You're an adult now. Those memorable rides from the Forza franchise are for sale in real life.
If you're reading this, chances are you've played Forza at least once. The Gran Turismo competitor from Microsoft for Xbox may have taken a while to find a loyal audience, but those who have played Forza Motorsport (1 through 5) and Forza Horizon (1 and 2) offer up a stellar experience and some iconic, memorable virtual metal.
Now that you're all grown up, and probably don't play video games as much as you used to, it might be time to turn your everyday commute into a point-to-point race by picking up one of your favourite cars from the Forza series in real life.
Need some help remembering what got your motor running? We're here to help.
Forza Motorsport - 2004 Pontiac GTO
The first iteration of the soon-to-be franchise offered up a lot of Japanese tuner cars and full on racers. But, deep in the menus was this, the Australian-built 2004 Pontiac GTO.
Known Down Under as the Holden Monaro, the last GTO to come to America was powered by a 350 hp 5.7L LS1 V8 (it was replaced by a 400 hp 6.0L LS2 V8 for 2005 and 2006). It also wasn't sold in Canada (boo!). But, thanks to entrepreneurial enthusiasts, some GTOs have made it north of the border over the years (yay!).
Due to it not being sold in our market, the GTO is fairly rare, especially when you consider it was only sold in the US for three years (2004-2006). At the time of publication, there was only one for sale on autoTRADER.ca in London, Ontario for $23,900.
Forza Motorsport 2 - 2002 Nissan GT-R V-Spec II
GODZILLA!
Probably one of the most popular video game cars in all existence is the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R. With its all-wheel drive and iconic 2.6L RB26DETT twin-turbo inline-6 engine, the R34 earns its nickname rightfully. It's not just a monster; it's the monster.
While the R34 was not marketed for sale in the Great White North, first year models are now allowed for import under the '15 year' law. If you want one, they exist. But, like the GTO above, they don't come cheap. This clean 1999 Nissan R34 GT-R in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia is listed for $38,800.
Forza Motorsport 3 - 2001 Mazda Mazdaspeed Familia (Protege)
What if you still desire video game style fun but you don't have $20,000 -- or even $10,000 -- burning a hole in your pocket?
The 2001 Mazda MAZDASPEED Familia made an appearance in Forza Motorsport 3 and offered up good performance for your virtual dollar. The same can be said for it in real life.
The Familia is a Protege, after all, and Mazda did sell a MAZDASPEED Protege on our shores with 170 hp thanks to a T25 Callaway-Garrett turbocharger. It's also a part of history by being the first ever consumer MAZDASPEED model.
This particular 2003 Mazda MAZDASPEED Protege in Ajax, Ontario is going for the paltry sum of $4,500.
Forza Motorsport 4 - 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6
If you have a palate for Italian classics but don't have the dough for a Ferrari, this Alfa Romeo GTV6 might be just the right kind of sauce for you.
Based on the Alfetta, the GTV was powered by a 2.0L engine, but this is a GTV6 that has the 2.5L V6 engine from the larger Alfa 6 sedan under the hood. It's not just a video game car, either, as the GTV6 starred in the James Bond film Octopussy and was also raced extensively.
We could only find one example -- this all-original 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6 in Surrey, BC for $8,900 -- yet, they do come up now and again.
Forza Horizon - 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe
BMW has a history of making truly stellar sports cars. But, in recent memory, none have checked all the boxes in the same way as the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe.
Available for only a single model year and in a limited production run, the 1 Series M Coupe was destined to be an instant collector car. If prices are any indication, it's still a highly desirable commodity. This BMW is one of the very few vehicles that's appreciated in price since new.
While a few are for sale on autoTRADER.ca, only one -- this 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe in Vancouver, British Columbia -- could be found in fantastic Valencia Orange.
Forza Motorsport 5 - 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
The second generation Cadillac CTS gave us two awesome improvements. The first was sharper Art and Science styling that sent the premium offering into German territory. And the second was this: the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.
The first generation CTS was only offered as a sedan. To make up for it, Cadillac redesigned almost every body panel on the second generation coupe to make it stand out.
And stand out it did. Even looking at the two-door offering square on the nose, you can tell it's a coupe.
Since the ATS now sits below the CTS (which is now considerably larger), this might be the only CTS Coupe to ever be produced. If you're going to opt for the two-door model, you may as well get the supercharged 6.2L V8 as well.
We found this private sale example in Dundurn, Saskatchewan for $49,800, which is cheap considering most others are priced over $50,000.
Forza Motorsport 5 - 1998 Eagle Talon
Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive? Take your pick with this street/rally racer. The Eagle Talon could do it all (and still does!).
The product of Chrysler's partnership with Mitsubishi -- often referred to as Diamond-Star Motors or DSM -- the Eagle Talon was basically a rebadged Mitsubishi Eclipse, though you couldn't get the Talon as a convertible.
It's difficult to find a Talon in decent shape that hasn't been overly modified or raced. But, this 1997 Eagle Talon TSi in Atholville, New Brunswick doesn't seem hacked apart (yet) and is listed for $5,995. Bargain!
Forza Horizon 2 - 1963 Volkswagen Beetle
Who doesn't like the original Volkswagen Beetle? (Well, aside from the people who actually grew up with them and remember how terrible they are.)
With iconic looks and simple engineering, the Volkswagen Beetle was the Toyota Corolla of yesteryear. Since so many of them were sold, lots of them are still around today and they're relatively cheap for a classic.
We couldn't find a '63 Beetle on autoTRADER.ca like the one in Forza Horizon 2, but we did find this '57 Beetle in black and sporting many of the same chrome bits as the virtual model for $16,995 in London, Ontario.
Forza Horizon 2 - 1998 Toyota Supra RZ
Toyota may not have a plethora of modern sports cars. But, the ones that they do have attain near-cult status in the tuner scene. Case in point: the Toyota Supra.
Powered by the legendary 2JZGTE motor, the Supra was known for having its official horsepower underrated and being able to make tons more with some simple bolt-ons. There have even been Supras that make over 1,000 horsepower (though they are a rare breed).
Many of the Supras sold in North America have either been crashed or rotted to rust. However, a number of dealers have been importing examples from Japan, like this 1999 Toyota Supra RZ-S in Burnaby, British Columbia listed for $18,990.
Forza Horizon 2 - 2003 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
Our resident production editor/video game nerd/student driver Andy Lin recently had a chance to test out Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One. He then proceeded to buy a 2003 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale and hit everything that could be hit.
Thankfully, in real life, the special edition Prancing Horse model is well out of his (and virtually everyone else's) financial reach. If he could buy it, we might have mayhem on the roads of the Greater Toronto Area (though probably limited to the autoTRADER.ca underground parking garage).
We found a 2004 example on autoTRADER.ca in Brampton, Ontario for the tidy sum of $114,999. If you do choose to splurge, we suggest not hitting things with it.
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