Forza Horizon 6: How to Earn the Threading the Needle Skill
Forza Horizon 6 hands out skill rewards for performing specific driving behaviors across the open world, races, and seasonal-style events. Some skills come from clean, consistent habits like high-speed driving or drifting, while others involve riskier actions such as plowing into oncoming traffic, doing burnouts, or even trading paint with other racers. One of the more confusing entries is “Threading the Needle.” The game doesn’t spell it out clearly, and if you haven’t played earlier Horizon installments, it can be hard to figure out what the challenge actually wants—especially when you’re trying to complete Horizon Season objectives on time.
If your goal is to come out on top in street races and touge-style runs, you’ll also want to know which cars to pick and how to get them working in your favor.
How to Earn the “Threading the Needle” Skill in Forza Horizon 6
“Threading the Needle” is awarded for driving between two NPC cars while keeping a tight but careful gap—without making contact with either one. Practically, you’re aiming for the vehicles to be roughly five to ten meters apart and then steering through that opening. You can set this up with cars traveling in the same direction as you, or by threading the gap while dealing with oncoming traffic. In my experience, it’s usually simpler to work on the same side of the road as your current direction of travel, since it tends to make spacing feel more predictable.
The most straightforward place to farm this skill is the highway ring that circles the outside of Japan’s main island. Those roads tend to have plenty of NPC traffic, and because you’re dealing with multiple lanes at once, you can usually find gaps that are easier to slide through.
Those extra lanes matter more than you might think. They let you approach the opening at an angle, effectively driving diagonally between two cars instead of threading a straight gap. The diagonal routes often create slightly roomier openings than the gaps you get when two cars are side by side in adjacent lanes. It can sound like a small difference, but it becomes noticeable when you’re trying to complete the skill using a bigger car, where margin for error is tighter.
For the “Mini in the Middle” seasonal challenge that was active at the time of writing, the requirement is to earn the “Threading the Needle” skill using any Mini Cooper. A solid recommendation is the 2012 John Cooper Works GP, because it’s the quickest option among the three common choices when you’re driving on typical roads. That speed advantage can help you punch through especially narrow gaps, but it’s worth noting that none of the available Minis are particularly quick in general. There’s also a tradeoff to consider when choosing between options.
The X-Raid All4 Racing Countryman has a larger engine, but it also shows a slower speed figure and is better characterized as a rally-focused vehicle rather than something you want for the highway runs where this challenge is easiest to complete.
Keep in mind that other “Threading the Needle” skill-based challenges may impose different vehicle rules. Always start by meeting the challenge’s car requirement, then choose the option with strong handling so you can thread the gap with confidence and avoid touching either NPC car.
If you’re looking to round out your skill collection with other objectives, you can also search for guides on the “Wrong Number” skill and for how to beat a rivals ghost.
