TV & Movie Car Challenge (Round 4): Comet-Trails, Finished

TV & Movie Car Challenge 4: Comet-Trails Judgement Stage 1, part 1

Engineering scrutiny and small design notes

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First order of business, the Dunny Duncers

WALL Trufa “Standard trim” @WALL

Thrown into Shit Creek for: Utilising a Semi-Spaceframe chassis, among other achievements.

I mean… yes I did state that Classifying as a Crossover was a bin, with one of the merits being utilising a Monocoque or Light Truck Monocoque, But C’mon mate… Semi-Spaceframe… Like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which is a CROSSOVER SUV, NAME ME A LOAD BEARING TRUCK THAT USES ONE!! Comet-Bar can’t put a bullbar onto something without Chassis Rails.
Other notes:

  • 6.2 Litre 6 pot engine, A 6.2 Litre V6 TURBO… Granted the largest engine I’ve been sent in, with the most Torque… Useable for about… 1100 RPM worth of rev Range, Being feed to a SEQUENTIAL 6 Speed.
  • Launch control, It’s not needed… but not really a complete bin offence.
  • Carbon Ceramic brakes front brakes, that’s money down the drain
  • Hydropneumatic suspension, The last thing you want to do in the outback is deal with a Blown strut and attempting to refill the system with Fluid.
  • $1400 Service costs, also the highest I’ve received.
  • Somewhat, questionable design?

:fire:
:wastebasket:


Catri Explorer “Standard” @sausageyeeter

Sent to be used as a Mining Explosive’s Casing for: NVH fail and only seating 2.

The Vehicle is meant to be sold, no one buys anything that destroys their eardrums, they would build something that would, but never buy.
Another… absolutely glaring issue, Fuel economy.

Not sure anyone wants to be stuck 300 metres off the start of an Off-road track having just used up all their fuel getting there on the highway.
Other notes:

  • Only seats 2, Comet-Tourer, the entire premise is Bought not Built [Well built by us at Comet-bar, you get the point], and people will build if it’s only just them and a spouse
  • Uses a Twin-Turbo Flatplane 4.9 litre Pushrod V8, with peak remotely useable torque lasting for about 500 RPM starting at 4000 RPM, no wonder why there isn’t remotely good fuel economy.
  • Full Active Suspension, cooling flaps. *Electronics controlled internally by the computers vital to the car and if stuff does go wrong in the outback, there isn’t any way you are fixing your Suspension or particle ingress issues.
  • $1200 service costs, second-highest… yeah
  • Utilizing a 2-way cat, there’s an issue
  • The hell is down with that grill?

:boom:
:wastebasket:


Deer And Hunt Fallow Standard+ 4x2 @Mikonp7

Sent back to America for: Utilising a Light-Truck Monocoque

“Reminds me of those ‘Ridgeline’ things”, Steve from R&D, Well, it’s got half the recipe for being a Crossover, Macphersons and Monocoque up front, This spec they sent to Australia didn’t come in 4x4 either. Who off-roads with 2WD and Macphersons?
Other notes:

  • Second-loudest car sent in, also having High-flow Catalytic Converters.
  • Power is being sent through a basic Slushbox, though with 7 gears, meaning second-lowest Fuel economy.
  • Basic 2000’s Safety at -2 Quality, it only manages average Safety in the bunch due to being half a crossover. We Aussies are not just foreign Rednecks! We Bogans actually have standards ya know!
  • Care to explain why there are Heavy Duty Clearance lights, Ford F-150 Raptor Style, on a vehicle that doesn’t class as a Heavy Duty Truck?

:rocket::wastebasket:
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Cleared Entries Scruntiny

Knightwick Savannah V6 @mart1n2005

We believe this a British Offroader with some class.

Particularly quiet with a 3 Litre V6 Twin-Turbo and a pretty good predictable 2000 RPM of predictable mid-range pull for a Turbo V6 at this stage of the game, nice and economical as well with a light foot, even if running a bit rich in the Direct Injectors. A decent sprinkle of Automatic driving functions such as Automatic lockers and Air suspension, which make for quite a nice ride with enough load carrying capacity for a decent amount of shopping, and to lug your spoiled kids in, A nice worthy, do-it-all premium family vehicle.

Passes to Stage 2 :sparkles:


Bogliq Bushranger 3200 @HighOctaneLove

Somewhat good all-round, decent economy, until one realises this is equipped Standard suspension, which isn’t actually good for load capacity/comfort balance, and a stick shift, in which no one but Gareth and Steve would buy. manages to be… mediocre.

On another note, my god that is a horrific front end… it’s all Daytime running lights, also… those are… seriously outdated mirrors

Better luck next time


Alfora @Arvok1
No show, can’t purge anyone if you ain’t here


Timberman Shepa Trekker @Tayeule

1500 Class Semi Premium Pickup running a 95 powered Eco Turbo 4 pot, somewhat economical, but also somewhat unreliable, in fact one of the lowest load rating 1500 Trucks as well.

Moderately powered, Unreliable in comparison to the competition, and a low GVM for the class.

Yeah, it couldn’t keep up


Independent Chonkvalanche @Admiral_Obvious

1500 Class Premium Pickup running a Twin-Turbo 5 litre V10 Iron-Block, in which we speculate could be recycling of an old 5 litre V10 casting from a sportscar company, with a peaky amount of mid-range power, Now, last I checked, one could get a 5 Litre Naturally aspirated V8 that makes similar Torque, that power is fed through a 6-speed Auto, low on the gear count frankly for this day and age, and in this class of vehicle.

This happens to also ride lower than Gareths dune buggy, not exactly a good sign for a Premium 4x4 man’s truck, and it doesn’t help this vehicle stance and looks… in which that is also somewhat lacking.

Would you like to come with us over this hill… oh, no you can’t


GEC GX8 5.6 4x4 @abg7

Premium Spec Pickup right at the top of the Price range, Plenty of the good stuff, as one would expect, drinks a wee bit, but for predictable power for most of the rev range… we are willing to hold that trade-off, though High-Flow Catalytic Converters are a bit of a pain to replace, not that it detracts from this vehicle, good load carring rating at 2 tons, which is good for a Pick up at this size and ride height. Jessie in the back office has been eyeing this one…

Passes to stage 2 :sparkles:


Firebird Utah ZX2 @nicholasrams774

1500 Class Pickup powered by a 2.3 Eco Turbo I4, Best economy seen so far, but with a Major Caveat, The lowest rated torque of anything sent in, now that’s workable if you have somewhat it consistently, in the powerband, peak torque roughly only lasts for 1800RPM, starts early, but not for long.
also a detriment, 0.4 Ton Load capacity, it rides… very soft for a 1500 class pickup.

Yeah… this one is out


Stage 1 Part 1 done… Now I sleep, Part 2 and Finals will come later,

6 Likes

So far, my decision to use a relatively simple engine (big atmo V8 with port injection, tuned for a fat torque curve) and suspension (progressive springs, monotube dampers and passive sway bars, set up for load capacity) combination is paying off, despite being right on the price limit due to using a premium interior and sound system. Fingers crossed it does well enough in the final reckoning…

2 Likes

I took a different route from you. I spent more money on the drivetrain than interior. But I did use a big V8 as well. Let’s see what happens :sleepy:

This comment confuses me. I have double wishbone front and leaf sprung solid rear suspension, which is the closest Automation allows me to get to the market norm for Australia, and the suspension doesn’t bottom out even when fully loaded. The tray’s rated for 1,100Kg and can tow a further 1,100Kg (according to Automation) so it can haul lots of stuff without upgrades… I cannot, for the life of me, see what’s wrong with my setup! :thinking::confounded::thinking::confounded::thinking:

They’re LED headlamps, not DRL’s, although they do function in that role… But I agree it’s probably a tad too “Edge-lord” for the Australian market, lol

Here’s a better pic, serves me right for trying to replicate all the arty stuff I’ve seen on Killrob’s latest photo competition, lol

2 Likes

Standard suspension isn’t as comfortable as progressive springs as it’s a constant rate whereas progressive has different hardnesses depending on how compressed it is

3 Likes
TV & Movie Car Challenge 4: Comet-Trails Judgement Stage 1, part 2

because I didn’t get much time to write it up Stage 1 in one go

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Katsuro Z-Trail @FitRS


Somewhat equipped Japanese SUV with a similar engine setup to the excellent GX8, just with a redundant 5 valves and having cast internals, Power is sent through a 7-speed slushbox, managing worse fuel economy than the GX8.

The targeted market for this sort of vehicle in Australia would be on the highway quite a bit, plain 'ol Non-Variable Steering doesn’t help highway manners, also not helping comfort in this vehicle, it’s incredibly stiff riding Hydro-Pneumatic setup.

Hey Davo, what happened? "Hydros blew on the way to the Chiropractor"


Tanaka Biome 1500 4.0 G @Aaron.W

Another Japanese Vehicle, a 1500 Class Truck, this one with its main bragging right being all the Torque it has, wanes off but it’s useable low-end torque, in theory. Good economy and reliability, with a well-equipped safety package, this is very much aimed at a family that wants a big chonker with some class.

Passes to Stage 2 :sparkles:


Suisei AC Yama Yosan Chassis-Cab Flat-bed Upfit @Falling_Comet

Japanese derived 1500 Chassis-Cab Fleet Truck. Does what it needs to do on the tin, nothing much more, nothing less, loads of bits to add without sacrificing many vehicle functions, excellent fuel economy, par to the Knightwick with a good reliable predictable power from a Naturally Aspirated Economy 4 Litre Straight 6. low torque, but for most of the rev range and rev limited when it finally wanes the torque off, good gearing with loads of torque range negates low torque and being a 8-speed Truck, it certainly isn’t hindered, good 3-ton tray capacity, excellent for the Class and ride height.

It's got a tray!!

Yes… I taught Comet this… Seen first in CSR 119: The Kings of Summer, But Abridged [Submissions Closed, Semi-finals Published] - #28 by That-S-cop

Passes to Stage 2 :sparkles:


Boulder Bison Sport 4XR Package @donutsnail

Adventurous Downsized American Pickup with a options package. 5.6 Litre V8 showing incredible reliability, The highest sent in.
Falls apart when you realise this relatively small package is rated for 3.3 Tons, more than the Yama Yosan, in a smaller package, this comes from a ride stiffer than Koala Shit. not sure if you would want to, let alone could even put 3.3 ton in the back of that, would have to be Osmium hyper cack or something…
Another proper downfall, The Lowest Non-binned Safety, Basic 10’s… good for a 2012… not 2018
and it looked good as well

Driver seen dead after attempting to haul 3.3 ton in a Boulder Bison
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Going Through to Stage 2

Knightwick Savannah V6 @mart1n2005

GEC GX8 5.6 4x4 @abg7

Tanaka Biome 1500 4.0 G @Aaron.W

Suisei AC Yama Yosan Chassis-Cab Flat-bed Upfit @Falling_Comet

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Stage 2 will be up soon...

after some Bull-bar Building :wink:

7 Likes

I get that the suspension is stiff and comfort is low. But what exactly is wrong with hydropneumatic suspension setups on a vehicle deigned for Off-Road, when automation designates it as the best setup for off-roading? And based on the Gasmean market in game the market is Off-Road Premium, which was what I was going for. So what exactly did I miss?

Also:

Hydropneumatic suspensions are very complex, using hydraulic fluid in lieu of actual springs, which are all electronically controlled. They’re notoriously complex and often unreliable, and are usually found only in cost-no-issue applications like ultra-luxury cars, or treaded military applications, the latter of which is still uncommon.

If the electronics controlling the Hydropneumatic suspension fail, or the system is physically damaged or for any other reason the system loses pressure, the suspension collapses. Look for pictures of old Citroën’s in disrepair; since their suspensions have lost pressure, they sink to the ground like a low rider. Not good for lengthy expeditions in the Aussie brush, especially considering, unlike physical springs, unless you carried a ton of extremely specialized tools, there’s basically no fixing a broken hydropneumatic suspension if it breaks on trail.

5 Likes

Oh my! This is my first time going into round 2 of any competition in a long time!

Thanks for explaining this to me. I got confused however because the service costs for the vehicle is relatively low, so I’m guessing now that automation’s service costs doesn’t factor in suspension setups.

But from what you’re saying about it being impossible to fix on a trail, is that what @That-S-cop referred to as being intended for on-road use, because of the fact that the setup is unreliable off-road and prone to breaking even though in theory “good” for off-roading?

I suspect what’s meant by the on-road comment would be that with a hydropneumatic suspension, it’s probably intended to be a luxury SUV, so, regardless of its actual capability, it won’t often be used off road because the typical buyer of one has no need or desire to, and would be tuned for road manners accordingly.

2 Likes

As suspected.

Thanks man.

Actually that’s most Modern SUVs, LC200s seen all sorts of places, but not all are off-roaded, all used as family vehicles.

fuck every single challenge, im mad now.
0/10 will never try challenges again

1 Like

With some… time constraint issues… present…

  • Just show the results and Build the Comet-Bars Later
  • Allow for Comet Bars to be Built and have Results in a day’s time.

0 voters

It’s really not that serious man. Chill.

Well, thanks for helping me make my Decision…
I both do and don’t know what I’m doing

TV & Movie Car Challenge 4: Comet-Trails Final
These took so much of my Sparetime to build
Looks, fit and finish, also comparason.

Gareth and the team at the Comet-Tourers and Vehicle Conversion start looking at the Shortlist and start picking up the Chosen 4 at their Dealers. The Knightwick at the City Prestige Dealership, the GEC at the American Import specialist, the Tanaka at the well-staffed Tanaka dealer Ship and the Suisei at the Marksman-Suisei Dealership that the team always go to get the Marksman Tomahawk for the Comet-Tourer builds, and an extra one at the American Import specialist

Marksman-Suisei referring to

this disaster of a showing CSR114 - A Vision of Luxury


Special Mention

Boulder Bison Sport 4XR Package @donutsnail

It looked good, it deserved some form of Comet-Bar… so the team hooked it up with a Hoopless Workman Bar.
it works well… it’s Gareth’s Weekend punter


and to the finalists.

In 4th…
GEC GX8 5.6 4x4 @abg7

While engineering is good… lacked… the spice… really it was a mix-up between this and the 3rd place of whether Comet-Bar wanted looks, or grunt… and frankly, Having the lowest Fuel economy out of the finalists at the highest price point, wasn’t cutting it nice. But… being a Premium truck, that came in black, so the Regular Comet-Bar Black Steel wasn’t going to look nice, We gave it a Chrome Stockman-Bar and gave it away in a Raffle.

In 3rd
Knightwick Savannah V6 @mart1n2005

Good Fuel eco and Dashing Chivalry looks, the Air Ride and typical British reliability was what bought it down. Mind you, Stephanie in administration wanted this one to show up every other mum named Karen at the Prestige Boys School but still come along for the Comet-Trails expeditions, so yeah… we got a Stockman Bar on it, with the Soft Bumper add ons, because precious little children. Also… Mart1n, your Front Facia was a nightmare to work around with your secondary lights ya know…

In a very ever so close 2nd Place
Tanaka Biome 1500 4.0 G @Aaron.W

Good Truck… good bold looks, peaky engine… and only better seats than the Yama Yosan from stock… at like… an extra 10k, not even an entertainment upgrade. Mind you, it’s got a Stockman Bar, and it’s ready to be the 3rd Vehicle in the Comet-Trails expedition. it was way easier to build a bar for this one I tell ya

And Finally 1st Place.
Suisei AC Yama Yosan Chassis-Cab Flat-bed Upfit @Falling_Comet

Fleet Truck, Bolsterous Looking Truck, low price with just enough of what you need, Loads of money to leave to mods, you don’t expect Luxuries, you expect Workhorse, however this thing is only slighty less equipped than the Tanaka at a way workable cheaper price. And being a fleet truck means you have enough budget to see what happens when you strap a 'uge Turbo and retune the ECU. We got the guys at BDE to get a Turbo Tune on this thing, and we have a Signature-Bar on this Vehicle, and after a trip through the Simpson, The Comet-Bar Suisei AC Yama Yosan Comet-Tourer [Yama Yosan Comet-Tourer] will be finalised for sale alongside the Comet-Bar Marksman Tomahawk Comet-Tourer [Tomahawk Comet-Tourer].

Also… gee… way to use my Technique in my Challenge


@Falling_Comet wins TMCC4: Comet-Trails

Wait, Comet won Comet... this seems rigged... but it wasn't I swear

Final Leader board for Reference to pass if we even need to get pass abg for any reason
@Falling_Comet
@Aaron.W
@mart1n2005
@abg7
@donutsnail
@Tayeule
@nicholasrams774
@FitRS
@HighOctaneLove
@Admiral_Obvious
@Mikonp7
@sausageyeeter look… you didn’t fuck up as badly as you think you did
@WALL be very ashamed


TMCC4 IS OVER

7 Likes

One more… Poll
Yup…

  • Open up a Thread for Comet-Bar Off-road Accessories and register in Car-Company Directory, if even possible
  • Open up a Thread for Comet-Bar Off-road Accessories and don’t register because they don’t make Vehicles… But the RiftVhaun does exist…
  • Don’t open up a Thread for Comet-Bar Off-road Accessories

0 voters

I’ll take that along with a fourth-placed finish - although its price (both to buy and run) ultimately let the side down, it was otherwise well-engineered and had plenty of kit to justify its price.

And many congratulations to you for hosting one of the best rounds of TMCC we’ve ever had so far, and Falling_Comet for winning! Just to remind you, if all of the top three entrants pass, I will have a chance to host the next round.

1 Like