FH5, Series 29, Week 1

Treasure hunt (1) was to drive a BMW 4.8km. The treasure was at the airfield, which led to the weekly photo. The ridiculous neon lights are back, making the place and the races look like a 90s disco.

Treasure hunt (2) ended up being two races in a Pontiac Firebird, not three as I initially thought. The treasure was in the Street Scene site (too much alliteration? Well, this week I’m going all Anglo-Saxon [That makes you sound like a sad, old perv. –ed.]) CR250,000 this time.

Eventlab (1). Seoul City 2.0. Not a bad layout, but there seemed to be a pit lane just before the final turn that looked like a shortcut. Guess what I did. I had to drop the level of difficulty because the drivatars were being impossible. I managed one overtake for about ten seconds before said drivatar sailed by. The reward was a Regal GNX. Don’t stop me because I know I’m right, but American Automotive was the series before last.

Eventlab (2). Los Jardines International Open. S2 extreme track toys. I appreciate the build, but the circuit itself was an awful stop-start affair in overpowered cars. I managed to get away from the drivatars in my F40 Competizione.

Eventlab (3). The descent continues… I mean, Starship Horizon. An awful circuit in EVs. I used the Audi E-Tron which constantly slid round corners, slamming into walls even when I thought I was going slow enough to take the turn. Admittedly, probably, the car wasn’t tuned. I heard stories on the forums that barriers would also pop up preventing cars from completing the race, but I seem to have dodged that. The reward was clothing. Yes, yes, you know how much I desire to feel the virtual fabric coursing down my ageing, wrinkly flesh. [I was right about the sad, old perv part. –ed.]

The weekly challenge had players in the Aston Martin DBR1. Options – spend several buckets of credits (I did) or blow 1,200 FPs (I ought to have). I left the car stock. The speed challenge was a matter of driving down the motorway from the far side of the roundabout to the west all the way past the roundabout with the danger sign, which took a minute. Better if you can restrict the car to 160kmh or whatever the target speed was.

Four rounds of Rivals. One in the 2020 Nissan GT-R and the other in the Pagani Huayra (another car that ought to have been in the game from the beginning). The other two Rivals events were in EVs. Usual problem – how fast is fast enough, how slow is just right? No gears on these cars, hence I have no idea.

I one-shotted the danger sign and got a one-third very good SWS. I one-shotted Pantano Pass speed trap, but the SWS was utter rubbish. I used the FE BMW X5 for these two, and had to switch to the Jesko for the other speed trap, East Resort, which I PB’ed. One-third good SWS.

I thought the Aston Martin DBR1 was probably the right choice for Short Circuits. It was all right, but I think I would’ve been better off in my V12 Vantage S. I managed to survive Cathedral Circuit without doing anything stupid (i.e., getting caught on the bollards near the start-finish line).

Mazda-ful Driving had to include a damp Volcán Sprint, where I got a sound win in my 2005 MX-5 in spite of the conditions. The reward was another escapee from the American Automotive update. Stop it, game, bloody stop it!

The Trial was yet another annoying instance of the game showing you some cars if you checked to see what was eligible only for it to reveal a whole bunch of other cars when the event started. I could’ve picked the V12 Vantage S, but ended up in the Maserati GT-S since it was the only car which had any potential for a viable build. Also, mine was already A800.

I had a 5th in Gran Pantano and a team win. There were a couple of drivatars that I couldn’t catch, Close, but no biscuit. 4th round Playa Azul, and all the drivatars were all behind us. Some poor driving and perhaps some bad-tempered driving which allowed me to pass some of the other players, but humanity was generally well behaved. And what was the reward? Another obese stray from the American Automotive update. Gods!

I one-shotted the HW drift zone and got a one-third good SWS.

I opted for the WP Supra for Pedal Pushing, but wonder whether it was the right choice. It seemed all right, but I feel there might’ve been better cars. The reward was a 2011 Audi RS3. Shrug.

I managed to one-shot the speed zone in Sierra Nueva in the FE BMW X5. In fact, I was well above the target speed when I completed it for a one-third  good SWS.

C600 retro hot hatch. Well, there’s a definition of “fun” if I ever saw it. I thought this was going to be dirt racing. Rally Adventure, you know. I build the Peugeot 205 Rallye for just this purpose, and then found it was road racing – Hatchback by Popular Demand – and switched to the Renault Clio Williams, which was already C600. The car gave a decent account of itself, but was probably on stock tyres. The reward was the old Toyota 86. Score: 2. Driven: 0. Perhaps one day.