Forza Horizon 6 Gazoo Racer Guide — All Toyota GR86 Challenges Completed

The Gazoo Racer challenge is the first Weekly Car Challenge in Forza Horizon 6’s Series 1 Summer Festival Playlist. It puts you behind the wheel of the 2022 Toyota GR86 and asks you to complete four tasks in sequence. Do all four and you earn 25,000 Credits and 5 Festival Playlist points — a meaningful chunk of progress toward the weekly car rewards.

The four challenges are not difficult, but one of them — the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race — can be hard to locate on the map if you have not progressed far enough in the Discover Japan stamp track. This guide walks through every step in order so you can finish the entire Gazoo Racer event as quickly as possible.

Table of Contents

TL;DR — Gazoo Racer Challenge Quick Summary

Challenge Name: Gazoo Racer
Required Car: 2022 Toyota GR86 (28,000 CR from Autoshow)
Playlist: Series 1 Summer — Week 1 (May 21–28, 2026)
Reward: 25,000 CR + 5 Festival Playlist points
Task 1: Own and drive the 2022 Toyota GR86
Task 2: Earn 3 Stars at Speed Zones in the GR86
Task 3: Earn 6 Speed Skills in the GR86
Task 4: Win the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race in the GR86
Key tip: Do not upgrade the GR86 above B-Class — the final race has a PI 600 cap

Toyota GR86 Forza

What Is the Gazoo Racer Challenge?

Gazoo Racing is Toyota’s motorsport and performance division — the same team behind the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and GR86. The Gazoo Racer challenge in FH6 is a tribute to that racing heritage, built around the 2022 GR86 — one of the purest driver’s cars in the game and one of the best value purchases in the Autoshow at just 28,000 CR.

As part of the Series 1 Summer Festival Playlist — running from May 21 to May 28, 2026 — the Gazoo Racer Weekly event gets you 25,000 Credits and builds toward the Summer season reward cars. There are four challenges associated with Gazoo Racer, and you’ll need to use FH6’s GR86 to complete them.

Once you finish the four tasks, you’ll get five points towards the Summer Season rewards, which include the 1999 Toyota Altezza RS200 Z Edition at 15 points and the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR at 30 points. Our full Seasonal Events and Festival Playlist guide covers every challenge and reward across Series 1 Summer and beyond.

The challenges must be completed in order — you cannot skip ahead to Task 4 and do it first. Work through them sequentially and the whole event takes under 30 minutes.

Before You Start — Get the Right Car

You need to own and drive the 2022 Toyota GR86 to complete every task in this challenge. The GR86 costs 28,000 CR from the Autoshow and can also be unlocked via Wheelspin or by earning the Yellow Wristband. If you do not own it yet, head to the Autoshow and purchase it before opening the Festival Playlist challenge.

You can also find it in the Auction House at varying prices, but at 28,000 CR it is one of the cheapest cars in the game — just buy it new from the Autoshow.

Important: Do not tune the car out of B class, as you will need it for the final part. The Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race has a PI 600 cap, which means only B-Class cars or below can enter. Keep any upgrades within that limit throughout the entire challenge.

Task 1 — Own and Drive the 2022 Toyota GR86

The easiest challenge in the Gazoo Racer event is simply to own and drive the 2022 Toyota GR86. Once you have purchased the car from the Autoshow and drive it even for a few seconds, this task ticks off automatically. There is nothing else required.

The GR86 is worth spending some time with before moving on. It is a naturally aspirated, rear-wheel drive sports car with a 2.39-litre flat-four engine producing 228 hp and one of the most balanced chassis in its class in FH6. It is the spiritual successor to the original AE86 — the same car your eventual opponent drives in the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race. If you enjoy rear-wheel drive cars with genuine driver involvement, the GR86 is one of the best value purchases in the entire game.

Task 2 — Earn 3 Stars at Speed Zones in the GR86

Speed Zones are scattered across Japan’s road network. They are short marked sections of road where you drive through and the game measures your peak speed. Each Speed Zone awards one, two, or three stars depending on how fast you go through it.

The key thing to understand here is that you do not need 3 stars from a single Speed Zone attempt. You can get one star for three different Speed Zones and still complete the task. One star each across three separate zones is enough — much easier than pushing for full stars in one go.

Here is how to find and complete Speed Zones efficiently:

Filter your map. Open the map and use the filter tool to toggle everything off except Speed Zones. This shows you every available Speed Zone across Japan without visual clutter.
Pick easy zones first. Pick any sub-200 km/h Zone and give it a shot. Zones with lower star thresholds are more forgiving for a stock or lightly upgraded GR86.
Optional upgrade. To maximise your chance at getting 3 stars at Speed Zones, upgrade the car to A-tier and PI of 700. It does not cost much and will be covered by the prize money from the event anyway. Just remember to downgrade back to B-Class before the final Touge Race.
Do not confuse Speed Zones with Speed Traps. Speed Traps are single-point sensor measurements. Speed Zones are longer timed sections. Make sure you are targeting the correct icon on your map.

Once you have accumulated 3 total stars across any combination of Speed Zone attempts, the task completes and you move to Task 3.

Task 3 — Earn 6 Speed Skills in the GR86

Speed Skills are awarded automatically when you sustain a high enough speed for a period of time without braking hard or hitting anything. The GR86 will earn them comfortably on any open highway section.

The simplest method is to find a straight-ish highway and step on the gas as long as possible without braking or hitting anything. The highway on the west side of the map that leads down toward Tokyo is a good option — it is long, relatively straight, and traffic is manageable.

Here is the most efficient approach:

Fast travel to a highway. Right after you finish the Speed Zone, fast travel to the highway and simply drive in the traffic for a couple of minutes, and all the skills will be promptly earned.
Keep your speed up and avoid collisions. Speed Skills require sustained speed without breaking the combo. Hitting another car or braking hard resets the skill chain. Stay smooth, stay fast, and let the skills accumulate.
You need 6 total. You can earn them one at a time — they do not need to come from a single unbroken run. Six separate Speed Skills across multiple highway passes all count.
Around 125 mph is the threshold. Speed Skills in the GR86 can be earned at around 125 mph. Keep the car above that speed on a clear stretch and the skills tick in quickly.

This task usually takes under five minutes with the right highway approach. Once the sixth Speed Skill registers, Task 3 is done and the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race unlocks as your final challenge.

Task 4 — Win the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race in the GR86

This is the most involved task of the four — not because it is particularly difficult, but because the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race requires specific campaign progress to appear on your map.

Where Is the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race?

The Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race sits in the Nangan Region, in the southwestern corner of Forza Horizon 6’s Japan map, north of the Irokawa Space Center. On your map, find Tokyo City in the central-eastern part of the map, then look southwest into the Nangan Region’s mountain roads. The race is located on the cluster of zig-zag mountain roads in that area — once you drive onto the road, the map updates and the race icon appears.

How to Unlock It — Discover Japan Stamp Requirement

The Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race does not simply appear by driving nearby. It requires you to reach the Blue (Traveller) tier in the Discover Japan stamp track before the race icon becomes available. The Discover Japan system runs parallel to the main Wristband progression — you earn Stamp progress by exploring the map, completing Touge Battles, taking photos, running night street races, and doing side activities.

If the race does not appear after you drive through the road in the Nangan Region, it means your Discover Japan Stamp level has not yet reached the Blue tier. Progress the main campaign and keep exploring Japan — the more you do, the faster your stamp progress builds. Once you hit the Blue Traveller threshold, drive back to the zig-zag road in Nangan and the Hakone Nanamagari icon will unlock. Our full Hakone Nanamagari Touge guide covers the route layout, apex points, and the best braking zones in detail.

Bonus tip: While you are in the southwestern Nangan Region, keep an eye out for a hidden 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R barn find west of the Hakone Nanamagari route — worth investigating once you have the race done.

PI Limit and Car Prep

The Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race has a PI limit of 600. This means you must be driving a B-Class or lower car to enter. If you upgraded your GR86 to A-Class for the Speed Zones, downgrade it back below PI 600 before attempting the race.

The stock GR86 at its default Autoshow PI is well within the B-Class limit, so if you have not upgraded it at all, you can enter the race directly. If the GR86 does not appear in the car selection screen at the start of the Touge, check your tune — it may be sitting above the PI cap.

How to Win the Race

The Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race is a one-on-one head-to-head battle down a mountain pass at night. The race is a point-to-point Touge battle with a heavy concentration of hairpins, so expect tight corner exits rather than long straights. Your opponent drives a Toyota AE86 — a lighter, nimble classic that will often get a strong start off the line.

Your opponent’s Toyota AE86 will have a faster start, but you can simply overtake them in the first corner, after which you defend the apexes of the corners to win.

A few tips for winning cleanly:

Brake for the corners. The Nanamagari is a technical mountain pass with tight switchbacks and narrow sections. Carry too much speed in and you will run wide, lose time, or hit a barrier.
Defend the racing line. Once you are ahead, position your car on the inside of each corner to block the AE86 from finding a clean overtake. The AI will push hard on the first few bends but backs off if you hold the line.
Lower the difficulty if needed. If you struggle to win the race, just lower the difficulty — there are no requirements on difficulty in this challenge. Drop it to Easy or Novice and the AE86 becomes much more manageable.
Stock trim is fine. Stock trim will be fine for the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race. You do not need any upgrades to beat the AI at this event on standard or lower difficulty settings.
White Ghost achievement. Winning this race counts toward the White Ghost achievement, which requires you to win a total of 5 Touge Battles across Forza Horizon 6. Keep that in mind as you go — every Touge win brings you closer.

Cross the finish line in first place and the Gazoo Racer challenge completes. Your 25,000 CR and 5 Festival Playlist points are added to your balance immediately. For a deeper look at the Nanamagari route and how to race it at its best, our Hakone Nanamagari Touge guide covers every section of the road.

Gazoo Racer Rewards — What You Earn

Completing all four Gazoo Racer tasks gives you the following:

25,000 Credits (CR) — deposited directly into your balance on completion.
5 Festival Playlist points — added to your Series 1 Summer weekly total.

Those 5 points are the most valuable part. Combined with other weekly challenges — the Treasure Hunt, Photo Challenge, Time Attack, and Seasonal Championships — you build toward the 15-point and 30-point reward tiers. The weekly rewards for Series 1 Summer are the 1999 Toyota Altezza RS200 Z Edition at 15 points and the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR at 30 points. The Lancer Evolution IX MR is a competitive and sought-after car — worth pushing to 30 points for. Our Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution guide covers what makes it special.

About the 2022 Toyota GR86 in FH6

The 2022 Toyota GR86 is the second-generation GR86, developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru and launched in 2021 for the 2022 model year. It moved to a larger 2.4-litre (2,387 cc) naturally aspirated flat-four engine producing 228 hp — a meaningful upgrade from the previous generation’s 205 hp — while keeping the rear-wheel drive layout, low centre of gravity, and driver-focused character that made the original famous.

In Forza Horizon 6, the GR86 sits in B-Class at stock with 228 hp and a weight of 2,811 lbs, making it one of the most enjoyable cars in its price bracket. At 28,000 CR it is exceptional value — handling that rewards clean inputs, rear-wheel drive that teaches throttle control without punishing beginners too harshly, and a chassis balanced enough to work in both road races and the Touge battles that FH6’s Japan setting was made for.

If you want to take the GR86 beyond the Gazoo Racer challenge and use it competitively, our guides on the best drift cars and tuning setups and the best cars for touge battles both reference the GR86 as one of the top picks in its class.

What Else Is in the Series 1 Summer Playlist?

The Gazoo Racer challenge is one of several activities in Series 1 Summer Week 1. Here is what else you should complete to maximise your points total:

Ohtani Region Treasure Hunt — Find the chest near Kinkaku-Ji Temple for 100,000 CR and 3 points. Our Ohtani Region Treasure Hunt guide covers the exact location.
Photo Challenge — #FestivalVibes — Take a photo at the Horizon Festival Japan Site in Ohtani. Press up on the D-Pad and snap the shot. Reward: Cat Meow Car Horn. Worth 2 points.
Sekibe Time Attack — Set a lap time on the Sekibe Circuit in a Japan A-Class car. Our best cars for every class guide covers A-Class options.
Seasonal Championships — Three championship events are available this week covering Road Racing (Hot Like Summer — Retro Hot Hatch Class C), Street Racing (Street Fighter — Modern Super Saloons Class A), and Dirt Racing (Throwback Throwdown — Retro Rally Class B). Car rewards include the 1989 Toyota MR2 SC, 2022 Pagani Huayra R, and 2021 McLaren Sabre.
PR Stunts — The Bamboo Hilltop Speed Trap and Airfield Takeoff Danger Sign both require Japan A-Class cars at PI 700. A tuned Toyota Supra RZ with share code 112 534 974 works for all three PR stunt events.
Daily Challenges — Seven daily challenges run throughout the Summer season, each worth 1 point. They unlock every day at 10:30 AM EDT and remain available until the season ends. Stack these with the weekly events and you have more than enough to clear 30 points.

Touge Racing in FH6 — Getting the Most From the GR86

The Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race is one of five Touge Battle routes in Forza Horizon 6. Winning it for the Gazoo Racer challenge is the start — but there are four more routes to explore and master across Japan’s mountain roads. Each Touge win also counts toward the White Ghost achievement, which requires five Touge Battle victories in total.

Our dedicated guides cover every Touge route in the game:

Hakone Nanamagari Touge Guide — The location used in the Gazoo Racer challenge.
Bandai Azuma Touge Guide
Mt Haruna Touge Guide
Touge Battle Mode Complete Guide — Everything about how the mode works and the best strategies to win.
Best Cars for Touge Battles — The GR86 is on this list, alongside other strong picks for the mountain passes.

More Forza Horizon 6 Guides

Where to Play Forza Horizon 6

Forza Horizon 6 is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Get it from the official links below:

Wrapping Up

The Gazoo Racer challenge is one of the best introductions to Forza Horizon 6’s Festival Playlist system. It is straightforward, uses a genuinely great car, and ends with one of the most enjoyable race formats in the game — a night-time one-on-one Touge battle down a mountain pass in a balanced rear-wheel drive sports car.

Buy the GR86 for 28,000 CR, keep it in B-Class throughout, hit three Speed Zone stars, earn six Speed Skills on the highway, build your Discover Japan Stamp progress to the Blue tier, drive to the Nangan Region to unlock and win the Hakone Nanamagari Touge Race, and collect your 25,000 CR and 5 playlist points. The whole thing takes under 30 minutes once you know where everything is.

Add the Ohtani Treasure Hunt, the Photo Challenge, the Sekibe Time Attack, and the daily challenges on the same session and you will have pushed well past 15 playlist points before the first hour is up. For everything you need to complete the full week, our Seasonal Events and Festival Playlist guide has it all in one place.