OOC - This begins the second in hopefully a long line of comparison test challenges hosted by me, and as they are longer format challenges you should expect 2 a year, hosted roughly 6 months apart.
2006 Auto & Motoring Luxury Sedan Comparison Test
Auto & Motoring Summer Testing Headquarters, May 2006
In preparation for one of the 3 comparison tests in the September 2006 issue of Auto and Motoring, the testing editors have agreed to select luxury sedans as the largest and most important comparison test - but they have to be under $65,000, and pack as much luxury and prestige in as they can.
Rules
-
I will be accepting entries made in Al-Rilma/the current stable version of the game only.
-
Trim/Variant Year - 2006.
-
$65,000 autobucks maximum.
-
4-door sedans only. Sedan bodies listed as “coupes” in game are also allowed.
-
Wheelbase between 2.9m and 3.5m, standard rounding rules (+/- 0.05m) apply.
-
At least 4 full seats required.
-
At least standard 00s safety minimum, and ESC required.
-
Radial tires are required, and must end in 5. Race tires (including semi-slicks) are not allowed. +8 tire quality maximum.
-
Any amount of positive downforce on the graph in the aerodynamics page is not allowed.
-
Superchargers will incur a $300 penalty on service costs.
-
A 3-way catalytic converter (either kind) and at least one muffler is required.
-
98 RON/93 AKI unleaded fuel maximum. You may use a lower grade fuel, though it offers no benefit.
-
No V16s, no race parts.
-
Faux diesels are not allowed.
-
Your car must achieve WES 9.
-
Interiors are not required, and will not be judged.
-
Advanced trim settings are allowed- however, you are not allowed to make the car look like something that it isn’t using them.
-
Legacy car bodies (it should say “Legacy Car Bodies” in the mod name) are not allowed.
-
All results are final, and I reserve the right to not accept or judge an entry I deem to be off-brief or inappropriate for the challenge.
Techpool
All entrants are allowed 80M in total techpool budget. This is the sum of the total car and engine techpool values, as shown in the above screenshot.
If you’ve had trouble with techpool exporting incorrectly in the past, you may include a screenshot of your techpool values in the same DM as your submission- I will then compare the in-game numbers to the numbers listed in the screenshot, and will edit them if necessary. However, if you do not send a screenshot of your techpool values and they end up incorrect- or if the values in your included screenshot are also wrong, you will be binned. Also, because it’s happened before - do not use my example as your techpool settings, it is merely an example and may not be fully optimized for your entry’s needs.
Negative techpool is not allowed.
Priorities
Design
Luxury car buyers tend to be swayed by design more than other segments - thus, a good looking car will go further with the Auto and Motoring team than a badly designed car.
Prestige
Luxury cars rely on presence and providing a high-end experience, so because of that, Auto and Motoring is looking for a prestigious feeling car.
Realism
OOC- I’m looking for a car that could feasibly exist and that meets basic road legality (think third brake lights, functional front and rear lighting, etc). Some cheesefest entry with a little tiny engine that’s designed to focus only on one or two key stats at the expense of all the others will not be considered, and will be binned. Moreover, I am not looking for hyper-luxury sedans either - Rolls Royce and Maybach isn’t the right way to go here.
Drivability
One of the other core tenets of a luxury car is the driving experience, so Auto and Motoring isn’t looking for a car that’s too punishing to drive or difficult behind the wheel.
Comfort
Along with prestige and the driving experience, luxury cars also need to provide a comfortable place to cover miles in - a car that doesn’t ride well or provide a comfortable experience won’t fly with the Auto and Motoring team.
Safety
Auto & Motoring know that safety is important to potential buyers, so they want a car that’s well-made and protects drivers.
Reliability
Auto and Motoring know that with the amount of technology that luxury sedans pack in, they won’t be the most reliable car ever - but one that’s in and out of the shop constantly won’t appeal to potential buyers, and it could hinder progress on the actual comparison test.
Practicality
While Auto and Motoring understand that luxury sedans won’t be as practical as your typical minivan or SUV - having some practical uses still appeals to buyers.
OOC - I will be judging more than just the raw stat here, I’ll also be taking into account passenger and cargo figures and the physical size of the vehicle.
Performance
Luxury vehicles in this class do make performance a priority, even if they don’t drive the sportiest, and Auto and Motoring wish to reflect this in their testing.
OOC - Performance will be judged holistically, with a mixture of hard performance statistics - 0-60, 1/4mi time, etc - along with the actual engineering choices that influence those hard statistics. Sportiness however, is not a priority here.
Value/Purchase Price
Auto & Motoring have no problem with a comparison test full of cars at the maximum budget they’ve set, but if there’s a more affordable option that can do the same things a more expensive car, then it’s likely they’ll add it to the final comparison test.
Service Costs
Auto & Motoring know and understand that luxury vehicles are more expensive to service than their conventional brethren, but they don’t want a car that costs as much as some supercars do for basic servicing either.
Fuel Economy
While a luxury car with a large powerful engine isn’t going to win any efficiency awards, Auto & Motoring testers aren’t looking for a car that drinks fuel by the gallon either.
Inspirations
BMW 7-Series (E65)
Mercedes S-Class (W221)
Audi A8 (D3)
Lexus LS (XF40)
VW Phaeton
Jaguar XJ (X350)
Hyundai Equus
Cadillac DTS
Infiniti M45
Citroen C6
Submissions
-
Submissions will open on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 at 11:59pm PST.
-
Submissions will then close exactly 1 month later, on Friday, June 5th, 2026 at 11:59pm PST.
-
The naming scheme is LSC06- (your username here) for the car model and engine family boxes. Trim and variant are free.
-
To submit, please post at least one picture of your car here in the challenge thread, then DM your .car file and optionally a screenshot of your techpool distribution to me (@vero94773) over the forums only. Submissions over Discord will not be accepted. Ads in the thread may be posted up to 12 hours after submissions close.
Changelog
- 5/2 - Clarified wheelbase rounding rule.
