Forza Horizon 5 is more realistic than new Gran Turismo 7, research reveals

• Forza Horizon 5 features the most accurate max brake horsepower (bhp) stats compared to the latest Gran Turismo game
• Forza Horizon 5 also has the most accurate max torque depictions when compared to real life specs
• However, Gran Turismo 7 has the most accurate depictions of car weight

Forza Horizon 5 has the most realistic cars in simulation racing, beating out brand new release Gran Turismo 7.

An indicator of how powerful each car is, Forza Horizon 5’s max brake horsepower (bhp) stats were, on average, the closest to the actual bhp of their matching real life models, only differing by 7.4 bhp.

For comparison, Gran Turismo 7’s cars differed from their real life counterparts by 11 bhp on average, with only one car (Ford Focus RS) having the exact same bhp.

Sourced directly from the video games themselves, the data analysed the same 10 cars across Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Horizon 5, recording bhp, torque and weight, comparing the stats to the real life car models.

The research from the used car specialists also revealed that, between the two giant racing sims, Forza Horizon 5 has the more realistic depiction of max torque. 

Indicating a car’s ‘oomph’ factor, max torque in Forza Horizon 5 only differs by 5 N.m (Newton metres) on average, whereas Gran Turismo 7’s cars differ by more than double that amount (13.7 N.m).

The research further revealed that Gran Turismo 7 only showed superior authenticity when it came to accurate depictions of car weight.

Weight affects a car’s ability to accelerate, reach top speeds and brake faster – and Gran Turismo 7 only differs by 34kg, on average, from real life car models.

“Here at Macklin Motors, we’re always interested in seeing how our favourite car models perform on the road, including within racing simulators. 

“And with racing games like Gran Turismo and Forza Horizon showcasing real life cars in stunning digital detail, we were curious to see which simulator actually offers the most realistic driving experience. 

“Regardless of which is more popular or has the highest Metacritic score, our priority is always the cars themselves. It’s certainly interesting to see how the games differ in terms of accuracy across the various specifications and how this impacts the power, and therefore user experience, of these virtual cars.”