place on dirt trails, losing traction is easy, even with an off-road vehicle. Players can also veer off the mountain if they pick up enough speed during the straights. Although it is doable in S-tier cars, some recommend between A and C for better adaptability at low speeds. Since the game will match the player according to the tier class, the race can be an enjoyable experience if one can drift through.