"Do you want to be the first to drive the new BMW M5 2012?", asks the expectant Xbox UK Facebook page, trumpeting the announcement of the Forza 4 Limited Collector's Edition. Well, no, not really - as far as we can tell it looks every bit as bland, dull, and uninspired as every other BMW - nothing really that special at all. Luckily for us, Forza 4, on the other hand, is looking a lot more interesting.
The perfect mix of petrol-head racing and accessibility options that make it easier for the rest of us to get involved, Forza 4's been a watched item on our list for quite a while, with new Kinect features helping make the game even more easy to get into for even the most novice of drivers. And should you feel like spending an extra tenner on top of the normal price to buy yourself the Limited Collector's Edition of the game, Microsoft have revealed what'll be awaiting you inside. And it all looks very fancy indeed:
Two disks and everything. Shame about the car, though. Look at those daft wheels.
The first, and most obvious thing the Forza 4 Limited Collector's Edition gets you is access to the BMW M5 Fan Pack for free. Adding the BMW M5 to your garage of in game cars, those who don't get the limited edition will be able to download the pack from the Xbox Live Marketplace - for a small fee. Along with letting you drive the car, you'll also be able to find out about it in the game's Autovista mode, where Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson will give you a short lecture about BMWs. We're sure we'll find that thrilling.Along with the BMW, you'll also receive the previously detailed "Launch Bonus" car pack, and a VIP car pack, which bags you ten extra cars - the 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge, 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, 2010 Noble M600, 2011 RUF Rt 12 R, 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe, 2011 Koenigsegg Agera, 1997 Lexus SC300, 2011 RUF RGT-8, 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport.
As well as those ten, you'll also get an extra ten American muscle cars (which again will be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace at an extra cost for those who buy the standard edition), VIP Membership within the Forza community to show everyone in leaderboards that you spent the extra money on the Limited Edition, some Forza Motorsport, Top Gear, and Turn 10 (the game's developers) stickers, and a 96-page book called "Cars of Forza Motorsport 4 Presented by Top Gear", which has been written exclusively for the game by the Top Gear team. Hopefully, it'll retain the sense of humour.
Most interesting of all, however, is the BMW Design Challenge. This pack of five BMWs will be released exclusively in the Limited Collector's Edition - but there's an interesting twist here. Each car in the five car pack will feature a custom paint job, with four being designed by BMW, the developers at Turn 10, and "other talented artists" - while the fifth one could be designed by you. Turn 10 and Microsoft are currently running a competition, and are asking for designs to be submitted for inclusion in the game. The best entry, as chosen by Turn 10, will find its way into the pack, and be immortalised for all to see. For more information, head over to the official Forza Motorsport site, download the entry picture, and get drawing!
With Microsoft throwing their weight behind encouraging you to buy on day one, they're obviously hoping the game will sell out the second it hits the shop shelves. To make sure you don't miss out on the extra cars, you can always place a pre-order now - although for some reason, the Limited Collector's Edition isn't currently available to pre-order. Should you place a pre-order, you'll receive an exclusive car pack, depending on where you place your order. How you're meant to get every pack if you want to make sure you're not missing out, we don't know, but we'd imagine they'll be released on the marketplace for a small fee. You can get:
- A Subaru Impreza WRX STI, when you pre-order at GAME- A MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, when you pre-order at Gamestation
- An Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, when you pre-order at Amazon.co.uk
- A Honda CR-Z EX, when you pre-order at HMV
- A BMW 1 Series M Coupe, when you pre-order at The Hut, Zavvi.com, Shopto.net and Play.com
To guarantee you don't miss out, you'll probably want to put a pre-order down - although the wise money will wait until you can pre-order the collector's edition.
