Forza Pitpass Report: Euro Sport Compacts
Euro compacts tackle the all-new Circuit de Catalunya!
Turn 10 Staff, 7.28.2009
Welcome to this Tuesday’s Forza Pitpass Report, the place where the latest content from Forza Motorsport 3 is dished out for your viewing pleasure. For those of you just joining us, make sure to have a look through all the previous reveals in our
Forza Pitpass news section. There you will find all the goodies that we’ve released since our announcement at E3, so check em’ out. Going forward you can expect a healthy dosage of Forza content every other Tuesday, so check back often!
Hot of the press this week is a brand new track making its debut appearance in the Forza franchise, the glorious Circuit de Catalunya! Re-created down to every last detail, this historic track will be at your fingertips when Forza 3 hits retail shelves this October. When you’re ready for more racing action you might consider heading northeast towards Nurburg, Germany to take on one of the most menacing tracks on earth…the world famous Nurburgring Nordeschleife. Yeah…it’s back, and looks better than ever running at a brisk 60 frames a second.
We’ve put a real European twist on things this time around as along with our Catalunya/Nurburgring track reveals we’re also sporting a handful of cars we like to call “Euro Sport Compacts”. These nimble machines are sure to provide hours of entertainment as you tackle these hot tracks in Forza Motorsport 3!
See you in two weeks.
See the official Screenshot gallery here.
Euro Compacts
This eclectic group of compacts prove that European automakers take a different tack when engineering vehicles in the sub compact segment. Fuel efficiency and particulate pollution tend to put performance in the back seat but there are diamonds in the rough out there and at Turn 10 we know a proper tuning attack can turn the meekest miser into a tire-shredding bruiser. We present these Euro Chic offerings as a challenge. Remember it’s not what you start with it’s what you end up racing with that counts.
2009 Alfa Romeo Brera Ti
If looks could kill the Alfa Brera Ti would be on wanted posters throughout Europe. It’s sculpted body and chopped-top look are big attention getters. On Forza 3 drivers will appreciate the Brera’s Ti moniker, which stands for Turismo Internazionale, an acronym that Alfa Romeo uses to distinguish customized factory tuned models from standard production models. The Brera Ti offers three engines, the heartiest being a 260-horsepower V6. Let the games begin.
2009 Alfa Romeo MiTo
The MiTo has that Ugly Betty look, coming off as a scrunched up Brera. Motivation is supplied by a 1.4-liter turbo four that pumps out 155 horsepower. Alfa’s D.N.A. system customizes the MiTo driving experience with three sport settings that alter steering response, throttle response and handling response. To its credit, the MiTo is small, light and tossable and any turbo engine can be improved so use those credits wisely.
2010 Fiat 500 Abarth SS
We may need to get used to this shape as the Fiat 500, the 2008 Car of the Year across the pond, may be coming to America as a Chrysler. The Abarth SS is enticing. Its turbocharged 1.4-liter engine pumps out 160 horsepower, 25 more than a non-SS 500 Abarth. The SS looks quite zippy and has the numbers to throw down, namely 0-60 in 7.4 seconds. Doubters look no further than the 5Hundred Cup, a Fiat 500 spec car racing series for it competitive credentials…and get some good livery ideas as well.
2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec S
Just like in the real world Ford’s Fiesta Zetec S may well be overshadowed by the rally bred Focus RS in Forza Motorsport 3. The car makes 120 horsepower and takes 9.9-second to reach 60 mph. Its claim to fame is a 39.9 mpg combined fuel efficiency rating. Last we saw ‘hyper-milers’ were not a big threat on the track. Taking this car and driving it to a strong finish would be truly Schumacher-esque.
2009 Ford Focus RS
When it comes to Euro Compacts this is the bull in the china shop. With 300-plus horsepower coursing through its veins the RS has the competition against the wall, giving no quarter and no mercy. Its turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine brings a unique, deep exhaust note and a 0-60 of 5.9 seconds to the party. The RS looks to be an intoxicating blend of big power and front-wheel drive that will require adept button work to maximize performance and lower lap times.
2009 Lotus Evora
This wedgy creation is the ‘surprise package’ of the field. The world’s first mid-engine 2+2 (it is also offered as a straight two-seater) the Evora has an Exige meets Ferrari look, a 3.5-liter Toyota-sourced V6 and the physics-challenging handling that makes a Lotus a Lotus. Evora’s critical numbers are 276 horsepower, 4.9 seconds 0-60, 60-0 in a retina-popping 110 feet. Be wary the Lotus is one seriously addicting ride and you may have trouble putting the controller down.
2009 Mini Cooper JCW
The John Cooper Works version of the Mini replaces the car’s cute persona with cut-throat performance. The JCW features a tuned version of the 172-horsepower Cooper S turbocharged 1.6-liter four that pumps up the volume to the tune of 208 horsepower. The JCW feels the trickle down effect of the original’s success in Formula 1 racing and its sport tuned suspension and excellent brakes should provide an engaging drive on any track. Its classic body lines and rich racing history make for some vivid livery possibilities for the painters out there.
2009 Renault Twingo Renault Sport Cup
Here we have the French take on the hot hatch. The Cup version of the Twingo RS gives the car a decided hunkered stance with a 4mm drop. The look is backed up with revised spring rates and aggressive 17-inch wheels. With only a 133 horsepower on tap this hot hatch is luke warm compared to the competition but we salute the French’s sense of automotive style. Skilled drivers will earn their keep if they can take a Twingo and hang with the big dogs of this group.
2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X
From the land of the Eiffel Tower we go ‘off continent’ to Sweden to sample the Saab 9-3 Turbo X. The Turbo X is a 9-3 sedan transformed into a brute by dropping in a 280-horsepower turbocharged 2.8-liter DOHC V6 and an all-wheel-drive powertrain. This is the only all-wheel-drive platform in the group, which could make the Saab a legit contender, especially on tighter, more technical tracks.
2009 Seat Ibiza Cupra
Another diminutive hatchback, the Seat Ibiza Cupra provides a big bang from a small package, its 1.4-liter engine calls upon twin turbos to pound out 180 horsepower. That’s 128 horsepower per liter and the best power-to-displacement ratio in the group, better than the Focus RS’s 122/liter rating. This Spanish-bred pocket rocket has the agility of a flamenco dancer and enough spice to be a willing and able partner in the tuning garage and on the track.
2009 Vauxhall Corsa VXR
The onslaught of hatchbacks continues with the Vauxhall Corsa VXR. The VXR is the performance flagship of the Corsa range with a 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.8-liter mill under the bonnet and upgraded suspension, brakes and tires at the corners. We salute this boisterous Brit and wish it well as its will undoubtedly be tortured by the Y-button as FM3 drivers keep the VXR at full song turn after turn, lap after lap.
Volvo C30 R-Design
Remember when Volvos were so squared-off they looked like the box a car came in not the car? The Swedish carmaker has been ‘outside the box’ for some time now and the C30 R-Design drives the point home. The angular, sculpted two-door hatch features Volvo’s tried-and-proven 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged T5 engine rated at a conservative 227 horsepower. All the elements for success are there painters and tuners alike should have a field day.
Euro Tracks
Circuit de Catalunya
Located northeast of Barcelona the Circuit de Catalunya is a great place to give the Seat Ibiza Cupra a proper homecoming and put it through its paces. Opened in 1991, Catalunya is home to the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix. Its 2.9-mile, 16-turn racing surface features numerous high-speed corners and plenty of straights and should favor cars with a lot of big end power. This is the home of Michael Schumacher’s first win with Ferrari, can you make the podium?
Nurburgring Nordschleife
Set against the backdrop of the Eifel Mountains with the ruins of a medieval castle standing watch, the Nurburgring Nordschleife is home to the Formula 1 German Grand Prix. Dubbed the ‘Green Hell’ by Sir Jackie Stewart the Nordschleife is one of several racing configurations of the facility, which has seen cars racing on site since the late 1920s. No matter how you slice your apexes becoming a true ‘ringmeister’ on Nordschleife means you have tamed a legend.