Morton Automotive Developments - My First All-UE4 Company

[abg7]

Since there are very few bodies and fixtures currently available in the UE4 version, creating a new company there, complete with lore, has been a challenge. However, I will try my best with what I currently have, and will reserve this thread for fully original designs created in UE4, as opposed to remakes of cars I made in the Kee engine version.

Overview

Morton Automotive Developments (MAD) has been manufacturing cars since 1950, although it had been making commercial vehicles for 25 years before that. During the Great Depression, its trucks proved popular with industrial and freight companies, and this remained true throughout the Second World War. However, a post-war decrease in demand prompted company founder Bob Morton to switch his company’s focus towards passenger cars. Since 1947 the company has concentrated on a variety of market sectors, from compacts to sports cars.

The Corsair - A Legendary Muscle Car

Introduced in 1967, the Corsair was MAD’s first true entry into the muscle car market. The GT model shown here was powered by a 7-liter pushrod V8 driving the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. Its double-wishbone suspension at each corner gave it a level of dynamic ability seldom seen among its ilk, but its fuel consumption was notoriously high, although with an asking price of just $15200 without markups, it was still great value for money.

Production continued until 1973, but after a long period in the doldrums, used values have been increasing steadily as of late, after collectors finally realized its historical significance. Its spirit, however, lived on in other MAD models. Most importantly of all, though, the Corsair showed that Morton could build a dedicated performance car capable of competing with - and even surpassing - even the best foreign rivals. The best was yet to come…

[abg7]

##MAD Kestrel: My First UE4 Car

This was actually my first car designed and built using the UE4 version, and I did not intend for it to be part of the lore of any company. However, now that I have created the backstory for Morton Automotive Developments, it makes perfect sense to showcase it here.

The Kestrel debuted in 2013 and immediately proved to be a hit with enthusiasts, thanks to its modern interpretation of the muscle car formula that made the Corsair famous. Its “aggressively elegant, yet curvaceous styling” (according to one reviewer) conceals a direct-injected, 5-liter, normally aspirated V8 up front, and a well-balanced rear-drive layout incorporating a six-speed manual gearbox and mechanical LSD (although an eight-speed automatic is optional), making it is a highly formidable competitor to equivalent imports. And although it is a two-seater, it is still elegant enough to be considered a true grand tourer.

Inside, a premium interior and entertainment system - later updated to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - are fitted as standard. At launch, the Kestrel had a base price of just $25,000 before markups; even after applying a 20% markup, it still comes in at $30,000, which still isn’t a lot for something with so much performance. Rumors are rife that more affordable six- and four-cylinder versions are being planned, along with variants with supercharged or flat-crank versions of the existing V8, but so far, they have all been proven false.

However, one rumor about the Kestrel turned out to be true: it had been suggested that the car would be offered as a hardtop convertible as well as a fixed-head coupe, and that’s exactly what happened when the Kestrel was launched.

The hardtop convertible is slightly heavier than the coupe, but maintains much, if not all, of its structural rigidity. One benefit it has over the coupe is that it sounds even better when the roof is retracted.

In addition, Morton now offers the Personalized Options Pack on the Kestrel, which allows customers to specify their own exterior and interior colors and materials, as if the many factory options weren’t enough for them.

[Fayeding_Spray]

@abg7

Its phallic, curvaceous styling

I don’t think any companies would want their cars described as a chode.

[FalseDevz]

For Calvinator, it’s probably a step up.

[Fayeding_Spray]

[alternatesteve2]

Nice! Funny thing is, btw, I actually made a somewhat similar design to your '67 Corsair all the way back in the earliest days of the new Beta-the major differences being that it had a smaller V8 and was actually front wheel drive(LOL).

Anyway, can’t wait to see how your company develops from here.

[abg7]

Opulence: Luxury with a Side of Performance

As the flagship luxury sedan in the current MAD lineup, the Opulence is predictably loaded with all the latest tech and high-quality materials on the inside. But sharing its engine with the Kestrel ensures that it is fast enough to keep up with many other sports cars. Furthermore, with its adaptive air suspension and vented cross-drilled discs at each corner, it is as much of a car that ought to be driven as it is to be driven in.

Like the Kestrel, it can also be ordered with the Personalized Options Pack. However, unlike its two-seater sibling, it has an eight-speed automatic gearbox available as standard, providing a smoother driving experience. All in all, despite being half a ton heavier than the Kestrel, the Opulence should not be overlooked by plutocrats who would rather drive themselves to the next boardroom meeting.

[abg7]

Morton Utility Division (MUD): Workhorses for the Masses… And The Wealthy

The Morton Utility Division (MUD) was founded in 1985 to meet the need for light trucks, SUVs and vans in a variety of sectors. Its first product, the Blackrock, was available with a pair of overhead-valve engines: a 3.6L I6 or a 5.7L V8.

The 3.6 came in at $14280 with a 20% markup; the 5.7 retailed at $18,000 with the same markup.

The Blackrock was offered alongside a larger truck, the Ouray. It had the 5.7L V8 as standard and was available from $23,160.

In 2000, MUD released a utility van called the Tradesman. Although it was powered only by a 2.0L I4, its immense cargo capacity and low running costs endeared it to many freight companies worldwide.

Their current flagship, the Titanite, is a luxury SUV built on a stretched Opulence platform, first sold to the public in 2013. The Dirt Warrior variant shown below mixes off-road capability with surprising on-road performance, thanks to its 5.0L V8 and specially tuned suspension. Unlike the Opulence, however, it is available with an additional row of seats.

This wasn’t the sub-brand’s first attempt at going upmarket, though. 21 years earlier, they had built a ladder-framed SUV, the Diorite. The flagship 4.4 borrowed the engine from the facelifted MAD Corsair II (more on which will be revealed in a subsequent post) and had retuned suspension for improved on-road dynamics, without sacrificing too much off-road capability.

As the SUV sector became increasingly popular over the years, demand for the Diorite, particularly the 4.4, grew steadily every year, until production finally ended in 2002. Today, it retains a dedicated following from devotees of the brand. However, even this wasn’t the most outlandish car ever built by MUD, nor was the Titanite. That honor goes to the Ouray Super Cab, a high-performance model built in limited numbers. Its engine was enlarged to 7.0L and fitted with forged internals in addition to a high-lift camshaft, and a premium interior was fitted on the inside. On top of that, it had larger alloy wheels and quad exhausts.

The only real problem it had - and a major one at that - was its immense thirst, even more so than the base model, and not surprisingly, it was made in limited numbers. Nevertheless, the build slots for this variant filled up very quickly - illustrating the immense demand at the time for a very powerful and plush off-road truck.

[abg7]

I lost all my previous UE4 designs after a system crash, but the balancing changes after the first big update to UE4 and subsequent changes made them all obsolete anyway. So, without further ado, here is the remastered Kestrel GT:

It now comes in at under $24000 before markups are applied, which is a good thing.

And here is the updated Corsair GT, now with round taillights and a significantly redesigned front end, with a pre-markup price of $14700:

Remakes of the rest of the range will follow shortly. Also note that anything before this post is non-canon.

[abg7]

MAD Opulence Revisited: When Luxury Meets Speed

Morton’s entry into the luxury sedan market in 1996 was called the Opulence, and was distinguished by its clean, elegant styling. The flagship 5.0 was a genuine Q-car, capable of keeping up with many contemporary sports cars in a straight line and in the corners. Air suspension was optional; in fact, it was the first Morton to be offered with this new suspension system.

For 2005, the Opulence received its first-ever redesign. Swoopy, imposing styling made it more easily recognizable than its predecessor, and sat-nav was now standard equipment. It was heavier than its predecessor, though, and as such the next Opulence would have to undergo drastic weight loss measures.

The current Opulence is the second car from Morton to use all-aluminum construction, with the Kestrel (as described above) being the first. It also has a fully sealed undertray and active grille shutters for better aerodynamics. Unlike its predecessors, its transmission has eight ratios - a first for the brand.

At $43600 before markups are added, this latest flagship is the most expensive series-production car ever made by Morton, but it’s worth it considering how much more standard equipment it has. Also, its direct-injected engine, shared with the Kestrel, delivers more power with reduced emissions and improved economy compared to its predecessor.

Stay tuned for further information about other models from Morton.

[abg7]

Morton Gazelle: A Midsize Sedan Made For Enthusiasts

Morton’s current mid-size sedan, the Gazelle, is aimed squarely at equivalent offerings from European and Far Eastern premium brands, and as such rides on a scaled-down version of the platform used in the Opulence. It is available with a wide variety of engines and body styles, but the most desirable trims have either the 3-liter turbocharged I6 or the Kestrel’s 5-liter V8, mated to a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Gazelle 5.0’s combination of a normally aspirated engine, optional manual gearbox and mechanical handbrake swims against the tide of forced induction, self-shifting trannies and electronic emergency brake buttons, and is all the better for it. However, elsewhere in the range, the 3.0 is almost as fast…

…and it’s lighter and better balanced, to boot. What it doesn’t have, though, is the superior throttle response and bellicose soundtrack of the 5.0, or its flared wheel arches and bulged bonnet, but being cheaper to buy and run, it’s the next best thing if the V8 is outside your budget.

[abg7]

The Corsair’s Legacy: Worst To First

The Corsair II, introduced in 1975, was very much a victim of the economy-driven downsizing trend of the era. New emissions legislation meant that it wasn’t just the body’s size and weight that had shrunk; the torque-rich 7-liter engine from the previous car was binned for an anemic 5-liter V8 developing well under 200 bhp. It still handled well and looked the part, but it was soon eclipsed by its rivals after just a few years and axed in 1980 without an immediate replacement.

On the other hand, the sleeker and less angular 1985 Corsair III - the last of the line, as it turned out - was a far more resolved car in every way. Electronic fuel injection helped push outputs to 220 horsepower - enough to make it a true muscle car again - but the car showed its age in its later years, despite the addition of supercharged variants (which I unfortunately can’t make just yet) and would eventually be axed in 1995.

In short, if the Corsair II nearly destroyed the legacy left behind by the original car, the Corsair III restored it virtually overnight. However, after 1995 it was no longer viable to use either OHV V8 in any Morton passenger cars due to revised emissions regulations, and so a new all-alloy DOHC V8 had to be developed to replace it. The resulting engine would eventually go on to remain in use to the present day, in models such as the Kestrel and Opulence.

[abg7]

Sparrow: The Kestrel’s Little Brother

If the Kestrel is Morton’s halo car, then the Sparrow is more of a common man’s sports car. This small two-seater is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged I4 with either 240 or 300 horsepower, the latter requiring premium unleaded.

The ‘S’ trim is differentiated by its small rear wing and additional standard equipment, including 18-inch alloy wheels - an optional item on the base model.

Both cars weigh less than 1.3 metric tons, which is 300 kilograms less than a Kestrel. They are also much more affordable, with prices starting from $14000 before markups are applied. But whatever model you choose, you will drive away knowing that any Sparrow will make a BRZ/86 feel lethargic in comparison.

[abg7]

Buzzard: The Kestrel’s Direct Predecessor

Launched alongside the second-gen Opulence, the Buzzard was hailed as one of the best-looking Mortons ever upon its introduction in 2005. Its curvaceous styling and well-proportioned cab-backward styling made it easily recognizable as a true grand tourer.

Back in 2005, 430 horsepower would have put the Buzzard in very strong company, and Morton realized that the only way to guarantee market success was to endow it with lots of standard equipment. They did just that, but at the expense of weight. Still, it was very fast, and easily masked its mass in the corners thanks to some clever suspension tuning.

Its replacement, the Kestrel, is still being made today, but that car is strictly a two-seater with an all-aluminum structure. It is understandable that it needed to represent such a paradigm shift, though: the Buzzard’s steel construction, small (but usable) rear seat and high-displacement port-injected engine contributed to its immense thirst, which was acceptable in 2005 but much less so in the the following decade. Nevertheless, the Buzzard remains a testament to the ingenuity of Morton’s engineers.

[abg7]

Changes to Lore after UE4 update

With all previous designs non-canon after my decision to opt into the latest open beta UE4 build, there will be a few changes to Morton lore, such as:

• Big-Block V8 will be discontinued altogether after 1973, but may feature a larger capacity.

• Small-Block V8 (a predecessor to the current Morton V8, whose introduction is pushed back to 2011) will be introduced in 1965.

• First-Gen Corsair introduced in 1965 instead of 1967.

Most significantly, the Kestrel’s debut has been brought forward to 2011 instead of 2013. Here’s an overview of the car in the new canon:

And here’s a quick look at its engine:

This engine will also find its way into the revamped Gazelle and Opulence.

However, with UE4 still a long way from being stable enough in the long term, this reboot of the company’s history will have to wait for a while, so stay tuned…