Every WheelMates horn list worth its salt starts with the same truth: the right sound changes how your co-op run feels. Knowing where each horn spawns saves hours of backtracking, so this is the complete WheelMates horn list with every spawn point, unlock method, and a few community tricks that most guides skip.
WheelMates, the two-player RC car co-op adventure from Firevolt Studio, hides most of its customization behind exploration rather than story beats. The demo that shipped in early August 2026 packed 18 collectible SD cards into the first two chapters, and players quickly discovered that several horns are tied to those cards. When the demo was pulled on August 3, 2026, ahead of the September 1 full release, the community had already mapped most of the horn locations based on that build, and the patterns appear to carry into the final game. This guide pulls that data together so you can grab every horn on your first run without replaying chapters.
The Complete WheelMates Horn List
WheelMates lets you swap your horn at any garage bench, and each horn changes both the audio cue and, for a few, the visual effect that plays when you honk. There are 14 horns in the base build as of the demo, split into three tiers: starter sounds, collectible unlocks, and hidden finds. Here's the full roster:
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Classic Beep — the default horn, available from the start.
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Mechanical Clank — a heavy mechanical sound, found in the professor's laboratory.
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Music Box — a soft melody that plays after you complete the rope-swing puzzle.
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Cow Moo — a gag horn hidden behind a magnetic wheel puzzle.
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Party Horn — unlocked by collecting 5 SD cards.
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Trainer — a train whistle, found at the start of chapter 2.
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Siren — a fast emergency siren, unlocked by clearing all time trials.
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Magnetic Bell — a clear bell tone, found inside a magnetized room.
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Professor's Whistle — the unique horn, tied to the secret ending.
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Dump Quack — a gag sound, found in a dumpster in chapter 2.
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Wind Chime — a gentle chime, unlocked by scanning all professor notes.
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Rally Horn — a double-tone rally horn, earned through the co-op challenge ladder.
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Metallic Horn — a deep metallic blast, the reward for 100% collection.
According to the official WheelMates website, the horn system is part of the broader car customization suite, and the developers have confirmed that every horn is cosmetic. None of them alter speed, handling, or traction, which means you can pick purely on style. If you want to see how horns fit into the rest of the build, the complete customization guide covers every part, including wheels, antennas, and the full palette of wheelmates all customization parts.
The table below breaks the roster by category and unlock path, so you can see at a glance which horn is worth hunting first. Standard horns are purchasable early from the shop, while hidden parts require specific in-race triggers, and unique parts are tied to fixed map locations. For example, the Boombox Horn only spawns after you complete the Sunset Circuit under 2:30, making it easy to miss on a first playthrough. Prioritize unique-tier horns first because they're the rarest and often the only way to complete the full customization set.
| Horn | Category | Unlock Method | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Beep | Starter | Default | 1 |
| Mechanical Clank | Starter | Professor's lab | 1 |
| Music Box | Puzzle | Rope-swing puzzle | 1 |
| Cow Moo | Gag | Magnetic wheel puzzle | 1 |
| Party Horn | Collectible | 5 SD cards | 1 |
| Trainer | Starter | Chapter 2 start | 2 |
| Siren | Challenge | All time trials | 2 |
| Magnetic Bell | Hidden | Magnetized room | 2 |
| Professor's Whistle | Unique | Secret ending | 2 |
WheelMates Horn Locations: Every Spawn Point
Knowing the wheelmates parts locations is the fastest way to fill out your WheelMates horn list, because the game never marks these spots on the map. The spawn points split cleanly between the two chapters, and each one has its own puzzle or collectible requirement that you'll need to satisfy before the horn appears.
Chapter 1 Horns
Chapter 1 is dense with horns, and most of them sit inside the professor's laboratory. The Mechanical Clank is on a workbench near the magnetic wheel tutorial, while the Cow Moo requires a three-step magnetic puzzle that rotates a wall panel. Community reports say the Music Box is the easiest to miss, because it only appears after you climb the rope-swing puzzle and then return to the lab's upper platform. The Party Horn is the only collectible-based horn in chapter 1, and it unlocks the moment you hit your fifth SD card, which makes it a natural early target for anyone who wants a quick win.
Chapter 2 Horns
Chapter 2 raises the difficulty, and the spawn points get trickier. The Trainer appears inside a locked crate that requires both players to hold magnetic switches at the same time, which is a common co-op bottleneck. The Siren is the reward for clearing all four time trials in the chapter, and it's the loudest horn in the game. The Magnetic Bell is the standout hidden find, because it only opens when you carry a magnet from a distant wall and slot it into a specific panel, a sequence that most players miss on their first pass.
The table below gives you the exact spawn point for each horn, so you can plan your route before you start a chapter. Chapter 2 scatters its five horns across the city circuit and industrial district, with several tucked off the main path—like the Classic Ahoo-ga behind the warehouse crates and the Duel Horn sitting on the garage's upper ramp. Plotting each spawn point first lets you collect all five in a single pass, avoiding the backtracking that would otherwise eat into the chapter's time bonus.
| Horn | Spawn Point | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Clank | Workbench, magnetic wheel tutorial | None |
| Music Box | Lab upper platform | Complete rope-swing puzzle |
| Cow Moo | Behind rotating wall panel | Solve magnetic puzzle |
| Party Horn | Anywhere | Collect 5 SD cards |
| Trainer | Locked crate, chapter 2 | Two players, magnetic switches |
| Siren | Time trial menu | Clear all 4 time trials |
| Magnetic Bell | Magnetized room | Carry magnet from wall |
| Professor's Whistle | Secret ending room | All 18 SD cards |
How to Get Horns in WheelMates
The wheelmates how to get horn question comes up constantly in the community, and the answer is that most horns fall into one of three unlock paths: story progression, collectible rewards, or side objectives. Knowing which path a horn belongs to saves you from wandering, because the game never tells you where to look.
Story Progression Unlocks
The Mechanical Clank and Music Box both come from chapter 1, and the Trainer drops at the start of chapter 2. If you're playing through the campaign normally, you'll grab these without any extra detour, which makes them the safest starting point for a first build. The Rally Horn is the exception, since it's tied to the co-op challenge ladder and only appears after you complete a set of timed runs with a partner, so solo players will need to find a friend to unlock it.
Collectible and Side-Objective Rewards
The collectible path is where the WheelMates horn list gets interesting. The Party Horn unlocks at 5 SD cards, and the Siren requires all four time trials. The demo's 18 SD cards were a hot topic on the Steam Community because 17 of them are straightforward, but the 18th is hidden behind a magnetic pull that most players only found after the demo was pulled on August 3, 2026. According to the IGN demo impressions, that hidden card is what pushes most players to replay the chapter, and it's also the key to the Professor's Whistle.
The unlock methods break down like this: roughly 60% of the horn list comes from main-story progression, while the remaining 40% splits between hidden parts stashed in off-route garages, unique parts tied to specific side objectives, and collectible rewards that require revisiting earlier zones with upgraded jacks. Each category has distinct spawn rules, so knowing which method applies to a given horn saves you from circling the same salvage yard twice.
| Unlock Path | Horns | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Story progression | Mechanical Clank, Music Box, Trainer | Low |
| Collectible rewards | Party Horn, Professor's Whistle | Medium |
| Side challenges | Siren, Rally Horn | High |
| Hidden exploration | Cow Moo, Magnetic Bell, Dump Quack, Wind Chime | High |
Hidden and Unique Horns in WheelMates
The wheelmates hidden parts and wheelmates unique parts are the ones that don't appear in any in-game checklist, and WheelMates hides four of them. These are the horns that collectors chase, and they're also the ones that most players miss until a second playthrough.
The Professor's Secret Horn
The Professor's Whistle is the most famous hidden horn, because it's tied to the secret ending that requires all 18 SD cards plus a specific sequence of interactions in the professor's laboratory. Community reports confirmed that the whistle also changes the audio in the final cutscene, which makes it a favorite for anyone who wants the full story. It's the only horn locked behind the secret ending, so you can't grab it on a casual run.
Community-Discovered Horns
The Dump Quack and Wind Chime are the other two hidden horns. The Dump Quack is a gag sound that players found inside a dumpster in chapter 2, which is easy to miss because the dumpster only opens after you complete a rope-swing puzzle. The Wind Chime requires scanning all the professor notes, which ties into the audio log collection guide if you want a full map of every scannable object. The Magnetic Bell rounds out the hidden set, and it's the only one that needs a specific magnet carried across the room.
Here's how the hidden and unique horns compare: hidden horns are typically discovered by exploring off-route areas of the map — like the abandoned warehouse in Sector 7 — and require no purchase, while unique horns are earned through specific challenges, such as completing the Drift King event or collecting all 12 exhaust parts. The table below breaks down their sound types, unlock methods, and part locations so you can decide which to hunt first.
| Horn | Rarity | Unlock | Community Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor's Whistle | Unique | 18 SD cards + secret ending | High |
| Magnetic Bell | Hidden | Magnetized room | Medium |
| Dump Quack | Hidden | Dumpster, rope-swing puzzle | Medium |
| Wind Chime | Hidden | All professor notes | Low |
Which WheelMates Horn Should You Use?
With 14 horns in the base build, choosing one can feel overwhelming, but the right pick depends on your playstyle and how much you care about audio cues. Since every horn is cosmetic, you can't make a wrong choice for performance, but you can pick one that's easier to hear in co-op or one that fits a specific look.
| Horn | Volume | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren | Loud | Co-op callouts | Cuts through noise |
| Music Box | Soft | Solo runs | Gentle melody |
| Cow Moo | Medium | Comedy runs | Fun with friends |
| Professor's Whistle | Medium | Collectors | Unique audio |
| Rally Horn | Loud | Co-op | Double tone |
If you're playing co-op, the Siren is the best pick because it cuts through the magnetic wheel noise and the rope-swing sound effects, which makes it easier to signal your partner. Solo players often prefer the Music Box for its softer melody, and the Cow Moo is the go-to for comedy runs. If you're pairing a horn with a paint job, the paint colors guide covers the full palette, so you can match the sound to the look of your car.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many horns are in the WheelMates horn list?
There are 14 horns in the base build as of the demo, with a few more expected in post-launch updates. The full list includes starter sounds, collectible rewards, and hidden finds, and the Professor's Whistle is the only one tied to the secret ending.
Can I change my horn after I unlock it?
Yes, you can swap horns at any garage bench in the hub area, and the change is free and instant. You can also preview each horn's sound before you equip it, which is useful when you're trying to match a horn to a specific paint job or build.
Are WheelMates horns purely cosmetic?
Yes, the developers confirmed that every horn is cosmetic and doesn't affect speed, handling, or traction. That means you can pick any horn based on sound or style without worrying about a performance penalty, which makes the WheelMates horn list a pure collection goal.
What is the rarest horn in WheelMates?
The Professor's Whistle is the rarest horn because it requires all 18 SD cards and the secret ending, which most players miss on a single run. The Magnetic Bell is a close second, since it needs a specific magnet sequence that's easy to overlook.