BMW Month kicks off in Forza Motorsport

Forza Motorsport has enjoyed a rather transformative 2024. The game runs well now, has plenty of permanent content, and even features ray-traced global illumination if you’ve got the rig for it. Developer Turn 10 is now continuing its winning streak with Update 16: the month of BMW cars.

In the broadest sense possible, Update 16 may well be somewhat disappointing from a feature and core gameplay improvement point of view. The focus falls squarely on the frankly impressive suite of new BMW vehicles, and so we’re not getting a new track or anything of the kind this time around. In fact, the three tracks that received visual overhauls in the recent updates (Homestead-Miami, Hakone, Maple Valley) have been reverted to their original designs, which is a bit of a bummer. In return, we’re getting eight new and returning BMWs and a suite of updated events.

Forza Motorsport’s Update 16 is a celebration of BMW’s automotive and racing history

To get right into the nitty-gritty of Update 16’s BMW Month, here are all the new cars and how to unlock them:

• BMW #96 Turner Motorsports M4 GT3 (2023): Complete the BMW Tour in Career Mode.
• BMW #1 3.0 CSL (1976): Complete the Open Class Tour in Career Mode.
• BMW #25 BMW Team RLL M-Hybrid V8 (2023): Challenge Hub.
• BMW #91 Formula Drift M2 (2020): Challenge Hub.
• BMW M6 Coupe (2010): Showroom purchase.
• BMW M5 (2009): Showroom purchase.
• BMW M3 (2008): Showroom purchase.
• BMW M5 (2003): Showroom purchase.

The BMW Tour will only be available for about one month, starting from Wednesday, January 8, and it gives you an opportunity to drive the whole gamut of classic cars in an escalating series of challenges. Early M, BMW Motorsport GT, Modern M, and BMW Motorsport Endurance all tell you precisely what you’re getting into with their titles alone, and this is exactly the sort of thing we need more of in Forza Motorsport. Frankly, it’d be amazing if we could get permanent brand-themed events as a separate championship category in FM‘s core Career Mode, but that’s a different can of worms.

If all of the above isn’t enough and you need more BMW craziness to tide you over until Update 17 releases, consider competing in the BMW Challenge Series in Featured Multiplayer. Featured Multiplayer will also play host to Lexus RC F-Spec Series, Forza Proto-H Series, and Prototype Group events, alongside a bevy of other themed championships. Plenty of variety there, too, ranging from the humble MX-5 Cup to the BMW Pro-Car Series.

One last tidbit of note for gearheads is that Forza Motorsport is giving us all a chance to win a two-person trip to the legendary Le Mans as part of BMW Month. You can use to enter the contest, because why not? Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like the contest necessitates an event completion of any sort, so you can enter even if you’re not actively playing Forza Motorsport at this time.

As for Update 17, that’s still some ways out, but it’s looking mighty promising in my book: “February’s update will be a celebration of Daily Racers in Forza Motorsport, showcasing numerous modern cars that only show their true potential once unleashed onto the track,” says the official blog. As a hot hatch aficionado, I’ve got my hopes up!