1995 Letaran Auto Convention (Car of the year 1995, FINISHED!)

mart1n2005 · 21 July 2023 10:47

1995 Knightwick Compact City Concept

Using a shortened variant of the Cosmopolitan chassis we have created our vision of what a small city car could be in the very near future.

With a 2.03m wheelbase and an overall length of 3.10m we have managed to create a car with two full size front seats and occasional seats in the second row, that can also be easily folded flat into the floor to create a room two seater with plenty of luggage space.

For the engine we have used the 1.4 “N series” engine as a base, it has been reduced to a 1047cc triple. From here our engineers recast the block and head out of lightweight alsi and added vvt on the intake side of the head. This has resulted in a lightweight very fuel efficient engine with the power and torque of a larger capacity engine.
In an effort to make the CCC as efficient as possible the engine drives the front wheels through a specially adapted automated version of our five speed gearbox, this controls both the shift times and clutch giving you the ease of an automatic but the efficiency of a manual.

vouge · 21 July 2023 11:41

1995 HEIMAT E250

Framework of high expectation.

Any journey needs a starting point. And how you reach your destination is every bit as important as where the journey leads you. Take E250from Heimat. Cars make getting there a reward in itself. Best of all, the reward really is there for the asking. You simply need to make the journey. Life is a continuous process of moving forward and the E250 is very much part of this progression. How refreshing though, to come across a car that rejects short-term design fixes in favor of something altogether more substantial. A car that looks the way a car’s supposed to. Solid. Well-proportioned. Muscular even. And we’ve made sure the effect carries through to the interior. Because, as with anything in life, the inspiration has to come from within.

1995 HEIMAT ES500

Class.

Heimat sports cars have always transported more than their occupants: they’ve combined power, agility and grace as few cars ever before. The three Heimat ES models are the most advanced examples of this unbroken tradition of excellence. Each, in its own way, satisfies your desire for an automobile of consummate driving pleasure. The 6-cylinder ES300 and V-8 powered ES500 deliver their stunning pleasures within the unyielding context of Heimat reliability, durability and safety engineering. And the V-12 powered ES600 extends the ES’s achievements into a realm perhaps occupied by no sports car ever before. As an editor of Car and Driver noted, “describing this car is a one-word exercise: perfection.”

Knugcab · 22 July 2023 14:00

JUDGING PART 1: STANDARD CATEGORY

Welcome to the last day of the 1995 Letaran Auto convention. It is now time for the most important part, the judging for the prestigeous “Car of the year” award. We will start with the class that is going to be the most interesting one for most of the buyers - the “standard” class, where we have found 8 cars that seemed interesting enough to be nominated to the “1995 Car of the year” award.

First, let’s present the trio that unfortunately didn’t make it. That doesn’t mean that they have to be bad cars by any means, but the competition is hard, and only the top five will qualify.

8th PLACE - Rigel Odiel Confort @Skygel14

THE JURY’S VERDICT: A stylish and modern looking compact sedan, at a very attractive price point that makes this car the perfect second car in many families. However, the price is reflected in the stats, that are mediocre at best, the comfort is not up to date despite a premium interior, and it could by no means be called a driver’s car. For an engine with only 101 hp, we could have expected lower emissions and better fuel economy. The fact that it will be delayed for the Letaran market due to struggle with adapting it to our noise regulations does not make things better there. It could not be denied, though, that it will give you lots of value for your money.

7th PLACE - Torrent Meander B4 @crwpitman1

THE JURY’S VERDICT- A small hatchback with funky, albeit a bit messy styling. More expensive than the larger Rigel, but remarkably better fuel economy makes up for that. Comfort takes a hit from primitive spring and damper technology with a stiff tune.The safety package is not impressive for a new car, and just like the Rigel, we’re not impressed with the driving dynamics. It is hard to not compare the two, but the Torrent excels with its cleaner running, more economical engine, which gives it a slight edge over the Rigel. At a rather hefty price premium, there is. Also, some production problems means that it will get delayed, just like the Rigel. Torrent is by the way bragging about the billet crank in their advertising - a feature we really question in a 108 hp economy car.

6th PLACE - Knightwick K6-27 GSi @mart1n2005

THE JURY’S VERDICT- First of all, it was kind of a shame that many people missed the Knightwick monter this year, due to having the worst spot of them all, we apologize for that. The Knightwick K6-27 GSi deserves better than being forgotten. It is a classic family sedan that tries to give you a bit more for a competitive price - fact is that it costs exactly as much as the Torrent, yet it gives you a 167 hp V6 in a much larger package. The styling does a good job at adapting some retro styling cues in a modern package that we guess will be attractive to many buyers. It is easy to drive, has decent comfort, and don’t let old British car stereotypes scare you - it is by no means bulletproof, but still has decent reliability. Unfortunately, as usual you have to trade fuel economy for power, which is not as bad as it sounds considering that it takes ethanol fuel, but still. Our other gripe is that the safety package, with for example only a driver’s side air bag, already feels out of date compared to the competition. Also, service costs are somewhat hurt by the transverse V6. Overall an attractive car - but there are better ones out there.

And now… Prepare for the five cars that actually goes further to the finals for the 1995 Car of the year awards…

5th PLACE - Planar HM51 Owlsa XGS 2.4 @lotto77

THE JURY’S VERDICT - An attractive and modern sports sedan that we bet most people will find pleasing for the eyes. It also deserves credits for setting new standards in the class safety wise. The price is far from low - but actually not too bloody for the kind of car you will get. It also has decent comfort. Even if traction control tames it a bit - we recommend it for somewhat more skilled drivers, as with most rear wheel drive cars with some power under the hood. Fuel economy is not too bloody, but unfortunately - service costs are. And the fact that problems with the build quality is already getting reported is a bit worrying.

4th PLACE - Mara Kavaler 2.3 UKE @AndiD

THE JURY’S VERDICT - You won’t buy a Kavaler to impress on your neighbours, that’s for sure. Even if it is somewhat more stylish than the Maras of the past, it feels clumsy, dated and sometimes overly simplistic. But beauty is only skin deep. As usual Mara surprises us with cramming in all they can at a very low price point - a large family wagon with premium interior for only 12900 Letaran dollars before taxes - how about that? The premium interior also means that the comfort is surprisingly high. And the service costs are simply unbeaten by any other modern car. Also, it is a really practical workhorse that will take any abuse you throw at it - and survive it too.

The Kavaler is not without its drawbacks, though. The driving experience is as utilitarian as the car, and the safety package is a bit sparse, somewhat compensated for by sheer size. Also, the only thing green about the Kavaler is its paint. Over six times the emissions of the best car should almost be shameful in our environmentally conscious times. Finally, the 105 hp 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission feels gutless in this large car.

3rd PLACE - Wolfram Wolford 3.0 @abg7

THE JURY’S VERDICT - On the outside, nothing makes it clear that this premium compact sports sedan costs $30 000 and hence is bordering luxury car territory. Kind of a shame really, because it deserves more attention than that. Despite 225 hp and rear wheel drive, it is smooth as silk to drive. Comfort and safety are also top notch. The 24 valve inline six is said to be running very clean too, maybe not that economical, but more so than the Knightwick despite a fair amount more power. Fact is, we can only find two major drawbacks - high service costs and a worryingly high risk for expensive repairs in the future.

2nd PLACE - Primus Merit 250A Elegance @Happyhungryhippo

THE JURY’S VERDICT - A very safe, very comfortable premium sedan, with an elegant and modern shape that could have benefitted from a little less tacky use of chrome. It also sells for a very competitive $20900 price. As a Knightwick competitor, that’s a little more money, for a car that’s clearly the better one. Ironically enough, except for one thing - the british car has better build quality. However, that’s more or less the only thing that disappoints us with the Primus. Sure, the fuel economy could have been better - but again, having a 2.5 litre V6 is something you’re going to pay for at the pump, any way you look at it.

1st PLACE - HEIMAT E250 @vouge

THE JURY’S VERDICT - The Heimat E250 is a prime example of what a modern family sedan should be. Yet, it is not really best at anything. It is not as smooth to drive as the Wolfram - but close enough. It does not have the safety level of the Planar - but it is very close. It is not as comfortable as the Primus - but almost. It is not as durable as the Mara - but close. It doesn’t have the fuel economy of the Torrent - but not far from it.

What it does is to present the best overall package - to a surprisingly low $17200 price - cheaper than the Torrent or the Knightwick for example. Yet the styling smells of class and does nothing to convince you that you are looking at a sub 20 000 car. Add to that, that the 165 hp 2.5 litre V6 is the cleanest running of all the engines in this category, and we have a winner. It is as close to flawless as a modern family sedan gets, and hence scores the price for being the best standard car.

OOC INFO:
There were some rules violations here, that I put into the “soft” violations category, since all of them were done on the cars placed the lowest down in the scoreboard, the reduction in score made no difference here at all, and I tried to make up for them in the writing.

@crwpitman1 - Where is the gas cap? Also, the billet crank is not a “violation” per se, but highly unnecessary on an engine like this.
@Skygel14 - Only one muffler
@mart1n2005 - Forgetting to put “Knightwick” in the name was a bit clumsy, right? Since it is not really a violation I let it pass, but it could have been a disappointment for you in the writeup if I didn’t know your brand, right?

abg7 · 22 July 2023 15:57

This is understandable considering that the Wolford is definitely aimed at the premium E-segment executive car market - territory that, at the time, would have been occupied by the E39 5-Series, W210 E-Class, and first-gen Lexus GS, among others.

Knugcab · 22 July 2023 15:59

Well, the test mule I used to draw the line to the luxury category somewhat resembled an Audi C4 2.3E. That, to me, felt more or less as where you could draw the line between premium and luxury in the mid 90s.

Happyhungryhippo · 22 July 2023 16:17

I underestimated the Wolfram - it seems like it is quite capable and despite the unimpressive first impression, it delivered what the advert promised.

Knugcab · 23 July 2023 08:31

JUDGING PART 2: SPORTS / LUXURY CATEGORY

Even if standard cars is what most people will be interested in buying, here’s the category that most people are dreaming about. And it is equally important - technology we find here today will be in cars mr. Average is driving around in tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the very promising Swanson 937SP is disqualified from judging. According to Swanson, they have already sold all the 1995 models they will be able to produce on the North American market and it will not come to Letara until 1996. We can’t give the car of the year award to a car you can’t even buy. (Instabin - @Ludvig for setting the trim year to 1996)

That left us with seven cars in this category we thought could be worthy to go further to the finals. However, since there’s only place for five there we have to start with two eliminations.

7th PLACE - TAVIA URSPEN SUPER @LennoxV10

THE JURY’S VERDICT- A sports sedan at a surprisingly low price - which unfortunately is not really judged in this category. The character of the car really puts it in the R category while the price would have qualified it for the S category - maybe it would have scored bette there, who knows?

Because after all, compared to the other sporty entries here, this car really doesn’t shine when it comes to sportiness, it is not the easiest to drive, and safety rating is the lowest in the group. At its price, we should not complain, but it also means that this is not the most prestigeous entry which makes it fall behind, and the somewhat simplistic appearance on the outside doesn’t help.

It is decently comfortable and reliable, though, and it deserves credit for being sparse on the fuel drops and having among the cleanest emissions on the market.

6th PLACE - TORRENT DELUGE B6TT @crwpitman1

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Unfortunately, compared to the competition, this 524 hp, mid engined AWD hypercar falls short. Not only is the outside a bit busy looking, it is not very comfortable or safe, the build quality is almost terrifying, and with its terminal oversteering, you better be careful. Also, even if we don’t judge service costs all that high in this category, they deserve a mention - you can probably get a 3 year old Mara for what it costs to service this car. Also, the model shown is not the Letara spec, since the filler door has to be relocated from the frunk to the outside of the car to be street legal here. When will that be done? Nobody knows.

But of course, it is very fast and sporty. And believe it or not - it has surprisingly good fuel economy too!

Now, let’s move on to the cars that will be fighting for the 1995 Car of the year award!

5th PLACE - HEIMAT EL500 @vouge

THE JURY’S VERDICT - It should be said that with this year’s competition, this is the knife brought to a sword fight at $37100. That doesn’t mean that the EL500 by any means is a spartan car, with its sports interior, premium sound system and 336 hp, 4.6 litre V8. It just lacks the prestige of some of the other entries, and can’t really compete when it comes to neither sportiness and comfort. Also, the outside doesn’t ooze of either luxury or sport, it looks more like a convertible version of a regular compact. As the only convertible in the category, it has the second lowest safety rating - still, it should be said that it is safer than anything in the standard category, as well as compared to the Tavia Urspen Super.

But on the positive side - it has clean emissions, decent fuel economy and the build quality is amazing, a buyer can probably look forward to many years of trouble free ownership.

4th PLACE - WOLFRAM WSC50 V8 GT @abg7

THE JURY’S VERDICT - With it’s luxury interior, we find this 450 hp 2-seater coupé balancing somewhere between GT and supercar. That’s also something it does very well, since it really is a blast to drive, while still managing to have decent comfort for the type of car. Styling is sleek and modern, but hardly groundbreaking. Stats overall is about average for the class, which also gives it a 4th place in judging.

3d PLACE - PLANAR MARASAI E-S @lotto77

THE JURY’S VERDICT - The looks of a dream car with its futuristic shape and colour changing paint. The mirror bulges gives it character - but maybe more so than being either beautiful or practical. 347 hp is maybe a little disappointing considering its looks - but of course it still gives decent performance, and it feels like a real sports car to drive.

It features a sophisticated ESC system that makes a difference like night and day. Tame as a kitten when turned on - turn it off and the terminal oversteer turns it into a rodeo horse. We’re not sure that technology should be used to compensate for a questionable chassis engineering. But it can’t be questioned that with the ESC tuned on, it is a surprisingly easy car to drive for what it is. It also feels decently well built.

Dirty emissions and subpar fuel economy is drawbacks, though, considering that the power output of the engine is rather conservative fot its class.

2nd PLACE - PRIMUS IMPERATOR V12 @Happyhungryhippo

A very prestigeous V12 luxury sedan, with looks that are up to date and pleasing to the eye, even if the low beltline - tall greenhouse proportions isn’t everyones cup of tea. It is very comfortable, easy to drive for its size, decent when it comes to safety. But the V12 comes at a price, which is 16 litres per 100 km, and the reliability could be questioned.

1st PLACE - TARSKE LQ840 @Danicoptero

THE JURY’S VERDICT - The huge hatchback body might scare away some traditional luxury car buyers, and the huge round headlights is not everyone’s cup of tea. It is also a bit clumsy to drive.

What gives this car its first place, though, is how it sets new benchmarks for comfort (with a fantastic hand built interior) and safety, that other cars can’t even come close to. It also manages to do that without sacrificing reliability too much, and for a 376 hp V8 in almost 1800 kg of car, the fuel economy is decent. The emissions are very clean too.

A prestigeous flagship that sets new standards in the luxury class, without any major drawbacks makes the Tarske the worthy winner of the sports/luxury category for 1995!

Knugcab · 23 July 2023 15:34

OK, ONE THING…

It seems like @LennoxV10 has not broken any rule - it was rather me that forgot to put everything regarding the naming scheme into the rules. Of course, that’s all my fault and nothing we can blame him for. That means, that the judging for the R category might be up for a change since I will put his car into there…

I apologize for this, both to Lennox and to everyone that entered the R category and thought judging was finished.

Knugcab · 23 July 2023 16:01

So, now @LennoxV10 's car is reviewed too. Apologies if I caused any inconveniences.

LennoxV10 · 23 July 2023 16:52

I was happy to have invite me. I guess my car’s last place but it alright. That car was close compared to Supra mk4. (hp and weight) but have air suspension and SatNav. But I misjudged I think my car too good but far too cheap to category (thank to technical pool). If i add more quality, that will different. I was surprised about low safety, that car have advanced safety. Maybe full aluminum panel cause it.

Knugcab · 24 July 2023 06:39

JUDGING PART 3: UTILITY CATEGORY

Welcome to the new part for 1995, the utility category. We have decided to include them, since judging them in the standard category has sometimes been unfair. And truth to be told, they are something of a backbone in society, doing important work of all different sorts. But not only are they work vehicles, large families are taking MPVs and SUVs to their hearts more and more for every year.

We found seven interesting vehicles, and as only five can go further, we have to start with two eliminations.

7th PLACE - TORRENT MORRAINE @crwpitman1

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Like the other Torrents shown this year, funky and modern looking, but a bit messy. A more passenger car like approach to building a SUV, but why does a vehicle like this, with practical ambitions, only have 4 seats? Generally, it has mediocre stats, but some of them are subpar, like reliability (worst in class) and service costs (highest in class). Also, the underpowered front brakes are a concern.

6th PLACE - RHANIA ANGOLA SUPPORTER @happyfireballman

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Compared to older Rhanias, this offroad pickup is more stylish, old fashioned looks for sure, but that’s hardly a concern for buyers of vehicles like this. It also has amazing reliability and, of course, good offroad stats.

But that’s also where the good things comes to an end. To sell a vehicle in 1995 with a 4 speed manual gearbox and no power steering, for a relatively high price of $24900 is a bold move, and not in a good way. That also means that driving the Rhania will be a struggle, the comfort is tractor like, so is the driveability.

What’s even worse: its downright dangerous driving dynamics where the rear brakes overpowers the front by a fair margin, and the terminal oversteer which in a vehicle with a high center of gravity like this one can mean bad news relatively fast. It is not among the safest either, if the bad news should become reality.

With the eliminations out of the way, let’s take a look at the vehicles going further to the Car of the year finals for 1995!

5th PLACE - WOLFRAM WAYMAKER 2.4 @abg7

THE JURY’S VERDICT - This egg half has a modern, practical and aerodynamic shape. If it is pleasing for the eyes? That’s in the eye of the beholder. But in many ways it is an ideal family MPV with very high practicality, good fuel economy and high levels of safety, it is also very easy to drive. However, we have seen more comfortable cars, it sells for a relatively high price of $25 000, and the reliability is not on par with the best in the class.

4th PLACE - PRIMUS VIATOR 2.3A COMFORT @Happyhungryhippo

THE JURY’S VERDICT - With the aggressive pricing of the Primus, the Wolfram will have a hard time, at $14 600 it sells for over 10 000 less! Sure, it is not as easy to drive, and a bit wasteful with the fuel, on the other hand it is more comfortable. Also, most people seems to find the Primus more pleasing to the eyes. Very important for a family car - it is the safest vehicle in this category. However, don’t expect this to be a rugged workhorse - it is a pure family MPV.

3rd PLACE - TARSKE OD525 @Danicoptero

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Getting used to the looks of this SUV takes a while, but they probably predicts what we will see more of in the future. It is capable offroad, practical, by far the most comfortable vehicle in this category, relatively frugal with the fuel drops, and has high levels of safety. That comes at the price of being the most expensive car in this category - $28300. But on the othe hand, you will also get a fair amount of advanced technology for that sum.

2nd PLACE - CAPABLE HEFTER @Vento

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Nobody is going to buy a Capable Hefter for its looks - it is literally a box on wheels. But it is a very, like its name suggests, capable workhorse, that is extremely rugged and reliable, has unparallelled offroad stats, sells for a low price of $13200, has low service costs, high levels of safety and, for the type of vehicle, good fuel economy. Our only gripes, except for the overly simplistic styling, is that it is not the easiest car to drive, and that it has the worst comfort in this category. That’s not unusual for a 4wd pickup, though. From an engineering standpoint, we wonder why it uses 6 piston brake calipers up front. They only overpower the front brakes, yet the stopping distances are relatively long.

1st PLACE - MARA ZORA Mk2 1.1 TR @AndiD

THE JURY’S VERDICT - “Cute”, some of the visitors walking past the Mara monter said about this chubby little thing. “Is this a joke?”, someone else said? No. The Mara is far from a joke, fact is, that we have rarely seen a vehicle hitting bulls eye for its intended purpouse like this one. Yes, it is mainly a vehicle for light city deliveries, since it is not the most roomy, has no direct offroad capabilities, low comfort and is a bit lacking in safety. But what it does, it does great. With its small size, it zips around corners and fits in tight spots like nothing at all. It is built to last forever. But what’s most important - as a vehicle that’s aiming for the commercial market, its main purpouse is to help you with things that will make you money. That means that it should eat into that money as little as possible. That’s where the Mara shines. Getting a brand new van for $6990 today is almost unbelievable, as is the fuel economy of 4.8 litres per 100 km, of course the service costs are also really low.

We predict that Zora vans will be a common sight in traffic for many years to come, it ticks all the right boxes for being a favourite for bussinesses in need of a small van.

Vento · 24 July 2023 07:29

Yay i’m happy my awesome Capable truck got such high review!

(I went with 6 calipers because I really wanted 0% brake fade)

Happyhungryhippo · 24 July 2023 11:28

The Mara is a good example for a well-baked concept that was flawlessly executed, even adding some uniqueness

Knugcab · 28 July 2023 10:19

JUDGING PART 4: CONCEPT CATEGORY

Some people wonder if this is not the least important category to judge. We do not agree with that. The concept cars are a way to test new ideas, that we will see in the production cars in just some years, and are equally important to the production cars. Not to mention that they are exciting and fun to look at!

On this year’s show, we found seven concepts that were interesting enough to take ot for judging.

7th PLACE - OXXRON CIAO @quiz

THE JURY’S VERDICT - An interesting four door sports sedan that shows that practicality doesn’t have to be boring. However, we feel that it lacks polishing and refinement. The shape is interesting but we feel that the detailwork is a bit lacking, and it really doesn’t push any boundaries technically compared to what is possible today.

6th PLACE - KNIGHTWICK CITY CONCEPT @mart1n2005

THE JURY’S VERDICT - A concept that feels like if it is more or less production ready, that shows what the future of small city cars could be like. However, in more or less every area it is overshadowed by the city car concept by Martinet.

5th PLACE - MARTINET BONITA @Ch_Flash

THE JURY’S VERDICT - A good looking little city car where the designers haven’t been afraid to break some conventions. Of course, it is not as prestigeous or exciting as the sports car concepts, but still an interesting glimpse into the future of small city cars.

4th PLACE - PRIMUS TURISMO SUPER GT @Happyhungryhippo

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Probably the image booster Primus needs to show that they not only make cars for old men in tweed caps. A good looking sports car with stats that are slightly above average all over the line.

3rd PLACE - WOLFRAM WF10 @abg7

THE JURY’S VERDICT - A futuristic and good looking sports car concept, that with its high levels of comfort shows that a sports car by no means has to be a torture chamber. Very good stats all over the line.

2nd PLACE - ZEPHORUS ROADSTER @Riley

THE JURY’S VERDICT - Zephorus has always been far ahead in the styling game and this piece of eyecandy is no exception. Combined with very high stats overall, the Zephorus Roadster gets a well deserved second place.

1st PLACE - TARSKE HX2000 @Danicoptero

THE JURY’S VERDICT - This year, it couldn’t have been easier to choose a favourite. This gorgeous speedster dares to push the boundaries when it comes to styling - and it does it really good. It is a pure rocket that does not sacrifice the comfort for its performance, it also seems to have taken safety well into consideration. Being both the best designed and best engineered concept, the Tarske could only be described with two words - Grand slam!

Now with concept car judging out of the way, prepare for the most important prize of them all - The 1995 Letaran Car of the year award!

mart1n2005 · 28 July 2023 10:41

What are the odds someone else would make a city car concept in a class of usually supercars

abg7 · 28 July 2023 12:49

Then again, it is meant to be a vision of what a flagship hypercar of the future should look and feel like.

Knugcab · 28 July 2023 16:36

CAR OF THE YEAR 1995

Now, it is time for the most important part - which car is going to win the 1995 car of the year award? Because, it is not as easy as just picking from the winners in each category. Car of the year is supposed to be given to the car that in one way or another is showing the way forward.

The styling is supposed to stand out from the crowd, without looking out of place.
It is supposed to fulfill the role it has on the market.
It should provide something that will be hard to find in the competitors cars.
To minimize the unfortunate impact automobiles has on society, it needs to have clean emissions and protect the passengers inside as good as possible.
Fuel consumtion should be low, both to keep greenhouse emissions down and to benefit the wallet of the customer.
It should give you as much car for the money as possible.
Ideally, it should bring the technology of the future into the cars of today.

Hence, a car could place high in one of the subcategories by being simply a good car, and nothing wrong with that, but still be beat by some more innovative car for the COTY award.

With that said, let’s progress to the judging.

15th PLACE - MARA KAVALER @AndiD
Even if it gives great value, the rest of the car is a blast from the past, hence it didn’t stand a chance getting the car of the year award. The very dirty emissions is one thing that really should remain in the past, too.

14th PLACE - CAPABLE HEFTER @Vento
A good work vehicle, but nothing more than that. A rather conventional pickup truck that doesn’t do much for the evolution of the automobile at all.

13th PLACE - WOLFRAM WSC50 @abg7
Sure, it sweeps the floor when it comes to new technology with its E-LSD, glued alu chassis, direct injection, SatNav, advanced safety systems and semi active suspension. Despite that, it is a rather average sports car to a high price.

12th PLACE - HEIMAT EL500 @vouge
Advanced safety systems makes it safe for being a convertible, emissions are clean for the type of engine it is, and that is pretty much it. Very far from a bad car, but still far from a contender to the COTY award.

11th PLACE - PLANAR MARASAI E-S @lotto77
Nice looks, fun concept, but too much of a novelty to have any impact on what mr. Average is going drive in the years to come.

10th PLACE - PLANAR HM51 @lotto77
A great looking sports sedan that stands out a bit from the crowd, and will have its place in the market. Still, it borders to being an enthusiast vehicle, with a questionable value, and its contribution to motoring of the future is more or less limited to having semi active suspension to a somewhat affordable price.

9th PLACE - WOLFRAM WOLFORD @abg7
If you can stand the bland looks, it is a sports sedan that offers lots of new technology like a light AHS chassis, direct injection, semi active suspension and advanced safety systems. It also has rather clean emissions. Still a bit bland and rather expensive for the standard class.

8th PLACE - WOLFRAM WAYMAKER @abg7
Maybe the family car of the future, an interesting concept, featuring new technology like direct injection, light AHS chassis and advanced safety systems. The question is if it is too early for that in this class? This MPV is very much on the expensive side.

7th PLACE - PRIMUS IMPERATOR @Happyhungryhippo
A very nice luxury car, but hardly groundbreaking in any way, conservative technology and bad fuel economy brings it down. It should be mentioned that it has a rather good safety rating, though.

6th PLACE - PRIMUS VIATOR @Happyhungryhippo
It is not the same tech galore, but for a much more competitive price you get a MPV that is about as good as the Wolfram. That also gives it the edge over the Wolfram in the “family car of the future” fight.

5th PLACE - PRIMUS MERIT 250A @Happyhungryhippo
Like the Imperator, hardly groundbreaking in any way, but a car that is easy to like, with overall good stats that also gives great value for the money. A bit thirsty on fuel, though.

4th PLACE - TARSKE OD525 @Danicoptero
We bet we will see more cars like this in the future - offroaders that are a bit “softer”, and as competent on the road as they are on the side of it. Direct injection is modern technology that probably contributes to the clean emissions too. Sure, you will also have to pay a price for a car this nice, and the styling is probably still hard to swallow for some of the buyers, while some are going to love it.

3rd PLACE - HEIMAT E250 @vouge
Not the most original car - that’s for sure, sedans this size are dime a dozen. However, the Heimat E250 is a great looking car that does everything that it should very good, sells for a competitive price, has clean emissions and is easy on the fuel. An example how tried and true technology still can be enough to create a very modern car.

2nd PLACE - TARSKE LQ840 @Danicoptero
Styling might be a bit controversial, but we still think that the large luxury 4 seater hatchback is a concept that is too interesting to ignore. This might be a pioneer in the luxury class. It is of course a great car overall, and even if it is hard to talk about “great value” in this class, it is somewhat close. Safety wise it sets new standards. Yet, this will of course be a car that is too expensive both to buy and run for people in general - but that’s no reason to ignore it. It is not as ground breaking technology wise as it is in its execution though - it has direct injection and that’s about it.

AND THE WINNER OF THE YEAR IS…

MARA ZORA Mk2 1.1TR @AndiD
First, the areas where it did nothing to score well: It hardly has any ground breaking technology, and we would have liked to see a higher level of safety. With that being out of the way, we are simply amazed how well the Mara manages to fulfill its own niche. Sure, nobody is going to buy it for the styling, but it sticks out in a way that makes it instantly recognizable. It is extremely economical to run, and the emissions levels are unbelievably low. Not to mention the sticker price - we’re amazed that you can buy a vehicle for this kind of money in 1995!

The cars could not have been any less alike, and it was a VERY close fight between the Tarske and the Mara, but in the end, the jury decided that the Mara had the slight edge in its combination between hitting bulls eye for its intended market, having an amazingly low sticker price, and setting new standards for fuel economy and emissions levels.

Congratulations to Mara for winning the 1995 Car of the year award!

cake_ape · 28 July 2023 17:03

Whoa, that’s awesome - congrats to Mara! And also congrats to all the individual category winners. Super well done.

Nicely run edition of the Convention @Knugcab, it’s been a pleasure to follow along. Thanks for hosting! There is much to look forward to when the next chapter of LHC gets going. So many great companies making interesting cars.

For those that participated here but haven’t registered their companies in Letara yet (for the main LHC series), I hope to see you on the roster in the fall!

– cake

Danicoptero · 28 July 2023 20:01

Congratulations to Mara for winning the 1995 Car of the Year award.

At Tarske we are very satisfied with the results of the 1995 Letaran Auto Convention. We brought quality and innovation, and we won the hearts of the Letarans.

After this we can only say:

See you at the next LAC, and of course on the streets of Letara.

(OOC: Looking forward to make my actual LHC debut on the next round)