Forza 3 Discussion...

A lap around Forza 3's "Ladera Test Track" in the Ferrari FXX. Check out the rear view monitor on the dash!

The 2008 Koenigsegg CCGT

The CCGT that is available in Forza Motorsport 3 joins the CC 8S for a double dosage of Swedish performance. The CCGT is a specially modified Le Mans racing model of the CCX configured to ACO/FIA GT-1 regulations. The changes included de-fanging this supercar by removing the twin Rotrex superchargers, altering the tuning strategy and upping displacement from 4.7 liters to 5.0 liters. This lowers output from 806 horsepower to 630 which will be air-restricted to 600 as the car moves closer to competition. The CCX and CCGT engines are not reworked Ford V8s as in past models, rather they are build from the ground-up by Koenigsegg’s Angelholm assembly plant.

The CC line features a cutting edge carbon fiber monocoque chassis and carbon fiber body panels. Consequently, unlike most race car conversions, Koenigsegg had to add weight to its vehicle. Regulations set minimum weight at 1,100 kgs and the CCGT tipped the scales at a mere 1,000 kg. Light and nimble the CCGT promises to be an engaging, edge of your seat drive in Forza Motorsport 3.

2008 Aston Martin DBR9 #008

With its direct connect to the road it is easy to understand why Grand Touring racing has been a bright spot in motorsports. The cars are based on real road going models and their affluent buyers appreciate a lively racing pedigree. The DBR9, named after the 1959 Le Mans-winning and ’59 World Sportscar champion DBR1, is the race version of Aston Martin’s DB9.

In 2005 the DB9 shed its 007 libido and hit the racing scene like a ton of bricks, seeing the checkered flag in its debut race, the 12 Hours of Sebring. The DBR9 impressed further with back-to-back GT1 class wins at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2008.

The Bell Motorsports #008 was one of the cars that helped put Aston Martin back on the map in sports car racing, campaigning in the American Le Mans series in 2008. The DBR9 is a serious racing machine with extensive use of carbon fiber parts everywhere on the body except the roof which is aluminum. A thunderous 6.0-liter, 620-horsepower V12 engine provides propulsion as the sleek coupe engages in wheel-to-wheel combat with its main rival in the American Le Mans Series; the Chevy Corvette. In FM3 the DBR9 is a no-nonsense drive that requires firm concentration and a soft touch. With its R2-826 rating big dividends and super quick lap times await intuitive drivers who can tame the beast.

2008 Mazda #16 Dyson Racing Lola

Mazda has a long history in motorsport highlighted by the 1986 Bonneville speed record of 238.44 mph set in the Racing Beat RX-7 and a coveted overall win at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans in the four-rotor 787B. Mazda supports a number of race series in its Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development program, competes in the Speed World-Challenge and American Le Mans series and has an exceptional grassroots following so strong that Mazda is the most-raced nameplate in America.

Mazda’s most technically advanced racer on the track today is the Lola B09/86 MZR that battles in American Le Mans’ Prototype 2 category. Teaming with Dyson Racing with sponsorship from the BP energy company to field a pair of cars, the Mazda’s have fared well in their first year of competition. A Dyson Racing Lola B09/86 MZR took the class win at the company’s home track, Lime Rock in Connecticut, and the cars are currently running second and third in the season points.

The Lola B09/86 LMP2 Coupe is a one-piece carbon composite monocoque and is certified to ACO and FIA structural standards through 2012. The body panels feature lightweight pre-preg carbon composite construction. BP Dyson Racing Mazda coupes are powered by turbocharged 2.0-liter Mazda MZR-R engines prepared by Advanced Engine Research (AER) Ltd. Designed from a clean sheet of paper; the Mazda MZR race engine produces in excess of 500 horsepower. The plant features all-aluminum construction and is mounted as a semi-stressed member of the chassis via A-frames. The MZR is the smallest, lightest and most compact in the LMP class and there are no external belt drives or ancillaries. The camshafts, water pump and oil pump are internally driven by gears. The feisty 2.0-liter is backed by a six-speed sequential gearbox with a lightweight cast magnesium case that is designed to allow complete changes of gear ratios in 10 minutes without losing any oil.

The #16 Dyson Racing Lola B09/86 MZR brings a R1-943 rating to bear in Forza 3 which means it provides an intoxicating combination of grip and brute power. Use it like the fine precision instrument it is and dazzle your friends on X-Box Live.

#41 Team Davidoff McLaren F1 GTR

McLaren is known more for its F1 racing efforts where it won the 2008 world championship with Lewis Hamilton than its manufacture of road cars. The F1 team founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren merged with Ron Dennis’ Project Four Racing in 1981 and soon thereafter Dennis negotiated taking control of the enterprise.

Recently, McLaren has restructured and retooled creating McLaren Automotive to produce more road-going McLaren sports cars, joining the McLaren F1 and Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren. The epicenter of this effort is the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom, a ying-yang-shaped facility with one half being the building and the other a vast reflecting pond. Savvy FM3 gamers may choose to reflect upon the car that started it all; the McLaren F1.

The car in the spotlight today is one of the rare race-prepped versions. From the 100-car production run, only 28 were F1 GTR ‘long tail’ race cars, specially built for private customers competing in the BPR Global GT Series (current FIA GT) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As good as the F1 is on the road, going racing required much more than applying some stickers and adding safety equipment. The F1 needed aerodynamic downforce in a big way. The GTR retains the F1’s carbon fiber monocoque but the bodywork was all purpose built with a dramatically longer nose and tail, as well as a wider, more aggressive rear wing. The wheelwells were also widened to accommodate the largest tires rules would allow.

From its signature center driving position the McLaren offers a unique motoring experience. Its BMW M-Power-built 6.0-liter V12 deals out 600 horsepower and is one of the few engines to be detuned for racing. Road going F1’s are rated at 627, sprint 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and stretch out to a top speed of 240 mph. The road-going car was the world’s fastest production car for 12 years from its 1993 debut until the Koenigsegg CCR dethroned it. Racing GTR’s dominated at Le Mans taking first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th in the ’95 race. Team Davidoff won the GT class at Le Mans finishing second overall in 1997 wearing the infamous Gulf livery.

But the writing was on the wall and the program wound down as the ‘98 season approached. The Mercedes CLK-GTR was coming into its own. BMW officially left the F1 GTR effort after the ’97 season to work on its own Le Mans prototype. And finally, McLaren withdrew its factory teams. It should be noted that the GTR was a converted street car racing against clean-sheet racers. Team Davidoff and Parabolica Motorsports continued on with their aged cars in 1998, but could finish no better than fifth in a single race. Team Davidoff were the only ones to score points that season, finishing 6th in the teams championship. After 1998 the GT1 class was abolished due to the dominance by Mercedes Benz, and McLaren F1s never raced in FIA GT again.

The pedigree of the 1998 #41 Gulf Team Davidoff McLaren F1 GTR, the Last of the Mohicans, includes famed Le Mans. It retired but a sister car managed a fourth overall. The GTR’s impressive R2-846 is a testament to its legacy and the abilities of McLaren. Be wary, there was an editorial item in “Autoweek” back in the day touting a McLaren F1 replacement muffler costing $17,000, so watch that damage counter!

Forza Motorsport 3 has too much love to give. That's not a joke. Not all of the cars and tracks could fit on one DVD, so developer Turn 10 had to split them onto two discs. The first disc is your game disc. Insert it and you have access to most of the environments and about 300 cars. To get the rest (104 cars, 29 tracks), you'll need to install disc 2 on a hard drive.

When you first insert disc 1, it will ask if you want to install the second disc. The install eats up 1.9 GB of space. Yowa! But you can instead choose pieces of disc 2 to install if you have limited space or a memory card.

Disc 2 is broken up into four packs that act like downloadable content. If it's installed on your hard drive, then the game reads it and adds in the content seamlessly. If not, then you won't see these cars or tracks in your game and can't use them in online multiplayer.