How to Install Car Add-ons with Extra Options (mediapc)

This guide covers installing real car add-ons in Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One) on PC, using Azimuth and Extra Options' media override system. You can install a compatible community-made car package, or import supported cars from your own Forza Motorsport 5 files.

Important: Extra Options makes it possible to load new files, but it does not create a brand-new car automatically. A true add-on needs the vehicle's assets, a compatible car database and an updated archive manifest. Simply dropping an arbitrary car ZIP into the game does not add it to the Autoshow.

Add-on cars vs car replacements

•Add-on car: adds another vehicle entry, for example a community BMW M5 E39 mod. The game needs extra database rows, a car archive and an updated zipmanifest.xml to find it.

•Replacement: changes the model, appearance, physics or other data for an existing FH2 car. A clean Nissan 350Z appearance mod is an example. It may not add a new Autoshow entry.

•DLC car: already belongs to the game's official content and is different from a community car add-on. For DLC, follow our separate Azimuth DLC tutorial.

Requirements

•Your own copy of Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox One), version 1.0.0.64.

•Azimuth 0.9.10 installed and able to start the base game.

•The newer Extra Options build using `winmm.dll` next to azimuth.exe.

•A complete car mod that explicitly supports FH2's Extra Options / mediapc / mediaoverride system.

•A backup of your Azimuth saves and any existing FH2 override folders.

Install Extra Options first with our winmm.dll installation guide, or download the official Extra Options release.

1 — Enable media overrides

1. Close FH2 and Azimuth.

2. Open the directory containing `azimuth.exe`.

3. Check that winmm.dll and `FH2_ExtraOptions.ini` are there (the current Extra Options layout).

4. Open `FH2_ExtraOptions.ini` with a text editor.

5. Make sure the following section exists and is enabled:

ini

[Files]
EnableMediaOverrides=1

If the section or setting already exists, edit the current value instead of adding duplicate entries. Save the configuration and close the editor.

This option is required for Extra Options to mount custom game assets. The Extra Options source mounts the overrides in this order: `mediaoverride`, then `mediapc`, then original game files. A file in mediaoverride takes priority over one with the same virtual path in mediapc.

2 — Find the correct FH2 game folder

Car add-ons belong in your FH2 game's `Mount` folder, not inside the Azimuth launcher folder.

A normal layout looks similar to this:

text

Forza Horizon 2/
├── era.vbi
├── EmbeddedXvd/
└── Mount/
    ├── media/            (original game assets — leave untouched)
    ├── hash.manifest     (original file index — leave untouched)
    ├── mediapc/          (community overrides / added files)
    └── mediaoverride/    (other overrides, when a mod uses them)

Do not create both override folders unless needed. If the car author's instructions say `Mount/mediapc`, use mediapc. If they specifically say `Mount/mediaoverride`, follow that documented location.

3 — Install a ready-made car add-on

The exact files vary by mod, but the safe general method is:

1. Download a compatible mod from its original author and read its README.

2. Back up your existing Mount/mediapc and Mount/mediaoverride folders, especially `zipmanifest.xml` and any gamedbRC.slt files.

3. Inspect the archive's folder structure before extracting it. Many packages contain a ready-made mediapc or mediaoverride folder.

4. Copy the package's folders under your FH2 `Mount` directory, preserving their internal paths, as the author specifies. Do not put mediapc inside another mediapc.

5. If a package includes an official installer, check its publisher and instructions and use it only for a version it explicitly supports.

6. Launch FH2 through Azimuth and check the Autoshow or another location specified by the mod author.

Example of the resulting file layout for a new car (illustrative only):

text

Forza Horizon 2/
└── Mount/
    └── mediapc/
        ├── zipmanifest.xml
        ├── cars/
        │   └── [new-car-archive].zip
        ├── stripped/
        │   └── gamedbRC.slt
        └── [other files included by the mod author]

Do not manufacture these files yourself merely by naming empty files this way. They must be valid files prepared for the exact car and game version.

You can browse the current FH2Mods Cars category for community vehicles; each mod's own installation instructions take precedence.

4 — Why you cannot simply drop in a new car ZIP

FH2's original Mount/hash.manifest lists the stock content Azimuth recognizes. Extra Options' media mount bypasses that restriction for overrides. But a new car still needs several pieces to agree:

•Car archive containing the required model and other assets, usually under cars/.

•`zipmanifest.xml` with entries describing the game's car and other packed archives. Missing or inconsistent entries can crash the game.

•`stripped/gamedbRC.slt` containing the additional car and its necessary game data, including availability in the Autoshow.

•Potential audio, wheel, thumbnail, upgrade and lighting data, depending on the mod.

Two independently packaged new-car mods can conflict if both replace the whole gamedbRC.slt or zipmanifest.xml. Copying the second one over the first can make the first added car disappear. Use a mod installer that builds on existing data, or obtain a correctly merged compatibility build. Back up before making changes.

5 — Import additional cars from your own Forza Motorsport 5

For an easier way to add completely new cars rather than replacing existing ones, use the community FM5 Car Importer by conner-mcvay. It converts supported cars from your own Forza Motorsport 5 installation for FH2.

Sources:

•FM5 Car Importer — FH2Mods listing

•FM5 Car Importer — original GitHub repository

•FM5 Car Importer — author's step-by-step guide

•Importer releases

Requirements for the importer

•FH2 1.0.0.64 and Azimuth 0.9.10 with compatible Extra Options.

•Your own Forza Motorsport 5 version 1.0.0.20 installation.

•Windows 10/11. The project's release includes its importer scripts; it may download a hash-checked sqlite3.exe from the SQLite project's official site.

•Free space for the imported cars and backups.

Importing with the tool

1. Download the FM5 Car Importer release from the original repository. Check that it is the current package for Azimuth 0.9.10.

2. Extract the complete archive to a folder you can keep. Read the publisher's README before starting any supplied installer script.

3. Close Azimuth and FH2.

4. Start `Import-Fm5Cars.cmd` from the extracted package.

5. Select your Azimuth directory, FH2 directory and FM5 directory when prompted.

6. Search for an FM5 car by name. The importer lists cars not already present in your FH2 installation.

7. Choose the suggested data donor, or an FH2 car of similar type. Choose a sound donor with a similar engine, an Autoshow group, and an optional light donor.

8. Review the proposed import and confirm. The tool converts assets and prepares the required database and manifest changes, then installs them in Mount/mediapc with backups.

9. Launch FH2 through Azimuth and look for the newly added car in the selected Autoshow group.

For example, the creator's guide demonstrates importing an FM5 2002 Camaro 35th Anniversary and choosing an FH2 data donor, sound donor and light donor.

Important: The importer is a third-party project; review it and use only the original release. The Extra Options author warns about fake "all-in-one" FH2 tools and malicious download links. Never run unrelated commands from Discord DMs or unverified setup pages, and do not disable Windows Security.

6 — Checking the result and known limitations

•New car missing from the Autoshow: confirm EnableMediaOverrides=1, the correct Mount/mediapc path and that the importer completed without errors.

•Existing add-on cars disappeared: inspect conflicts in gamedbRC.slt and zipmanifest.xml. The game uses one effective database and manifest, not a separate database per car add-on.

•Game crashes after adding a car: revert the most recent mod from its backup. New car archives and zipmanifest.xml must agree.

•Car appears but its name or thumbnail is missing: these are known limitations of the FM5 importer. The author reports that car names may be blank in menus, Autoshow thumbnails may be missing, and night lighting can be imperfect.

•Car textures, glass or lights look wrong: the imported model may need FH2-specific shader/material conversion or a better light donor; the importer handles much of this but is not perfect.

•Another mod overwrote the car database: consider a combined installer/build. Do not randomly overwrite files from multiple different mod archives.

7 — Uninstalling a car add-on

For a manual install, use the mod author's own uninstall instructions and restore your backup of the affected override files.

For the FM5 importer, each run keeps backups in <FH2 folder>/mod-backups/. The author's guide says to uninstall layers in reverse order (newest first), including an optional separate light-import layer. Removing all of Mount/mediapc would remove all mods installed there, not just one car — don't do that unless you mean to reset every media override in that folder.

Before asking Azimuth's developer for help with a crash, reproduce it without third-party mods. Azimuth's developer does not support troubleshooting arbitrary modified game assets.