Hot hatches and muscle cars for the win
I also reviewed the entrants’ cars 10 at a time (even going as far as to write the reviews in advance) when I hosted CSR26, but it turned out well for me in the end.
###Built to Perfection.
##Built to Last
#Loe Mathas.
This is the Rallye, built by Loe Mathas. You’ve probably never heard of Loe Mathas. What they like to make is Race Cars. What they’ve done here is make their rally car, the RC08, into a road machine.
How did they do that? Well, removed the rear drive system (Now L-FWD) and lowered the V6’s power/tune to a more reasonable degree (and we got rid of the Turbos.) Now she makes a nice 157hp and a weight of 1158kg.
It may not be the fastest, but she is a beaut of a driver.
9 Likes
we can always trust you to make something that looks way outta left field, I love it.
The Citroen of the Automation forum???
6 Likes
Looks like the long lost cousin of a Lancia Delta, but styled like it appeared in some 90s movie about the future. And a V6! On a hot hatch! So yeah, definetley the Citroen of the Automation Forum @strop 
Well it’s good that this is happening now. Does anyone remember the Hot Hatch review from February 2015 on AutomationHub (Link here)? I’m keen to see how the hothatches of ‘today’ (if two years ago on automation can even be called ‘today’) rank up against their older relatives from the 90s…
Also, dear god, any market analyst would tell you that this was the most saturated market in the world! 
3 Likes
## **1996 Komodo Strava / 1996 Maesima NV-X**
___
___
By the late 1990s with the collapse of the USSR and end of the Cold War. Anikatia was getting large flows of foreign investment and pretty much all elements of the old Soviet-style economy were gone replaced by a Chinese-style state capitalism. So in light of this greater freedom, Maesima felt it was the right time to break into the Western markets. This began with the first vehicle design for the Western markets the luxury Maesima NL-992 later to be known as the Senatos.
Following that was the series of NRZ rear drive sports cars, the relatively innocuous predecessor to the Avellca the NV-993 and then the sportier NR hatchback coupe based on the NV-993 chassis. So that left Maesima without any real decent compact. The local Anikatian market had the NV-988 hatch and antiquated NV-975 compacts which wouldn’t cut it in the West.
So instead they team up the innovative Japanese company Komodo Motors, which was at the time was showing heavy interest in Maesima. In exchange for access to advanced engines and technology of Komodo Motors, Maesima would agree to fixed terms and supply the cheap labour costs while providing the exterior design, frame, body panels, interior and entertainments equipment under the supervision of Komodo staff. The entertainments equipment was designed in Japan under license for Komodo Motors by constructed in Anikatia to reduce costs.
Although for Maesima the NV-X only sold from 1994-1998 it was without question one of the most advanced compact vehicles for the company for many years. Featuring company first multilink rear suspension and a 6-speed gearbox sourced from Komodo Motors. It’s direct successor the NV-998 or Prova as it would come to be known lacked many of these features but sold well nonetheless. The NV-X, on the other hand, was an immediate success for the company. Which was struggling with it’s larger NL-992 in Western markets.
The Maesima NV-X was directed to be the more economical and user-friendly of the twins. Softer springs to help for everyday usability, lower running costs, and better-equipped entertainment systems. The Design looked sleek and modern, sharing many components with the sportier twin, the Komodo Strava. But this car was more for getting from Point A to Point B comfortably and economically, with maybe a bit of fun in store occasionally.
The NV-X was memorable for its launch campaign that featured the Spice Girls - Wannabe. The original television commercial featured members from the group riding in a Maesima NV-X in the Mojave Desert.
The Komodo Strava, on the other hand, was something for the budget enthusiast. It’s more aggressive and upmarket styling, wider flared arches, and wider and sportier tyres signalled its performance credentials. Offering 12 kW (16 HP) increase in power over the NV-X, lighter kerb weight, shorter and more aggressive final drive ratio, along with a retuned stiffer sports suspension setup.
For the Australian market, the Maesima NV-X and Komodo Strava were the newcomers to the market but contemporary to Saminda C3s, new Zavir Cittadino III Sportivo, and the larger Erin Merna X. While the NV-X would take on the more economy focused low-end trims, the Strava was intended to take the fight to these notable brands.
12 Likes
Wow. The NV-X looks so realistic. Not just because you’ve really captured 90s design styles, but because it looks so professional. Cannot wait to see how it racks up against the rest of the competition!
2 Likes
The 1996 Kimura Hana KRS. Taking rally pedigree and power to the next, affordable level.
With a 1.5 Liter turbocharged inline-4 producing 150 PS, the sports trim of the Hana, the KRS, is capable of achieving great fun anytime, anywhere. Sport-tuned suspension with components shared with the sports-oriented Incanto Coupe allow for thrills in the corners, whilst optional AWD (not shown in this model) helps the Hana KRS prove it’s worth off-road. Not only that, but the Hana KRS is affordable; starting at under $14,000, it’s a hard deal to beat. And, of course, with Kimura’s famed rallying pedigree, it is tried-and-tested around rally courses and was named champion of 1996’s season of the WRC after Toyota’s ban.
14 Likes
Oh, that is awesome! I totally forgot about that body but I’m really glad someone made something like this. Loving the very 90s choice on the colour too 
@DeusExMackia Thanks, I hope will be able to stand out of the crowd but with some many great hot hatches, I almost feel like I should have stuck with my original idea and submitted the Maesima NR/Exestis which probably has more rally cred. But it was probably a bit too big and coupe like for this round.
1 Like
Cutest hot-hatch ever 
1 Like
I hoped I’ll be the only one with this body… oh well 
Looking forward to reviews since this is the only challenge this month I had time to submit…and ever here I clearly did not nail it with being underpower as hell.
@titleguy1 Well that really is a whole new level of photoshop that I’ll inevitably have to try and match at some point! 
@Rk38 I think you were better off going for a smaller vehicle, the NV-X is definitely more supermini and more suited to the competition than my Merna, which I’m now thinking might be a little bit too cheap for its own good.
I really think that car stands out though just for its looks. I’m seriously going to look to it for any inspiration for 90s vehicles from now on, especially when UE4 comes along and I begin remaking all my cars. You’ve done a phenomenal job there!
3 Likes
I fully agree with you, especially since they perfectly fit into both companies’ lore.
I wish I had some skill with photoshop, I’d love to put the A-team next to my entry.
3 Likes
STOP THE PRESSES!!!
This competition has been closed for a while now but I have some very bad news… My workspace was cleaned out yesterday and all my notes on the competitors has gone! 
I will be crunching all the numbers again and I hope to start posting reviews this evening. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to reveal the winner in 2016 (AEST) but I might have to stretch it to 2017 (AEST)… 
Sorry about that but that’s what happens when you need to purge 2016 from your headspace, 
8 Likes
3 Likes
CSR29: My First Hot Hatch
Phase One: Researching the field…
It’s the 30th of November in sunny Brisbane, Australia and I’m looking to goad my parents into buying me my first car. But, unlike most of my senior year, I’m mad into performance cars and I want something that goes fast, looks cool and will get past my Mum and Dad’s lack of enthusiasm for my freshly minted driving skills.
A few years ago my Dad made me a promise to help buy a car for me if I studied hard enough and if I got a job, worked hard and matched them dollar for dollar. This meant that I have just under 20K to spend but my parents want warranty so I have to buy a new car, plus I have to run it myself so I have to be careful of operating costs.
I’m gonna buy me a hot hatch!!!
To help me find the right car for me I select my favourite mag “Mountain Pass” which is co-incidentally running an article on budget cars for under 20K, and begin to read the article…
11 Likes
I would subscribe to a mag called Mountain Pass… Here’s to hoping my own experience throwing budget cars through mountain passes pays off
(Having heaps of power is truly largely irrelevant if you want to keep things legal, hint hint 
)
that sounds like a japanese mag about japs performance cars doing touge to be honest…
or an italian one. both are somewhat stereotypical for it
SOMEWHAT
There are heaps of roads in Aus that rival European and Japanese mountain roads, mainly East side (NSW, Vic, and QLD). They’re tight, twisty, often steep, often really long and most often unprotected. It’s one (small) reason why we have an overlap in the enthusiast demographic. I’m willing to bet HOL has done the roads around Cairns, through the Atherton tablelands. Long technical segments and the rainforest for your runoff… Leave your mother behind 
one of the greatest simple joys of the mountain pass is the heel toe double clutch, you don’t even have to be that fast, you just know if you get it wrong you go off a cliff and then when you do it well you feel like a boss
2 Likes