Fora Horizon 6’s improved car customisation showcased, adds window stickers and motorcycle engine swaps 

• New car customisation features previewed in Forza Horizon 6
• ‘Forza Aero’ improves the fit and finish of aero parts
• Motorcycle engine swaps introduced for kei cars
• More Forza Edition cars to be included

For a game set to ship with 550 vehicles at launch, Forza Horizon 6 is hoping to appeal to global car lovers. And being set in Japan, where automotive subcultures thrive, car customisation is a feature many fans have been looking forward to seeing.

Thankfully, Playground Games has once again teamed up with IGN for a deep dive into FH 6’s car customisation mechanics, which the developer claims will be much improved over FH 5, thanks to a clean break away from the previous generation of consoles.

Window stickers

The first big customisation improvement is the addition of window stickers. 

A much-requested feature since the early days of the Forza franchise, players will be able to apply stickers to window surfaces as well as car bodies, including everything from sunstrips to the most outlandishly garish decals players can think of.

Forza Aero

Many fans have felt frustrated by the identikit-style front aero parts in previous Horizon games, but Playground is apparently working on tailoring front spoilers to almost every car in FH 6. 

This extends to rear spoilers and side skirts, which will also feature paintable individual elements, enhancing customisation options for players. The result is that end plates, main planes and supports can all feature different materials and colours.

The new Forza Aero system is possible thanks to a new tool that helps developers mould splitters to the car’s existing attachment points, providing a more seamless overall appearance.

And yes, tow hooks will also now be paintable.

Paint and parts

Playground stressed that the new paint menu in FH 6 will be much more user-friendly, so players will need fewer button presses to achieve their desired aesthetic.

There will also be more than 100 new wheel rim designs from official manufacturers to choose from, with revised tyre patterns and wear mechanics.

New refraction-based shaders will also improve the look of headlights in the game, including polycarbonate units, once again enhancing realism.  

The developer also emphasised that players could customise their garages to showcase their new creations in the best possible light. Crucially, garage designs can be shared online with other players, so even if you don’t have that necessary creative spark, it’s almost guaranteed someone else will.

Motorcycle engine swaps

It was also revealed that FH 6 will feature several motorcycle engine swaps. However, these will be restricted to the game’s kei cars, which nominally feature a motor capacity of up to 660 cc, or an average sports bike’s worth of capacity.

The engine swaps will naturally rev much higher than conventional cars, and that will be reflected in the game’s audio, too.

Forza Edition custom cars

FH 6 is set to include more fully customised cars, a feature Playground flirted with in FH 5. These cars feature entirely unique bodywork, engines and interiors and will only be available to players via rare Wheelspins or through random encounters in the game world.

Early examples include a V10 twin-turbocharged Mazda Miata, a more tasteful Mazda RX-3 and a heavily modified Nissan S-Cargo with a central driving position. Eep.

These one-off machines reflect Japan’s notable car-modifying culture, comprising sub-genres such as Kaido Racers, Kanjozoku, Itasha, and Kyusha.

Whatever the brand of car-based otaku a player is into, it looks like there should be a way to express it in FH 6.