05-26-2026, 03:24 AM
If you’ve been banging your head against the steering wheel trying to get a 3-star rating on the Horizon Kaido Trailblazer, you are definitely not alone. It’s easily one of the most brutal trailblazer challenges in the game if you try to follow the route the developers laid out for you.
The secret to cracking this challenge is simple: ignore the GPS line immediately. The fastest route requires you to ditch the dirt tracks early on and prioritize getting your car onto the highway where you can take full advantage of your maximum top speed.
Here is a breakdown of how to prepare your car and the exact line you need to take to secure those 3 stars without losing your sanity.
Vehicle Selection & Preparation
Before you even line up at the starting gate, you need a car that can handle two completely different environments. It needs enough off-road compliance to survive a mountain descent, but it also needs the raw power to blast past 220–250 mph once it touches asphalt.
The Car Choice: An excellent weapon for this run is the Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition tuned with off-road tires. It gives you the grip you need on the dirt and absolute rocket ship speed on the pavement. Alternatively, an upgraded Ultima works beautifully if you can manage the initial bumpiness.
Abuse the Rewind Button: Don’t be proud—use the Rewind feature. If you clip a tree, spin out on a hill, or miss a turn, just hit rewind. The mechanic refunds your timer completely without failing the challenge. It’s your best friend for correcting minor slip-ups.
Step-by-Step 3-Star Route
1. The Initial Jump & Descent
Launch through the starting gate carrying as much speed as you possibly can. Instead of following the twisting mountain trail, aim straight down off the mountain, blowing past the Danger Sign. Keep your nose pointed toward the colorful flower field clearing visible below you.
2. The Clearing Run
Completely skip the winding dirt tracks. Blast straight through the open clearing. The terrain here is highly uneven, so you will want to manage your throttle carefully over the crests. Letting off the gas slightly right before a jump will keep your car stable and prevent it from flipping over.
3. The Highway Onramp
As you exit the fields, steer directly toward the main asphalt road network that connects to the highway. You want to merge onto the highway heading left (West on your world map).
4. The Pause & GPS Reset Trick
This is the most critical step of the run. As soon as your tires are securely on the highway pavement, pause the game and open up your world map. Place a custom waypoint directly on top of the Trailblazer finish line. This tricks the in-game GPS into recalculating a clean, optimized highway route straight through Tokyo city, giving you a perfect line to follow.
5. Full Throttle Sprint to Tokyo
With your destination locked in, drop the hammer and keep your foot pinned to the accelerator. Use the highway lanes to regain all the time you lost navigating the mountain slopes. This stretch is where you’ll make up the bulk of your speed, flying directly into Tokyo.
6. The Final Gate Approach
As you approach the end of the highway and close in on the target smoke, pay attention to your angle. You must approach the finish gate from either the East or North side. If you get impatient and try to ram into the target zone from the south side, the game often fails to register the finish line, completely ruining your run. Keep it clean, approach from the correct angle, and you’ll comfortably cross with plenty of time left for that 3-star reward.
The secret to cracking this challenge is simple: ignore the GPS line immediately. The fastest route requires you to ditch the dirt tracks early on and prioritize getting your car onto the highway where you can take full advantage of your maximum top speed.
Here is a breakdown of how to prepare your car and the exact line you need to take to secure those 3 stars without losing your sanity.
Vehicle Selection & Preparation
Before you even line up at the starting gate, you need a car that can handle two completely different environments. It needs enough off-road compliance to survive a mountain descent, but it also needs the raw power to blast past 220–250 mph once it touches asphalt.
The Car Choice: An excellent weapon for this run is the Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition tuned with off-road tires. It gives you the grip you need on the dirt and absolute rocket ship speed on the pavement. Alternatively, an upgraded Ultima works beautifully if you can manage the initial bumpiness.
Abuse the Rewind Button: Don’t be proud—use the Rewind feature. If you clip a tree, spin out on a hill, or miss a turn, just hit rewind. The mechanic refunds your timer completely without failing the challenge. It’s your best friend for correcting minor slip-ups.
Step-by-Step 3-Star Route
1. The Initial Jump & Descent
Launch through the starting gate carrying as much speed as you possibly can. Instead of following the twisting mountain trail, aim straight down off the mountain, blowing past the Danger Sign. Keep your nose pointed toward the colorful flower field clearing visible below you.
2. The Clearing Run
Completely skip the winding dirt tracks. Blast straight through the open clearing. The terrain here is highly uneven, so you will want to manage your throttle carefully over the crests. Letting off the gas slightly right before a jump will keep your car stable and prevent it from flipping over.
3. The Highway Onramp
As you exit the fields, steer directly toward the main asphalt road network that connects to the highway. You want to merge onto the highway heading left (West on your world map).
4. The Pause & GPS Reset Trick
This is the most critical step of the run. As soon as your tires are securely on the highway pavement, pause the game and open up your world map. Place a custom waypoint directly on top of the Trailblazer finish line. This tricks the in-game GPS into recalculating a clean, optimized highway route straight through Tokyo city, giving you a perfect line to follow.
5. Full Throttle Sprint to Tokyo
With your destination locked in, drop the hammer and keep your foot pinned to the accelerator. Use the highway lanes to regain all the time you lost navigating the mountain slopes. This stretch is where you’ll make up the bulk of your speed, flying directly into Tokyo.
6. The Final Gate Approach
As you approach the end of the highway and close in on the target smoke, pay attention to your angle. You must approach the finish gate from either the East or North side. If you get impatient and try to ram into the target zone from the south side, the game often fails to register the finish line, completely ruining your run. Keep it clean, approach from the correct angle, and you’ll comfortably cross with plenty of time left for that 3-star reward.