FH5, Series 26, Week 3

Finally, the F8 Tributo returns.

The treasure hunt was a matter of winning a cross country race in a Jag. I chose the F Pace and did the Aerodrome Circuit. CR100,000 in the bank. I suppose all the overexcited 12-year-olds who play the game opted for the least off-road cars.

The weekly was to drive the Vūhl. I’ll be honest – I don’t like the car’s handling. It’s ridiculously light at the front and has no turn-in (yes, mine is AWD). I cheated with the barrel roll after being unable to produce the desired effect from the airfield jump. I assume you need to make the car all engine and no handling. The cheat was to go to the bridge across the river and let it tumble over the edge. Job done.

The photo was the 1998 Nissan Silvia (wake me up, someone!) with the player standing in front of it. Why? I even completed this pointless task without Casa Bella being in shot. Silly and pointless. (I said “pointless” twice for emphasis.)

Neon City Circuit Race was the first Eventlab event. B700 VW, which was about the right level for the track, although the twisty bits were annoying rather than an interesting feature of the layout. The SWS was one-third good.

I used the 1965 Mini Cooper for Ek’ Balam Rally Cross. Right car for the job, but one lap was enough, I think. I got some clothing. I must don it sometime and feel the sensual fabric cascade erotically down my ageing, wrinkly flesh.

I’d already done some practice with the PR stunts and one-shotted everything in the 2020 Supra. I got a 100% excellent SWS for the first time ever, a one-third good SWS, and an SWS which was barely one-third good.

I managed to win all the races in Lurking in the Jungle in my B700 Scirocco, although there was a little pest in every race nibbling at my heels. I got a Subaru BRZ. I can scarcely wait not to drive it.

The choice of cars for Perfect Match was very limited, and I went with the Porsche Macan Rally Raid again. I was thankfully oblivious to the two circuit races being two laps because if I’d known, I would’ve lost both. I thought Las Ranas might be a disaster, but I spanked the drivatars (no, this is not a euphemism for something naughty) and got my 2013 Renault Clio RS.

I must admit that although I one-shotted the HW PR stunt (a drift zone), I did it very ineptly in my Toyota Celica. The SWS was one-third good.

As the Dodge Magnum had a better PWR than my Mustang RTR Spec 5, I took it out for Smashing the Competition, which ended up being this Frankenstein’s monster. The first race was cross country, but the Magnum coped (with a couple of rewinds). The other two races involved ice and were more like road races where I’d expect to find modern muscle cars. I got a 2014 BMW M4, which is all right, but a more contemporary M4 would be better. (When FH7 is released in, say, about 2030, are PGG still going to have the same ageing stable of cars as the rewards for seasonals? How many players will be saying, “Aye, that’s the car me granddad drove when I was a young ’un”?)

I switched to the 1992 Toyota Celica for the Sierra Nueva PR stunt, although the 2020 Supra was probably up to the task. Got it on the second attempt, which had me pointing straight at the jump from an uphill start.

My choice for Down the Hatch was either the 1991 Peugeot 205 Rallye or, er… The car did the job. Second race was a bit close, but I massacred the drivatars in the final race for an MB A45, which I ought to like, but towards which I feel indifference.

Not sure about the Trial. I have the series cars. I don’t want to do the oval circuit, which might be all right if it was Daytona-sized. I don’t desperately need another Ariel Nomad.

Definitely not doing PGG or Horizon Open. Games for the kiddies? No thanks.

At least the F8 Tributo is back. It is my second one, but it’s the only one I have in my garage because of the world’s least reliable save system.