Automation Legacy Challenge Thread 2 - Round 5

[MoteurMourmin]

Hikaru has come to Araga at last.

An up and coming car manufacturer from the mysterious, great nation of Japan, all the way on the south-eastern corner of the world! A philosophy built on providing simple, affordable cars that still invigorate the customer with a sense of pride in what they own. A rich history with humble rural beginnings, almost fifteen years of successful automotive design. A founder, Kaicho Yuichi Hikaru, who strives in all areas of his life to find balance and success.

We’re not promising that you’ll all like our cars, but we do hope that at least someone out there does…

First, our smallest motorvehicle:

1970 Hikaru 360 “Mijikai”

Equipped with a tiny little 360CC motorcycle engine but a bed large enough to fit a horse citation needed, this is our motorcycle-based Kei truck. When you’re driving it though, keep in mind it is a motorcycle, so you won’t do well in a head on crash against a DCMW… It does have relatively modern safety, but please don’t count on it, you’ll die in a head on crash anyway.

And now for the everyday person:

Hikaru Katana HT (Hikui Tokoro) ACT V3 ARAGA-LHD

A lot of people are in this situation. You’ve just looked through a car magazine. You’re an 18 year old Aragan (or from Yamato) in 1972 and you’re looking at a brand new Knightwick Italia. Oh, it has a V8! Popups? 4 speed auto? Well, dream on kid, there’s only one car that’ll please your overprotective mother whilst still being slightly cool. And that car is the Katana HT.

Our economy car for the everyday person. 1.8L, four speed manual, open differential (we’re sorry), it’s all you need and nothing you don’t. It’ll hopefully be under 10,000AMU so hopefully if it doesn’t get taxed too much, it should be pretty cheap too!

And finally, the main event:

The Hikaru Katana YR (Yaiba Racing) ACT V3 ARAGA-LHD

Picture this. You want a relatively fast car, one that’s able to fit you and your racing friend, but you’re not willing to fork out the cash to buy something lux like an Imperial Turbo L. You’re not some pretentious Communist-supporter who wants to buy a Kyrios Nike and you want something made by the premiere of the Captalist pigs? And finally, you just simply are far too boring to fork out the time and energy required to tend to all the attention that a Phénix will assuredly attract. Well, Hikaru engineers had you in mind!

Our halo car for you all, equipped with a 2.7L straight 6 designed by the engineers at DCMW @moroza , pushing out about 140HP, a five speed manual and a limited slip differential, it’s hopefully not that bad as a sports car. But that’s for you to find out, eh? Have a good time in this buzzy little 13,000AMU idiot that we made for you.

And now for our segment from Hikaru Heavy Industries!

That’s not all that we’re bringing… If you’re ever in need of some clean clothes, we’ve got that sorted too!

The 1971 Hikaru Heavy Industries Power-Wash 100

With a powerful motor with the all-new Power-Wash technology, an easy-to-use control system and a pre-wash detergent holder, this washing machine is ready to take on the stiff competition we have in Araga!

(This is a joke submission )

Note - Please don’t drive this.

That’s all folks, it’s your new Hikaru salesman, Hikari Mayumoto, signing off!

[AndiD]

1970 Kyrios Nike S2 2.0 Coupe
1974 Kyrios Nike S3 1.6 Roadster

(OOC: This post supersedes my previous post in this thread, due to new developments)

Kyrios (‘Ma(y)ster’) is one of the very few boutique manufacturers of roadsters and light sports cars from the Elefthera Soviet Republic in the far east (seen from an Aragan perspective).

Its sole car, the Nike (‘Triumf’ ‘Triumph’) debuted in 1957 with a 1.6 litre Roadster (retroactively called S(eries)0) and by 1970 the trim range had evolved to the S2 and a 2.0 litre engine for a Roadster as well as a Coupe (submitted as first ALC car). These sold for healthy margins outside the eastern socialist block but found hardly any market inside the block due to pricing.

Due to Kyrios’ success with their S2, the Eleftheran government had mandated in the early 70s that Kyrios develop a ‘people’s roadster’ to be sold for about 2/3rds of the price of the regular roadster.

Through strict cutting of features, Kyrios offered this stripped down 1.6 litre Roadster (submitted as second ALC car) as part of the Nike S3 range from 1974 onwards (with much slimmer margins than the other two trims). The two other 2 litre models (not submitted) stayed in the S3 line-up and received minor upgrades over the S2 such as an 8-track instead of a radio, a different rear light cluster, and different bumpers and grille.

For the Aragan market, the new rear light cluster had to be modified to house brake lights and tail lights separately, so that the external reverse lights of the S2 had to be retained for the export models.

(OOC: Since the main country of this world’s socialist block is Greek, the car name is a straight translation of my ‘canon’ Archanan roadster as submitted for ALC1 and 2 (iirc). The next rounds are looking good for Wara, as Kyrios/Mayster only have a single product in their line up anyway…)

[Fayeding_Spray]

EMPIRE

SPORT TRUCK?

SPORT TRUCK!

SPORT VAN?

SPORT VAN!

TAXES WERE MADE TO BE EXPLOITED.

BUY YOUR GOD DAMN SPORTS CAR.

[shibusu]

Ilaris Aviation

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Ilaris’s aviation division, mostly focused around marketing, selling and maintaining Ilaris’s assortment of aviation engines, had been somewhat secretly been working on an aircraft themselves. Development was accelerated following the market crash, to get the side project out of the door. And thus…

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For '72: Ilaris PT72 Tiger 300

(Imperial for scale, banana rotted)

The idea with the -72 Tiger 300 was speed. Usually, aircraft in its ‘light twin’ class cruise around 140-200 knots, depending on displacement and turbocharging. Ilaris aimed for 220 knots. Long nose, short wings and big, powerful engines were a requirement for this. The long nose was easy, the short wings, less so, while keeping the aircraft within acceptable performance figures at shorter strips. The big, powerful engine? Ilaris has a whole thing for that.

fluff

Enter the 6.8-litre ITE Aero Tiger 300MP, a turbocharged, water-cooled 300 horsepower monster. An all-aluminium casting kept the engine light despite the added kilos from the water cooled architecture, fuel injection kept it efficient, and even allowed it to have enough overhead with its turbocharger for it to run on standard E10 pump gas - hence the MultiPropellant designation - and achieve signifcantly lower operating costs due to not having to open the wallet for AvGas, which was leaded as well, thus making it a relatively ‘clean’ aircraft, even though it did gush out black smoke out of the exhaust at full power.

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Of course, such speed basically relegated it to extreme daredevils with a bucketload of cash to splurge on a twin prop, or businesses. Ilaris Aviation decided the latter was probably a more existent category, and lavishly furnished the interior of the Tiger, as much as weight tolerances would allow, with leather seats (or fur seats, for those who wanted to be more comfortable in more adverse climates and avoid the stickiness of leather, even with HVAC), plush lined interiors, individual ventilation, many soft plastics and more leather to be safe, allowing it to seat 5 passengers plus a pilot in lots of comfort, as long as the engine’s ruckus was somewhat ignored (though you could throttle down and cruise more efficiently and quieter if you wanted to).

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The pilot got plenty more treats. Standard fare instrumentation - the “T” layout, albeit with the variometer on the other side - but many more features like an autopilot system capable of level changes, climb rate hold and the usual heading hold. Gone was the propeller pitch lever, being replaced by an automatic pitch adjustment system for its four-blade variable pitch propellers, with an innovative auto-feather function. Mixture was also automatically handled, but this was more a thing associated with the fuel injection rather than the computer systems.

The safety side of things weren’t ignored either - all doors got explosive bolts allowing them to be opened regardless of being damaged, blocked or otherwise, and allowed external safety pins to blow out the doors for rescuers. It also got fire extinguishers on both engines, and a two-pump hydraulic system. To cap it off, all important surfaces got anti- and de-ice by way of fuselage skin heaters.

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Now, by no means was this supposed to be a plane for the masses. Even non-turbocharged, de-luxurified versions still retailed for prices that’d make most people’s eyes water. But for the rich few who wanted to get their morning coffee by airplane, or more likely the board of directors needing to transit the country at a moment’s notice and with great speed, it certainly was one of the better options out there to save some money on fares and save time in the meanwhile. So, do you happen to have 200,000$ (1972) around? If so, you might be in for the ride of your life.

wip pic for the funsies

[passengerpigeon]

@shibusu

(Imperial for scale, banana rotted)

Here’s an Imperial, posting in front of airplanes you can’t afford! An Imperial is an entry-level premium car, and THAT is a twin-engined Ilaris PT-72! That is serious… I can’t do the voice anymore. Yeah, even in the 70s they were throwing this at ya. See that Ilaris PT-72 Tiger… it’s… it’s total money. Even today, you come to a fly-in in a freakin’ PT-72, people are like OOOOOOHHH. If you bought an Ilaris Imperial you were only upper-middle-class or you were… you were not the type of person to roll around… in… a- il- The Ilaris PT-72, those e- each engine is like four hundred cubic inches, with a turbo. And here you are, in your Imperial, tryna pretend you… no, no. Maybe you could own a Cessna 152. Maybe. If you owned a PT-72 Tiger at any point in history you’re driving DCMWs.

[shibusu]

[karhgath]

Phénix Auto in the 70s

Phénix is proud to present a brand new, limited series, of light sport cars! Trying to regain confidence in small sport cars in the Aragan market, and thanks to the unexpected success of the Metro TwinCam, the new Helios, based on a previous concept car of the future, is now reality!

1970 Phénix Helios

With the first mid-engine car of its history, the small 2m wheelbase Helios comes to market with about 100hp in its 1.4L TwinCam engine, upgraded from the Metro TwinCam to 8,000rpm, and using more modern components with DCOE. All this power transferred through a 4-speed manual gearbox, a sport interior w/ an 8-track, it could even be a fun daily 2-seater! While it can get to 100km/h in nearly 7 seconds and top speeds of 200 km/h, it won’t break the bank!

The square wedge shape is the look of the future, get one quick while quantities last.

1974 Phénix Helios Turbo RX

This Race eXperimental turbo version pushes performance farther than Phénix ever did before. With the full 2L being turbo’d with injection, power figures were raised to 230hp on such a small car. With upgraded interior, larger mag wheels, a 5-speed manual, upgraded vented brakes and better aero, this Helios can get to 100km/h in under 4 seconds and achieves top speeds of 280km/h while remaining very nimble with over 1g of cornering all around. Twice as fast for less than twice the price - isn’t that a deal?

Visit your Phénix dealership today and get your own pocket rocket!

[passengerpigeon]

I’m pretty sure a 2-door shooting brake with only a front row, or even a 4-door wagon without rear seats if the former isn’t available, still counts as a cargo vehicle; you don’t need to make a high-roof panel van to cheese the tax code.

[Danicoptero]

Superlite

After failing to deliver the Aero, Superlite is back looking to improve their reputation in Araga.

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Superlite Alpha 15R

This 50cc gokart is perfect for begginers trying to start their motorsports career. Your legend starts here.

Superlite Tango 98S

A dance for two. Despite being powered by a 1.5L I4 engine, thanks to it’s low weight and size, the 98S, will give you an exciting and pure driving experience.

Superlite Tango 175R

But what if you want more? Then you have the track-only 175R. Powered by a Phénix 1.6L turbocharged B4, it’s a significant increase in power, while being only slightly heavier than it’s road-legal brother.

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And remember, it’s Superlite, not “Superlight”, although considering that all of our cars weight under 700kg, we can’t blame anyone for getting it wrong.

[Edsel]

1971 Bazard B-Line Trucks Facelift

AND NEW 1972 Bazard C-Line Trucks

Introduced in 1965, the current-gen B-Line was a capable, reliable truck that already stood at the forefront of its class. So Bazard figured: why fix what ain’t broke? After a brief hiatus in 1970 for some limited (but very important) improvements, the B-Line was back for '71 just as it’d been before.

And a year later, it brought a friend; built on a derivative of the above’s platform, the C-Line was a response to the observed lack of light trucks in Araga, which hoped to downscale Bazard’s trademark simplicity, reliability, and function-over-form approach.

About the 1971 B-Line facelift

On the surface, beyond a sharp new modernization of the styling, it seemed like not much had changed with Bazard’s flagship truck. But keeping exactly as it had been before was actually a bigger challenge than you’d think. See, part of what made these vehicles such great haulers was their B180 engine, a low-revving, torque focused V8; which, as it happened, clashed hard with the new Aragan emissions regulations introduced in 1970. While the Aragan government did recognize Bazard’s predicament, and grant their trucks a year exemption due to their economic importance (OOC: Thanks Crypt!), the B180 couldn’t continue as it was once that year passed.

Bazard refused to let regulations harm their vehicle’s capability, and made full use of that that year by pouring tons of resources into optimizing and revamping the B180 engine. When it returned in 1971, the new “B185” was fuel injected, tuned for ethanol fuel (though had tolerance for regular 91), had an entirely re-built bottom end, and had several orders of magnitude more quality control. It was more reliable, more efficient, met emissions just fine, and yet made slightly more torque and power through most of its rpm range.*

The one sacrifice in all this was that the new tech was a bit more expensive (at least by Bazard’s standards, anyway) to both service and buy. It hiked the average purchase price up almost a grand (with top trims reaching almost $15,000), and service costs up $200 a year. But given the circumstances, this wasn’t really that bad for a car that could haul 3200kg and tow 2000 more.

*At peak power, the B185 actually made less power than the outgoing B180 (130hp instead of 135). However, this peak was above 4,000RPM in an engine that only revved to 4,800; at all lower revs (where the engine did most if not all of its work), power and torque for the B185 were slightly higher.

About the 1972 C-Line

For those who needed Reliability and Utility, but didn’t need to tow the weight of a small home around. The C-Line was based on a shortened version of the B-Line’s chassis, and mechanically the cars were very similar; but Bazard presented them as entirely different models; a dichotomy best represented by its front aesthetic; it’s been changed up and painted to look much different at first, but look closely and it all the same parts in all the same places.

It rode on a much shorter chassis, with a 2.5m wheelbase (instead of the B-Line’s 3.5m), and a 2.3L V6 version of the B180 engine; called the “C110,” it still had the carburetor and cast-iron internals of the pre-facelift B-Line, for cheapness and simplicity, but also had improvements of its own, such as an aluminum head.

There wasn’t much beyond that to differentiate the C-Line though, at least mechanically; it tended to have lower end appointments for the equivalent trim, it tended to have captain’s chairs inside more often than a bench, but that was about it. And it was more drivable and slightly more efficient, but just by virtue of being smaller.

What really made it stand out, though, was its price; countering the move to fuel injection that made the B-Line so costly, you could get a base model C-Line- with all its dependability, and the ability to hold 1700k -for only $9,430. And it was cheaper, easier to service than the B-Line too, as well as having rock-bottom taxes!

[AMuteCrypt]

Howdy all, it’s come to my attention that some links are a little broken. I’m extending the round out 48 hours (closing on the 2nd of March at 11:59 PM UTC) as a result, also due to some IRL stuff. You now have 72 hours.

Edit: This 72 hours comment was wrong, the date is correct. Use the date.

[moroza]

Here’s a car you can conceivably afford, descended from ones you probably can’t.

Dalluha Coach & Motor Works presents the …

1970 DCMW Al-Sayaadim

(Superiority Six trim shown. Photography mostly by @karhgath and @shibusu)

Model background and details

1938 Al-Sayaadim Superiority Twelve

Of DCMW’s initial four nameplates, the Al-Sayaadim was in some ways the most contentious. Why another sedan when there’s already the Marqaba? Answers at the time tended to be vague, alluding to car types and capabilities that were then in their infancy. By the late 1950s, however, sport sedans were an established thing, and the difference with the Marqaba was more than simply size. The latter (as well as its Norðwagen rebadge, the Oðin) is a large, traditional sedan with pillared windows and other traditional values, and a passenger-oriented mission. Al-Sayaadim (aka Norðwagen Valkyra) is a size class down, with sportier - and usually pillarless - looks bordering on four-door coupe, and sportier driving feel and performance, with a more driver-oriented mission.

1989 Norðwagen Valkyrja, a rebadged Al-Sayaadim

1990 DCMW Marqaba, for comparison

In (actual) Arabic, “car” is “sayaara”, while “sayyid” has several meanings along the lines of “master, elite, lord, honorable” (see here). Al-Sayaadim is therefore a portmonteau meaning something like “elite car” or “for the elite”.

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Striking a balance between luxury and muscle, between serenity and sport, the Al-Sayaadim is meant to be an all-arounder of superior capability and (almost) uncompromised quality. “Almost”? Yeah, don’t take it off-road, that’s about it, and in the case of the X models, not even that applies.

This is a car to get somewhere in a hurry. The Show of the front view encourages lesser cars to get out of your way. A full three hundred smooth, linear, DIN-rated horsepower from its thoroughly modern and effiicent 3.7l flat-six, sent to the rear wheels through an overbuilt 5-speed manual transmission, provide the Go to back that up.

This is a car to enjoy the drive. With carefully tuned footwork, biased 2:1 comfort:sport, you can hurry as much in the twisties as the straights. As on every DCMW, the brakes are perfectly fade-free and balanced.

No need to hurry for the petrol station, though - a high-quality mechanical fuel injection system, wide-ratio transmission, and advanced aerodynamic optimization result in average fuel consumption of under 12L/100km running E10. This is a car to use regularly and often.

No need to hurry to the repair garage, either; this is a car to rely on. While service costs are as expected for this class, they are kept in check by natural aspiration and square tires, among other features. And with both the engine and the whole car above 75.0 reliability, you can reasonably expect unexpected service needs to remain that way.

This is a car to enjoy the ride, with a high-quality and spacious luxury-grade interior, and 8-speaker sound system to match. The built-in refigerator between the front seats is standard equipment on Superiority and higher trims. Owing to the structural compromises that the pillarless body entails, the door sills are somewhat high and the enlarged driveline tunnel functions as a structural backbone for the car, reducing seating quantity to four but improving quality.

This is a car to see, and with prestige well over 50, to be seen in. Best enjoyed in mild weather with the windows down, showing the world the tasteful splendor that your professional and personal Superiority has earned to afford. Go ahead and park it next to your PT72.

Superiority Six trim retails for $30k even. Other trims include:

Standard Four
Standard Six
Standard Six S
Superiority Four S
Superiority Six S
Superiority Twelve
Superiority Twelve S
Superiority Twelve M
Supremacy Twelve
(from 1972) Superiority Six S4

[AMuteCrypt]

Howdy all, before entries close (36 hours!), I wanna quickly discuss co-hosting.

I have accepted two offers to co-host, from @Edsel and @moroza (thanks!), and 17 entries thus far - many with 2 cars. That’s a decent amount, but certain segments (utility especially) are pretty light on entries. So, I am happy with how things are right now in terms of cohosts, but a third would still be nice! Please note though - I’m looking for cohosts who have decent knowledge of what makes a car good, who can really disect and get in detail on it. I do reserve the right to reject offers.

[passengerpigeon]

Araga can be so demanding sometimes…

…and for that, we are thankful.

To other automakers, refusing to settle for any old wheeled biscuit-tin on a limited budget makes you an unreasonable snob. To VME, refusing to settle for an automobile that doesn’t even deliver the bare minimum makes you a very smart buyer.

After all, no commandment has ever come down from the heavens saying that cars with frugal engines must not seat four adults in comfort. Removing any hint of style or character from the car’s exterior does not magically shave five litres per hundred kilometres off its economy figure, nor does paying no attention to how it handles. But looking at the competition, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

This is why we’re rethinking the economy car with the all-new 1971 VME Squirrel, redesigned with a focus on technology and efficiency to meet the exacting demands of the Aragan market. Featuring a transverse front-wheel-drive layout and rustproofed galvanised chassis, all Squirrels sold in Araga are additionally equipped with a radio, radial tyres and extra chassis reinforcement and lighting for added safety at no extra charge.

Squirrel 130 Standard: The low-priced car that you’re never just “settling” for

Gone are the days when wishing to save as much money as possible on your new automobile relegated you to wood-framed, canvas-covered, single-seat cyclecars that rattled you to the bone on even the best of roads and couldn’t beat even the wheeziest of steam trains to your destination. Now, anyone with just AM$5810 can become the proud owner of a VME Squirrel 130 Standard, the ticket to fun, stylish, economical and comfortable motoring anywhere in Araga and beyond for you and three others. For that price, you get a 1.3-litre variant of VME’s tried and trusted Hi-Conomy DAOHC inline-four producing 50 horsepower, fitted with a catalytic converter for reducing emissions, which will take the Squirrel to 100 in 14.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 147kph. You get radial-tuned suspension and standard radial tyres, designed by VME’s engineers to deliver the superior handling all of our cars are known for. And last but not least, you get a tachometer, clock and radio at no extra cost. You know a good deal when you see one…

Squirrel 150TCI Tourline Optijector: Where economy meets prestige

The advanced fuel injection and high-draft dual overhead cam technologies, first introduced to our Aragan-market premium and performance cars to get the most out of every highly-taxed cubic centimetre of displacement, have now made their way into our new hatchback. Introducing the Squirrel 150 Tourline Optijector, the ultimate combination of performance, comfort and economy. Entering the cabin through either the front or rear doors, the top-of-the-line Squirrel immediately distinguishes itself from miserable conventional economy cars with its substantially upgraded interior, featuring full carpeting and upholstery, well-padded cloth seats, a standard 8-track stereo and available air conditioning.

But under the hood is where the real magic happens - our Econoflow four-valve DOHC I4 paired with a finely-tuned mechanical fuel injection system gets a full 93 horsepower out of just 1.5 litres of displacement, propelling the car to 100 in 10.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 177kph; braking is also a breeze thanks to the large dual-leading-shoe front brakes with optimised cooling. Go easier on the throttle, however, and the Squirrel with reward you with an economy rating of 7.3L/100km combined.

Finally, the fuel-injected engine achieves a low emission rate without the need for a catalytic converter, allowing it to run on any decent fuel without knocking or damaging the emissions control system, be it 91RON standard unleaded, ethanol-containing unleaded, or even leaded fuel should you travel abroad. So how much will all of this comfort and advanced technology set you back? Nope, it’s just $8820.

Schedule a test-drive of any 1971 Squirrel at your local dealership, and experience the VME difference for yourself.

Provided for your reference is the full list of VME Squirrel trims available in the Aragan market for 1971:

• 130 Standard
• 130 Plus
• 120TC Plus
• 120TC Tourline
• 150TC Tourline Optijector
• 150TC Sportline
• 150TC Sportline Deluxe Optijector
  (Trims labeled TC feature an advanced DOHC engine, Optijector models are fuel-injected, and bolded trims have been submitted to the automotive press for evaluation).

[Vento]

Great advertizement love the writing

[lotto77]

is anyone even going to read this? I guess I'll just put a spaceship here (_)(_)=====D~~

The early 70’s; Minex, with a side of ArcSpace

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The lore

After their initial introduction to Araga, Minex was riding high.

The Paceman had done well enough in the hire business, but where they really shone was the Danazine. Performing well above expectations, it did well enough that Minex was quickly well regarded within Planar, to the point where, when Planar’s acquisition of failing rocket company ArcSpace failed to produce any results, they were pushed onto Minex to try sell in Araga.

Oh dear.

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The 1970 ArcSpace SRT Araga Comms Demo-1

The ArcSpace Solid Rocket Tester (or SRT) was a very forward-thinking design for a rocket. A low cost rocket specialising in lighter payloads with more extreme orbits is a solid proposal these days, in the late 60’s to early 70’s it was a fatally flawed idea. While it was reliable (even by modern standards), all-solid fuel rockets were seen as dated, and nobody wanted a little rocket that could only put ~5 tons to GTO, so despite its low cost, nobody wanted it, and it was ready to fail.

That’s where Araga comes in. Seeing an untapped market, and having just been bought by a hasty Planar wanting a feather in their cap, ArcSpace looked to be transferred to Minex to try gain contracts from the Aragan government, and to everyone in the company’s shock, Planar agreed!

While it would turn out that that was because Planar was desperately short of money, that wouldn’t come out until later. All Minex and ArcSpace could see was a potentially very lucrative market, but how well would it turn out?

One of ArcSpace's prior SRT demo launches in Australia. Yes that's KSP and no I won't apologise for that :^)

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The 1973 Minex Dragonar F6H and XD Full Utilisation

The SM33 series of Dragonar wasn’t a massive change for Minex, outside of the two very massive changes of it finally being renamed to a unique Minex name and having unique Minex styling.

Both cars gained a unique front treatment, and the F6H was permanently stretched and more closely alined to the F6L limousine.

But the XD Full Utilisation (or XDFU) was where the real changes were. A performance model to begin with, the XDFU has the rare distinction of being the only Planar/Halvson/Minex car to have a full-sized 4.2 litre PLRFX/RXO79, hence the Full Utilisation name. Making an impressive 157kw as opposed to the F6H’s more normal 130, the XDFU was poised for speed, but refused to give up on comfort.

Both cars, however, displayed a flagrant disregard for taxes, and thoroughly buttered their bread on the side of well-off customers with their already high pre-tax prices rising huge amounts. Would that continue to be popular with the market, or would sentiment turn against them?

[Djadania]

[lotto77]

Damn, my perfect reliability record…

[moroza]

Well-written and looks like strong competition.

[passengerpigeon]

Thanks, but as for how competitive it really is we’ll have to wait and see what the actual writeups say; I intentionally wrote the text in the style of company marketing copy rather than as an unbiased review.