I’ve always loved cars, and making them faster. But here’s what happens when a teenager takes that too far.
I ran a little too much turbo boost on this motor…
When Forza Motorsport arrived in 2005, I was hooked. It let me dive into the expensive, time-consuming parts of car culture without the blown engines or over-the-top mods on my daily driver.
Forza let me build digital twins of my real cars. I could even install the same BBS wheels I had on my Mustang GT at the time.
Yes, those exact wheels are still an option in Forza.
But for all Forza’s car and part options, one thing frustrated me: tuning. I couldn’t create good setups on a regular basis, and when I did, it felt like luck.
When Forza Motorsport 2 launched in 2007, the problem was still there. We had tuning guides and rough formulas, but nothing complete.
There was a lot of potential in early tuning spreadsheets, like those by community member Feuerdog.
What if we made an app for tuning?
An App Is Born
On September 16, 2009, the first version of ForzaTune launched for iOS. With Forza Motorsport 3 just weeks away, the timing was perfect. Hundreds of players sent me emails.
That feedback helped shape the first premium version, released just a month later.
Over the years, we released versions for each new Forza title—ForzaTune 4, 5, and 6—each one improving based on community input. But by 2016, our tuning model was starting to show its cracks. It struggled to work for steering wheel inputs. And Forza Horizon’s different driving situations meant we needed a more universal tuning approach.
I knew we needed a new foundation, but I didn’t know what it would look like yet.
The Breakthrough
Then, in 2017, something unexpected happened. My son and I started playing Hot Wheels Race Off. And the side-scrolling layout gave me a new perspective on suspension.
Don’t let that cartoonish game fool you. The underlying physics were entertaining and surprisingly good.
Since everything was exaggerated in the game, it was much easier to see what factors helped a car maintain traction. Something clicked. These were the same ideas–waves, frequencies, control systems–that I had studied as an electrical engineering and physics student.
That Hot Wheels moment sparked a deep dive into textbooks old and new. The result was a prototype set of formulas, which used real-world engineering equations to simulate how the car and track could work together.
To my surprise, the numbers lined up beautifully with Forza’s in-game settings. It meant that we were on the same page as Turn 10 and its physics model.
We had the key—a physics-first, flexible system for tuning in Forza.
Of course, that brought new challenges. Assists and simplifications in the tuning menu meant we couldn’t use a purely realistic approach. It took months to adapt the math, test edge cases, and refine the formulas.
Screenshots from ForzaTune 7, which used a physics-first model for tuning.
In spring 2018, ForzaTune 7 launched — the first tuning app designed for specific cars, tracks, and driver preferences. It marked a new era, and the community helped fine-tune it even further.
Growing with Forza
By 2020, Forza Horizon had become a pillar of the series. That’s when ForzaTune 7 became ForzaTune Pro — one app to tune them all.
Designing off-road and drift tunes for Horizon 4 and 5 was a blast — and a massive learning opportunity. But as the years stretched between game releases, I started to wonder if the series had lost momentum.
Then came Forza Motorsport 2023. And it delivered.
The new suspension geometry settings and tire model were a huge leap forward. It let me strip out many of the old assumptions in our tuning model. After several updates, our system was dialed in and better than ever.
And here we are. Fifteen years later, players around the world are still tuning, racing, and learning with ForzaTune.
Looking Back
Building this app made me a better racer, a better engineer, and brought me into a passionate community that values precision and speed.
That deep understanding of cars and tuning I craved back in 2005? I finally found it.
My real cars have benefited too.
Understanding suspension geometry helped me solve a tire wear issue on my wife’s car, and pick better parts for the strut assembly shown above.
And my S197 Mustang project has almost no stock suspension parts left.
Whether I’m on the virtual track or just cruising around the block, everything feels dialed in.
Voices from the Community
ForzaTune has grown into something bigger than I imagined. It’s helped hundreds of thousands of players improve their builds, and many of them have reached out to share what ForzaTune means to them.
“I’ve been using ForzaTune pretty much since it first came out… It is unequivocally the best one you’ve put out so far. It’s the most realistic handling I’ve ever seen in Forza. And when I say realistic, I’m comparing it to my daily driver — an ’03 Cobra a.k.a. The Terminator I drove for 15 years.”
– Lee J.
“I’ve been using [ForzaTune] since the early days and it’s revolutionised Forza for me. Honestly taught me a lot of basics on tuning… Love all your work and can’t wait to see what’s next.”
– Ross P.
Check out more messages on the Testimonials page, and thank you to everyone who’s supported the journey.
Are You a Fellow Car Enthusiast?
As Forza evolves, so will ForzaTune. Whether you’re new or a seasoned veteran, ForzaTune can help you unlock your build’s full potential.
Join me, and thousands of others, in becoming smarter car enthusiasts.
