As both a lifelong Hot Wheels fan and avid Forza Horizon player, I‘ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to experience my favorite childhood toys come to life in Playground Games‘ incredible racing sandbox. But is this orange plastic-fantastic DLC a free update, or does it come at a price?
Having already invested dozens of hours exploring the loop-de-loops and gravity-defying stunts on offer, I‘ve put together this detailed guide to walk fellow racing fans through everything you need to know about getting your hands on Hot Wheels in Forza Horizon 5.
Reliving a Childhood Dream
Let me start with a personal anecdote that explains my passion for this crossover…
Like many kids growing up in the 90s, I was obsessed with Hot Wheels. The imaginative toy car designs, bright orange track pieces and promise of speed and stunts was irresistible. I spent hours gazing over the new models on store shelves, carefully deciding which ones to add to my constantly growing collection.
Of course, the real joy came from assembling epic tracks on my bedroom floor. With a bit of creativity and some supportive furniture, I could build sprawling courses allowing my favorite Hot Wheels vehicles to loop, corkscrew and jump at impossible speeds.
While adult life took me away from those kinds of toys, glimpsing the initial trailer for Forza‘s Hot Wheels expansion brought all those memories flooding back. Finally I could return to a world where gravity doesn‘t apply and the laws of physics bend to let toy cars fly! Needless to say, I knew I had to get my hands on it.
An Introduction to Forza Horizon 5
Before we get to the Hot Wheels content specifically, let‘s quickly recap what Forza Horizon 5 itself offers. As Microsoft‘s premiere open world racing game for Xbox and PC, the core Forza Horizon experience provides a beautiful and addictive automotive playground.
Set across a vibrant and vast portrayal of Mexico, you‘re free to explore deserts, jungles, cities and quaint villages while collecting hundreds of detailed vehicles to drive and customize. Both accessible pick-up-and-play arcade handling and meticulously modeled real-world cars make it a joy for all kinds of racing fans.
Forza Horizon 5 represents the pinnacle of the beloved spin-off series that has delighted over 15 million players to date. Our own review awarded it a rare perfect score, praising its substantive campaign, stunning visuals and sheer joy of driving.
Unboxing the Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels Expansion
Let‘s move on to the toy-based extravaganza in question. Released in July 2022 as the first of two planned major expansions, Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels introduces a separate map based on the iconic original Hot Wheels toys.
Once purchased, you can visit the marked Hot Wheels Expedition on your Mexico map to instantly teleport to Hot Wheels Island – a chain of imaginative biomes linked by classic plastic orange track pieces.
This stunt-packed playground adds a wealth of content and new gameplay opportunities:
10 Awesome New Cars – Including classics like the 2018 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 and modern Hot Wheels icons like the signature 2JetZ. Each has been carefully recreated with realistic handling married to Hot Wheels‘ exaggeration.
9 Themed Chapters – A lengthy campaign narrated by legendary Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada, taking you through different areas as you master stunts.
80 New Events – A mix of races, challenges, time trials and drift zones themed around Hot Wheels play.
Physics-Defying Tracks – Massive loops, corkscrews, jumps and boost pads that let you drive just as unrealistically as you did with the toys.
Track Builder – A powerful and intuitive custom track editor to create your dream Hot Wheels courses. Share them online for others to download and race on.
Themed Customization – New parts, decals and livery options to make your cars look like Hot Wheels vehicles. Even customize your driver‘s racing outfit.
Unlockables – By smashing bonus boards and completing events, you can unlock Hot Wheels-themed player banners, emotes, car horns and more.
After getting hands-on during the pre-release preview, I can confidently say the team at Playground Games have absolutely nailed the Hot Wheels fantasy here. Within seconds of hitting my first loop-de-loop, I was transported back to childhood afternoons of toy box playtime.
How Much Does it Cost to Take Home Hot Wheels?
Now for the key question – how can you get your hands on this lovingly crafted DLC?
Well, there‘s good news and bad news. Let‘s start with the pricing details:
Standalone Price: $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.97 as a DLC add-on.
Included With Premium Edition: Grants access to both major expansions.
Included in Premium Add-Ons Bundle (Standard Edition): $49.99 and includes Car Pass, VIP membership and both expansions.
Included in Expansions Bundle (Standard Edition): $34.99 with just the two expansions.
So unfortunately unless you‘ve already invested in Forza Horizon 5‘s Premium version or an add-on bundle, you‘ll need to shell out $19.99 to drive Hot Wheels.
As an avid Forza fan, I‘ve personally always gone with the best edition to get all available content. But based on the sheer joy and hours of fun I‘m already having with it, I‘d say the Hot Wheels expansion is easily worth the asking price for most players.
For wider context, here‘s how the Hot Wheels DLC pricing compares to previous Forza Horizon expansions:
| Expansion | Launch Date | Standalone Price |
|---|---|---|
| Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions | June 13, 2019 | $19.99 |
| Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels | July 19, 2022 | $19.99 |
Playground Games has clearly found their sweet spot, offering substantial themed expansions priced equal to a standard retail game.
Availability and How to Download Hot Wheels
You can grab the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion right now on Xbox and Windows PC via the official Microsoft Store.
It requires the base Forza Horizon 5 game to play, which is notably available on Xbox Game Pass. However, the Hot Wheels DLC itself is sold separately.
Once purchased, you can find and install the "Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels" expansion listed under the main game‘s DLC add-ons section. It‘s a sizable 18.7GB download, so make sure you‘ve got room spare on your hard drive.
Downloading the content will automatically unlock the new Hot Wheels Expedition event on your Mexico map within the standard Forza Horizon 5 game. Simply fast travel there to be magically transported away to your plastic track-filled paradise!
Tips for Getting the Most from Hot Wheels Island
To help fellow Hot Wheels enthusiasts explore every looping inch of this stunt-filled expansion, here are my top tips for making the most of your time with Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels:
Smash Bonus Boards – Destroying these scattered targets around the map unlocks new races and events, so seek them out.
Complete All Events – Try to 3 star every new challenge to unlock exclusive Hot Wheels edition cars for your collection.
Master Hot Wheels Physics – Get used to driving on plastic with low grip. Upgrade your cars for acceleration and speed rather than grip.
Use Rewind Often – Hot Wheels events can be challenging. Rewind liberally during difficult sections to avoid frustration.
Try Multiplayer – Race against real players on custom tracks for added fun.
Tune for Stunts – Soften your car‘s suspension and adjust gearing to maintain speed through jumps and loops.
Spend Time in Track Builder– Flex your creative muscles designing your ultimate stunt course, then share it for others to enjoy.
Equip Car Mastery Perks – Fast traveling back to tracks you make is handy. Car mastery skill point upgrades can unlock this.
For more technical tuning and upgrade advice, check out my full guide on preparing your dream Hot Wheels car for gravity-defying success.
Above all, remember to embrace the exaggerated fun on offer here. Suspend your disbelief, and just enjoy living out those childhood Hot Wheels fantasies to the fullest!
Hot Wheels History and Heritage
Before we conclude, let‘s take a quick look at the cultural history of Hot Wheels themselves. Few toy brands have maintained such worldwide popularity over the decades, evolving to stay relevant with new generations.
Hot Wheels were first conceived in the late 1960s as a challenger to traditional die-cast model cars like Matchbox. Co-founder Elliot Handler (of Mattel fame) wanted something more fast, flashy and sleek to appeal to kids.
The key breakthrough was an innovative new track system that allowed Hot Wheels cars to speed along elevated orange plastic rails full of loops and stunts. Combined with hip paintjobs and customization options, the brand was an instant success when launched in 1968.
Over 50 years later, Hot Wheels remains one of the most recognized toy brands in the world. Here are some key milestones along the way:
500 million Hot Wheels produced by 1972, just 4 years after launch.
16,000+ Different Hot Wheel car designs released since 1968.
6 cars inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame (Class of 2011).
1/64 scale used since 1968 remains standard today for authenticity.
Mattel’s top-selling boys toy in the world for decades.
Beyond the die-cast cars themselves, the Hot Wheels influence spans movies, TV shows, video games, books, apparel and more. They are a true pop culture icon.
Hot Wheels Gaming Legacy
Hot Wheels‘ popularity has led to numerous memorable racing video games over the years, starting with various LCD handheld devices in the 70s and 80s.
After a string of educational PC titles in the 90s, the 21st century saw a focus on bringing Hot Wheels gameplay to consoles. Titles like ‘World Race‘, ‘Stunt Track driver‘ and more recently the heavily-customizable ‘Unleashed‘ captured the stunts and freedom familiar from the toys.
Despite various attempts, Forza Horizon 5 is arguably the first major game to truly nail the gravity-defying, imagination-fueled fun that made Hot Wheels an essential part of countless childhoods.
By staying true to the core nostalgic appeal, while leveraging cutting-edge graphics and physics, Playground Games have set a new standard for bringing toys to interactive life. It feels like a seminal gaming moment for millions of lapsed but passionate Hot Wheels fans.
The Verdict: Hot Wheels on Forza Horizon 5 a Must-Buy!
So in summary, while Forza Horizon 5‘s Hot Wheels expansion isn‘t freely included with the base game, I‘d strongly recommend any racing fan parts with $19.99 to experience it.
The amount of lovingly crafted content, exhilarating stunt-driven gameplay, and pure childlike joy on offer here make it an essential purchase in my eyes. Unless you already own the Premium Edition, this is a DLC pack you don‘t want to miss.
As both a lifelong Hot Wheels obsessive and avid Forza player, I couldn‘t be happier with how Playground Games have transitioned these iconic toys into a living, breathing adrenaline-pumping racing playground.
It‘s a package overflowing with smile-inducing moments that tap straight into nostalgia‘s powerful grasp. For the hours upon hours of high-octane fun and memories on offer, I‘d say the Hot Wheels expansion is well worth the price for most Forza Horizon 5 owners.
Thanks for joining me on this tour through the orange-tinged stunt driving paradise! Let me know your own thoughts on the Hot Wheels DLC in the comments, and if you have any other questions I‘d be happy to help fellow racing fans out. Now if you‘ll excuse me, I‘ve got some custom corkscrew tracks that need building…
