OXCGN’s Forza 3 Holiday Pack Review

by XboxOZ360:

©2009 Grant Smythe:

Well I downloaded these as soon as they became available, and took each for a spin. All are excellent examples of modern motor technology, beautifully rendered and detailed, as you’d expect for Forza 3 vehicles.

Don’t let anyone put you off by making comments that the game looks like Forza 2, it’s a far cry from that, and you’ll see that as soon as a car is displayed both on screen and in-game.

I decided to run each one on the Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe for 2 laps to see how each handled and responded. Oh, and I found my dream car, the Sir Sterling Moss SLR 2010 McLaren . . hmmm.

The only two non 2010 vehicles in the pack, the #007 ARM’s Aston Martin powered Lola bodied racer (R1 Class PI=976), and the #2 Sports Team Joest R15 TD1 (R1 class PI=983) cars were ‘exceptionally’ quick as always. Which is to be expected of this class, and definitely not for the faint hearted.

So let’s get one with it, but first let’s set the stage for the testing.

Note to all:

Yes, the images are of real-world vehicles. I’m not here to pick the bones out of the game regarding how great one platform looks over another. I’m here to enjoy racing as a game, have fun, and share my enthusiasm of the genre with others. If it bothers you, my advice is – well – get over it, it’s a game after all. Now, where were we……

With all cars, I do the following things:

• 1: Always run in-car view, which gives a much more realistic feel, sound, appeal and sense of pure speed. Yes, vision is impaired inb some cars, and on some tracks, which is “normal” for the driver of any car. Sometimes you’ll have to deal with sun-glare, shade falling from trees across corners, especially on Le Mans, Nurburgring and a few others. Or the fact the roll-cage might obscure some sections of view. Again, normal in real life, get over it.

To help with extreme shade and spotting corners, I enabled Braking Line only, which does help me see the corner as I approach it rapidly, but that’s all. It helps with braking marker points when using in-car-view. You wont need it if you insist on the Flying Carpet views – which I believe is imply cheating anyhow, but that’s my opinion on the matter.

• 2: Also I always use Manual gears, and for a challenge I use Manual and Clutch, but that does take some getting used to when using a controller.

• 3: I only use a controller, not a wheel for any testing, and currently have only played Forza 3 with the controller. This is what most gamers will have, so it makes sense to report on that. For lower classes I run the tests on Hard, and the higher classes on Medium, as the AI on Hard in “A” and above can get very aggressive, which makes ‘testing’ difficult at times. And as far as I am concerned, the AI “is excellent”, contrary to what many may say. It’s just “hard” and fights to win, like you are, so what’s the problem, get over it, and work at winning like a gentleman.

• 4: I turn off certain Assists, which increase not only your Credits but also you Experience Points (XP). And can increase them as much as 100% if you run with all assists off and in Manual with clutch. With all off and in manual (sans the clutch, you can achieve up to a 85% increase in credits.

So what do I turn off? Well the Auto Braking is set to off (well dahh), the ABS off, Stability Control off, but I leave Traction Control ON in high powered vehicles, but turn it off on lower class cars. Why? Well you try containing the brute power of a V8 Supercar with all aids off and manual gears, (especially with clutch) and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s almost impossible to get traction, and corner correctly, no matter how carefully you use the controls. Even in real life, the race boys have aids to help reduce wear-n-tear and aid drivability on their cars. You’re not a wimp if you use some aids at times with some cars.

Then finally set the car for Manual (no clutch for tests)

• 5: I usually drop the tyre pressure from what the default setting is on all vehicles in Forza 3, which is “2.1 bar”. I drop them down to “1.7 front” and “1.8 rear”. This allows the tyres to grip better on corners, with just enough roll on the sidewalls without rolling right over and giving way (letting go), and not too hard to cause the tyre to slip without notice.

You will hear the tyre rolling and gripping with a slight give in it, which is where you’ll know you’re on the edge of the tyre’s extreme points. This can change depending on the cars weight, where heavier vehicles require slightly higher pressures, but not at default, that’s for sure.

•6: With those vehicles that could accommodate other changes, I made changes in the chamber and toe-in, aerodynamics, and brakes. But this was only possible on the two R1 class cars, and the Ferrari 599XX, as this is a pure breed race vehicle, not a production line car. The rest only allow tyre pressure changes in stock form.

•A: For those where I can make changes, I usually run the brakes with a bias to the front of “65% – 70%” (my optimum is 66%) depending in vehicle’s weight, and have the pedal/trigger pressure set at “120 – 130″ (my optimum is 125).

This allows for a light squeezing of the trigger prior to corners, and with a little practice, you can avoid lockups easily enough. As mentioned above, turn ABS OFF, and this helps heaps and allows you to get a feel for the car. Do not brake during the corner as you’ll just go right off the track. Brake before, then let them off, and use the gears to take the corners and accelerate out of them. You do NOT have to take corners at maximum speed like some maniac. Again, little is better than more in these cases.

You will soon get the hang of it, and find yourself out-braking most of the aggressive AI’s on Medium and especially HARD.

•B: Chamber changes depend on the cars, but other than R1, or some R2 class cars, most vehicles respond well to extreme negative chamber. The default is often “0″ degrees front, or sometimes set at “-0.5″ deg front. I move it right up to -1.6 deg even -2.0 at times, and give the car a toe-in of around “-0.5 to -0.7″ at the extreme. While with R1 and R2 class, you can go the other way, but not as extreme.

•C: Rear Toe-in applies to all independent suspension vehicles, and I usually add -0.2/-0.3 to what is given as default. So one set at -0.5 default would become -0.7 or -0.8.

All this will allow the car to turn-in easier, and corner easier, but when at high speed on quick turns at speed, you need to be steady as it can get a tad twitchy, depending on the car. Some feel rock solid, some a little twitchy.

•D) Final Drive adjustments can be done on those cars that allow it, but generally the default is fine, depending on the track. For those tracks that have short straights, lots of sharp bends and corners, then close gear changes are the order of the day, and sacraficing top speeds is required. There is a happy medium with cars with 6-7 gears on high speed tracks, so that you do have control over the car in top gear (if you can get it in there without it labouring). But we’ll discuss this further in other tuningtips for Forza 3 at some other time.

Just play with settings around these figures to find what you’re happy with. Remembering that ‘light-n-easy’ is the name of the game. You should be able to use your gears (I always use manual shift) to slow you down faster than the AI can if you run it in Automatic mode, and use far less of the brake, using the power of the car to get you out of sticky situations. Just don’t down-shift from too high a speed, otherwise you’ll grenade your engine without too much trouble.

OZ’s review of the Holiday Pack:

So here’s my appraisal of the 10 cars, in order of my choice that come in the Australia Holiday Pack (400 MSP). They might not be your ideal choice, but I look for something a little ‘different’ and also rewarding that can be used in a variety of Classes in Forza 3.

Plus I also look for vehicles that I can add my own ‘personal touch’ to with paint schemes etc. Making them stand out from the rest.

They need not be the quickest or highest horsepowered beasts, as it’s often the ‘tweaking’ of suspension and chassis that sets a car apart from the pure brutes, where horsepower exceeds drivability, and top speeds are unattainable.

1) 2010 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss Open

From all the production models I had the most fun with the new Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss Open (S class, PI638) which is reminiscent of his very early vehicle look-wise.

It is a testament to his long racing career, and ingenuity which helped move racing into rear engined cars, and help mould to where it is today. He turns 80 next year.

I’d personally give it my 10/10 for the top car of the pack, and look forward to giving this beauty some serious candy apple paint works with my signature geometric designs, which will accentuate its distinct lines. Basically it looks absolutely awesome.

Very rapid response, excellent non-twitchy steering and good grip with the tyres down a little as mentioned above. Too high and they will give, and you will slide. It could peg away at the other “R” series cars without too much effort, and it certainly got really wound up once in top gear (5 gears).

Gear changes were smooth, and quick between gears. No long winded drawn out gear changes like some cars. This was a race car in a production form.

Why do I like it – shit, it stands out a mile. It says I don’t give a rats arse if I get wet when driving this, allows wind in my face and a sense of speed not available from even convertibles.

It just screams “Pay attention to me”. I’d buy this in real life over a Audi R8, Lambo or Ferrari any day without a second thought.

Even if it is priced at 750,000 Euros ($US1,05 mil), with just 75 of them being made – ever. It comes in any colour you want, so long as it’s Silver, and only available to existing European Elite Mercedes Benz customers.

At least you can pretend you own one. Tell me that doesn’t make you look twice and wish, yeah, I want one. And with 0-100mph in 3.5 secs, you would be hard pressed to catch your breath.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 478 Kw with 820.0 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,551 kgs has a 51% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 5.4 ltr Supercharged V8, 5 Speed gearbox.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.3, Handling = 5.8, Acceleration of 7.4, a Launch ability of 6.6 with braking at 5.9.

2) 2010 Lamborghini LP6700-4 SV E-Gear

The next on the list would have to be the Lamborghini LP6700-4 SV E-Gear (S class, PI648). A wicked vehicle by anyones standards, and you can tweak the final drive, and have it really honking up top.

Highly unlikely to reach top gear potential even on Le Mans de la Sarthe; perhaps on the Old Circuit you could really wind it out to accept top gear speeds.

This is a car that begs to be driven, but not by the fainthearted, or sedate driver. It just pleads to be driven to its extremes, and handles like it is on rails. As do most of these 2010 vehicles, and so they should.

Typical of the Lambos, The V12 really screams (literally) and you’ll be changing gears in amongst the corners and bends of most of the track.

This is NOT a car to go doing the Amalfi Coast circuit. It’s just way too wide, and far to fast to be of any value. No, the airfoil does NOT come up under braking or high speed. Give them a brake will you, it is a game after all, not an exact simulation of every facet of the real life counterpart.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 493 Kw with 660,9 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,746 kgs has a 42% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 6.5 ltr V12, 6 Speed manual sequential gearbox/paddle.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.0, Handling = 6.1, Acceleration of 7.3, a Launch ability of 6.5 with braking at 6.2.

3) 2010 Ferrari 599XX

One to really look out for is the Ferrari 599XX, (R3 Class, PI = 754) a pure race-breed car with tons of power, and serious fun to run on Le Mans with a 6 speed gearbox that has you doing high end speeds of over 300 k’s without too much trouble at all.

Certainly a car that will be used a lot, and the new sleek lines for the race version make the car stand out from the rest. The 599XX handles extremely well, and so it should, it is race breed after all.

As mentioned, it also allows some serious tweaking in standard form (well standard for a race car) and with the tweaks mentioned above, you’ll clock up some decent times.

The car is exceptionally responsive, and close gears means that you’re always in a good gear for any corner. You’ll be changing fast and up-n-down a lot, but you’ll be working that power band nicely.

One thing some of you will have to get used to in the 599XX is the windscreen decal across the top of the screen. Making it very “race-car” but also reducing visuals up high.

It certainly does help you in focusing on what’s immediately in front of you. Which is a good thing, as I found myself concentrating solely on that aspect, and I personally found the sun windscreen decal quite effective.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 515 Kw with 650.0 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,469 kgs has a 47% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 6.0 ltr V12, F1-style 6 Speed with paddle shifters, 60 ms shift times.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 7.5, Handling = 6.9, Acceleration of 8.2, a Launch ability of 7.2 with braking at 7.0.

4) 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

The Ferrari 458 Italia (S class, PI 641) is another fine example of Ferrari madness, and this one breaks all of the normal Ferrari design conventions that Ferrari have always had with regards to their bodylines, engines, aerodynamic and cockpits.

The Ferrari 458 Italia redefines the look of the prancing horse, and you’ll see the smooth flowing rear fenders leading air onto the rear foil. Helping achieve maximum downforce without the use of ugly wings.

It honestly ‘did’ feel different to other Ferraris that I’ve driven in the game, and I felt much more in control of the car than in other models.

Just looking at the sleek lines, you can see how they have changed the look and feel of the Ferrari’s dramatically. Up high it felt like it was stuck to the road, and took corners much more smoothly than some of the others in the Holiday Pack.

The car felt smooth, and came to a stop or deaccelerated rapidly without too much hassel. So when you do get a chance to tweak the brakes later on, it should be excellent for close corner attacks, which is to be expected for such a high performance car of this nature.

As with all Ferrari’s, you will be doing lots of gear changes with the V12 punching out some serious horsepower, and I found myself constantly going up and down the range.

Not that that was a hassle, it is quite enjoyable actually. The power-band is there all the time, so you don’t feel like you don’t have the rioght power to exit a corner or power through a bend.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 418 Kw with 540.0 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,485 kgs has a 42% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 4,5 ltr V8, 7 Speed gearbox.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.0, Handling = 6.1, Acceleration of 7.3, a Launch ability of 7.5 with braking at 6.2.

5) 2010 Audi S4

In-Game Purchase Point – 48,000 cr

Audi’s all new Supercharged V6 powers the new beast – yes, V6, not V8!

One to really look out for is the 2010 Audi S4, (C Class, PI = 391 AWD) which is a pleasure to drive in-game. If you want a great all-rounder, then this is it. With various mods and engine swaps, you can get this baby all the way into R3 Class, and it will prove to be a formidable adversary to anyone wanting to challenge you. Even in stock form, it is solid, firm on the road and goes where you point it. And yes, you did read right, it’s a V6, not a V8 this time around – why? well read on.

The gears are just right for most corners and bends, and it tapped out 284 kph on the big straight, yet came to a sudden stop without trouble to take the first 90 deg right-hander without a spot of trouble. It takes all the back turns easily, and with the standard gearing, is in the right torque band to use 3rd to actually pull you through the several bends in that back section.

The Audi S4 is a luxury car, but also a sports car in disguise with power on tap at anytime you want it, and the tuned suspension lets you know if and when it’s going to break loose. Which is not all that often unless you push it. WHile it’s not acceleration beast, the Audi S4 is like it’s earlier sister, the tall gears in the diff will get you off the mark without much wheelspin at all, and get the jump on most cars at the start.

These are excellent cars to use in Drags, if you drop the body weight, up the horsepower and tweak the suspension to suit drags. Plus they are equally at home on the tight circuits like the Bugatti one at Circuit de la Sathe. In its standard trim, the Audi S4 was not something you mess with, even if it might look a little sedate. One of my best cars so far has been its earlier sister, and this one will obviously take its place in my Audi garage.

While it does feel a tad on the heavy side, this is to be expected from a luxury car that tips the scale at 1,650 kgs, so it’s certainly no light weight like the Lotus, whose entire body only weighs 88kgs all up (which just bolts onto the chassis).

Their engine  is now a three-liter V6 with direct fuel injection and mechanical supercharging that delivers a powerful 245 kW (333 hp). It accelerates the S4 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 5.1 seconds, but on average only uses 9.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (24.25 US mpg). The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers its power to the road in style, which is then converted by the sport suspension into dynamic handling.

Upon request, Audi can equip the new S4 and S4 Avant with innovative technologies that further increase their lead over the competition. The seven-speed S tronic changes gears with lightning speed, and the new sport differential distributes the torque as needed between the rear wheels.The in-game Audi S4 is the 6 speed version, so we miss out on the dual-clutch ST seven speed tranny – this time round.

The engine-driven belt that powers the mechanical charger provides full thrust right from idling speed. The 3.0 TFSI delivers its maximum 440 Nm (324.53 lb-ft) at 2,500 rpm and maintains this constantly until 4,850 rpm. In fourth gear, the vehicle accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h (49.71 to 74.56 mph) in just 4.4 seconds. Thanks to the extremely short gas paths, the sonorous, supercharged V6 responds spontaneously to the throttle, even more so than a naturally aspirated engine of the same displacement. (source Audi Press Release)

So all in all, this is something to really crow about, seeing they have dropped 2 cyliders and have increase the overall performance, increased fuel economy and attained more horsepower and drivability. Have fun with this one, it’s bound to keep you happy while Forza 4 is being built.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 333bhp/245 Kw with 440.0 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,650 kgs has a 60% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 3.0 ltr V6, using a 6 Speed selective gearbox back through the excellent Audi rear suspension system.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 6.5, Handling = 5.3, Acceleration of 4.3, a Launch ability of 6.2 with braking at 5.1.

6) 2010 Nissan GT-R Spec V

The 2010 Nissan GT-R Spec V (S class, PI 609) was equal to the Mimi Spec GT-R, with some more top end speed, and I was able to keep on the tail of the Mimi without too much trouble, but it wasn’t a clear cut win for the 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV.

You will find yourself pushing to keep up with the others while it is in its standard trim, but it feels solid enough, and sounds beautiful. Tad slow in gear changes though, and you’d need to upgrade the transmission to get gear adjustments (Race Diff and Race Gearbox).

The new Nissan GT-R SpecV certainly looks a lot different, much more bulkier than its predecessors have been, and it seems a tad heavier as well. Which would account for its somewhat poor handling, and slow acceleration compared to the others in the Holiday Pack.

For GT-R lovers, this will appeal to them a great deal, as it is touted as being the “ants-pants” in the Nissan line-up at this time. In game it feels like it could be a formidable car in the right hands, and will certainly do well in the Drift sections of Forza 3.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 357 Kw with 588.0 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,680 kgs has a 56% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 3.8 ltr Twin-Turbo V6, 6 Speed GR6 dual-clutch transmission.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.0, Handling = 5.8, Acceleration of 6.9, a Launch ability of 8.8 with braking at 5.8.

7) 2010 Jaguar XFR

With the Jaguar XFR (B class, PI 499) you can’t expect a full-on race car from the luxury end of the car market, but this one does pack some punch, and you’ll feel that as soon as you plonk your backside in the drivers seat.

The XFR Jag feels heavy, especially when it comes in at a tad over 2000kgs, which it should for such a prestige vehicle, and is still quite responsive at the same time (using the above settings) given that weight. It is certainly no slouch by any means, and will do well with some engine mods and tweaks.

The Jag handled really well in the back end of Le Mans, and was very forgiving for those corners that require quick high speed turns. It can some time to ‘wind-up” to get to top speeds, but has some decent torque to help it down low. Taking the series of “esses” in the back straight felt controled and firm, and the braking while low on the stats, did feel good given the weight of the car.

Ahh Jags, I used to own a 1971/2 model (low bumper bar model) with a 350 Chev, Turbo-Hydro 400 gearbox, tall gears, and soft high profile Pirellis. The thing went like a bat-out-of-hell, and left Porsches’ gasping at the lights. And on freeways, well, let’s just say it kicks some serious butt.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 380 Kw with 625.6 N-m of torque, weighs in at 2,002 kgs has a 52% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 5.0 ltr Supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III, 6 Speed selective Automatic gearbox.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.2, Handling = 5.2, Acceleration of 6.0, a Launch ability of 6.1 with braking at 5.1.

8) 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo

The Porsche Panamera Turbo (A class, PI 517) was somewhat sluggish in the handling and acceleration departments, and it ‘seemed’ the most sedate of the ten vehicles on offer.

Heavy, but stable, and had some really high-end speeds, with a 7 speed gearbox, which basically would never get used, even on Le Mans de la Sarthe with its long straights.

Straight up the car felt very solid on the track, but was a big jump back from some of the other great cars in the Holiday Pack. Not that that is a bad thing, as not all cars need to be pure breed racers. The Panamera is just that type of car that requires some finesse, gentle persuasion to climb to top speeds.

Dropping it into top gear in the back straights had the car almost labour and reduce speed., dropping right outr of the power-band and become an effort to keep moving. It took corners really well, braking nicely beforehand, and powering on through in 2nd without so much as a by-your-leave.

It will take some tweaking both in engine and suspension to make this a race car, but that is not what anyone would buy this car for. But in Forza 3, that’s what the game is about, racing. This is a car that goes head-to-head with the BMW & Series, so what do you expect, a 911 . . not likely.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 373 Kw with 770.8 N-m of torque, weighs in at 1,970 kgs has a 55% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 4.8 ltr Turbo V8, 7 Speed Selective Automatic gearbox.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 7.6, Handling = 5.4, Acceleration of 6.2, a Launch ability of 7.8 with braking at 5.4.

9) 2009 Aston Martin Lola R1

Well the Aston Martin powered Lola (R1 class, PI 976) is just a pure racing car from top to bottom, and while they look odd, and huge, in real life they are actually quite small and compact. But don’t let that fool you.

Lola supply a complete body kit for racing team, which is why you will see different names associated with Lola vehicles. The Aston Martin Lola is a prime example of what to stick into one of the supburb body kits.

They definitely make a visul  impression, and when you see yourself lined up with the other open cockpitted R1′s, you’ll know what I mean. If we could preset laps in Forza 3 for some serious Le Mans or Nurburgring enduros, then this is the car to have underneath you.

Again, this is a R1 Class car with a slightly smaller PI rating than the Audi, but run a good 30kgs lighter than the Audi R1 that you get in this pack. Which is a lot in R1 class race cars. So they will be evenly matched across the board, and while they have similar specs, the Aston Martin equipped Lola is much more agile in some situations.

Other than telling you the obvious, it’s bloody quick and twitchy as are all R1 class cars due to super tight steering and suspension, the car will give those comfortable with the Class some honest to goodness fun.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 487 Kw with 700.0 N-m of torque, weighs in at 900 kgs has a 45% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 5.9 ltr Direct injection turbocharged V10 diesel, 6 Speed Gearbox.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.5, Handling = 8.7, Acceleration of 9.0, a Launch ability of 7.8 with braking at 8.6.

10) 2009 Audi Sports Team Joest R15 – TDI R1

Yet another pure breed racing beast to flick around the top courses in Europe and Asia. The Audi Sports Team Joest R15-TD1 (R1 class, PI983) is almost at the very top of the performance index tree in Forza 3. Certainly not a car for those who can barely manage a quick “S class” vehicle, or who get motion sickness traveling mum-n-dads Benz or the old Commodore.

The Audi R15 TD1 LMP1 will test even the best drivers out there when trying to stay on the track and not go over edges, or cut corners. Which is a no-no in gentlemen racing circles – remember that! I have no time for ‘corner-cutters’ at all, and if someone comes along in a race with me and wants to do that, “bad rep and I’m outa-there.

What can you say other than, this is bloody quick, and what you’d expect for a car of this caliber. You won’t be disappointed, but you might find yourself somewhat frustrated trying to keep the horsepower under control.

Remembering, the R1 series cars weigh in under 1000 kgs, ‘almost’ 1/2 the weight of even some of the R1 and R2′s. So when you have huge horsepower, and light weight body/chassis, expect some funny business at blazing quick speed, where the speedo looks like a tacho.

* Mech Specs: Delivers 469 Kw with 1112.7 N-m of torque, weighs in at 930 kgs has a 44% weight distribution to the front, pushed along by a 5,5 ltr Twin Turbo, Mid-Engine (Longitudinally Mounted) V12 Diesel, 5 Speed Sequential Manual gearbox.

* Drive Specs: Speed = 8.2, Handling = 8.9, Acceleration of 9.1, a Launch ability of 7.9 with braking at 8.8.

The last two are at that level as they are simply pure race R1 class cars, and while highly powerful, and beautiful in their own right, they are not the class that “does it for me”, even though they are perhaps one of the hardest class cars to master, especially on “Hard Difficulty” in Forza 3.

OZ’s overall report on Holiday Pack.

Overall the Holiday Pack is well worth the 400 points they are asking for it, and when you do get into the new cars you’ll really enjoy the fun that can be had with this game.

The follow-up pack that will arrive on the 13th January will celebrate the North American Auto Show in Detroit Michigane in 2010. So expect 10 more lush beasts to appear, and I’ll be on them like flys on an Aussie Jackaroo’s back.

All this is available for a mere 400 Microsoft Points, which is a bargain, and as mentioned, there will be another pack ready for you on the 13th January to keep the Forza 3 fuel flowing in your veins. A nice quite word to the gays-n-gals at Turn 10. I just want some additional tracks, and a few more V8 Supercars boys, hint hint (Bathurst please sir…can I have more!)

OXCGN’s Forza 3 Review:

Everyone has been saying, “hey guys, what about your Forza 3 review …. you’re a huge Forza fan site …. when is it going to be up?” All I can really say is, have patience please, it’ not far away now – but why so long in coming?.

Well, I’ll have my own personal Forza 3 review up soon, but I wanted to really get into the game and give it a good solid play-through before passing comment on it. This is an important title for racing fans like me, so trying most of the areas available to me first so that I could comment honestly on them was very important to me.

I do not believe any reviewer can give an honest report on a game of this size in just a short play. It’s impossible to get through in that period, or even scratch the surface of what is on offer.

So prepare for a lengthy review on the game that may even be broken into two parts.

Meanwhile, here’s the Press Release info on the Aussie Holiday Car Pack from Microsoft:

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – December 9th – With the V8 Supercar season wrapping up over the weekend, fans are set to shift their focus to the living room, battling it out for their chance to bring home the title on “Forza Motorsport 3” exclusively on Xbox 360.

Racing in any one of the eight Ford and Holden Supercars in the game, fans can fill the V8 void over the summer, or race a selection of new and exciting vehicles from the “Hot Holidays” car park against millions of Xbox LIVE members around the world.

Just over a month after the title’s momentous launch, “Forza Motorsport 3” has sold more than one million units worldwide, with the community and fan base more active than ever, with the game proving to be one of the most popular games on Xbox LIVE since launch.

The Forza community has collectively logged over 6.6 million man hours playing online in more than 64 million connected sessions while driving over 590 million miles (952 million kilometres) in the game to date. That’s equal to more than three trips from the Earth to the Sun and back!

Now Turn 10 is spreading the holiday cheer with the “Hot Holidays” Car Pack, available today on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points.

The “Hot Holidays” Car Pack features some of the world’s most anticipated super cars and purpose-built race cars of 2009 and 2010, including first-ever virtual test drives of the new Ferrari 458 Italia and the latest Nissan GT-R Spec V. The complete “Hot Holidays” Car Pack list includes:

1. 2010 Ferrari 599XX
2. 2010 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss
3. 2010 Lamborghini LP6700-4 SV
4. 2010 Porsche Panacea Turbo
5. 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia
6. 2010 Jaguar XFR
7. 2010 Audi S4
8. 2010 Nissan GT-R Spec V
9. 2009 Aston Martin #007 AMR Lola
10. 2009 Audi #2 Sport Team Joist R15 TDI

While the December “Hot Holidays” Car Pack is great news for the Forza community, car lovers can expect yet another car pack to coincide with the North American International Auto Show in Detroit early next year. Racing onto Xbox LIVE Marketplace on January 13th, 2010, this new pack will add more of the latest and greatest cars to the ever-growing “Forza Motorsport 3” roster.

For more information on what “Forza Motorsport 3” has in store, stay tuned to Forzamotorsport.net as we reveal each of the January cars via exclusive community spy shots.

Here are some other Forza 3 articles here in OXCGN. Just make sure you check out the extensive list of over 30 articles dedicated to the title, all of which makes for some solid reading for racing fans young, and old.

• OXCGN’s Huge Forza 3 Page, over 1500 comments.
• OXCGN’s Forza 3 Career Guide with downloadable Achievement PDF spec sheet.
• OXCGN’s Career Guide Number 1. More downloadable stuff and lots of tips.

Check the huge page for a long list of pages on specific cars, tracks and details about Forza 3.

Filed under: 1st Party Titles, Blogbanter, Console gaming, Forza 3, GameBanter, GOTHY Awards, Press Release, Racing, Tuning For Forza 2, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Game Reviews, Xbox 360 News, XboxLive Marketplace Tagged: | #007 ARM's Aston Martin powered Lola, #2 Sports Team Joest R15 TD1, 2010 Audi SR4, 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia, 2010 Ferrari 599XX, 2010 Jaguar XFR, 2010 Lamborghini LP6700-4 SV E-Gear, 2010 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss, 2010 Nissan GT-R Spec V, 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo, 599XX, Aston Martin, Forza 3 Holiday Pack, Forza 3 sells 1 million copies, Lola, Mercedes, Panamera, Porsche, Sir Sterling Moss