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 km/h, 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, Toyota GR Supra, etc.), especially in PvP and/or Co-Op sessions.
 * Its ideal competition is other vehicles in the Offroad, Extreme/Unlimited 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:

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:
 * 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.

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:
 * 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

※ 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.
 * Maximum top speed is now 194 km/h.
 * In addition, it now has more upgrades than before:
 * 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:
 * 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. 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) and may appear in Series Playlists after Series 37 as part of the Horizon Mixtape. Completing it awards 100 #FORZATHON Points (200 if the Lake Lodge house is owned) and adds 15% and 3.75% to the Horizon Winter Season and Series Festival Playlist completion percentages, respectively. Note that the chapters below must be completed in the order they appear.

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:
 * 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 a less-than-optimal choice for Road Racing Series or Street Scene events.
 * However, it is once again not effective for use in online races involving Class S1 vehicles due to the lack of upgrades that allow it to reach or get close to S1 900, namely the Funco Motorsports F9's 7.4L V8 TT engine swap. Because of this, it will still be inferior to many cars in that class, even a Bugatti Chiron downgraded to S1 with the Offroad Race Tire Compound.
 * A stock M12S can have its gearing adjusted to allow it to reach a top speed of 150 mph (242 km/h). This speed can most easily be achieved by descending down the La Gran Caldera after widening the final drive ratio.
 * 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). However, adding gears will result in a very slight reduction in Performance Class due to each additional gear contributing minuscule gains to the Warthog's weight.
 * The Warthog also now has access to the Rally Differential upgrade, which gives it a suitable differential tuning setup 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 maximum 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 or Mercedes-AMG ONE) and enters an Anything Goes race event with it, and one of the Drivatars is in a Warthog. This is less likely to happen in Class S2 races, though, especially Street Races, where Drivatars commonly favor cars like the McLaren Senna or BMW X5 M Forza Edition.
 * 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 per profile.
 * A Warthog could be used to win the The Gauntlet of Fun EventLab challenge during the Series 1 Autumn/Storm Season, which required any Class A vehicle and was available from November 18 to November 25, 2021.
 * This EventLab challenge used The Colossus as its starting point and was a very short point-to-point race that the player could easily win without any interference from Drivatars or worry of a time limit. Completing it awarded the Windows Tada sound effect as a selectable car horn.

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: As of the November 17, 2021 hotfix update, completing the Warthog's Car Mastery Tree, including the consumable Warthog for the Win perk, requires a total of 80 Skill Points and awards a total of 16,000 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. Additionally, the player can spend all of their Skill Points to unlock all available Perks allowed by the player's Skill Point balance by pressing Y.



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 five accolades relating to it, with many of them also being references to the Halo franchise, as well as two references to Red vs. Blue: 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:
 * Prior to the November 17, 2021 hotfix update, this accolade would take rather long to complete, notably due to the Warthog's increased Skill Point cost for the Energy Shielding perk (50 Skill Points), which resulted in its Car Mastery Tree requiring a whooping 100 Skill Points to be fully unlocked, excluding the consumable Warthog for the Win perk. As of the November 17, 2021 hotfix update, the Energy Shielding park can now be purchased for 20 Skill Points, reducing the total Skill Point requirement to 70. There are multiple efficient methods of farming Skill Points, of which two will be listed here:
 * Highway Method: a Forza Edition car with either a Skills Boost or Speed Skills Boost, namely the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento and Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR, is the most ideal for this method. The player must drive through the highway in the center of the map back and forth while performing as many Near Miss and Ultimate Speed skills as possible, racking up lots of Skill Score in each go. When a Skill Song starts playing, the player's Skill Score is doubled, with the maximum Skill Multiplier being x10, which makes this method very effective. This method works best with a fully unlocked Car Mastery tree for either car.
 * Drifting Method: the player can use a Drift Car, commonly either the Formula Drift cars, the two Ford RTR Mustangs, or the Hoonigan Ford "Hoonicorn" Mustang (especially 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). This method involves the player drifting around the map (preferably on the highway), smashing into any destructible objects and performing a variety of Combo Skills along the way, until they reach 71,429 base Skill Score (62,500 for the GYMKHANA 10 Hoonicorn), after which they must bank the Skill Chain by entering any event to get the maximum 10 Skill Points from the Skill Chain or wait for the Skill Chain to bank itself.
 * Either method is best done in Horizon Solo as it is possible for the player's Skill Chain to break itself out of nowhere if the player is in a Horizon Life session and gets disconnected. These disconnections can happen without warning and often the player will not even get a notification saying they have been disconnected.
 * It is also possible to combine both methods, although this is riskier as the player still runs the risk of Drivatars crashing into them.
 * For either method, during Skill Songs, the player must bank their Skill Chain as soon as they reach 50,000 base Skill Score points with a multiplier of x10, as the maximum amount of Skill Points obtainable from a Skill Chain is 10.
 * 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, by rewinding, or by entering a home or Festival Outpost through the pause menu.
 * 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, although it has to be set to the Street Race type and start on a race route that is a Street Race by default.
 * 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, often for less than its normal value of 500,000 CR.
 * 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. Of note is that like in Forza Horizon 2, Barn Finds are now a truly permanent part of the player's garage; as such, the T100 cannot be found or sold in the Auction House, nor can it even be gifted with the Gift Drop feature.
 * 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 free Car Voucher obtained by buying the Welcome Pack DLC (bundled with 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.
 * Another method involves the Gift Drop feature. If the player manages to get either the Vulcan, Warthog, or GRC Fiesta from a Gift Drop (found in any random barn on the map), they will be able to make completing this accolade easier as they will also not have to spend any CR in the process, although the chances of this happening are incredibly low.