Thursday, January 29, 2015

Forza Horizon 2: A classic Ferrari that redefines itself

500m

Well, what do we have here? I've never seen this classic Ferrari for a while. It's a little dusty in here but this vintage Ferrari racing machine is part of Forza Horizon 2's G-SHOCK Car Pack, now on sale. What this is is the mythical Ferrari Sport Prototype 500 Mondial. A racing machine that redefined Ferrari in post-WWII Italy.

Built in the post-war era, the 500 Mondial is the first of the Ferraris that was made by Scaglietti and draws inspiration from a design penned by Enzo's son, Dino.

The models that was built for public selling were made under Pininfarina's supervision and only 15 of these are made.

The 500 Mondial is powered by a small 2.0L 4-cylinder engine mounted in the front rather than in the middle like most Ferraris do. It produces 170HP of power and couple that with the 5-speed gearbox, the top speed of this Ferrari is around 236kph, which sounds quick even by today's standards.

Apart from that, it weighs 720kg of weigh thanks to the use of its tubular steel frame for its chassis. The front features an independent suspension with unequal-length wishbones, transverse leaf spring and Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers while the rear features a de Dion suspension with twin radius arms, transverse leaf spring, and Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers.

500m (2)

For millennials, it's hard to get along with this classic Ferrari because while it was born in the age where anti-lock brakes and traction control hasn't invented yet, driving it can be hardly a challenge and no matter how hard you try, it's like gravity will pull you down to the very end. If you are experienced enough, then this Ferrari is a very respectable car that you can brave on. Old-school or not, it's all about gaining the respect of the car you're mastering and if you're getting used to it, it feels like your car can really hear you.

500m (3)

I was given an opportunity to give the mythical 500 Mondial the Forza Horizon 2 treatment it deserves and for this treatment, I'm trying to make the 500 Mondial relive its glory days just like every Ferrari in the history does. So, I've signed this car to a championship related to Classic Racers like this but first, I've given the 500 Mondial some vintage racer looks so it looks like it's going to take on vintage races in Southern Europe.

Like classic racers taking on the Mille Miglia, me and my 500 Mondial are taking on a road trip of a lifetime and it's a road trip to San Giovanni, where the championship I've signed up is held.



With me arrived at the said destination, the 500 Mondial is off for the race of its lifetime. Now, I was going to tweak it out so it can stay competitive against other classic racers like the Ford GT40 but upon witnessing its weaknesses during the road trip and I'm afraid I might go wrong with the improvements, I've decided to source it from another player. Yes, the tuning setup sourced from another player. You just give him a pat in the back for his setup done for you, right?



To whoever made this setup possible, I say thanks because thanks to this clever setup, I've snagged another championship win and with 4 championships left for me to unlock the finale, the journey's end is fast approaching but I must not give up on my adventure for the quest to be one of Horizon's finest.

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