Kurosake Tokai Sport
Stock
With pocket-sized dimensions and sporty, aggressive looks, this entry definitely looks the part. Except for some weird protrusions below the headlights, the elements of this design work great together, with some nice side surfacing and complex lighting elements that flow well with the original character lines of the body. Other great detailing touches include the side vent surround-front grille transition piece, and the parking sensors and tow hook covers. Also, the interior is quite detailed, and its aesthetics fit the rest of the car’s vibes. Overall, this design really captures the pocket-rocket look and does so with good execution and attention to detail.
Rally
The raucous aesthetic of the street car translates well into the rally world, especially with the chunky flared arches and extended lower aero. However, the execution of this rally kit isn’t quite as clean as other entries, with harsh transitions between fixtures and the body lines as well as between the fixtures themselves. This is another three-spec entry, also with street, gravel and safari entries, all of which do well to differentiate themselves from one another, however, that last bit of detail isn’t quite there, with some elements that were present in other entries lacking (suspension), or not as well executed (safari spec bulbar). The livery, however, is a strong point, with good use of shapes and colours, especially since it forgoes the custom texture approach of some of the other liveries, all working together with the shape and pocket-rocket vibes of the design. Ultimately, this works well as a rally car, but it is outclassed in detail by some of the other participants.
Hultra Heracy RS
Stock
A great modern hot hatch design, combining sleek and low-slung proportions with aggressive elements blending the modern and the retro, with its slim lights and upper grille and the chunky lower vents with large foglamps, or the protruding rear vents and contrasting rear splitter. Speaking of contrast, the yellow accents subtly placed throughout the car work to elevate its sporty aggressive looks without going overboard. Molding and surfacing are great, and the lighting/cooling/aero elements are also well executed, making for an overall harmonious design.
Rally
The good qualities of the street car are also present in the rally car, with an appropriately aggressive and generally well-detailed bodykit which works great with the bodylines and accentuates the low-slung looks, even with its raised ride height. Though the fender flares are great, that is pretty much the extent of body modifications for rallying, well, except for the small stuff like the aero, vents and roofscoop. For the really small stuff, it’s a mixed bag, with comms equipment, latches, fasteners and bolts being present but not tow hooks, exterior switchgear or suspension components. The livery is very well executed, with angular elements matching bodylines (that badge matching both the windowline and the fender flares is great), but has a very simplistic colorway that kind of lets it down. Overall, it’s a great rally car, with only some small shortcomings.
Homada Mocha HMR
Stock
Another little pocket rocket, with a tall and expansive greenhouse and a short hood, showing some economy roots, with elements that up the aggression without veering into the gaudy and tasteless. The front fascia as a whole is incredibly executed, especially the lower grille, with its body color inset, individually placed openings and subtle red accents. The upper front area works great with the forward-slung windshield, with the quarter windows connecting really well with the lights/grille elements, which have a sublime little inset. The stellar molding and surfacing continue onto the sides, and are accentuated by some chunky black fender flares, though the car’s small size keeps it from looking like a crossover SUV. The rear is, unsurprisingly, incredibly well done, with its full-width mask and license plate inset and subtle but sporty diffuser. While some small details are omitted, basically just the inner workings of the lights, the detail and execution of the rest of the design more than make up for whatever little shortcomings there may be.
Rally
Just like the street car, the sole submited rally variant takes the detail to 11, with a fully custom bodykit that is well made, if a bit chunky in its transition into the stock bodylines, though it does also seem like a realistic execution of such modifications. Where it shines is in the small and the intricate stuff, like the exhaust heat shield, front lip protection, hood vent surrounds, obligatory comms/switchgear/suspension stuff, little quick release fasteners for body panels and even jacking points integrated into the side skirts. The only small detail that isn’t visibly present is the lack of tow hooks, with evident tow hook arrows but no tow hooks, but it is such a small thing in the grand scheme of things. The livery is a strong point here, with detailed custom textures, which allow the implementation of creative color patterns and gradients in shapes that flow with the lines of the car and the bodykit. That, in combination with the well-made and well-placed sponsorship stickers, makes for an incredibly realistic rally livery. So, all in all, it is a well-designed, highly detailed and realistic interpretation of a Rally2 machine.
Rankings:
- @iivansmith
- @Sureascanbe
- @kookie
- @Koviico
- @CrazyCat808
- @DoctorNarfy, @titleguy1
- @David_Herrera
- @Dorifto_Dorito
- @Capri78
Wow, what a great set of entries, this challenge was jam packed with great designs, both in rally and street trim. Ultimately, the devil is in the details, which is why it was hard to pick a winner. In the end, the winner was the best overall, even though I will say that the runner-up does a slightly better job at the rallying stuff and third place goes hand in hand or even above the winner when it comes to the street car. Even below the podium, all entries shone in their own particular way, with most of them being potential cover car material without needing too many tweaks or improvements. Congratulations to the winner and everyone else who participated, and apologies for the long wait once again.
