It’s been two years since the release of “The Crew Motorfest” and Ubisoft Ivory Tower is still producing content updates for its open-world arcade racer. The developer kicked off the game’s third year last week by expanding its partnership with BMW. Alongside a lineup of modern and historic BMW vehicles, players can also experience a playlist of events focused on underground street racing right now.
Full disclosure: Ubisoft flew me to Lyon, France and paid for my hotel so I could tour Ubisoft Ivory Tower and preview the slated content for The Crew Motorfest.
“The Crew Motorfest” will feature a playlist of BMW-themed events that will explore and honor the German manufacturer’s history. The playlist’s hero car will be the new 2026 M2 CS, exclusive to the game, but will star cars dating all the way back to the 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL, a sports coupe that won six European Touring Car Championships during the ’70s. That’s not all that racing fans will have to look forward to, as they will be able to drive the BMW M Hybrid V8, the automaker’s current top-class Le Mans competitor. The playlist, hosted by BMW Classic spokesperson Marc Thiesbürger, will launch on January 7, 2026.
Freedom of style and space
Players don’t have to wait until the new year to experience fresh content in “The Crew Motorfest.” The new Street Racers playlist features underground events presented in an over-the-top style similar to the early Fast & Furious movies. The playlist also sees the debut of “free races,” point-to-point contests require players to navigate the world themselves to the finish line without the aid of a GPS line. From the races I’ve played, there’s rarely a singular dominant route to win, but the course design heavily guides cars down a few paths.
Fitting with the underground theme, there are now a myriad of rim and stance customization options for vehicles. Developers added over 40 new rim models from real-life brands. Players are free to choose the rim’s material, size and how it’s mounted. Yes, you can now change the camber angle and the ride height. If you want to put a Carolina Squat on your favorite car, have at it.
The Crew Motorfest will have plenty of surprises over the next year
Ubisoft Ivory Tower isn’t just stopping with BMW. The developer also teased a partnership with NASCAR. While the Cup Series has never raced in the game’s setting of Hawaii, the developer is crafting its interpretation of modern stock car racing in the 50th state that will be available next year. Players can expect to race on a fictional superspeedway that’s authentic to NASCAR’s common fare with banked corners, catchfences and SAFER barriers. The game will also implement a heightened drafting system, similar to tire wear in the game’s motorsport events, to encourage the style of pack racing seen at Daytona and Talladega.
There are plenty of other things to be excited for in “The Crew Motorfest” in its third year, such as remote-controlled cars and TrackForge, a dedicated track builder. Everything considered, I’m most looking forward to BMW’s playlist because it isn’t the first time that Ubisoft Ivory Tower has given its own take on automotive history. A playlist dedicated to the history of Ferrari’s supercars debuted last July, which included an OutRun homage event. According to the game’s creative director, Ferrari’s approval required explaining that the Testarossa’s appearance in the ’80s arcade classic was still culturally important today.
