Big Ben

Lore & Background

In the Forza Horizon 4 world, the UK is a lovingly reimagined version of Britain—familiar enough to feel real, yet stylized to serve the game's open-world design. London sits at the urban heart of that world, and Big Ben anchors the most recognizable stretch of it. The track weaves through the Westminster district, where the Palace of Westminster's Gothic facades line the route and the Thames glints in the distance. It's a place where the old and the new collide: centuries-old stonework brushes past at two hundred miles per hour, and the shadow of the clock tower sweeps across the asphalt as you navigate a hairpin.

For players, Big Ben represents the urban extreme of the Horizon experience. Where the Cotswolds or the Scottish Highlands offer sweeping, forgiving curves, this track is a puzzle of sightlines, braking zones, and the constant threat of a building wall appearing around a bend. It rewards drivers who learn to read the city's geometry rather than simply chasing the racing line.

The track also benefits from Forza Horizon 4's dynamic seasonal system. In autumn, the surrounding streets are carpeted in amber leaves and the light takes on a warm, amber glow. In winter, a thin frost can make the tarmac slick and the clock face dusted in white, turning an already demanding circuit into a genuine test of composure.

In Their Own Story

The rain had just stopped, leaving the cobbles slick and the whole of Westminster smelling of wet stone and diesel. Jax pulled the car to the grid, engine idling, and watched the great clock face tick toward the hour. Around him, a handful of other drivers settled in, their cars ticking and ticking as the hydraulics cooled.

The horn sounded. He dropped the clutch and the rear end stepped out, tyres screaming against the damp surface. First corner was a tight left, the wall of the Palace of Westminster rushing past so close he could count the mullions in the windows. He lifted, let the car rotate, and threaded the gap between two parked landmarks, the Thames a silver smear to his left.

Then the clock struck. One, two, three—each chime a low, resonant boom that vibrated through the chassis. He was through the chicane, up the short straight, and the tower loomed above him, its face catching the last of the grey light. He didn't look up. He didn't need to. He could feel the city's pulse in the steering wheel.

Reader's Guide

Big Ben – Forza Horizon 4 (London area)

The track opens on a short, straight approach that runs parallel to the Palace of Westminster, the Gothic stonework close on your left and the open sky above. The surface is a mix of smooth tarmac and slightly textured cobblestone sections, and the road width narrows noticeably compared to the country tracks elsewhere on the map. Watch for the first right-hand kink where the route bends toward the riverfront; the sightline is short and the curb is high, so braking early is essential.

The mid-section is the track's identity: a series of tight, alternating left-right corners that hug the base of the Elizabeth Tower. The clock face is directly above the apex of the second corner, and its shadow stretches across the racing line in the afternoon. This zone punishes over-braking—carry a little more speed into the entry and let the car rotate through the apex rather than fighting the steering lock.

The final stretch opens back out toward the Thames, a long, gently curving right that rewards a smooth, committed line. In winter, frost patches can appear on the outside of this corner, so feather the throttle on exit.

Dynamic elements: the seasonal system shifts the lighting and surface grip; autumn brings scattered leaves that reduce rear grip in the tight mid-section. There is no AI traffic on the track itself, but the urban density means walls and barriers are close throughout—there is very little runoff space.

Key corners to master: the initial right kink, the tower-side chicane (corners 2–3), and the long Thames-side exit sweeper.

Did You Know?

• Big Ben is technically the name of the Great Bell inside the tower, not the tower itself—the structure is officially the Elizabeth Tower, named after Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
• Forza Horizon 4's UK is a fictionalized, stylized version of Britain rather than a GPS-accurate replica, allowing the developers to reshape London's streets for gameplay flow.
• The game's four-season system means Big Ben looks and feels completely different in each season, from frost-dusted winter tarmac to autumn leaves scattered across the racing line.
• The urban London area in Forza Horizon 4 contrasts sharply with the open-country biomes, making tracks like Big Ben some of the shortest and most technically demanding on the entire map.