At its core Forza Motorsport 4 is a blissful and earnest homage to the relationship between the wheel, engine, and the next apex, but the overall experience is something much larger, spiralling outwards with myriad customisation options, modes and features to make an overall package that’s as hard to narrow down as it is to fully experience. This is a serious driving simulator, fashioned with the now-familiar breadcrumb trail of shiny new cars and an unravelling chain of events. Or, as happened to me, when you become absolutely convinced your Pagani Zonda is driving so erratically because it is actually trying to kill you. Turn 10 will say Forza Motorsport 4 is a game about car passion, a slightly grandiose statement that only clicks when your attachment to a virtual automobile becomes prescient and tangible. The 4.5 litre V8 engine, rear-wheel drive sports car produces 562hp, goes from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 201mph, and on my first race the crimson beauty ended up in even worse shape than Stefan Errikson’s ill-fated Enzo. It’s an obvious choice of beautiful supercar, regardless of whether or not you paint it in its iconic red hues, and a modern signature piece from the legendary Italian manufacturer the 458 is a guaranteed head-turner, an absolute joy to drive when blasting down wide straights, and a giddy feat of engineering that kicks like a mule and demands unwanted restraint of the throttle.
Everyone will have their own Forza Motorsport 4 story, and while many might have similar tales, much of my journey through Turn 10’s fourth entry in its seminal racing series was in the 458 Italia, the luscious Ferrari that adorns the front cover.