A very low revving, torquey engine then… I mean any bigger than that and you basically have a truck or bus engine.
5-liters should be enough, really. 5.5 tops, because six starts to sound more like a muscle car engine than a luxury one.
Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what are your thoughts on the car’s design?
Something is lacking in the lights, I don’t really like them, front and back. But no idea what to change exactly.
For the rest, I really like the car. 80s sedan all the way.
I might understand why the headlights don’t work, because they’re going into the car (for the lack of better terms)… But I’m not sure where to improve the tailights, maybe change the main units to something different.
Either way thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
Rioter Mk.3 Lion: When the Lion had to cut its fangs
The Rioter was born a muscle car, always a rebel since 1967. But by the time 1971 rolled along, things were looking bleak for the young muscle car dynasty. Increasingly draconian emission laws, high insurance rates… The muscle car had gone from tool of heroes to just a tool, period. And when drastic changes occur, one can only follow them with equally drastic changes of your own.
This is where the Mk.3 comes in. Hugi Aleixo knew maintaining the castrated Mk.2 was no longer feasible, and with new sleek and small European rivals barging their way through the American market, he had to turn to Europe to keep the Rioter alive. Setting up a design competition between Hugi Motors’s European studios, he asked for a small but still sporty concept, one fitting for two markets.
In the end, the studio in Croft, England won out, with the car you see. Gone were the sharp edges, replaced by rounder grille and light designs. Even the Rioter’s trademark Linkers were sacrificed, which was a bold decision given their popularity with buyers.
And more new details appeared; chrome stripes which formed from the door handles and ended at the front end, a giant lion decal on the hood, silver stripes at the bottom of the car’s sides and painted stripes on the trunk lid.
Some called these changes “gaudy”, but the era was marked by visual pizazz. Manufacturers all over America were forced to promote their cars through such pizazz, as power and speeds were no longer plausible.But this was not the end for Croft’s concept, a car designed with sporty cues. Pleased with the final product, Hugi allowed the car to inherit the Lion badge as a reward to the Croft studio. The car would be sold as the Rioter’s new sporty version, but its claws were smaller than its predecessor’s…
The first major engine was the engine; with V8s strangled by multiple emission laws, the Mk.3 never kept one beneath its hood. Instead multiple variations of a 4-cylinder engine were used, with the Lion being the most powerful one, a 1.7-litre block rated at 133-horsepower. This led to many disgruntled Rioter fans mockingly calling the car “Rioter Cub”, as they felt the performance was undeserving of the Lion name.
But those disgruntled fans had to deal with an even bigger change; front-wheel-drive. The Mk.3 moved to the so-called “wrong-wheel-drive”, a bid by Hugi to match the sofistication displayed by small European coupes and hot hatches. While many criticized the move, which strayed far from the car’s muscle car roots, a whole new fanbase appeared, impressed with the Lion’s combination of sharp handling, low weight and sub-$9000 price.
Against all odds, the Mk.3 was a sales success. Cheap to run, cheap to maintain, and no longer an outdated sledgehammer; it was European feel matched with American ingenuity. The Lion in particular ended up becoming a very popular rally car in European championships, winning several local events and serving as a cheap beginner’s tool (which led to drivers nicknaming it the “Lion Tamer” as a result).
Until 1980, the Mk.3 did the most important thing of all; it kept the Rioter name alive, regardless of the sacrifices it made to get there. The claws were smaller, the body was less agressive. But the bite, in its own way, was still as rebellious as the old Rioters were…
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1982 FRTX: The Stalwart Spaceship
After the end of the Mark 3 Rioter, Hugi Motors kept its gap unfilled for the good part of three years. Many feared that the long-standing sports nameplate was gone for good, but sometimes the biggest of silences has some sort of noticeable noise at one point. That noise appeared in 1982, in the form of the 2-door FRTX coupe.
FRTX? Few knew what the acronym stood for, let alone the existence of such a bold concept car in Hugi’s ranks. The car lived a reclusive life in the company’s most secret quarters, engineered by an elite team made from former Rioter engineers. When this two-tone coupe made its appearance in Detroit, jaws dropped, both from journalists and sports car fans.
The FRTX packed enough tech to make a sci-fi robot jealous; its front indicators were linked together by a red light strip, presumably there to indicate the speeds via various degrees of blinking. Were the headlights missing? No, they were covered by a thin layer of Kevlar designed to protect them, a layer which could be retracted through a button on the car’s futuristic digital dash. And the mirrors were not mirrors, but rather cameras which could be controlled to help park the car in tight spaces.
Of course many of these technologies were merely marketing stunts, for most future Hugi cars hardly featured such advanced driver safety. But there was one stunt which was never quite clarified as being such; the engine. Beneath the FRTX’s fibreglass body and surrounded by its spaceframe chassis lied a 6.5-litre, naturally-aspirated V12. Yes, naturally-aspirated; even in concept form, Hugi downright refused to stick turbos to his creations.
The specs were as mouth-watering as they were unbelievable; an estimated top speed of 322 km/h, with a 0-100 time of 5.3 seconds. Tied to a close-ratio 5-speed gearbox, all 572 of the FRTX’s horses were boosted by a 24-valve, double-overhead-cam aluminium head. In fact, all of the FRTX’s engine was made in aluminium, a proof that lightweight was being strongly considered for sportier applications. But since the car was never driven in anger, many felt the engine was merely a non-functioning scale model, designed solely to attract keen eyes.
Marketing stunt or not, it worked at full sing. Countless articles were made about the car, one of the main highlights of the 1982 Detroit Motor Show. Its spaceage feel and presence led to its nickname; the Stalwart Spaceship.
In the end, the FRTX was as experimental as they came. But even after its dramatic first appearance, there was still one last bit of secrecy unrevealed. A small area within the B-pillar was covered in cloth, which was not taken off even after the car’s full unveiling. After countless guesses as to what said cloth was covering, chairman Hugi Aleixo invited all journalists to Hugi’s stand.
Amongst flashing cameras and doubts about the car’s tech, Hugi finally revealed the secret behind the covered blue area, as he approached the piece of cloth;
"We at Hugi are very proud of the FRTX. The 1980s are the biggest, most promising era where a sports car can be born in. New, lightweight materials, refined fuels… Obviously this was just a tour-de-force, but one that shouldn’t go unnoticed. The FRTX embodies the American freedom, coupled with the passion and elegance of European sportiness. But above all else, this mark is here because we feel it represents our feelings about this car. It’s simply…
…a riot."
To Be Continued!
Specs:
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I can see a bit of Knight Rider in the FRTX - and its performance would have made it even further ahead of its time to boot!
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Well, that wasn’t entirely unintentional. After all, while this car doesn’t talk back and lacks a Turbo Boost button, the sheer engine power more than makes up for those absences!
And apparently, if I ever decided to put such an uncompromising vehicle on Automation roads…
It would be the greatest fast thing on wheels? Not bad for an unreliable glass cannon, haha!
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Maybe it’s the colour combo, but it has hints of the Subaru Vortex / Alcyone to it to…
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That… actually didn’t cross my mind until you mentioned it, haha. The color scheme is eerily similar to the old Alcyone XT’s, which wasn’t helped by my choice of white for the car’s underside;
Although besides the 2-door layout and wedge shape, there isn’t much else tying the madness of the FRTX and the Alcyone’s appointed elegance together…
Rioter Mk.4: Back to roots, turning over a new leaf
The FRTX made waves during its presentation at Detroit. But when Hugi Aleixo revealed the R badge which laid in its C-pillar, the waves turned into a tsunami of hope. To add to that hope, Hugi later revealed the true meaning behind the FRTX intials; Future Rioter Template Xperiment. The car was not just a tour de force, it was the blueprint to a new Rioter. Bigger, badder, more powerful than ever before; back to being a true muscle car.
The Mk.4 family tree began in 1983, with the bottom rung belonging to the car above; the S. Did the “S” stand for sporty? Not quite. That “S” stood for “SImple”. The car’s bare-bones trim, featuring nothing but rubber, coupled with its limited equipment, meant this was the Rioter for the sports car fan on a budget.
Not many complained about such a basic sports car, mainly because it opened the doors to many who could only dream of the Rioters of old. There was a funny footnote about the S, however; when it was released, its 260-hp V8 was only an optional (a costly one at that). The car was intended to be sold with a weaker, much-smaller 4-cylinder. However, many derided that engine, gladly forking over the cash just for the claims of V8 ownership. Hugi, seeing the sales boost, claimed the 4-cylinder was a launch campaign special, and wrote the version off after only 3 months!
Obviously the S was more about confort that sportiness, but it was still a solid range-opener. But for those with a bit more wallet, the next rung awaited;
The CB. Again, many questioned what the CB stood for. Some claimed it stood for “Cruiser Bruiser”, seeing as that was the promotional tagline for the model. But eventually, and once again, Hugi Aleixo was the one to sort out the doubts. During an interview, he mentioned the following;
What does it stand for? Well it’s no king lion, but it’s no simpleton either. To put it bluntly, it’s the cub everyone hated years ago. Just because it starts out small, that doesn’t mean a cub can’t become a lion of its own…
So yes, the CB stood for “Cub”; the same nickname which had been used as an insult for the Mk.3 Lion, by fans who claimed it was too small to be true to the name’s legacy. To ensure those same “fans” felt shame in the action, the CB was sold as a luxurious model, a far cry from the humble roots of the Mk.3 Adding chrome to its trim and a premium 8-track system, the CB was a bit of muscle, a bit of elegance, all in one sharp-looking package.
The rear end was an example of this elegance; the bars in both the upper and lower rear vents were rubber-based in the S, but the CB had chrome all around. It is also here where you can see the most obvious influence from the FRTX; the long stoplight stripe, paired with angled rear indicators.What about the heart of the Mk4.? Well, things had changed in the '80s, including the ressurgence of a familiar engine configuration;
The fans rejoiced, for the V8 was back in its rightful place. But technology had added a remix to the popular song; a highly-advanced, 32-valve SOHC head was available for all Rioters, as well as the multi-point fuel injection. For a car promoted with luxury as the CB, this pot of technologies was a great help with boosting sales. And for a year, the CB had to carry the flag as the most powerful Rioter, so every little bit helped. But there was only one name who could top the Rioter charts. And in 1984, the CB welcomed its big(ger) brother…
The Lion was back, and back with style. Gone were the Cub insults, the engine strangling and the tiny bodies. This Lion had more of everything; more power, more advance technology, and more speed than any other Lion ever had.
The V8, originally a 4.8-litre unit, was enlarged to 5-liters, still paired with the same 32-valve SOHC head and multi-point EFI systems. However, power and speed were a completely different league from the CB; 418 horsepower propelled the Mk.4 Lion to an astonishing 181 mph (the CB’s speed being 167), with 0-60 being dusted off in 6.1 seconds.
Of course, the Lion was not shy to admit it had all this; along with the CB’s chrome trim, the Lion added a rear spoiler, two hood vents and the famed Lion decal, the one aspect left by the unloved Mk.3. All Lions had two-tone paintjob, as evidenced by this example’s Dark Greens/Brutal Black combo.
Along with all this, the Lion featured Hugi’s first ever targa-top; the Topper. Featuring two panels which could be taken off at will by the owner, this system added a bit of fresh air (rather literally) to the Rioter. Lions had this equipment stock, while in the CB it was an option. As for S owners, unfortunately the best they could do was live with a basic vinyl roof. As it was said before, S for SImple…
Either way, the Mk.4 was a rousing success. With a Rioter for each sports-oriented mind, there was hardly any gaps unfilled in its range. From its birth in 1983 up until its death in 1993, the Rioter Mk.4 was back where it deserved to be; a true American muscle car, now matched to technology that made it easier to live with (and harder to live without). Was the Lion the king of all Mk.4s then, the ultimate definition of this success? Well, not quite. But that is a post for another day…
Specs (model order corresponds to the post’s):
Author’s note: It did take me quite a while to follow up the FRTX post with this. But the reasons were threefold; I was busy with personal work and the CSR rounds. Then it took quite a while for the proper '80s American body to show up (and many thanks to thecarlover for finally delivering that in the form of this C4 body). Finally, the rear end design was the cause of many headaches, trying to deliver something cohesive, era-fitting and car-matching. Here’s hoping it didn’t fail too badly!
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Not too shabby! As an advice, there’s just one thing that I feel is offputting, which is the popups. Use regular lights and change their material to body paint so you can get much tidier popups 
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Only one offputting thing? Hooray, I mastered 99.9% of Automation car design! Now to get rid of that pesky 0.01%… (approaches car with grindsaw) 
I kid, I kid. Thanks for the advice! To be fair, I don’t really know why I went for the opened versions of the popups in this case… Perhaps the idea looked nicer in my head because it was period-correct.
But in the end, having exposed popups doesn’t really make overall the design that much better, does it?
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Fleuma Formula B/R: The Lil'Riot's last outing
Above the Rioter, Hugi’s lineup of sports offered nothing. Below it, however? There were multiple attempts to replicate the success of Hugi’s muscle car, all with different spices to sell more for less. This is the tale of what happened at the end of one of those attempts; the Fleuma.
The Fleuma had been born in 1983, roughly at the same time as the fangled Rioter Mk.3. Its key difference? The engine was placed right behind your neck, as opposed to being in front of your nose. The Fleuma had been created to combat foreign newcomers who were singing the praised of mid-engined ownership, fighting fire with gasoline.
As for the B/R itself, it was a swan song. The reasons why will be explained later, so for now the focus is on what made the B/R its own Fleuma. The entire project was delegated to EHSC, a California-based company responsible for convertible conversions amongst other limited production cars.
Design-wise, the B/R was given a pinch of luxury flair; along with the Fleuma’s stock pop-up headlights, the rear was entirely redesigned, whilst the front end received a new set of front grilles and indicators based on the Rioter’s famous Linkers. New rims, a rear spoiler and a T-top roof completed the set of modifications, coated in a funky purple-ish orange nicknamed “Miami Vice”.
But the B/R’s true calling car, as with most Hugi performance cars, laid in its unique engine configuration. Whilst the Fleuma had an array of inline-4 and V6 engines, the B/R threw a European wrench into the mix, by adding a Boxer-6 engine to the Fleuma’s rear compartiment! Its SOHC, 18-valve head was not a sign of finesse, but the overall product was still capable of 150 horsepower, and with a 7,700 RPM redline to boot.
Suspension-wise the B/R had to do with the Fleuma’s double wishbone/MacPherson Strut combination, albeit one modifed to tackle track situations. Still, despite an all-steel construction, the B/R still clocked in at less than 1 tonne, an impressive feat for such basic monocoque construction… Needless to say this low weight figure pleased many sports enthusiasts, who were beginning to enjoy the assorted specs of this special Fleuma.
As you can see, the rear end owned a little bit to its bigger brother. The Fleuma had been nicknamed “Lil’Riot” for obvious reasons, but EHSC ensured the looks were even closer to the Rioter, by adding more trim below the tailight set. Although some say EHSC’s true intentions was to mimick the FRTX. The triangle shapes at each end of the rear end were certainly not a clue. As for the grille on the bumper, that was added to ensure better air flow from front to back, in pair with the vent above the B/R’s engine.
Sadly, all about the B/R was clear proof of the writing on the Fleuma’s proverbial wall. Its production run, limited to 500 units, its unique looks, which no other Fleuma had. And also its rock-hard comfort, which further ensured the B/R’s status as a track-bound tool. Not exactly a sports car fit for Ocean Drive, as many owners (and their backs) proved.
The Fleuma’s early career, plagued by engine failures and a very controversial model, had led to poor sales. The B/R showed a lot of hope, but Hugi Aleixo would rather focus on keeping the Rioter going strong than, in his words, “backing an Old Yeller who’s already in the shed”. After 1987 the Fleuma was no more, leaving a sad bitter taste after such a bold swan song from such a little runt…
Specs:
Author’s notes: Before you ask, yes, EHSC is supposed to be a very tongue-in-cheek reference to ASC. My humour isn’t known for constant subtlety, much to my disdain… 
Also, this car is meant to be a bit of a test, hence the whole “redesign” lore. In case the design bombs, it won’t be considered the Fleuma’s main design. Would you consider this a good design for all Fleumas? If not, what would you change?
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American Muscle guy: Oh, Nice! a corvette, what kind of V8 does it ha- (Looks at the engine) a boxer?? (TRIGGERED)
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It’s not a rival to a 308, C4 Corvette or 911 Turbo in terms of outright power, and that rear fascia is very divisive, but I’m sure it would easily leave a normally aspirated SW20 MR2 in the dust.
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So the rear fascia is divisive… Well, being the most designed area of the car, the risk of it being overdesigned was high. Looks like a few downgrades are in order.
Also, the Fleuma was never meant to fight 308s and C4s. The reasons are two-fold; A) the Rioter is sort of my Corvette, which automatically makes it the true 911 rival. B) Both for lore and my own inspirations, the Fleuma is intended to be a car that never fullfilled its true potential. A bit like a certain mid-engined GM product, you might say…
This man has managed to fit a Rioter V8 into a small car! Hugi executives hate him!
Ok, not really. This silly title is silly because I wanted a fun start to this real-life announcement. And also because said announcement is more on the serious side of things.
Tomorrow, July 31st, I will undergo eye surgery to hopefully reduce the crutch that are my expensive pair of glasses. Needless to say, this surgery’s side effects will prevent me from working with anything digital for several weeks, if not a full month. It will be a bit like being hit by a million flashbangs, only with more darkness and less blinding glare. And you get to wear something over your eyes because any micro particle can ruin your day.
Thus, due to all this, all Hugi and CSM-related operations will be on hiatus until I make a full recovery. During this period I will be unable to answer any requests/doubts/memes, but you can still post said things if you so desire. The answers themselves will take quite a while to appear though, I’m afraid.
To the few who have stuck around during this quest of mine to design a decent front end (and maybe a full car when the stars align), you have my most sincere thanks. Here’s hoping my refined eyes can pull their weight and help make Hugi a better company overall, once this is all said and done.
And speaking of future Hugi products, I decided to throw in a little teaser for the next car in line within Hugi’s lineup. After all without it this would’ve been just a long pillar of text, and that’s no fun for sore eyes, right? Without further ado, here it is. Once again thank you for your words, and hopefully we’ll meet again.
Credit (and many, many thanks!) to @Mr.Computah for this wonderful ending postcard!
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Goodluck with the eye operation!
Sounds like corrective laser surgery though. I only had real issues for about 8 hours after the operation. After that it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes hydrated and clean to ward of infections or to disturb the laser cuts. But apart from that, the next morning I was basically recovered, so I hope the same for you.
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First of all, thanks!
Secondly, from what I’ve gathered after speaking to a few people, it doesn’t seem to be a laser-powered surgery. I am unaware if this is the correct English term, but the lenses I’m being given are intra-optical lenses. And presumably that type of surgery is not done with a laser…
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