Forza Horizon 6 has launched to the masses, and everyone seems to be in love. As with every Forza entry, a slew of PR stuns, Drift Zones, Drag Strips, and more have proliferated the landscape, begging to be three-stared.
You’re here because you won’t settle for anything less than the best. So, first of all, congratulations on choosing the right article, because I’m here to get you all those stars, and maybe even some top scores.
Forza Horizon 6 Drag Racing — Best settings
Let’s start off with the easiest first: drag racing.
There’s nothing fancy about it. You won’t need to turn, brake, or even really steer all that much. Hit the pedal, shift, and go.
For you automatic users, you might have laughed at the shift comment, but I’m here to let you know that you’re going to have to learn some basics for shifting if you want to get the best possible scores with your vehicle.
Match everything you see in the above photo, or as listed below:
- Shifting – *Manual (Or Manual W/ Clutch)
- ABS - Off
- Traction Control - Off
- Launch Control - *On
I put an asterisk next to the Manual W/Clutch because this is where your mileage may vary in terms of shifting preferences. For all newer vehicles, cars with drivetrain swaps, or any of the vehicles I’ll have listed, Manual W/Clutch is no longer any faster than Manual without Clutch.
For older vehicles and titles prior to Forza Horizon 5, Manual W/Clutch was a necessity for shaving seconds from a lap or tenths from a drag time. Shift changes were faster as a result, but on newer drivetrains, especially with the latest systems in-game, there’s no longer any real discernible difference between them.
With that said, clutch on a standard controller is an abysmal experience, and I recommend staying away from it entirely unless you have some paddles on the back or a dedicated racing wheel. If you’re chasing a top spot, though, it could make a difference of precious milliseconds.
As for settings like Traction Control, vehicles cut power when detecting traction loss. You can see where this will hurt a drag car that has any wheel spin, as you won’t get the full power of the engine under the hood.
I also put an asterisk next to Launch Control because purists will tell you to disable it for the best score, but I've always found it wildly unusable without Launch Control, especially if you're playing on a controller.
Launch control gives you the best RPMs at the start of a race without having to baby the throttle.
Forza Horizon 6 Drag Racing — Best Vehicles
First, I want to give a nod to the easiest car to get ahold of, one you won’t have to hunt for or win in a Wheel Spin. That’s the Honda Beat '91. Found in the Autoshow, this thing is a beast when upgraded.
The Beat was the first drag car I used on Forza Horizon 6, and one that carried me to some top spots before players started getting their hands on the Mazda Miata FE 94’ and Nissan GTR FE. You will be able to beat every Speed Trap, Drag Event, as well as a lot of Speed Zones, Danger Signs, and Trailblazers.
Then there are two vehicles that go toe-to-toe depending on the strip, but I’ll start with my personal favorite, the Miata MX-5 FE '94. Not only does this car rock as a drag strip build, but it also doubles as a fantastic Speed Trap and Speed Zone vehicle.
Given the tight corners of the Japanese maps, open throttling isn’t always the answer when it comes to going after some top scores on Traps and Zones. But as for Drag, it all comes down to the distance.
No matter which track you’re on, though, the Miata will dominate with three stars when paired with your own tune or one from the tuner market.
Last, but not least, is the cream of the crop, the GTR FE. An absolute Drag Strip monster, and Speed Trap if you can line it up right, this car has the best Drag Tune for distance in the game.
Equipped with a Wheelie Bar and a parachute (non-functional), the GTR is made for drag racing and not much else.
I do want to mention a runner-up, which topples the GTR FE in some instances, but I've yet to see it take the top spot. The Toyota AE86 FE, which you get by earning 5,000 points in the Discover Japan Master Explorer journal. If you've earned this car, chances are you aren't even reading this guide!
Forza Horizon 6 Drag Racing — Best Tune and Setup
As for a tune, you can obviously take one straight from the tune finder, or, better yet, make one yourself! After doing my own setups, I came across the best Forza cheatsheet I’ve seen for tuning from katalonian on Reddit, which I'll be referencing below.
First things first, upgrades:
- Engine Swap — The bigger the better
- Drive train — Swap to AWD (when you can) unless you’re a purist. AWD is just flat-out better for times.
- Clutch — I prefer the 7-speed race clutch, with maximum upgrades on everything else.
- Suspension — Pick whichever you like more
- Sway Bars — Add both front and back
- Differential — Any will do.
- Tires — Drag tire compound is an absolute must. Pick the widest back and the skinniest front (in most cases).
- Weight Reduction — Go all out and remove everything you can. This includes Aero, rim weight, reduction kits, and anything else that’s light. Choose the lighter option on everything unless it’s crucial to a drag vehicle.
Next, the best tune!
- Gearing — Leave this for last, as it's more of a "feel" thing, but for default, you can slide this all the way to "speed".
- Camber — Front: 0 to -0.5 Rear: 0 to +0.5
- Toe — 0 for both values
- Caster — Max for both values
- Anti-Roll — Stiff for both values
- Springs — Soft for both values
- Ride Height — Max for both values
- Dampening — Front: Soft Rear: Stiff
- Aerodynamics — N/A
- Aerodynamic, Brakes, and Differential — Leave untouched.
- Differential Acceleration: 85%
- Differential Deceleration: N/A
For the Gear setup, you'll need a drag strip! The rest will depend entirely on the length of the strip you're on.
First gear is the most important, the launch gear. You want a balance between speed and grip. Too much power will lead to a lack of grip, and too little will lead to a slow car.
You want the RPMs topping out rather quickly without any tire spin. Spin means lengthening first gear to a point it stops spinning, where you'll maintain maximum power without losing speed.
Depending on the gear you want to end on, your race should be finishing at the top of the RPM for that gear. As the Reddit tune guide lists, they prefer third, but everyone's different.
So long as you're crossing the line at the top of the gear at maximum speed, you've hit your tune.
Good luck!
There are a lot of truly amazing cars hiding among the Forza Horizon 6 Barn Finds, with some classic Japanese rides that you can't get your hands on anywhere else among the rewards.
They're not all Japanese cars, but the best ones are, and I think you're going to absolutely love tearing up the streets in each of them!
For more, be sure to check out our full Forza Horizon 6 review.
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