Forza Horizon 5 is every car collector’s dream come to life. Well, virtually at least. This is a game that actively pushes you to gather all the cars you want, from JDM classics to exotic supercars. It’s easy enough to have hundreds of cars in your garage if you just play the game for 10-15 hours, but it’s not as easy to collect certain vehicles.
There are a lot of rare cars in Forza Horizon 5. The Ferrari F8 Tributo, 1992 Toyota Supra 2.0 GT, and the Aventador SVJ 2018 are some great examples. However, there are few cars as exclusive as the McLaren 12C, and even fewer that are actually worth the hassle.
Unlocking The McLaren 12C Feels Like A Test Of Dedication
The McLaren 12C Coupé was McLaren’s second road-legal car, right after the McLaren F1. Like the F1, this supercar incorporates technology you see in modern Formula 1 cars: carbon fiber all around, a unique steer braking system, and an active rear wing that doubles as an airbrake. Safe to say, this is a highly exclusive car with around 3,400 manufactured units.
So, it’s fitting that it is just as rare (if not rarer) in Forza Horizon 5. It can’t be purchased from the in-game Autoshow, and it’s not available as a Backstage Pass pass car. The last real way to unlock it was as a direct reward during Series 29 of the Festival playlist. These days, the only real way to get it is to look for it in the Auction House. Good luck with that, though, as this supercar is so rare that bids can go as high as 30 million credits.
Even when it does pop up in the Auction House, it’s such a sought-after car that it never sticks around for long. Many players take part in “Auction sniping”, looking for ultra-rare cars and quickly bidding on auctions that are about to end. The 12C is often one of the cars involved in this practice. You could spend hours trying to get it and still not succeed. Who knows, though, you might just get lucky.
The McLaren 12C Delivers Performance Worth The Grind
If you somehow get your hands on the McLaren 12C, you’ll be very happy sitting behind the wheel. It has an overall 9.0 rating for acceleration, meaning it’s scarily fast off the line and quick to jump to its max speed. With the right tuning setup, you can easily push it beyond 250mph with upgrades and performance tuning.
Driving the 12C is quite the experience, as the twin-turbocharged V8 sounds phenomenal. Unlike some of the more dramatic Lamborghinis in the game, it handles a bit better. Still, like most exclusive supercars in the game, it’s a wild beast that is hard to tame. It’s a mid-engine car, and this type of car often has a bit of understeer during corner entry. However, it is highly stable when you’re pushing it in a straight line.
Owning The Rarest Car Turns Players Into Collectors
In a game like Forza Horizon 5, one where you’re showered with vehicles all the time, the true endgame for many becomes the hunt for rare cars. That’s where the game turns into a collection passion project rather than a racing sandbox. There’s a whole culture in the Forza Horizon community around the thrill of this chase and the pride of owning something exclusive.
The McLaren 12C fits perfectly into this idea. Because of the hoops that you have to jump through, it’s more than a performance machine — it’s a status symbol. Owning one means that you either put the work in during previous events to unlock it, or you have mastered the art of sniping the Auction House.
