Nissan in Forza Horizon 6

Country: Japan | Founded: 1933 you get the idea.

So tbh, Godzilla. Trust me on this. That's the nickname and it stuck for a reason. The GT-R lineage has been embarrassing supercars on track since the R32 dropped in 1989, and in FH6 you get to experience three decades of that evolution in one garage. From the raw, analogue R34 to the computer-controlled R35 Nismo, these cars represent completely different philosophies about what "fast" in reality means.

And then there's the Z. RWD. Twin-turbo V6. No ATTESA AWD system to bail you out, just a chassis that wants to rotate and an engine that's more than happy to help. Four cars total, spanning S1 down to A, and truly the spread feels wider than the PI numbers suggest. The R35 Nismo at 890 PI is a legitimate S1 contender that can hang with exotics costing triple the credits. The R34 at 740 is the cult hero, the car everyone wants to love, and in the right hands it punches way above its PI rating. And the V-Spec II at 720 is the purist's pick, the one that asks the most from you and somehow gives back even more. But the Z at 770 sits in this perfect sweet spot where it's fast enough to be exciting but not so fast that you're fighting the car. I've put hundreds of laps into all four and they might be the most rewarding Japanese cars in the entire game. Might be.

So four cars. Three generations of GT-R. One Z. And roughly forty years of engineering philosophy packed into a lineup that covers everything from 90s turbo lag to 2020s traction control wizardry.

Available Vehicles

Big difference.

The current roster covers A and S1 classes , two modern cars and two icons, with drastically different driving personalities across the four models. Playground Games could easily add more Nissans through seasonal content, but this lineup already gives you a proper taste of the GT-R story from V-Spec to Nismo.

Driving Characteristics

But let's talk about the R35 Nismo first because it's the one that makes no sense on paper and somehow works perfectly in practice. 1,740 kilos. That's heavy. Like, really heavy for a car that's supposed to compete with mid-engine exotics. And yet the ATTESA E-TS AWD system just erases the weight from the equation. Corner entry you get this mild understeer, totally predictable, and then the moment you pick up the throttle the rear bias kicks in and the car rotates exactly as much as you want. Not a millimeter more. It's almost boring how competent it is. Almost. Push past eight tenths and you realize the grip ceiling is absurdly high, way higher than the PI number suggests. The twin-turbo V6 pulls from 2,500 RPM all the way to redline with zero drama. No lag spikes. No torque holes. Just a freight train of boost that doesn't stop. The downside? Steering feel. It's numb compared to the older cars. You're not feeling the road through the wheel, you're reading it through the seat and the sound. Takes adjustment but once you calibrate your brain to it, the lap times speak for themselves.

And the R34 is a completely different animal and that's what makes it so special. This is the last of the analogue GT-Rs and you feel it in every input. The RB26DETT inline-six doesn't have the R35's seamless power delivery. Below 4,000 RPM there's this hesitation, this moment where nothing happens, and then the turbos wake up and the car lunges forward like it just remembered it's supposed to be fast. Some people hate it. I think it's the most characterful engine in the entire Nissan lineup. The ATTESA system in the R34 is simpler too, more rear-biased by default, and the car communicates through the steering wheel in a way the R35 just doesn't. You know exactly when the front tires are about to let go and you can catch it with a tiny steering adjustment before it becomes a problem. At 740 PI in A class, a well-driven R34 is genuinely competitive against cars with 20+ PI on it. Not because it's faster in a straight line. Because it carries more speed through corners and gets on the power earlier. Same GT-R philosophy, different generation.

So the V-Spec II. This is the one that demands respect. 720 PI in A class, the lowest of the four, and truly still one of the most capable chassis Nissan ever built. The RB26 here feels even rawer than the R34's, more turbo lag, more top-end rush, and the whole car feels lighter and more nervous. In a good way. It rewards smooth inputs with lap times that make zero sense for a car with 90s tire technology and zero aero trickery. Abuse it and it bites back instantly. Snap oversteer on lift-off is real and it's violent. But learn the rhythm, trail brake gently, pick up the throttle before the apex, and the V-Spec flows through corners in a way that modern cars with their stability control and torque vectoring just can't replicate. This isn't the fastest Nissan in FH6. It's the most satisfying one.

But the Z. RWD only. No AWD crutch. 770 PI in A class, twin-turbo V6 pushing 400 horsepower in stock form, and a chassis that wants to play. The Z is the drift car of the group, the one you take to mountain passes when you're not chasing lap times, just chasing vibes. But don't sleep on it as a grip car. With proper suspension tuning the Z hooks up surprisingly well on corner exit. The shorter wheelbase compared to the GT-Rs means it rotates faster in tight corners, and the RWD layout means you're managing throttle with your right foot instead of letting a computer sort it out. It's engaging. Some of my most fun online races have been in the Z, not because I won, but because I was laughing the whole time. That counts for something, ngl.

Best Events

The GT-R Nismo belongs on road racing circuits. Coastal Highway and Mountain Pass are the obvious picks, but it also destroys the airport sprint layout and any track with long sweepers where the AWD traction advantage compounds across multiple corners. In S1 online lobbies a well-tuned Nismo can genuinely compete with mid-engine Porsches and Lamborghinis. Not "competitive for a Nissan." Competitive, period. The R34 and V-Spec II are A class road racing specialists. They thrive on technical circuits with elevation changes and off-camber corners where their superior chassis communication gives you an edge over cars that rely on raw power. Guanajuato is their playground. Tight. Bumpy. Zero margin for error. Exactly where an old GT-R shows why it's legendary.

And street scene events are oddly great for the Z specifically. The RWD layout means you can rotate the car with throttle in traffic, threading through AI cars in ways that AWD cars struggle with. Not faster on paper. Faster in practice when there's a pack of cars between you and the next checkpoint.

So the Z also happens to be a genuine drift weapon. Not surprising given the RWD turbo layout, but the stock angle kit is decent and with drift suspension and a bit of tuning it'll hang with dedicated drift cars in the same PI bracket. I've pulled off some ridiculous tandems on the mountain drift zone that I wish I'd recorded. The R34 can drift too with the AWD torque split cranked rearward, but it's more of a powerslide machine than a proper drift car. Different thing entirely.

But dirt. Cross-country. Look, I've tried rally Nissans. I've built rally Nissans. Every single one has been terrible. The AWD GT-Rs should theoretically work on dirt but the stock suspension travel is too short and even with rally springs the chassis just doesn't handle weight transfer on loose surfaces. Keep these cars on asphalt. They'll thank you for it.

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Tuning Guide

And nissan tuning is about knowing which generation you're dealing with. The R35 needs completely different settings from the R34 and the Z is its own thing entirely. Apply R35 logic to an R34 and you'll make it worse. Apply R34 logic to the Z and you'll spin on every corner exit. Here's what in reality works, broken down by system.

Tire Pressure

And r35 Nismo: Drop 2 PSI front and rear for technical circuits, the extra contact patch helps that heavy nose turn in. For top speed runs bump it 1 PSI all around. R34 and V-Spec II: Drop 2.5 PSI rear, 1.5 front. These cars are naturally rear-biased and the extra rear grip under power is worth the slight rolling resistance penalty. Z: Drop 2 PSI all around for road racing, 3 PSI rear for drift builds where you want predictable breakaway. The difference between 2 and 3 PSI on the Z rear tires is the difference between "fun slide" and "uncontrollable spin." Test it yourself, you'll see.

Suspension

And all GT-R models: soften springs by 8-10 percent from stock. FH6 roads are bumpier than anything these cars were designed for and the stock spring rates skip across imperfections instead of absorbing them. R35 specifically: stiffen front anti-roll bar one click, leave rear stock. Kills the entry understeer without making the rear twitchy. R34 and V-Spec II: stiffen rear anti-roll bar one click, leave front stock. These cars understeer on entry and this one change transforms turn-in. Z: soften springs 12 percent all around, stiffen front sway bar one click, soften rear one click. The Z benefits from a slightly softer rear to help put power down on corner exit without lighting up the inside tire.

Differential

And r35 (AWD): center diff at 70 percent rear bias, front accel lock at 30 percent, rear accel lock at 75 percent, decel at 15 percent. This is more aggressive than stock and lets you rotate the car with throttle instead of waiting for the computer to figure it out. R34 and V-Spec II (AWD): center diff at 80 percent rear bias. These older ATTESA systems respond best to heavy rear bias, and the chassis can in reality handle it. Front accel at 25, rear accel at 80, decel at 20. Z (RWD): accel lock at 80 percent, decel at 25 percent. The higher decel lock stabilizes the rear under braking so you're not fighting two things at once when trail braking into a corner.

Gearing

And this is the single biggest time saver on all Nissans and most people never touch it. Stock Nissan gearing is built for real-world Autobahn cruising. FH6 tracks are short. R35: shorten final drive by 12 percent. The twin-turbo V6 has torque everywhere and shorter gearing just means you access it sooner. R34 and V-Spec II: shorten final drive by 15 percent. The RB26's power band is in the top half of the rev range and shorter gearing keeps you there. Z: shorten final drive by 10 percent and lengthen 1st gear one click. The Z has too much torque for a short first gear and you'll just spin. Stretch 1st slightly and the car launches cleanly, then the shorter final drive pulls harder through 2nd through 5th. Three tenths minimum on most circuits.

Brakes

And race brakes before horsepower. Every Nissan in this lineup is heavy, the R35 especially, and the stock stoppers fade after two hard laps. Braking 10 meters deeper into every corner compounds into seconds saved across a full race. Weight reduction is the second priority after brakes. The R35 Nismo starts at over 1,700 kilos and every 50 kilos you shed makes the brakes, tires, and suspension all work better simultaneously. It's a force multiplier, not just a stat boost.

Rival Comparison

And nissan's natural rivals are Toyota and Subaru, the other Japanese performance heavyweights, and the comparison is fascinating because each brand solved the same problem differently. Toyota gives you the Supra's inline-six precision and the GR86's lightweight purity. Subaru counters with boxer rumble and symmetrical AWD that feels completely different from Nissan's ATTESA. Where a WRX STI pushes through corners with a planted, four-square stance, the GT-R pulls itself through with computer-managed torque distribution that feels almost rear-wheel-drive on exit. Same AWD label. Completely different execution.

So against European rivals the value proposition shifts. An R35 Nismo at 890 PI costs a fraction of what a comparable Porsche or Audi goes for in the Autoshow, and on track the gap is smaller than the price difference suggests. You're giving up steering feel and brand prestige. You're gaining a car that never breaks, never overheats, and always puts power down exactly where you point it. Whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on what you value as a driver. Run the R35 back to back with a 911 Turbo S on the same circuit. The Porsche feels more alive. The GT-R posts the same lap time with half the effort. Two paths to the same destination.

Collection Guide

So the Autoshow models are the easy part. Credits and you're done. But here's the thing about Nissan collecting in FH6: the real gems are the ones that rotate through seasonal content and the auction house. The R34 GT-R is almost never in the Autoshow. When it shows up as a seasonal reward or a Forzathon shop item, you get it that week. Do not wait. I missed an R34 rotation once and spent three months checking the auction house before another one popped up at a reasonable price.

But auction house strategy for Nissans: check late evenings and weekends when player activity peaks. Look for cars listed with low buyout prices by players who don't know what they have. Set a maximum you're willing to spend before you start bidding and stick to it. Auction fever is real and you will overpay if you don't set a hard limit. The V-Spec II is in reality underrated on the auction market and you can sometimes snipe one for well below its actual value. Wheelspins are a lottery. Don't build your collection strategy around them. Treat wheelspin Nissans as a happy surprise, not a plan.

Common Tuning Mistakes

But maxing power before touching anything else. It's the #1 mistake on GT-R tunes and it ruins what makes these cars special. A 1,200 horsepower R35 with stock tires and suspension is undrivable. The ATTESA system can only do so much, and once you overwhelm the tires it doesn't matter how smart the AWD computer is. The build order that in reality works: tires and brakes first, weight reduction second, suspension third, and power dead last. Keeps the car controllable as PI climbs.

And applying the same tune to every Nissan. The R35 and R34 share a badge and that's about it. Different weight distribution. And different AWD systems. Different power delivery. A tune that makes the R35 a track weapon will make the R34 understeer like a front-wheel-drive econobox. Treat each car as its own project with its own baseline and you'll get way better results.

So forgetting to upgrade the brakes. Nissans are heavy and the stock stoppers are the weak link on every single model in this lineup. Before you add a single horsepower, put race brakes on the car. Braking 10 meters later into every corner is worth more lap time than 50 extra horsepower. I've done the back-to-back testing. The stopwatch doesn't lie.