FH6 Best A Class Cars — 800 PI Build Guide
A class is the sweet spot. Fight me on this. At 800 PI, cars are fast enough to feel exciting — you're hitting 160 mph on straights, pulling over 1.2 lateral Gs, and the racing is close enough that you're actually battling other drivers rather than just hot-lapping by yourself. But the cars aren't so fast that every corner is a near-death experience. You can catch a slide. You can recover from a braking mistake. The racing is cleaner and more fun than any other class.
I spend more time in A class than S1 and S2 combined. It's where you learn to be a better driver because the cars punish overdriving without immediately putting you in a wall. It's also the most diverse class — you've got JDM legends, European sports cars, American muscle, rally conversions, and purpose-built track toys all competing on the same PI budget. Here are the cars that actually win races at 800 PI.
Top 10 A Class Cars
1. Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (2002) — A Class King
The FD RX-7 has been meta in every Forza Horizon game and FH6 is no exception. At 800 PI with the right build it's untouchable on handling circuits. The 13B-REW rotary with sequential twin turbos makes about 450 hp at this PI level, and the car weighs under 1,100 kg after race weight reduction. That's a power-to-weight ratio better than most S1 cars and it's legal in A class. The chassis balance is near-perfect — 50:50 weight distribution, double-wishbone suspension all around, and a wheelbase short enough to rotate through chicanes but long enough to be stable at speed.
Build path: race weight reduction first. Always. Sport tires are enough for A class — race tires cost too much PI and the FD doesn't need them with this light weight. Then bolt-ons: intake, exhaust, intercooler. Skip the turbo upgrade — the sequential twin system is efficient at this power level. Race transmission for gearing control. Final drive 4.30 for most circuits. Tire pressure 28 PSI all around. Camber -1.5 front, -1.0 rear. The only weakness is launch — RWD with 450 hp through 245-width rear tires means you'll spin if you mat it in first. Learn to feather the throttle or short-shift to second. Or if you're not precious about the purity argument, AWD swap it. The FD with AWD is slightly heavier and loses some of the magical chassis feel, but it launches like a slingshot and is easier to drive fast consistently. Both builds are competitive — pick based on whether you value feel or consistency.
2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR (2006) — AWD Champion
The Evo IX is the answer to "what A class car works on every surface." Tarmac, dirt, snow, rain — the Evo doesn't care. The 4G63 2.0-liter turbo inline-four makes about 400 hp at 800 PI with bolt-ons and a larger turbo, and the AYC (Active Yaw Control) differential is modeled in FH6 well enough that you can feel the rear stepping out under power and then catching itself. It's one of the few cars in the game where you can genuinely steer with the throttle through dirt corners.
At 800 PI the Evo weighs around 1,320 kg with race weight reduction. Not the lightest, but the AWD system more than compensates. The car's real trick is versatility — you can take the same build to a road race, a dirt scramble, and a cross country event without changing anything. For online adventure where you don't know what surface is coming next, the Evo is the safest pick in the game. Tuning: final drive 4.10. Rear diff accel 80%, decel 25%. Center diff 60% rear bias for rotation. Springs: 550 front, 450 rear. Tire pressure 30 PSI front, 28 rear. Rally tires if you want to lean into the dirt capability, sport tires if you're road-focused. Both are viable depending on how much dirt is in your rotation.
3. Subaru Impreza 22B STI (1998) — Rally Legend
The 22B is the most desirable Subaru ever built and in FH6 the performance justifies the hype. Only 424 were made in real life, but in the game you can grab one for 190,000 credits from the Autoshow. The 2.2-liter EJ22 turbo flat-four pushes about 380 hp at 800 PI with a larger turbo and supporting mods. What sets the 22B apart from the Evo is the character — the boxer engine's low center of gravity gives it a planted feel through corners, and the wider track (the "22B" designation refers to the 2.2-liter engine, but the body is 80mm wider than a standard WRX) gives it extra stability.
The 22B weighs about 1,270 kg built. Slightly lighter than the Evo, slightly less power. On road circuits the Evo edges it out by a couple tenths. On dirt the 22B is the better car — the suspension travel and damping feel more suited to loose surfaces. If your A class rotation is dirt-heavy, take the 22B. If it's road-heavy, take the Evo. If it's mixed, flip a coin. Tuning: final drive 3.90 (the boxer's torque curve is broader than the 4G63 so you can run slightly longer gearing). Springs: 500 front, 400 rear. Rear ARB at 65 for dirt rotation. Tire pressure 29 PSI all around.
4. Honda NSX-R (1992) — Precision Tool
Yes, the same NSX-R from the S1 list also works in A class, and at 800 PI it might be even better. The lower power level (around 350 hp at 800 PI) means the chassis is never overwhelmed. You can use all of the grip, all of the time. Mid-engine, rear-drive, 1,230 kg. The steering is telepathic — you think about turning and the car turns. When Autocar magazine tested the real NSX-R they called it "the most communicative steering of any road car ever made," and FH6's physics team clearly took that personally because the in-game version is sublime.
The NSX-R's limitation in A class is straight-line speed. 350 hp in a 1,230 kg car is quick but not fast — you'll get walked on long straights by cars with 100 more horsepower. But on technical circuits with heavy braking zones and sequences of medium-speed corners, the NSX-R makes up all the time you lose on straights. This is the car for tight circuits and city routes. Tuning: final drive 4.60 (very short, keep the VTEC singing between 6,000-8,000 RPM). Camber -2.0 front, -1.5 rear. Race tires are worth the PI here because the car's entire advantage is cornering grip.
5. Toyota Supra RZ (1998) — Powerhouse
The MK4 Supra takes a different approach to A class: ignore the weight, add horsepower, and bully your way down the straights. The 2JZ-GTE 3.0-liter inline-six is one of the most over-engineered engines ever built and in FH6 you can push it past 600 hp at 800 PI with a single turbo conversion. In a straight line the Supra gaps almost everything in A class. The problem is corners — 1,510 kg and a front-heavy weight distribution mean it understeers on entry and oversteers on exit if you're not careful.
But the Supra has one of the widest tire upgrade paths in A class — 305-section rear tires are available without excessive PI cost, and that helps manage the power. The key to a fast Supra build is restraint. Don't chase the biggest horsepower number. Build to 500-550 hp and spend the remaining PI on weight reduction and handling. A balanced Supra is faster around a lap than a 650 hp Supra on stock suspension. Tuning: final drive 3.60. Rear tire pressure 24 PSI. Rear ARB at 1.0 to get the rear rotating under braking. Aero: front minimum, rear at 70%. This car rewards patience on corner entry and precision on exit — floor it too early and you'll be looking at where you came from.
6. BMW M3 (2005) — Balanced European
The E46 M3 is the closest thing to a perfect all-rounder in A class. The 3.2-liter S54 inline-six makes 333 hp stock and revs to 8,000 RPM. At 800 PI with cams, intake, exhaust you're at about 420 hp naturally aspirated — no turbo lag, no power surges, just linear pull. 1,410 kg with race weight reduction. Front-engine, rear-drive, near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution. It doesn't excel at any one thing but it's good at everything.
This is the car I recommend for learning A class. It's forgiving enough to catch mistakes, fast enough to compete, and the chassis communicates so clearly that you always know what the rear tires are doing. On most circuits the E46 M3 is within a second of the FD RX-7 — not the outright fastest, but close enough that driver skill makes up the difference. Tuning: final drive 3.80. Tire pressure 29 PSI all around. Camber -1.5 front, -1.2 rear. Sport tires are sufficient — the M3's chassis doesn't need the extra grip of race tires at A class speeds.
7. Ford Escort RS Cosworth (1992) — Dirt Dominator
The Cossie is the wildcard pick and I'm including it because A class isn't just about road racing. On dirt surfaces — scrambles, cross country, rally stages — the Escort RS Cosworth is arguably the fastest A class car in the game. The 2.0-liter Cosworth YB turbo inline-four makes about 380 hp at 800 PI, and the AWD system with a rear-biased center diff lets you steer with the throttle through every corner.
It's not competitive on pavement against the FD and NSX-R. But when the surface goes loose, the Cossie's short wheelbase, generous suspension travel, and rally-bred AWD system give it an edge that purpose-built road cars can't match. If your A class racing involves any dirt at all, build one of these. Tuning: final drive 3.70. Springs very soft — 400 front, 350 rear. Rally tires mandatory. Rear diff accel 85%. Center diff 70% rear. This car loves to rotate under power and the chassis is stable enough to hold big slip angles through long sweepers.
8. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (2017) — American Bruiser
The sixth-gen Camaro ZL1 is the American answer to the M3 and it brings a very different tool to the fight: a 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 making 650 hp stock. At 800 PI you can't actually use all that power — the PI budget forces you to tune it down or leave the handling stock. The smart build is to leave the engine alone, spend your entire PI budget on handling: race weight reduction, sport tires, race suspension, race anti-roll bars. You end up with a 1,650 kg car making 650 hp that handles well enough to use the power.
The ZL1's advantage is simple: on any track with a straight longer than half a mile, it walks away from the JDM cars. The LT4's torque curve is a table — 650 lb-ft from 2,500 RPM to redline. You short-shift at 5,500 RPM and you're still making more torque than the RX-7 at peak. The tradeoff: fuel consumption in longer races, and the weight makes itself known under braking. Tuning: final drive 3.50 (long, to use the torque). Tire pressure: 30 front, 26 rear. Rear ARB at 1.0 for rotation. This car is a momentum killer — once you're ahead on the straight, nobody is catching you.
9. Lotus Exige S (2012) — Lightweight Weapon
935 kg. That's what the Exige weighs at A class with race weight reduction. It's basically a go-kart with a supercharger. The 3.5-liter Toyota 2GR-FE V6 with the Harrop supercharger makes about 380 hp at 800 PI. The power-to-weight ratio is in S1 territory. Mid-engine, rear-drive, no driver aids beyond ABS. The Exige is the purest driving experience in A class.
But it's also the hardest car on this list to drive fast. The short wheelbase means it rotates instantly — great for chicanes, terrifying when you're braking from 150 mph and the rear goes light. The mid-engine layout means when it does let go, it lets go fast and recovery is difficult. This is a car for experienced drivers who want a challenge. In the right hands it's top three on any handling circuit. In the wrong hands it's backwards in a hedge. Tuning: final drive 4.30. Tire pressure 26 PSI rear for more footprint. Rear ARB at 1.0 (softest), front at 65 (stiffest) — this is the anti-oversteer setup. Max rear downforce, minimum front. Smooth inputs are everything with this car.
10. Volkswagen Golf R (2021) — Hot Hatch Hero
I'm including the Golf R because A class has a thriving hot hatch meta and someone needs to represent. The 2.0-liter EA888 turbo inline-four makes about 380 hp at 800 PI with an IS38 turbo upgrade. AWD through the 4MOTION system. 1,490 kg with race weight reduction. It's heavier than the JDM coupes but the AWD grip off the line and out of slow corners closes the gap.
The Golf R is the easiest car on this list to drive. Point it, floor it, the Haldex system sends power where it needs to go. It understeers more than the Evo or 22B but it's so predictable that you can drive around it. For online racing where consistency matters more than one-lap hero pace, the Golf R is a very safe pick. Tuning: final drive 4.00. Springs: 600 front, 500 rear. Rear ARB at 65. Center diff at 50:50 (stock) — the Haldex system already manages torque distribution and messing with the center diff on this platform usually makes it worse.
A Class Tuning: Power vs Handling Balance
The single biggest tuning decision in A class is where to spend your PI between power and handling. Here's the rule of thumb I use, validated across about 150 A class builds. If the track's average speed is under 100 mph (tight technical circuits, city routes), spend 70% of your PI budget on handling and 30% on power. Corner speed dominates. If the track's average speed is over 130 mph (highway circuits, long sweeping tracks), spend 60% on power and 40% on handling. Top speed and acceleration matter more than ultimate cornering grip.
AWD swap: worth it or not? For road racing, the answer depends on the car and your skill level. AWD adds about 50-80 kg to most platforms, which hurts cornering and braking. But it gives you a launch advantage worth 0.2-0.5 seconds on tracks with standing starts, and it makes the car easier to drive consistently. If you're new to A class or racing online, AWD-swap everything. You'll lose a tiny bit of peak pace but gain consistency, and consistency wins online races. If you're chasing leaderboard times, RWD builds with race tires are usually faster on the stopwatch — but only if you can extract the pace without spinning. For dirt racing: AWD everything, no debate. RWD on dirt in A class is just handicapping yourself.
Best Engine Swaps for A Class
Some standout engine swaps that transform A class cars: the 6.2L V8 (LS3) swap into the Mazda MX-5 NA gives you 500+ hp in a 950 kg chassis — it's borderline unfair and a blast to drive. The 2.6L 4-Rotor swap into the RX-7 FC gives you 10,000 RPM of rotary scream and about 420 hp. The 3.0L Racing V8 swap into the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 turns a pretty classic into a genuine circuit weapon. More detail in our engine swaps guide.