The Crew Motorfest Season 7 review: A love letter to Ferrari

The Crew Motorfest is fast approaching its second anniversary in September, yet Ubisoft’s Forza Horizon rival is showing no signs of losing momentum. Like its predecessor, The Crew Motorfest’s post-release support has been exceptional, with season updates introducing new cars, gameplay improvements, and even a new island to explore. 

The last season update, Season 6, centred around Red Bull and added a stunt arena. Season 7, on the other hand, is a celebration of Ferrari. There’s a virtual museum, several new Prancing Horses to put through their paces, including a racing game debut, and a new themed playlist.

Ubisoft could have easily charged for this extra content, but instead, the update is free, with the option to access some cars early by purchasing the premium Year 2 Pass.  

For the uninitiated, The Crew Motorfest’s campaign is made up of playlists featuring curated challenges. At launch, these included themed Lamborghini and Porsche playlists, but Ferrari was strangely absent – until now. Few brands have Ferrari’s panache and allure, so the manufacturer certainly warrants a dedicated playlist.

Ferrari’s finest

Across seven events, Season 7’s new ‘Ferrari Supercars’ playlist takes you on a tour of the marque’s supercar heritage from 1984’s Ferrari 288 GTO to modern-day hybrids. Ferrari’s era-defining flagship supercars typically launch around every ten years. As such, The Crew Motorfest is currently the only game to feature every Ferrari flagship, with the 288 GTO, F50 and F80 completing the roster in Season 7.

Each playlist chapter focuses on a different supercar and is introduced by Michele Pignatti Morano, Director of the Ferrari Museums, who provides insightful context.

These videos are brief, usually lasting no more than a couple of minutes. If you’re looking for a deep dive into Ferrari’s history, you’re better off watching a documentary. That said, the intros are lavishly produced with ample archive footage and slick editing. An accompanying voiceover reads out facts about the car you’re driving in each event, which can get grating, but novices may learn some interesting titbits.   

After racing against a fleet of 288 GTOs, the second chapter is a face-off between the iconic F40 and F50, with you selecting which model to drive. Built to celebrate Ferrari’s 40^th anniversary, the F40 is one of the most instantly recognisable supercars and the last model to be approved by Enzo Ferrari.

Its successor celebrated Ferrari’s 50^th anniversary, with the F50 famously powered by a V12 engine from a Formula 1 car. It sounds ferocious in The Crew Motorfest and is suitably twitchy to drive on twisty roads.  

Not every chapter focuses on a Ferrari flagship. An OutRun-inspired time attack sees you race against the clock in a Ferrari 512 TR, effectively a reengineered version of the Testarossa pop culture icon, amid a striking sunset. It’s a shame The Crew Motorfest doesn’t have an original Testarossa to make it a more authentic OutRun tribute.

Another focuses on Ferrari’s racing pedigree with a race in a 365 GTB/4 Competizione, before switching to the FXX K mid-race – a track special that’s so extreme, it’s illegal to drive on public roads and isn’t eligible for any racing series.

Ferrari F80 makes its video game debut

Later chapters showcase how Ferrari’s recent supercars have progressed in the 21^st century, from the Enzo Ferrari, named after the company’s founder, to the hybrid LaFerrari. It culminates with a timed challenge putting you behind the wheel of the new F80.

The latter is particularly special. Not only is it the most powerful road car Ferrari has ever built, but Season 7 marks its first appearance in a video game. Whether Ivory Tower has secured an exclusive licensing deal remains to be seen, but its appearance in The Crew Motorfest before Gran Turismo or Forza is unprecedented. Hopefully, the McLaren W1 and Porsche Mission X will soon follow, completing the next-generation holy trinity.

With a 0-60 mph time of just over two seconds and a top speed of 217 mph, the F80 is rapid and terrifying to drive. Thanks to the course layout, there are ample opportunities to push it flat out. In an inspired touch, the image gradually desaturates as the chapter progresses, leaving red highlights in tribute to Ferrari. 

While you can currently only drive it in the final playlist challenge, the F80 will be added to the in-game shop next week. Considering it costs over £3 million in real life, expect it to be extortionate.  

Completing every chapter adds the 288 GTO to your collection as a reward, while the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano will be a Summit reward on 30^th July. Meanwhile, Year 2 Pass holders can access the Ferrari F50 early.

With only seven chapters to complete, it’s not the longest playlist in The Crew Motorfest, but it’s a fan-pleasing love letter to Ferrari and gives you a chance to drive the marque’s finest supercars without spending any in-game credits.

No entry to the museum

Accompanying the playlist is a new landmark in Maui based on the real-world Enzo Ferrari Museum in Maranello. Sadly, it’s closed to visitors, so you can’t venture inside and walk around the interior. Instead, you are restricted to driving around an outdoor exhibition, where you can pull up to supercars displayed on stands and view more details about them. It’s well presented, but there’s little to see.     

Thankfully, there are plenty of new activities to keep you busy outside of the playlist, including new challenges, feats and photo opportunities around the map. Maui was barren when it launched last year as a free expansion, but it now feels more fleshed out, thanks to new activities and landmarks added in recent Season updates.

Season 7 also introduces a wealth of quality-of-life improvements, including a new option to turn off the HUD and changes to the Grand Race. More useful is an extra slot in the Fast Fav system, which lets you switch between vehicles on the fly.

Mercifully, this means you are no longer restricted to land, sea or air vehicles in each slot. This is a welcome change if you rarely use the boats and planes and want to add your four favourite cars instead.

Nearly two years on, The Crew Motorfest remains a formidable rival to Forza Horizon thanks to its frequent updates. Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed if we can expect a third year of updates or if Ivory Tower is working on a sequel. But if this is the final lap, Season 7 ends The Crew Motorfest on a high after another year of solid updates.