OPEN B Preliminary - Part I
ATT Lap
General
The Tanabe Tanaka Aventis GGHC is based on the 8th generation Aventis. The sleek all aluminum saloon looks threatening painted in Prototype Black. It is not the lightest car in the category weighing in at 1260 kg, but it’s 527 horsepower 1.6 litre turbo-charged engine – based on the 7th gen J-series – should get it up to speed.
Design
Based on the Aventis, design is sleek and aggressive. The Tanabe team has modified the base car well and the hill-climb built looks the part with functional aero and subtle additional cooling. The only odd design choice is to have the double exhaust, when only one is functional.
Driving
The Aventis suffers some low speed under-steer. Once you pick up speed, it is clear the car is tuned towards quick turn-ins. The very stiff rear suspension has a tendency to send the car sideways when turning at very high speed. The brakes are nice and responsive, allowing for high brake pressure without locking the wheels up. Gearbox is a bit short, but this allows the engine to remain within the power band. All-in-all, this is a very fun car to drive, but I fear too loose in the corners and on braking to be competitive.
Scoring
The Tanabe scores very good on styling points, getting a bit extra for the extensive lore. The engine is very competitive in its costs and engineering time, but the car itself appears to use significantly higher than average quality materials. In terms of time, the Tanabe is not the best, mostly held back by its lack of stability. The resulting time of 1:58,214, and the rest of the points give a total of 49 points.
AAT Lap
General
The Centauri Raider is a car you see every day on company parking lots and near financial institutions, but usually don’t notice. CPV Skunkworks Shed has attempted to make the car live up to its name. Stripped down and lightened with carbon fibre where possible and with a racing inline-5 engine installed, the Centauri is raiding horsepower figures: 631 horsepower.
Design
CPV did its best, but a wide-body kit and wings don’t completely remove the bland car look. Especially the rear quarter remains boring, and the grill and lighting fixtures are outdated, even for the 2012 car it is based on. Remarkable also in terms of the design are various workarounds on the technical side to facilitate production. One example is the removal of external fuelling ducts. The body needs to be removed to top up the fuel.
Driving
The Raider is glued to the road and has extremely good turn-in. I’m not sure the engine couldn’t have done with a 6-speed gearbox instead of the 5-speed it now has. The car is occasionally between gears on track. This might worsen on a hill-climb section. Also a cause of worry are the brakes, which are dangerously close to overheating and giving up rather quickly. Driving is good though, but kind of mechanical.
Scoring
Technical review did detect a non-regulation seat. This had to be replaced before qualifying and let to a 2 point penalty. Again the extensive lore makes up a bit for the relatively bland styling. The engine scores decent, and the car itself has been produced extremely efficiently. Despite this, the total price is extremely high. With a rather impressive qualifying time of 1:51,726, the Raider sits at 58 points.
ATT Lap
General
The fifth generation SW Wagner, soon to enter production and sales, formed the basis of this purpose made SW Motorsport divison hill-climb car. Extremely heavy and underpowered, this is more of a show-case model than a serious contestant. However, there are rumors that this is more a test bed for a touring or endurance car version, than it being a true hill-climb attempt. It is clear that the engine is running a lot less rich than it could, and adheres to emissions racing restrictions.
Design
The fifth generation Wagner looks modern yet stays faithful to its American heritage, with the aggressive front and big headlights. The rear could be mistaken for a Japanese or German sedan, but this is not a bad thing per se. Race modifications include significant scaffolding for aero as well as additional cooling vents, integrated into the lines of the sedan with much thought for aesthetics.
Driving
Driving the Wagner feels heavy and the big sedan has issues turning in. The gearbox does not appear to be the most optimal choice either, with extremely short gearing at lower speed. Slowing down from high speed is slightly hampered by the extra weight, but apart from that the brakes are excellent.
Scoring
Scoring above average for styling, including a bonus for the good lore, and equally well on the engine and car costs and complexity, the only thing holding the car back is its speed. With a time of 2:01,167 it manages 58 points as well, but sits behind the faster Raider.
AAT Lap
General
The Swedish Scarab team is sending a hill-climb version of their Scarab Reflex, their entry SUV. Lightweight and with almost 550 horsepower, there might well be some speed needing good driver reflexes in this entry to the GGHC.
Design
Minimalist but with a nice eye for detail and the natural flow of the lines. There is not much more positive or negative to describe regarding the Scarab Reflex. The hill-climb version of this mundane SUV does not make your jaw drop. It is sensible and straightforward. The giant wing however is obviously a plus.
Driving
More loose and with more body roll than expected, the Reflex is nonetheless extremely nippy in terms of changing direction. The brakes have their moments, with the anti-locking brake system seemingly lengthening the stopping distance in some braking zones. The gearbox is long and power-delivery looks to be sub-optimal as a result. This inconsistency, together with a tendency of the suspension to start bouncing the car under high load, is what causes the Reflex issues in getting a smooth run.
Scoring
Technical review did detect a non-regulation seat. This had to be replaced before qualifying and let to a 2 point penalty. This does not leave a lot of points for styling, but technically the car is on top of its game, with maximum scores all over. The speed is impressive as well despite the small issues, helped by the great Scarab driver. A 1:50,096 time results in a very high 76 points.
