M12S Warthog CST/Gameplay

NOTE: The acceleration times and braking distances provided below may vary in-game depending on the in-game weather and season conditions and whether or not the player is in a DLC expansion map (Blizzard Mountain, Horizon Hot Wheels, Fortune Island, or Horizon LEGO Valley).

General

• The M12S CST is eligible for the following preset car themes:
  • Anything Goes
  • Extreme Offroad
  • American All-Stars (vehicles from the United States of America)
  • Heavy Hitters (vehicles weighing at least 4,400 lb (1,996 kg))
• The M12S Warthog CST is ideal for many Cross Country or Dirt Racing events, particularly short or medium-length Cross Country routes and Scramble routes.
  • Tuning the vehicle is highly recommended to get the fastest lap times possible in Class A on short Cross Country routes and Scramble routes.
• Due to its low top speed of only 192 kilometers per hour (119 mph), the Warthog is not recommended for longer routes, especially Head-to-Head Races, Sprints, Trails, and long Circuits, even more so on any Drivatar Difficulty exceeding Pro. The Warthog will easily be overtaken by hypercars/track cars like the Mosler MT900S, Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione, and Koenigsegg Jesko, as well as other offroad-oriented vehicles like the Bowler EXR S and MG Metro 6R4.
  • It is obviously not recommended for use in drag races longer than a quarter mile (402 m) due to this. However, this ultimately depends on the driver skill and the vehicle's tune.
  • Try to avoid any events marked as "Anything Goes", as entering those events will make the Warthog far more likely to be matched against these vehicles (or worse, the "starter" cars and barn finds like the Ford Focus RS (Mark III), TVR Cerbera Speed 12, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, etc.), especially in PvP and/or Co-Op sessions.
  • Its ideal competition is other vehicles in the Offroad, Extreme Offroad, or Rally Monsters car types.
• Take advantage of the vehicle's strong launch to overtake opponents at the start, especially when doing solo races.
• The M12S Warthog CST is ideal for traveling through rough terrain, although it has a tendency to slide through corners.
• Its high ride height allows it to traverse through shallow water more easily than most other vehicles.
• It is ideal for Wreckage skills, as it is more than heavy enough to destroy multiple objects at once or in a short amount of time without losing too much speed or even breaking a Skill Chain.
• Even with a properly tuned and adjusted RWD Drivetrain swap, the Warthog is still less than ideal for drifting, as despite having a twin-turbocharged V8 at stock, it has insufficient wheelspin to drift properly.
  • Because of this, it is highly recommended to avoid using the Warthog for Drift Zones, even offroad ones, and instead use a better suited, drift-tuned vehicle like the Ford F-100 or Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT Apex.
• The M12S Warthog CST is not an ideal choice for most PR Stunts, as it lacks the speed to get 3 stars or even 2 stars on most PR Stunts, especially Speed Traps and Speed Zones on asphalt roads.
  • For Speed Traps and Speed Zones on asphalt roads, faster cars like the Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione, Koenigsegg CCGT and Jesko, and Mosler MT900S are far more suitable choices.
  • For offroad Speed Traps and Speed Zones, the Hoonigan Ford RS200 Evolution is a better choice. Failing that, heavily upgraded Rally Monsters or other Extreme Offroad vehicles will also do well.
  • The M12S CST has enough speed to achieve at least 2 stars on some Danger Signs.
• When creating a design for the M12S CST, the red triangular markings on the vehicle's body do not disappear, but can be covered with vinyls.
• There are a total of five exclusive manufacturer decals for the M12S CST: three post-war UNSC logos and two Liang-Dortmund Corporation logos.
• When putting the M12S Warthog CST for sale in the Auction House, the vehicle has a minimum starting price of 85,000 CR and a normal maximum starting price of 920,000 CR.
  • The M12S CST's normal minimum buyout price is 468,000 CR (rounded up from 467,500), while the normal maximum buyout is 1,005,000 CR.

Forza Horizon 3

• The M12S Warthog CST is a "Rare" vehicle, meaning it cannot be bought from the Autoshow by normal means. It can only be obtained through the following:
  • By having played either Halo 5: Guardians or Halo: The Master Chief Collection between September 6, 2016 and September 23, 2016 and receiving a redeemable code to unlock the vehicle.
  • #Forzathon events in October 2016 (The Halo Weekender), February 2017 (Who Wants Seconds?), January 2018 (Hot and Heavy Horizon), and March 2018 (Play in the Mud)
  • Auction House
• It carries the following statistics:

Class	Speed	Handling	Acceleration	Launch	Braking	Championship	Value
A 800	4.3	7.9	8.5	10	8.5	Extreme Offroad	850,000 CR

Acceleration & Speed 0 - 60 mph (0 - 97 km/h): 4.975 s 0 - 100 mph (0 - 161 km/h): 13.760 s Top Speed: 114.5 mph (184.3 km/h)

Braking Distance 60 mph - 0 (97 km/h - 0): 112.6 ft (34.3 m) 100 mph - 0 (161 km/h - 0): 243.4 ft (74.2 m)

Lateral Gs 60 mph (97 km/h): 0.89 120 mph (193 km/h): 0.88

• The M12S Warthog CST is one of the least upgradable vehicles, with only Tires and Rims and Conversion being available:

Upgrade Area	Upgrade	Weight Δ	Rim Size Δ	Front Δ	Cost
Tires and Rims - Rim Style	Sport Rim Style	Minimum: 0 lb (0 kg) Maximum: -124 lb (56 kg)	N/A	N/A	Minimum: 3,300 CR Maximum: 4,000 CR
Tires and Rims - Rim Style	Multi-Piece Rim Style	Minimum: 0 lb (0 kg) Maximum: -93 lb (42 kg)	N/A	N/A	Minimum: 3,000 CR Maximum: 3,700 CR
Tires and Rims - Rim Style	Specialized Rim Style	Minimum: 0 lb (0 kg) Maximum: -124 lb (56 kg)	N/A	N/A	Minimum: 3,000 CR Maximum: 3,700 CR
Tires and Rims - Front Rim Size	21 in Front Rims	+14 lb (6.4 kg)	420/55R21	N/A	2,600 CR
Tires and Rims - Front Rim Size	22 in Front Rims	+28 lb (13 kg)	420/55R22	N/A	3,000 CR
Tires and Rims - Front Rim Size	23 in Front Rims	+44 lb (20 kg)	420/50R23	N/A	3,200 CR
Tires and Rims - Front Rim Size	24 in Front Rims	+60 lb (27 kg)	420/50R24	N/A	3,400 CR
Tires and Rims - Rear Rim Size	21 in Rear Rims	+14 lb (6.4 kg)	420/55R21	N/A	2,600 CR
Tires and Rims - Rear Rim Size	22 in Rear Rims	+28 lb (13 kg)	420/55R22	N/A	3,000 CR
Tires and Rims - Rear Rim Size	23 in Rear Rims	+44 lb (20 kg)	420/50R23	N/A	3,200 CR
Tires and Rims - Rear Rim Size	24 in Rear Rims	+60 lb (27 kg)	420/50R24	N/A	3,400 CR
Conversion - Drivetrain Swap	RWD Drivetrain	-51 lb (23 kg)	N/A	-2%	10,000 CR

• It can only be upgraded to S1 802 at most.
  • Despite this, it is entirely possible for Drivatars to drive the M12S with a higher class, sometimes even reaching X 999. This is most easily observed when the player drives a car upgraded to X 999 (e.g. Lamborghini Centenario LP 770-4) and enters an Anything Goes race event with it.

#Forzathon Events

The following table details the #Forzathon events that offered the M12S Warthog CST as a prize, along with the challenges and the requirements to complete them.

Event	Start Date End Date	Challenge	Requirement
The Halo Weekender	October 27, 2016 October 30, 2016	Looks More Like a Puma	Finish 5 public games of both King and Flag Rush in an Extreme Offroad vehicle.
Who Wants Seconds?	February 3, 2017 February 6, 2017	General Issue	Win 5 Head-to-Head races in a Jeep.
Hot and Heavy Horizon	January 19, 2018 January 26, 2018	Flies Pretty Well	Perform 20 Kangaroo Skills in an Offroad vehicle.
Play in the Mud	March 23, 2018 March 30, 2018	Large Headlights	Complete 3 Street Races in an Extreme Offroad vehicle.

Forza Horizon 4

• The M12S Warthog CST can now be purchased normally from the Autoshow for 850,000 CR, thus making it much more accessible.
  • In Series 10 (June 6, 2018 14:30:00 GMT - July 4, 2018 14:29:59 GMT), the M12S was also obtainable by reaching League 10 in Ranked Adventure.
• As of the Series 3 update in November 2018, the M12S Warthog CST's stock rims now come with two advanced paint groups: Paint Group 1 and Inner Barrel.
  • Changing the rim style potentially allows for more advanced paint groups for the rims. The total number of advanced paint groups for the rims available depends on the type of rims selected.
• The M12S Warthog CST has a Legendary rarity, making it extremely rare in the Wheelspin, especially as the Wheelspin tends to prioritize other Legendary items (including Forza Edition cars).
  • It does have a slightly higher chance of appearing in a Super Wheelspin though. Even then, depending on your luck, it may be much better to obtain the M12S CST through the Autoshow for the full 850,000 CR price or through the Auction House for a lower price.
    • As of Series 11 (July 2019), every car, including the M12S, has a dynamic maximum price based on how often it sells in the Auction House, up to a maximum of 20,000,000 CR. This can allow players to obtain the M12S Warthog for more than 60% off the 850,000 CR value.
• Its stats have been changed from the previous game:

Class	Speed	Handling	Acceleration	Launch	Braking	Car Type
↓A 756	↑5.2	↓7.1	↑9.7	10	↓7.5	Extreme Offroad

• The stats have been changed:

Acceleration & Speed 0 - 60 mph (0 - 97 km/h): 3.811 s 0 - 100 mph (0 - 161 km/h): 9.560 s Top Speed: 117.9 mph (189.7 km/h)

Braking Distance 60 mph - 0 (97 km/h - 0): 245.1 ft (74.7 m) 100 mph - 0 (161 km/h - 0): 446.2 ft (136.0 m)

Lateral Gs 60 mph (97 km/h): 0.93 120 mph (193 km/h): 0.92

• Maximum top speed is now 194 kilometers per hour (121 mph).
• In addition, it now has more upgrades than before:

Upgrade Area	Upgrade	Power Δ	Torque Δ	Weight Δ	Front Δ	Perf. Index Δ	Cost
Engine - Twin Turbo	Sport Twin Turbo	+138 hp (103 kW)	+164 ft·lb (223 N·m)	+33 lb (15 kg)	N/A	+33	3,600 CR
Engine - Twin Turbo	Race Twin Turbo	+233 hp (173 kW)	+277 ft·lb (376 N·m)	+33 lb (15 kg)	N/A	+50	5,400 CR
Engine - Intercooler	Race Intercooler	+15 hp (11 kW)	+18 ft·lb (24 N·m)	+17 lb (8 kg)	N/A	+5	2,200 CR
Conversion - Engine Swap	Racing 7.2L V8	+130 hp (97 kW)	-215 ft·lb (292 N·m)	-44 lb (20 kg)	N/A	+26	50,000 CR

• The maximum engine output it can have with the standard engine is 968 hp (722 kW) and 1,150 ft·lb (1,560 N·m).
• With the Racing 7.2L V8 engine swap from the RJ Anderson #37 Polaris RZR-Rockstar Energy Pro 2 Truck, it gains access to even more upgrades:

Upgrade Area	Upgrade	Power Δ	Torque Δ	Weight Δ	Front Δ	Perf. Index Δ	Cost
Engine - Intake Manifold / Throttle Body	Race Intake Manifold / Throttle Body	+42 hp (31 kW)	+31 ft·lb (42 N·m)	-17 lb (7.7 kg)	N/A	+9	2,200 CR
Engine - Fuel System	Race Fuel System	+46 hp (34 kW)	+35 ft·lb (48 N·m)	N/A	N/A	+9	1,950 CR
Engine - Ignition	Race Ignition	+38 hp (28 kW)	+28 ft·lb (38 N·m)	N/A	N/A	+9	1,950 CR
Engine - Displacement	Race Engine Block	+67 hp (50 kW), +290 cc (17.7 cu in)	+50 ft·lb (68 N·m)	N/A	N/A	+13	4,900 CR
Engine - Twin Turbo	Race Twin Turbo	+59 hp (44 kW)	+44 ft·lb (60 N·m)	+1 lb (0.5 kg)	N/A	+7	5,400 CR
Engine - Positive-Displacement Supercharger	Race Positive-Displacement Supercharger	+59 hp (44 kW)	+44 ft·lb (60 N·m)	+6 lb (2.7 kg)	N/A	+7	5,400 CR
Engine - Intercooler	Street Intercooler	+17 hp (13 kW)	+13 ft·lb (18 N·m)	+44 lb (20 kg)	N/A	+1	750 CR
Engine - Intercooler	Sport Intercooler	+43 hp (32 kW)	+32 ft·lb (43 N·m)	+60 lb (27 kg)	N/A	+3	1,450 CR
Engine - Intercooler	Race Intercooler	+77 hp (57 kW)	+58 ft·lb (79 N·m)	+77 lb (35 kg)	+1%	+6	2,200 CR
Engine - Flywheel	Sport Flywheel	N/A	N/A	-4 lb (1.8 kg)	N/A	0 ~ +1	1,600 CR
Engine - Flywheel	Race Flywheel	N/A	N/A	-9 lb (4.1 kg)	N/A	+1 ~ +2	2,400 CR
Conversion - Aspiration Swap	Twin Turbo	+220 hp (164 kW)	+166 ft·lb (225 N·m)	+26 lb (12 kg)	N/A	+36	3,600 CR
Conversion - Aspiration Swap	Positive-Displacement Supercharger	+220 hp (164 kW)	+166 ft·lb (225 N·m)	+47 lb (21 kg)	N/A	+35	3,600 CR

※ The power, torque, and Performance Index delta figures provided in the table above are with the Twin Turbo aspiration swap. The Positive-Displacement Supercharger aspiration swap provides smaller gains.

• The highest class it can reach is S1 853. The following parts must be installed:
  • Racing 7.2L V8
  • Twin Turbo
  • Race Ignition
  • Race Engine Block
  • Race Twin Turbo
  • Race Intercooler
  • Race Flywheel
  • Any low-weight rim style (3,300 - 4,000 CR)
    • As of the November 2018 Series 3 update, this requires a total of 75,700 - 76,400 CR. This will take the M12S's total garage value to 926,400 CR.
  • It makes a maximum of 1,356 hp (1,012 kW) and 1,021 ft·lb (1,385 N·m) of torque from this engine swap with the Twin Turbo aspiration swap installed.
  • Despite having a wider range of upgrades than before, it is still ineffective in Rivals or PvP events featuring S1 Class vehicles or higher due to the strong presence and superior performance of vehicles like the Jeep Trailcat, Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe (C8), etc., as it does not have enough upgrades to reach the top of S1 Class.
    • In spite of the M12S only being upgradable to S1 853, Drivatars can be seen driving the M12S with a class of S1 860. This is most easily observed if the player drives a vehicle with a class of at least S1 865 (e.g. anything that can be upgraded to X 999 or at at least S2 Class) and enters a solo or co-op race event with a small list of eligible vehicles (preferably a custom list), including the M12S itself.
  • However, the Warthog is now more competitive on PR Stunts due to its increased speed, making it an ideal choice for some Danger Signs and offroad Speed Zones.
  • The highest speed it can reach is 163 mph (263 km/h), which can be achieved with widening the vehicle's gear ratios. Adjusting the Final Drive to a lower value like 4.90 is enough, although the player can also fine-tune the individual gear ratios to their liking.
    • With the increased speed, the Warthog is more capable of taking on longer drag race routes, but its increased speed's effectiveness still diminishes drastically on race routes with very long straight sections, such as The Juggernaut, which is 2.6 mi (4.2 km) long. Here, the M12S is easily overtaken by the likes of the Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione (which is capable of easily exceeding 311 mph (500 km/h)) and the Welcome Pack version of the Toyota #1 T100 Baja Truck.
• To tune the vehicle to A 800, the player must install the following:
  • Racing 7.2L V8
  • Race Intake Manifold / Throttle Body
  • Race Ignition
  • Race Flywheel
    • This requires a total of only 56,550 CR.
• Combining the Racing 7.2L V8 with a RWD swap and Twin Turbo upgrades allow the Warthog to be more easily driftable.
• Exercise caution when using the Warthog for A Class online races, especially Road Racing Series and Street Scene events, as there is a high chance that the player will run into superior cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2, Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, and BMW 850CSi, none of which the Warthog can compete with except in Dirt Racing events. For this reason, the Warthog should be avoided in Road Racing Series and Street Scene events.
  • In offroad races, the Warthog is an effective choice, albeit usually inferior to other vehicles like the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker, Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, Mercedes-Benz X-Class X 250 d, and Ford F-150 Raptor, which have better speed overall.
  • In A Class Rivals leaderboards on Cross Country Circuits and Scramble routes, the M12S is also an effective choice, capable of reaching the Top 100 or at least Top 500, although this ultimately depends on driver skill and, in some cases, the selection of vehicles offered in the Rivals event, as well as the length and complexity of the route.
• The Warthog can be used in #Forzathon Live events, but it is most effective when used during rounds involving earning Air Skills or going through offroad Speed Zones.
• As the Warthog is an Extreme Offroad vehicle, unlocking its Car Mastery Perks (see below) allows for more Influence to be earned while racing in Cross Country Series events in this vehicle.
• In the LEGO Speed Champions Expansion, the "Comin At Ya" Brick Challenge requires the player to exceed 120 mph (193 km/h) in the Warthog while in Horizon LEGO Valley. It is a Medium difficulty Skills Brick Challenge that can most easily be done with upgrades to the Warthog (e.g. installing the Racing 7.2L V8 engine swap). Although it is still entirely possible with a stock (A 756) vehicle, it is more difficult this way.
  • With either method, the easiest way is to start at the Falcon Speedway at the northwest corner of the map and head towards Brickchester southeast of the Falcon Speedway.
• As of the Series 18 update (January 14, 2020), the M12S Warthog is a playable car in Tier 7 of The Eliminator.

Car Mastery

The following is a table listing all of the M12S Warthog CST's Car Mastery Perks, as they appear in the game. Note that only "Collector's Item" can be unlocked from the beginning, after which the player can unlock adjacent perks.

Car Mastery
Push Your Luck	Showing Off	Fingers Crossed	Juggernaut
Flying Car	Head-Turner	Ultimate Thrill	Wreckage Weapon
Natural Drifter	Pass Master	Wombo Combo	Wrecking Ball
Collector's Item	Skill Legend	Lucky Hit	Extra Life

Completing this Car Mastery Tree awards a total of 35,000 Influence Points (20,000 from 100 spent Skill Points, 10,000 from "Showing Off", and 5,000 from "Collector's Item") and requires a grand total of 100 Skill Points.

Series 19 Winter Weekly #FORZATHON Challenge - WHO LET THE HOGS OUT?

This Weekly #FORZATHON Challenge was part of the Series 19 Horizon Winter Season (February 27, 2020 14:30:00 GMT → March 5, 2020 14:29:59 GMT). Completing it awarded 100 #FORZATHON Points (200 if the Lake Lodge house is owned) and added 15% and 3.75% to the Horizon Winter Season and Series 19 Festival Playlist completion percentages, respectively. Note that the chapters below must be completed in the order they appear.

Chapter 1: A PIG IN THE POKE

"Own and drive the 2554 AMG Transport Dynamics M12S Warthog CST, a mysterious vehicle from the future"

• Buying and owning the M12S is easy; just buy the vehicle from the Autoshow for 850,000 CR, or failing that, the Auction House for a lower price. It can sometimes be won in the Horizon Wheelspin.
  • 850,000 CR can easily be obtained by putting up an exclusive car like the Shelby 1000, Toyota GT86, or Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Forza Edition in the Auction House and then having it successfully sell for more than 850,000 CR (if either the finishing bid or the buyout exceeds said amount, the latter assuming a player bought out the car and instantly won it).
  • Another way is to open a lot of Wheelspins and Super Wheelspins. Having a lot of unused Wheelspins and Super Wheelspins and then opening them will result in large earnings in CR, including CR earned from selling duplicate cars won in the Wheelspin, and potentially even the M12S itself.
  • If the player doesn't want to open Horizon Wheelspins or use the Auction House, they can simply spend time completing long races to obtain the required CR.
• The above steps can be skipped if you have already obtained and owned the M12S.
• Upon having the M12S, simply get in it and exit out to the in-game world.
• Sometimes, there is a glitch where getting in the M12S does not register this chapter as completed. To fix this, just buy another M12S from the Autoshow, get in it, and exit out to the in-game world.

Chapter 2: HOG WILD

"This thing seems very rugged! Test out its durability by earning 5 Wrecking Ball Skill Combos in the M12S Warthog CST"

• The Wrecking Ball Skill Combo is obtained by destroying multiple small objects in a short period of time, subsequently also earning a lot of Wreckage Skills. While this can be done anywhere on the map, it is most easily done at the Greendale Aerodrome, which has more than 100 destructible small objects, ranging from curved fences to orange roadblock fences (these also award Road Open skills if destroyed) and railings.
• Be careful of curved fences and hay bales, as driving through them can break a Skill Chain and delay attainment of Wrecking Ball Skill Combos. Having the Extra Life perk unlocked and activated is helpful as it keeps the Skill Chain going and can award Great, Awesome, and Ultimate Skill Chain skills again in the event that a normal Skill Chain would have been stopped.

Chapter 3: CIVILIAN SPORT TRANSPORT

"Conduct a Warthog Run exercise to review the off-road capability of your M12S Warthog CST, by using it to win 3 Cross Country Series Events!"

• This chapter can be done on any Drivatar difficulty setting or in online PvP races, although solo races are the most advisable method for this.
• The Cross Country Series events can be either Cross Country Circuits or point-to-point Cross Country routes.
• Custom Routes Method:
  1. Using short custom routes is advisable. To create one, go to any race event (except Street Scene or Drag Strip events), go to Route Creator, and then get in any car. Drive for an extremely short distance (about 300 ft), place a checkpoint, and then do a sharp right followed by a left U-turn and another sharp right to continue in the route's starting direction before placing down the finish line. A custom route like this should be easy to win on, even with a stock M12S.
  2. Blueprint a new Exhibition event at the route where the short custom route was created, using said short custom route. The car restrictions can be Anything Goes, Extreme Offroad, American All-Stars, Heavy Hitters, or AMG Transport Dynamics-only. Once the car restrictions and short custom route are created, save the Blueprint, but remember to select Cross Country for the racing series.
  3. Play the newly created Event Blueprint using the short custom route, select the M12S, and then just speed through the Drivatars past the first checkpoint and through the finish line immediately ahead. You should easily come in first, as the Drivatars will be forced to drive through the extra turns in the short custom route.
  4. Collect the race rewards from the event and then repeat the event twice more.
• Default Routes Method:
  1. It is recommended to upgrade the M12S to A 800, which is done by installing the Racing 7.2L V8 and its Race Intake Manifold / Throttle Body, Race Ignition, and Race Flywheel upgrades, although with enough skill, driving with a stock vehicle will also work.
  2. Short Cross Country Series routes are advisable. Blueprinting single lap races from Cross Country Circuits is recommended, but should you struggle with winning in single lap races, having more laps is advisable.
  3. Any of the aforementioned car restrictions will work for this method.
  4. The Quarry Cross Country Circuit is the most ideal choice for both this method and the one before it as it will place the player close to the Slate Quarry Speed Trap, which is required for Chapter 4.
• Season Event Method:
  1. The Piste of Cake Season Event, which requires an S1 Class Extreme Offroad vehicle, will work for this method. Upgrading the M12S to S1 Class is obviously required. S1 850 is optimal as it is the fastest there, but upgrading it to S1 801 will also still work, but winning races may take longer this way.
  2. To get all rewards from the Season Event, the player must play on at least the Highly Skilled Drivatar difficulty setting.
  3. Even though this is the longest of the three methods available, this method also adds 6.67% and 1.67% to the Series 19 Horizon Winter Season and Series 19 Festival Playlist completion percentages, respectively, allowing for quicker completion of the Series 19 Horizon Winter Season due to said Season Event also being completed in the process.

Chapter 4: GOING THE WHOLE HOG

"Work up a big, grunty thirst by earning 3 Stars at the Slate Quarry Speed Trap in the M12S Warthog CST"

• Upgrades are required for this chapter, specifically the Racing 7.2L V8 with the Twin Turbo aspiration swap upgrade along with the Race Ignition, Race Engine Block, Race Twin Turbo, Race Intercooler, and Race Flywheel upgrades installed. The Slate Quarry Speed Trap requires a trap speed of 130.00 mph (209.21 km/h) for 3 Stars, which a stock M12S obviously cannot achieve.
  • Adjusting the final drive gear ratio to 5.00 is also advisable.
• If you have not unlocked the Slate Quarry Speed Trap yet, progress through Speed Trap Hero by obtaining 3 Stars on Speed Traps to unlock more, and the Slate Quarry Speed Trap will eventually unlock.
• With the M12S upgraded to S1 850 or higher with the aforementioned upgrades, start from the Kingfisher Cottage house, and then head west on the dirt road towards the Slate Quarry Speed Trap, and then speed through it. If you do it correctly, you should easily exceed the 130.00 mph (209.21 km/h) 3 Star target for the Speed Trap.

Forza Horizon 5

• As with the previous game, Forza Horizon 5 allows the player to purchase the M12S Warthog from the Autoshow for 850,000 CR. It still has a Legendary rarity as well, which reduces its chances of appearing in Horizon Wheelspins.
  • As the Warthog is a Legendary vehicle, taking a picture of it counts towards the Fit to Print achievement, which requires the player to photograph 50 unique Legendary vehicles for Horizon Promo and awards 30 gamerscore points when unlocked.
• Its Performance Index has changed again:

Performance Class	Speed	Handling	Acceleration	Launch	Braking	Offroad	Car Type
↓A 719	↓4.2	↓4.0	↓8.6	10	↓6.7	10	Unlimited Offroad

• The most noticeable addition is the Offroad stat. As an offroad vehicle (categorized as Unlimited Offroad, which is a renamed version of Extreme Offroad from previous installments), the M12S Warthog is naturally an excellent choice for offroading applications, including scaling up the Gran Caldera or tearing through the Horizon Baja Circuit, but it otherwise remains an unsuitable choice for Road Racing Series or Street Scene events.
• Another noticeable change from Forza Horizon 4 is that the M12S can now have its engine swapped out for the 7.7 L V12 from the TVR Cerbera Speed 12. However, this is heavier than the Racing 7.2 L V8 engine swap option and has less upgrade options available, but still puts out a comparable amount of power when maxed out with the Twin Turbo aspiration swap applied.
• Due to the addition of new Race Transmission upgrades that have 7, 8, 9, or 10 gears, the M12S will benefit from them with additional gears that can improve acceleration and speed, especially when descending down the La Gran Caldera (such as in the Las Dunas Cross Country race route).
• The Warthog also now has access to the Rally Differential upgrade, which allows it to be more easily tuned for Dirt Racing events. However, it is still always locked to the Offroad Race Tire Compound.
• The M12S is effective for most Trailblazers (timed point-to-point PR Stunts that go offroad and have specific start and end gates) when heavily upgraded and properly tuned.
• A stock M12S is only effective on short race routes like Ek' Balam Cross Country Circuit and Caldera Scramble. On longer routes, it is easily outrun by many other vehicles. As such, the M12S should be upgraded and tuned before taking on longer race routes like Tulum Trail and El Descenso Cross Country.
• Drivatars in M12S Warthogs can once again reach a Performance Class rating of X 999, much like in Forza Horizon 3. This is most easily observed when the player drives a car upgraded to X 999 (e.g. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Forza Edition) and enters an Anything Goes race event with it.
• Once the player has added the Warthog to their garage for the first time, they can claim a Wheelspin as the AMG Transport Dynamics Manufacturer Bonus through the Car Collection screen. This can only be done once.

Car Mastery

The Warthog has a different Car Mastery Tree in Forza Horizon 5, and its perks are, appropriately enough, references to the Halo franchise:

Car Mastery
Fun Application Vehicle	Warthog for the Win	-	Chupathingy
Looks More Like a Puma	Irresponsibly Cool	-	Warthog Go BRRRRR
Boo-Yah	Bringing Home the Bacon	Do You Know How to Drive?	You Take Point
Who Let the Hogs Out	Going the Whole Hog	Clean Your Visor	Energy Shielding

Completing the Warthog's Car Mastery Tree requires a total of 110 Skill Points and awards a total of 22,000 XP. Unlike in the previous game, the player will only be given a confirmation prompt if they want to unlock a Car Mastery Perk worth 20 Skill Points or more, so unlocking most Car Mastery Perks is now quicker.

Accolades

Accolades are challenges in Forza Horizon 5 that can be completed to earn various rewards and progress through the Horizon Adventure. The M12S has three Accolades relating to it:

Accolade	Description	Area	Award
Mastery Chief	Unlock the entire Car Mastery Tree in the 2554 AMG Transport Dynamics M12S Warthog CST	Skills	750 Accolade Points
Prophet of Regret	Lose a Skill Chain worth at least 250,000 points in a 2554 AMG Transport Dynamics M12S Warthog CST	Skills	500 Accolade Points "I think we're just getting started" Forza Link phrase
Invasive Species	Win a Street Race in an Unlimited Offroad vehicle	Street Racing	250 Accolade Points
Oorah!	Win a Street Race in a 2554 AMG Transport Dynamics M12S Warthog CST	Street Racing	250 Accolade Points
It's a New Day	Own a 2017 Ford #14 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing GRC Fiesta, 2017 Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro, 1993 Toyota #1 T100 Baja Truck, 2016 Ariel Nomad, and 2554 AMG Transport Dynamics M12S Warthog CST	Discovery & Collections (Car Collection)	1,000 Accolade Points Classic Running Man Emote

Completing all three of these Accolades results in the total rewards:

• 2,750 Accolade Points
• One new emote
• One new Forza Link phrase

Accolade-specific tips and warnings

• Mastery Chief:
  • This Accolade will take rather long to complete, notably due to the Warthog's increased Skill Point cost for the Energy Shielding perk (50 Skill Points), which results in its Car Mastery Tree requiring a whooping 110 Skill Points to be fully unlocked, including the consumable Warthog for the Win perk. By comparison, the Aston Martin Valhalla Concept Car requires only 80 Skill Points for its Car Mastery Tree to be completed, 20 of which comes from its Odin's Protection (Extra Life) perk.
  • A good way to farm Skill Points is to use a Forza Edition car, farm as much Skill Score as possible in one go, and then bank the Skill Chain. Preferably, you should go for a Skill Chain worth at least 500,000 Skill Score points as that gives the maximum amount of Skill Points (10). This is most easily done during a Skill Song and can be done in a plethora of ways, but the most effective ones are either driving through the Autopista and Federal Highway back and forth in the middle of the map or by drifting around and destroying objects for Sideswipe Skills (most easily done in areas like the Aeródromo en La Selva at the bottom of the map).
    • The former strategy can be further enhanced if the player creates a custom circuit route via EventLab that goes through the highway twice, once in each direction, and then creates an EventLab Blueprint using said custom route and without Drivatars. For this, Forza Edition cars with either Clean Skills, Speed Skills, Skills, or Drift Skills boosts, such as the Pagani Huayra BC, Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR, Dodge Charger R/T (obtained with the VIP Membership), and Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, are effective for this strategy. However, Skill Songs cannot be activated during races, so keep that in mind as the maximum Skill Chain multiplier will be lower. If Drivatars are enabled, on the other hand, the player can pass them to get Pass Skills for extra Skill Score.
    • For the latter strategy, the player can use a Drift Car, commonly either the Formula Drift cars, the two Ford RTR Mustangs, or the Hoonigan Ford "Hoonicorn" Mustang (especialy the GYMKHANA 10 version). These are very effective for farming Skill Points with a fully unlocked Car Mastery Tree and can go to a maximum Skill Multiplier of x7.0 (x8.0 for the GYMKHANA 10 Hoonicorn).
• Prophet of Regret:
  • This Accolade is most easily done during a Skill Song (unlocked when the player obtains the Casa Bella house in Mulegé, which occurs during the beginning of the game). As soon as the player has obtained 25,000 base Skill Score with a multiplier of x10, they must break it immediately with a hard collision or by rewinding.
• Oorah! and Invasive Species:
  • Due to the Warthog being less effective in Road Racing and Street Racing, the best way to do these Accolades together is to either put the Drivatar difficulty on Tourist or New Racer or create a new EventLab Blueprint that sets the maximum Drivatar count to 0. This will always result in the player winning the race once they cross the finish line, which makes attaining these Accolades easy. Upgrading the Warthog is also recommended.
    • This can be made even easier with an EventLab Blueprint that uses a very short custom route.
• It's a New Day:
  • Two of the cars required for this Accolade cannot be bought in the Autoshow: the GRC Fiesta and T100 Baja Truck.
    • The GRC Fiesta is only obtainable through the Horizon Wheelspin, Season Events, Festival Playlist, or Forzathon Shop. It is also available in the Auction House.
    • The T100 Baja Truck is a Barn Find that must be discovered and restored by playing through the game long enough. Once the Barn Find Rumor for it is discovered, its barn can be found southeast of De Otro Mundo, not far from the Emerald Circuit. If the player is impatient, they can quickly restore the T100 but they will have to pay a large sum of CR in the process.
  • Additionally, the AM Vulcan AMR is the most expensive vehicle required for this Accolade, costing 2,000,000 CR to purchase from the Autoshow or Car Collection tab. However, it can be obtained for free by completing the Humble Brag Accolade, which requires the player to reach Level 125, or by using the Car Voucher obtained by buying the Premium Edition of the game.
  • Buying the Ariel Nomad, M12S Warthog CST, and AM Vulcan AMR from the Autoshow requires a total of 2,943,000 CR. However, it is possible to win all of the cars mentioned except the T100 through the Wheelspin, which results in the player not spending any CR whatsoever.