The Car Shopping Round 14:
The year is 2015.
The technology sector in Blomozvakia is booming, in no small part thanks to the strong global sales numbers of the local car manufacturer Gnoo Motorki. An enormous new technology park is being constructed around their development headquarters in the town of Prezdulbu and ground has been broken for the full size racetrack Nutsoring, due to be completed next year.
It’s not all about Gnoo, of course. The technology park and track are attracting independent parts manufacturers, racing teams, IT and engineering companies and all the infrastructure that comes with those. Foreign investments are at an all-time high. A flood of executives with watches more expensive than the average house is flowing back and forth between Prezdulbu and the international airport in Bralka – and I’ve heard rumors they are not happy with the simple
little taxis that are common in Blomozvakia.
I have applied for some capital and intend to make the executives’ lives better - for a fair price. I am looking to buy three luxury people carriers to ferry the moneymen back and forth in comfort that befits their expectations, and at a speed that will make any motoring enthusiast grin (and will require us to make a Special Agreement with the local law enforcement).
I’ve had a look at some of the offerings on the market today. The Howler Olympos LXT is fast and luxurious, but too expensive. Since the company is new and will be taking a loan to purchase the vehicles, our resources are limited. The Gnoo Hauliflower DADSPEED is cheap and quick, but Gnoo is known for their affordable consumer cars, so it doesn’t really exude the kind of aura we are looking for.
The Important
Looks, Comfort and Prestige are what will attract our customers. Our prices will be considerably higher than those of regular taxis, so we need to have ample justification.
Speed is important. The cars will be tested on two racetracks, one of which will be Green Hell. A good portion of the time, we will be carrying people with an enthusiasm for motoring and speed. The road to Bralka is nice and twisty and we plan to make good use of it. And when Nutsoring is ready, we want to offer a track taxi service as well.
Safety is important. Accidents happen, especially when going fast, and we want our clients to be safe.
The price of the vehicles will be a considerable part of our budget. Insurance, upkeep and fuel costs will play an important part in whether the business is successful or not. Reliability will affect repair prices, availability and perhaps most importantly, reputation.
Drivability is not as important as track times – we will be employing professional racing drivers and at full tilt the customers will get tired before them. Having said that, if the car is completely uncontrollable, that is a big problem.
It is crucial to have some cargo space, because our customers will be likely to have luggage. My research suggests most seem to travel with on-board hand luggage, but some will have more.
Open Beta.
Build Year 2015. No factory settings and no price adjustments.
Maximum price of $33000 with 10% markup.
No restriction to body type.
Minimum 5 seats, more passenger space is better.
Premium 95 fuel, no leaded, catalytic converter required.
45 loudness maximum.
Road Legal cars – lights, door handles and so on. A special agreement will only take you so far.
Mods: High Quality Essentials.
Car Body mods from Steam Workshop are allowed, but you must provide a link.
Submission format:
Model: CSR14 - Username
Trim: Car Name
Engine: CSR14 - Username
Variant: Engine Name
DEADLINE:
Thursday June 2nd @ Noon GMT.
Note: I came up with this challenge when I first joined Round 12 so that I’d have something to go on if I ever won one. The Olympos and Hauliflower DADSPEED are what I quickly put together to get a sense for the price. Unfortunately, I completely gutted the Hauliflower when Round 13 came around. I really wish there was a way to copy a car without locking it into variants. 
Questions, comments?