Forza Horizon 6 Best Cars to Unlock First — S1 & S2 Class Picks

FH6's 618-car launch roster is the biggest in series history — and most of the meta picks live in S1 (801-900 PI) and S2 (901-998 PI) classes. Here are the 6 cars worth unlocking first across both tiers — verified across PC Gamer, kboosting, gamingpromax, retrogems, and the FH6 community early meta. Each pick has an in-game source location for fast access.

S1 CLASS — 801-900 PI

1. 2024 Nissan GT-R NISMO

Twin-turbo 3.8L V6, 600 hp, AWD traction that grips through Japan's mountain corners. kboosting calls it "the S1 leader" for street racing — perfect for Tokyo expressway runs and touge battles. Base game accessible, no DLC required.

Where to get it: Autoshow purchase — affordable in S1 territory. Pair with stock tires for early-game street racing; swap to semi-slicks once you tune for touge.

2. 2023 Porsche 911 Turbo S

gamingpromax's strongest S1 pick at launch — near-perfect balance of top speed, handling, and braking. SkyCoach confirms it's the fastest S1 car overall, with crazy acceleration and launch stats. Better at acceleration than top speed.

Where to get it: Autoshow purchase. Beginner-friendly steering makes it the ideal "first S1" for new players still learning Japan's road layouts.

3. Porsche 911 GT3 RS

PC Gamer's "quintessential street racer" — 518hp NA flat-six, 760 PI, semi-slick tires. Sound rating 8/10, corners rating 9/10 per our full breakdown. Genuinely the best feeling S1 car when you nail the corners.

Where to get it: Autoshow purchase. Read our full GT3 RS rated review for the 5-category breakdown including drift behavior.

S2 CLASS — 901-998 PI

4. 2021 Mercedes-AMG One

xmodhub + kboosting's best overall S2 car — F1-derived hybrid powertrain, perfect 10 acceleration. Endgame hypercar territory. Hard to handle stock but absolutely dominates once you adapt to the launch behavior.

Where to get it: Autoshow purchase — pricey, save credits or grind Festival Playlist points first. Worth the spend for late-game S2 events and R-class swap potential.

5. 2024 Koenigsegg Gemera (Car Pass — May 28)

gamingpromax + retrogems' best all-around S2 car — 1700hp combined output, Koenigsegg's first AWD + all-wheel-steering car. Wins on handling where most S2 hypercars fail. Genuinely useable on road circuits.

Where to get it: Car Pass drops May 28 (free with Premium / Deluxe / Premium Upgrade Bundle). See our Car Pass schedule for the full release calendar.

6. Lotus Evija Forza Edition (VIP Exclusive)

Tied for top 5 fastest at 294 mph AND the #1 drift specialist in S2 per IGN — ships with semi-slick tires already configured for drifting. Out-of-the-box drift performance is genuinely unique.

Where to get it: VIP Membership exclusive (Premium Edition $119.99 or Premium Upgrade Bundle $59.99). Read our Lotus Evija full breakdown for the honest top-5-vs-#1 framing.

The Quick Verdict

Unlock these first if — you want to skip the early credit grind, want a strong starting S1+S2 garage, OR you're chasing Festival Playlist points that reward higher-class cars. The meta is still settling 9 days post-launch — community tunes will shift these rankings over the next month. Cross-reference with our Day-One Verdict for the broader FH6 launch picture.

Got questions about which to prioritize for your specific play style (touge vs drag vs road racing)? Hit our live chat and we'll help you pick.