Well-written and looks like strong competition.
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.
SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED
Please stand by while I check the entries and begin preparing reviews.
2 Likes
Dalluha Coach & Motor Works presents the…
Details
Sold elsewhere as the Norðwagen Skaði in its various incarnations, the Kutshuriat nameplate was one of DCMW’s first four, representing a versatile and very mid-sized and mid-spec chassis centered around a 5-door hatchback.
The Kutshuriat is meant not to excel in any one dimension, but to be one of several synergies of all-around competence and quality. This isn’t a “oh, we’re stuck with the hatchback” consolation prize, which at $17000 would be ill humor anyway; this is a proper car like its larger stablemate, the Al-Sayaadim, optimized for a different use case.
We in Dalluha have high standards. A proper road car begins with a Premium interior and matching sound system, high-quality galvanized steel body, and well-tuned double-wishbone suspension front and rear, with perfectly balanced and fade-free all-disk brakes.
With 90hp and 132ft-lb from a 4P701-20M-T90 flat-4, the Standard Four Kutshuriat won’t win many sprints, but with 80.0 reliability and 5.7 L/100km (41.6 USmpg) fuel consumption, is a solid contender for endurance races, including the daily commuting rat race.
Of course, a Standard Four is just the beginning. With a 142hp four and a firmer suspension, the Kutshriat Standard Four S takes similar build and tuning quality and throws it deftly into corner after corner.
If that’s not quite enough of a hurry, perhaps one of the M trims might suit. M is for Muscle; in the case of the Standard Six M, 347hp of it to be exact.
Meanwhile, a Standard Four X takes the same quality off the beaten path.
A myriad of additional models include six-cylinder and turbocharged versions, higher-spec interiors, and various utility bodies. While the Kutshuriat Standard Four is front-wheel-drive, the platform was designed from the start to use modular subframes shared with the Al-Sayaadim. The latter’s engine bolts right in to the Kutshuriat with just a couple of different brackets, and the high interchangeability of parts makes countless combinations possible: Al-Sayaadim brakes on an otherwise stock Kutshuriat? Al-Sayaadim four-cylinder 4x4? Kutshuriat six-cylinder 4x4? Done and done and then some, all plug-n-play. From 1972, transfer cases with the same form factor but also locking center differentials become available for pavement-friendly all-wheel-drive.
DCMW relies little on trade secrets, and emphatically rejects any corporate culture oriented towards obfuscation or unnecessary difficulty of service and maintenance. Every DCMW is sold with a full factory service manual, dealerships offer free seminars for mechanics and DIY owners, and the company officially and unofficially supports informed and empowered owners, the third-party aftermarket, all manner of motorsports, and the tuning & modification culture as a whole. The company firmly believes that cars are meant to be driven, and driving - or at least riding in it - is meant to be enjoyed.
4 Likes
REVIEWS PART 4.1
I SWEAR IT'S LEGAL OFFICER
Okay, let's get started with the reviews. I am pleased to inform everyone that there are no bins... Because I'm in a good mood and have let a *bunch* of stuff slide. A lot of people got the naming conventions wrong in some way and/or didn't clone properly. A bunch *more* had some minor violation of the lighting rules. Some used the old format license plate and some didn't reduce the roughness below 1.00 to remove the weird visual artifact...
I blame myself tbh. When this many people mess up the cloning, it’s on me for not explaining it well enough. Those license issues? Yeah, that’s on me for chopping and changing. The lighting rules are pretty specific and easy to mess up. So, where people messed up lighting, I gave a chance to correct. Where people messed up plates and names, I just fixed it myself. No skin off my back, didn’t take too long overall. Otherwise, everyone is legal… But in some cases, it’s only technically legal.
There’s one exception, which gets through by “I’m being nice, don’t do this again.”
Whodunit?
Cars: Renwoo GT Coupe by @Mikonp7 , DMCW Al-Sayaadim by @moroza , Centurion C100 by @ldub0775 and Hikaru-360 Mijikai by @MoteurMourmin
In back of Centurion: Hikaru Power-Wash 100 by @MoteurMourmin
Here we go, the four technically legal cars and the one that’s only in because I’m in a good mood. In fact, both Renwoos and both DMCWs (but not both Centurions) had the same issue - but this makes for a nicer picture so eh.
Hikar-oops
Can you see the issue here? Can you spot what’s wrong? Yup, these aren’t related! These are both @MoteurMourmin’s non-car entries. Non-car entries are supposed to be related to one another, there’s supposed to be a reasonable way that they’re both from the same product line. Most people did really well with that, this is the one exception. I should bin one of these, but hey, I’m in a good mood, so it gets to stay. I get some discretion, right? Of course, the spending tokens received will be docked a little, which I think is fair.
Then, there’s the Mijikai. It’s a road vehicle but with only one headlight (and, incidentally, one reverse light). I’ve decided to call it a motorbike with some limits on maximum legal weight and where it can go, because little trikes like this are often counted there. There will be impacts of this indulgence though.
Renwoo: Bane Of The Aragan Government
Renwoo does not have the best relationship with the government of Araga. After the debacle that was the Renwoo Motor Tricycle, the company was somehow not banned from the country (I know!). They did up the safety on their latest vehicles, but they continue to be a thorn in the side of the government. The inspectors originally refused to certify the GT Coupe and the GT Côte d’Azur, citing the lack of a rear side indicator. They politely requested that Renwoo added an additional indicator, to which @Mikonp7 said…
This was actually the reply when I asked Mikon whether to keep it as-is and have a legal battle with laws changed, or to wait for a resub with a proper indicator. I was the one who found the loophole.
See, from just the right angle, the slanted rear indicators are visible from the side. One needs to be aligned to the rear bumper rather than, say, the rear wheel, but it is technically visible. Renwoo ultimately won the legal battle and got to sell the car.
Red Faces
From Hikaru to DMCW, now. @moroza and the enterprising lawyers over at DMCW found that the latest edition of the Design Standards For Aragan Motor Vehicles had unintentionally removed a requirement for indicators to be amber. So, they submitted their new cars, with red rear indicators! The government was initially disapproving, but when the error was pointed out, they conceded the point… And contacted @ldub0775 over at the recently-nationalised Centurion. See, with the fresh cash injection, Centurion had begun work on a line of lighter, more normal vehicles. While DMCW and others claimed that red lights were just as safe as amber, some were skeptical. So, Centurion produced some trucks with amber and some with red - a C100 with red is seen here. They also continued to discuss matters, with a final judgement set for the next edition of the regulations… And they decided to include the auto makers heavily in this.
OOC: I AM EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW FORMAT FOR MATTERS LIKE THIS. Rather than a simple poll, there will be a debate in the discord - see the “Debate Channels” category for more information. Debate will be open for at least 1 week, allowing ample opportunity to contribute. Feel free to join, and provide your opinion!
11 Likes
And last but certainly not least, Dalluha Coach & Motor Works presents a car… no, The Car…
(thanks to @karhgath for some photos)
3 Likes
Is the forum broken? For some reason this thread no longer appears anywhere on the Community Challenges page anymore (https://discourse.automationgame.com/c/community-challenges-competitions/48).
Edit: And for some reason this only happens when I’m logged in.
which one of these is selected at the bottom of the thread?
Muted, that’s why. I didn’t even know about this feature and must have clicked it by accident.
2 Likes
1970 Mercer Leviathan Dreadnought 490
INTRODUCING THE MERCER LEVIATHAN, THE FIRST EVER TRUE ALL-AMERICAN SPORTS CAR
AFTER SPENDING TIME RESEARCHING ALL THOSE FOREIGN “SPORTS” CARS, WE COULD ONLY WONDER WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY THINKING GIVING THEM SUCH TINY LITTLE BABY ENGINES
SO WE SOLVED THIS ISSUE IN THE ONLY LOGICAL WAY WITH THE SAME 490 MACHETE FROM THE TARANTULA, SINCE ITS SO PERFECT ALREADY
WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT SOME TAX AGAIN?
GOD DAMNIT WE HATE THESE NEW EMISSIONS REGULATIONS BECAUSE THEY SAPPED OUR BELOVED MACHETE OF 20 HORSEPOWER
SURELY THIS WON’T GET WORSE IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS
“OH BUT WHAT’S THE FUEL ECONOMY? DOES IT TURN? DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NO ONE WANTS THIS DEATH TRAP?” STOP ASKING SUCH FEEBLE MINDED QUESTIONS AND BUY THE GREATEST SPORTS CAR ON THE WHOLE DAMN EARTH
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS AMERICA
13 Likes
Centurion Industries Presents: New for 1976
Centurion is proud to introduce two new platforms for both businesses and consumers alike.
CMI Series 8300
The Series 8300 is the newest model in our ever-increasing lineup of trucks designed for businesses to transport their goods across Araga. The 8300 is designed and engineered for great longevity and reliability, and has features to match: in testing, with regular maintenance, the 8300’s 8.3 liter diesel V8 was able to run nearly continuously for over 2,000,000 kilometers.
The Series 8300 slots nicely into businesses’ fleets, and we at Centurion guarantee its safety, reliability, and comfort to be among the best on the market. We refuse to rest on our laurels, and now and into the future promise to continue innovating technology and products suited to businesses and consumers alike.
Centurion C500 & C510
Centurion has for decades been producing high-quality trucks for the business market, with our offerings including tractor-trailers, chassis-cabs, and specialty vehicles. Centurion, however has never before produced a consumer vehicle.
Today that changes with the introduction of the Centurion C500 and C510. We have developed these trucks with the knowledge accrued from years of experience in industry, and back up the purchase of these trucks with the same guarantee as any of our other offerings.
As of today, there are two trims available for purchase: the C500 and C510, with the former offering utilitarian performance and a large bed, great for use by tradesmen and small businesses, and the latter offering niceties including an extended cab and a larger V8 engine, great for towing and recreation.
We at Centurion are confident in our products presented here, and are as ever proud to serve the Aragan public with the reliability and security inherent to anything stamped with a Centurion Crown.
© 1976 Centurion Industries, All Rights Reserved
10 Likes
What BeamNG map is the last picture from?
Any updates on the progress of judging?
likely Saturday as per an update from the discord.
REVIEWS PART 4.2
A LIMO SEEN
So, I only got two limos. I’ll consider the potential causes for that in a later post-mortem post, but it just is what it is for now. Let’s compare the pair, see how it looks. The good news is that you both understood the brief, delivering very expensive, very stately cars. Let’s go point by point, comparing the priorities, shall we?
Left: Rosanda AragaLimoSpecial. Right: DMCW Al_Sultan (Supremacy 12)
Safety, Emissions, Range, Loudness
As measured by the ADPR, the Rosanda is a little bit safer than the DCMW… But not by much. It’s 95 points versus 91. The issue is, the Rosanda attains its safety through brute force, having fewer features but doing them with extreme refinement - and cost. The DCMW introduces features which likely won’t be standard until the 80s, and does them competently rather than spending massive sums on them. It’s close to a dead heat there, but the different approaches have their impacts elsewhere.
Next, to emissions. The DCMW boasts truly amazing numbers for HC and NOx, but is let down by its CO numbers, running at just WES 5 levels. The rich fuel mixture, low compression and cast block hurt it. The Rosanda does worse on HC and NOx, but has just one third of the CO, allowing it to pass WES9 (in 1976!). It’s a pretty decent win for the Rosanda here.
As for fuel, both cars are running E10 pump gas, which is easily available all around Araga by 76. The Rosanda runs an 83L tank and can travel 525 km on it while the wider, heavier DCMW runs a 93L tank but can only travel 410 km on it. Another win for the Rosanda, thanks to its leaner naturally aspirated engine being more economical than the rich turbo unit from DCMW.
Of course, that turbo does have its benefits. Putting an extra layer in between the explosions and the open air makes the DCMW whisper quiet, especially given that it seldom needs to put in actual effort with how much extra power it runs, with just 11.8 loudness. I don’t think I’ve ever seen quieter. In real world terms, the slushbox in the Rosanda would make it more prone to sudden noise changes, while the stick shift in the DCMW is more controllable.
Performance, Comfort
The DCMW makes it to 100 in 4.8 seconds and corners better than many other cars on the road. The Rosanda takes 8.8 seconds and has worse cornering performance than any car submitted this round. It’s an absolute slug by comparison. Top speeds are a bit closer, with both cars hampered by gears - the Rosanda is gear limited and could go faster if the transmission allowed it, while the DCMW can’t quite accelerate from the shifting point for 4th gear to the power peak (making 5th overdrive only). The DCMW is not quite the fastest accelerating car on the market, not quite the best handling car on the market, but it beats a lot of common cars - which is really appreciated.
Comfort is a case where the game gives it to the Rosanda, but I am going to give it to the DCMW. The Rosanda is benefited heavily by the automatic, which makes sense when one focuses on driver comfort and aims to include distracted, impaired or otherwise subpar drivers… But the presidential limo is driven by careful professionals putting their full focus into things and free of any substances or fatigue. The manual shouldn’t have as large an impact on comfort as it does in this specific case. You did both understand the assignment and reach pretty similar comfort values, both going for the obvious choice of +15 Handmade interiors, which is good to see.
Uniqueness, Appearance
I said I didn’t want just a regular Rosanda from the dealership, and Rosanda did indeed deliver on that, at least to an extent. Complaints from the previous round have been rectified, with an extended taillight housing that flows back from the rear quarter panels, simpler but more effective headlights and a grille that fits better. There’s still perhaps not enough ornamentation or interaction between elements, but it’s a definite step up. It feels about as unique as, say, the current US State Car - it uses a design language shared with other cars, refined and tweaked for the size of the car.
The same can be said about the DCMW, which shares many elements with the more common Al-Sayaadim Supremacy Six. The door handles integrated with the trim, the method of hiding the headlights, the particular way of doing the flares of the taillights, things like that are all shared. The DCMW does a better job at introducing more ornamentation, but neither car is truly unique. Both use standard company design languages and advertise the main brand. The DCMW does more to differentiate itself though.
This leaves us with the overall appearance… And the DCMW knocks the Rosanda out of the park, to me. The Rosanda makes its two-tone more visible, but DCMW does something similar, very dark purple vinyl roof. It’s the ornamentation that sets it apart, however. The more intricate grille that completely contains the hidden headlamps. The more complex shape of the rear light flares that tapers and works with the lines of the body rather than the simple box with more boxes cut out of it. The far more extensive chrome trim which is integrated with functional features of the car. The cars actually have several similar ideas, but the DCMW executes them so much better. I suppose that’s a little point against both for uniqueness.
Interior Design
Why yes, I did break the order I was following before of doing the priorities from the bottom to the top, how perceptive of you to notice. Why yes, I have been coy about the interiors in my previous images, giving them fully opaque windows. The DCMW has a lot of fixtures and makes the already slow Raytracing performance positively glacial - and removing the interior reduces the 812 fixtures to 272. I’ll take what I can get. The Rosanda, meanwhile… has no interior. It hurts the results it gets, especially when the DCMW is so very intricate and detailed. A minibar, a TV, a generous table, tasteful use of Aragan purple as an accent colour… I’ll just let the pictures speak for it. Really, as mentioned, it’s well past the point of diminishing returns, but it’s just so well done. Careful attention to ergonomics, generous apportionment of features, really, hats off.
Overall Results
The Rosanda picks up some victories in the smaller stats, but a lot of how it does that sets it up to fail later. Sure, it’s fuel efficient… Because the engine doesn’t have the grunt of the DCMW. Sure, it’s safer… But it does that in a really inefficient way that steals points from other stats. They’re pretty close in stats, really, but the visuals of the DCMW, inside and outside. Not having an interior is a bullet in the foot that kills the Rosanda. You had plenty of time, and didn’t use it. Meanwhile, the DCMW was submitted with less than five minutes to the deadline, and an earlier version probably still would have won. I’m growing just a little concerned about how many spending tokens DCMW has at this point; Moroza can seriously, seriously swing things in the next lobbying period… But them’s the breaks.
In terms of spending tokens, both entries will receive a healthy amount; full quantities will be revealed at the end of the round.
11 Likes
REVIEWS PART 4.3
PRETTY GOOD: Episode 14+1
Left Column, Front to Back: Phenix Helios Turbo RX and Phenix Helios, both by @karhgath, Renwoo Coupe and Renwoo Cote d’Azur, both by @Mikonp7, Empire Albert SportStock and Empire Victoria Sportstock, both by @Fayeding_Spray
Middle Column, Front to Back: Mercer Leviathan Dreadnought 490 by @LS_Swapped_Rx-7, Kyrios Nike S2 2.0 Coupe and Kyrios Nike S3 1.6 Roadster, both by @AndiD and BetterDeals HPD Sport by @Djadania
Right Column, Front to Back: Superlite Tango 98S and Superlite Tango 125R, both by @Danicoptero, Hikaru Katana HT (there’s more to the name but come on) and Hikaru Katana YR, both by @MoteurMourmin, Capable Conveyor Bolt by @Vento
Disclaimer: I have written this under less than ideal circumstances. Any errors are likely unintentional, please feel free to let me know if you see any.
Okay, so, we have an impressive fifteen sports cars on the market, and here’s where the practicality of the challenge starts to bite. Sure, three of these entries go elsewhere, but the sports segment is anywhere from 2 to 2.5 times larger than utility. There’s as many 2 seater sporty cars as 4/5 seaters of any variety. This simply can’t happen in real life, the market for sports cars is smaller and probably attracts fewer models, and certainly not in real life, you get the idea.
But sports cars are cool. Sports cars are fun to make. Sports cars capture the information, so people make them. Should I penalise some of you for selling into a crowded market? Maybe, but it doesn’t seem fair. Will I reward people for selling into empty markets which are clearly there? Yes, yes I will. Give rather than take, right? Let’s get into the reviews.
The Hand Thing Means Taaaaaaxes
Let’s start off with the Mercer Leviathan Dreadnought 490, shall we? Mainly because it’s uh… It’s in a weird position. Last round, Mercer got a lukewarm reception because the massive engines it was selling incurred a high amount of tax. So, what did Mercer do? Did they do the sensible thing and ship some well-tuned small blocks to Araga? Of course not. The 490 in the name stands for 490 cubic inches - over eight litres. The tax system is, of course, exponential, so you end up paying an obnoxious tax bill, over 7200 per year just from the engine - plus the maximum speed tax, which looks paltry by comparison. If you want to get your hands on one, you’ll be forking out around 41200 - with over half of that going to the government. You could buy a premium car and a weekend toy with that money. It didn’t help that it had cross-plies from the factory despite the widespread acceptance of radials in Araga. Or that it wasn’t even the fastest thing on the road (more on that later). Suffice to say, it flopped. Dealers didn’t even want it on their lots… In Araga.
Hop over the border to Windon and it’s a completely different story. One where its flaws are either overlooked or become positives. Windon doesn’t tax like Araga, so the massive engine is just a point of pride. Windon uses cross-plies anyway, so those are in too. And from there… The Mercer has a lot of elements that really help it shine. Among coupes on the market, it actually has unique features such as progressive-rate springs and power steering. There’s more nice features too, like a clutched LSD, advanced safety equipment, a premium 8-track and a weight-saving monocoque.
It’s also an absolutely beautiful classic coupe, with coke bottle styling, clean lines and a sort of effortless, uncomplicated beauty. Creases and contours and body shapes hold the eye more than trim, yet it doesn’t feel barren or empty or boring. It’s clad in a beautiful metallic racy red, what else would it be painted in? It was seen as a missed opportunity in Araga, a car that had a massive deal breaker but could have been so good. A shame, but it did sell well in Windon.
Phenix Rising
Helios Turbo RX
Three coupes came out with costs up above 20 grand. The Superlite Tango 98S, the track-only Superlite Tango 175R and the Phénix Helios Turbo RX. The Turbo RX was joined by its younger brother, regular Helios at about 15 grand. Let’s start with the Phénix Helios Turbo RX. Besides the Leviathan, this is the most expensive coupe on the market, beating even the Tangos. It also manages to do a feat I don’t entirely understand. Three point seven two seconds. That’s all it takes to get to 100 kilometres per hour. By the time cheaper cars are hitting fifty, it’s already in the triple digits. Despite having just a quarter of the displacement of the Leviathan, the turbocharged flat-4 manages to put out three quarters of its power. You’d think that this is an engine being pushed to within an inch of its life, but you would be somewhat wrong. Sure, the all-aluminium block is straining a little bit and the performance-oriented intakes aren’t perfect here but it still boasts completely acceptable reliability. So it guzzles down fuel, right? No, it uses a perfectly acceptable 10.3 L/100, better than its NA sibling. It’s a little more demanding than some others, but more rewarding too.
Then we have the aesthetics. It’s absolutely gorgeous, yet it’s also the polar opposite of the Mercer. In reality, the period was marked by Giorgetto Giugiaro’s progressively more angular designs, reaching their peak with concepts such as the BMW M1 and the Lotus Esprit S1. The Phenix is reminiscent of these iconic designs, but maintains its own identity, standing alone. The overhangs are shorter, there’s more creases along the body, the waist is cinched in unlike the clean sides of Giugiaro and one cannot miss that massive wing on the rear. The black of the front fascia carries through to the wheel arches, through trim to the rear wheels, then to the rear. Where the Mercer is a classic, tried and true design, this is a design that looks to the future, a harbinger of the ever more complex and intricate future of the supercar. It’s bold, it’s a car willing to break with the curved silhouette and stand out, a refined and potentially perfected wedge supercar. It is unlike anything else on the market, unmistakable and undeniable.
The Turbo RX isn’t just a car. It isn’t just amazing. It isn’t just a masterpiece.
It is quite possibly the best car Araga has seen.
Two Of Them
Helios and Helios Turbo RX
Of course, we aren’t done with it yet. See, the Phénix Helios line is a perfect synergy. They share the same fundamental underpinnings, to the point where one could conceive of turning a regular Helios into a Turbo RX… But actually doing it is a completely different matter. There’s a laundry list of changes between the two, to the point that it’d be cheaper to just pay Phénix the extra 10 grand rather than doing them to your own Helios. The hardened internals, the fuel system, the mighty turbo, the wing, the aggressive fender flares, the vented brakes, the reinforced transmission… It’s an impressive but realistic list of improvements. The Helios, of course, is no slouch itself and doesn’t subtract from the Turbo RX one ounce. It boasts some of the best handling under spirited driving, beaten only by the Turbo and Tango. It features an interior only slightly worse than the Turbo, it features exceptional braking performance… The Helios does not need the Turbo, but the Turbo helps it a lot. The Turbo did arrive four years after the regular Helios though. We’ll be coming back to it later though, through the lens of those first few years.
It’s the same story with the aesthetics. Where the Turbo RX sports aggressive side intakes, plenty of trim linking the rear and front through the sides, black down to the floor on the front and back, the regular model simply does not. Select features have been removed, trimmed down, pared back. Where the Turbo RX was bold, brash, extraordinary, the regular Helios is somewhat more sedate, more ordinary, but no less beautifully shaped. There are plenty of similarities, but they’re definitely distinct. This is what you expect given the price differential. The paint shown here is a beautiful icy satin blue that just makes it feel even more futuristic to me somehow, and better than the somewhat more sedate blueish silver on the Turbo RX - but paint is an option, right? It’s a wonderful finish on this one. In short, with the Turbo RX, you pay more and get more - but nobody would be unhappy with the regular Helios. It’s truly a triumph.
Lite As A Feather
Left: Tango 125R. Right: Tango 98S
Perhaps the only crime of the Superlite Tango is “not being the Helios”. The regular Tango, the 98S, does not exactly compare favourably to the regular Helios. An inferior 8-Track, somewhat worse handling under regular or demanding driving, less power and less acceleration… But generally not by that much. It’s only a little worse, except for the substantial price increase. If you wanted an open wheeled Helios, you could get very close. Was it worth five grand more to feel the wind in the air, to have nothing between you and the world, to get the race car aesthetics? Absolutely. After a few years, it ended up even closer - because the Tango cost 500 less per year to maintain and had a bit better fuel economy. Sure, it’s not quite the Helios - but when the Helios is “a very well-done pared-down version of potentially the best car ever”, that’s still a really good place to be. Perhaps using sportier tyres rather than regular medium compound road tyres would have helped, but perfection is hard to reach. The fibreglass panels do worse in crash testing than the Tango’s steel, but you don’t really buy a car like this to be safe, do you?
If the 98S was the “open wheeled Helios”, the 125R was even closer to being an “open wheeled Turbo RX”. The badge on the side prominently advertised being “Powered by Phénix”… And that was a resounding endorsement. After their prior issues with failing to deliver a miracle engine, using someone else’s miracle engine was a smart play - and picking a downsized version of the Turbo RX’s engine (complete with turbo) was an even smarter one. In fact, the Turbo RX and the 125R were the only 2-seater coupes with a turbocharger. Had Phénix faltered, the image of the turbocharger may have been damaged… But they didn’t, and the image was bolstered. But as far as the 125R was concerned, well, the drag strip performance is a little closer to the regular Helios than the Turbo RX, thanks to using a slightly smaller engine designed to spool earlier. It’s just as fun as the Turbo RX to drive, thanks to a variety of positive decisions. It’s a touch harder to manage, but still - “a little worse than the very best” is a very good place. The 125R is a single seater track toy… but it doesn’t need to be. Add some lights on and the government is perfectly happy for it to go out on the road, it passes the difficult tests like emissions and crash safety just like the 98S does. And given that the 98S exists, you could easily get a 125S. The Helios takes some of the shine of the Tango, but it’s an absolutely wonderful car. It also manages to provide an easy answer to the question “Why not buy a Helios?” - to feel the wind in your hair, to have nothing between you and the world.
There are some big positives over the previous generation of Superlites. The 98S boasts a second seat, a far more extensive crash structure and roll cage integrated with a roll cage and more polished bodywork that includes some covers above the wheels - integrated with the bodywork in the rear, but with the suspension in the front, allowing them to retain that open feeling while being safer and more practical for the road. The 125R retains some of this, but drops the second seat (opting to just cover the space), the larger windshield and roll cage - all sensible items to remove for the track. It’s something of a matter of perspective as to whether the aesthetics have moved forward, opting for a squarer front design reminiscent of a kit car that flares out and flows into a wider rear. Do kit Superlites exist? They’d definitely be a hit. The metallic premium paint is a hit, with both the orange and the green looking really nice on the body, with the cars both having plenty of space for a livery or racing number.
(OOC: I was actually slightly worried looking at the comparison between the 175R and the Turbo RX. It was just a little suspicious seeing all the ways the Turbo RX beats the 175R. It’s very close in some cases, looking almost like Karhgath took a look at your stats and used them as targets after doing your engine… But no, Karhgath didn’t look at your car at all. I checked your collaboration thread, Karhgath never looked at your car as far as I can see. It raises interesting questions going forward, but is all above board.)
You Done Goofed, Oops
Next, we get two oddballs which, well, had a slightly flawed execution based on a flawed understanding of the laws. The engineers over at Empire thought that the relationship between taxes and displacement had a turning point, so that the minimum amount of taxes would be paid at a taxable displacement of 3 litres. So, they designed their turbocharged engines to have a taxed displacement of 3.28 litres, nice and close to where they thought this minimum was. They cancelled out the impact of the turbocharger by providing sufficient cargo space to qualify for a tax break.
They were, in fact, misinformed. No matter what your effective displacement is, you always pay less taxes for a lower displacement, and more taxes for a higher displacement. So, the 3.28 litre taxable displacement results in higher displacement taxes than just about all other cars, save for the Mercer Leviathan with its outrageous tax bill. Swing and a miss. Add in the maximum bill for the speed tax and you end up giving quite a lot to the government. It’s also expensive to maintain - the complex electronic fuel injection system picks up a lot of stones and debris, the staggered sports tyres have to be replaced often, it’s just difficult. You end up with a final cost of about 19,200, comparable to the 98S and not too far from the Helios Turbo and the 125R.
Part of the issue is that it just doesn’t extract all it could from the engine. Comparing it to the naturally aspirated engine in the 98S, both engines make almost the same amount of power per litre of raw, pre-boost displacement. This is largely due to the use of a pushrod valvetrain, which doesn’t really make sense. Why combine a pushrod (a simpler, cheaper option) with a turbocharger and electronic fuel injection (an expensive, complex engine)? In terms of raw straight line performance, it does a little better than the 98S and trades blows with the 125R, rather than the comprehensive drubbing one would expect given the massive effective displacement advantage from the base amount and the turbocharger. The Helios Turbo, of course, leaves it far behind.
So, what do you get for your money? Well… It’s not too great, really. Under normal conditions, it’s about the same to drive as anything else. If you actually want to push it, though, you’ll run into a myriad of issues. The hydraulic power steering system just makes you feel distant and disconnected from the car. Unless you load up the rear, you generally don’t have enough grip to maintain proper traction, especially in wet conditions - whereas the Superlite 98S has supreme command under any conditions, and the more aggressive 125R and Helios Turbo more than make up for it. The brakes have their issues too, overwhelming the tyres massively unless the rear is loaded up - get the picture? It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast, and this is a fast car that has to be driven slow. Is it a little more practical? Theoretically, but you need to pay those massive service bills and tax bills, around four grand per year - some of the cheaper cars in the segment are reasonably practical and won’t kill your wallet. If you want a sports car with a bit of practicality, get something else. If you want a utility car with a bit of sports… That’s another review.
In terms of aesthetics, it has the issue of using a fairly simple shape and not doing much with it. While the Superlite is interesting for its open wheels, the Helios cuts that distinct wedge shape and the Mercer has all manner of contours and curves to catch the eye, these are flat, simple shapes. The sort that’s probably fine on a genuine utility vehicle, but the only real sporty or interesting aesthetics here are the ones that look like aftermarket modifications - the painted hood, the front air dam, the low stance. If you don’t want to modify it yourself, I guess you can get this, but you won’t be the only one with it. It doesn’t scream sports as much as other true sports cars, feeling like more of a poser. How do the aesthetics do as a utility car with a little sports? Again, that’s another review. Flourescent green or purple gloss paint is certainly a choice, and not really a good one. It’s too bright, too brash, too much overall. I’m not a fan of the paint, to be honest.
Something More Affordable
Front: Katana YR, Nike S2 2.0. Rear: Phenix Helios
So, the big issue with the Helios Turbo and the two Superlites is that, well, they cost over 20 grand to buy, after taxes. They’re expensive, premium cars. While you could conceivably daily the Helios Turbo, it has massive service bills - fine as a supercar, not as a daily. The Superlite, meanwhile, is right out. These are cars for people who can afford expensive luxuries, they’re things you can aspire to but they’re not really viable for most people. So, let’s move down in the price brackets a little, shall we? Under the Superlites and under the Helios Turbo, we arrive at the Nike 2.0, the Katana YR and the regular Helios. They occupy a band between about fourteen and fifteen grand after tax. The question, really, is what can the others do to catch up to the Helios? Where can they match it? Remember, the Helios is a mid-engined monster, with unbelievable performance on the skidpad, and the track. It’s carried forward with its crazy low-speed acceleration… But it’s not unbeatable.
The thing with the Helios is that it’s the enthusiast car. It lacks a certain refinement in certain aspects of the car. It runs simple steel wheels. It’s nimble and easy to throw around and can be pushed pretty hard, yes, but it’s easy to push too far. The others, however, are easier to control, easier to handle. In fact, the Helios is harder to control than almost any others on the market. So, can the others in this bracket step in? Is there a perfect car in this price bracket? No, but the competition has good reasons to be around.
The Hikaru Katana YR sports an engine from DCMW, and this helps it to compete with the Helios. It’s a little slower off the line, but the larger inline six helps it be faster across the drag strip and hit a slightly higher top speed. Yes, it’s twice as large, but it’s also running a more restrictive but more reliable air filter. It also runs more advanced safety, managing to safely outdo, well, everything. The safest sporty car. Add a premium interior and it’s the most comfortable too.
The Kyrios Nike 2.0 is not this. It uses fibreglass panels, which really, really hurts it. A space frame too. Not particularly safe. It also runs rather aggressive, hard suspension, rather similar to the Tango - but the Tango is, well, sportier. The YR is comfortable and safe, the Nike is more basic and scores worse in safety than anything else on the market. It makes up for its subpar comfort and safety with wonderful control and drivability, and sufficient sportiness. It’s a nicer experience for the driver than the Katana, just not the passenger. If you’re not scared off by the low safety score, and want an easier experience than the Helios, the Nike is here.
Aesthetically, the Nike is more comforting, more familiar, more traditional. While the Helios has this bold, brash shape, the Nike is more rounded and even sports a cute smile… And a little less sleek than the previous products launched in Araga. The sloped rear makes that part feel longer than it actually is, while the hood slopes a lot less and feels larger too. It’s a slight step backwards, but traditional and comforting is good for some buyers. It’s pictured in the brand’s traditional gloss yellow paint too, familiar in its branding. The Katana, meanwhile, is not quite as radical as the Helios but it is still close, following similar trends. It feels more like a classic coupe that got straightened out a little, with the greenhouse seeming a little more traditional. The metallic silver paint on the HT helps it feel like the Helios aesthetically, while red matches the racing name. There’s still plenty to draw your eye, with a nice and well-integrated front fascia and rear bumper. It’s really beautiful and well executed, feeling incredibly Japanese in the best way.
Ultimately? They don’t beat the Helios, but they’re at least pretty good. They both give reasons to buy them. The Katana offers a more refined experience with nicer features. The Nike 2.0 is more drivable and even offers wonderful reliability… But if you’re buying a sports car for, you know, sportiness? The Helios is just too far ahead. Too good.
Almost Standard
Let’s jump back down again, now between about 11400 and 12750. The Nike is back with a smaller 1.6L engine, and Hikaru sells a car with their own engine. It’s joined by two cars from France, the Renwoo GT Coupe and Cote d’Azur. We also see a pair of soft tops, your chance to feel the wind in your hair when you want rather than all the time like the Tango. So, let’s get into it, shall we? The Katana HT arrived in 1970, spending four whole years alone. The Renwoos and facelifted S3 Nike both arrived in 1974, alongside the vaunted Helios Turbo, so people had their hands full. Let’s take a look at the Katana first then.
What happens when you chop 15% off the price of the Katana YR? When you drop the Racing badge, when you cut running costs almost in half? What do you lose? Not safety, the pair are identical there, the same features. Not comfort, the interior has the same features and nicer comfort. Not reliability, not drivability, those are both even better. You also don’t lose any of the sporty styling, making the badge the only outward aesthetic change. Most brands pair a “racing” badge with new style or at least some decals, but not the Katana. No, you lose the main draw of a car in this segment - sportiness. It’s a lot harder to push hard, it’s a cruiser rather than a true sports car, and in that role, it is perhaps better than any other. You want a car to push, you get something else. The cornering is the worst, the braking is the worst, the speed isn’t great either. It’s so slow that it evades the speed tax! You want a cruiser? A little comfortable coupe? You get this… But it’s not really a sports car. We’ll actually be coming back to this in the standard segment, because that’s what it’s designed to compete with, really.
So, let’s jump forward to 1974. The facelifted Nike brings with it the cheaper, smaller-engined S3 1.6 Roadster. The engine isn’t the only difference though, the 1.6L gets a cheaper interior, one nowhere near as nice. It’s cheaper, more basic, worse than almost any other in the segment. You want a nicer interior, get something else. It’s pretty nice to drive at least, but not that much nicer than the much sportier 2.0 model. It saves a fair amount of money on the 2.0, but it compromises so many things. It’s what you get if you want a 2 seater coupe, but can’t afford one of the genuinely good ones. You get what you pay for. Aesthetic changes, meanwhile, are somewhat limited, as one expects from a facelift. A more angular grille that still smiles, a reconfigured single unit for the brake lights, tail lights and indicators (which is a step back in my opinion, not quite fitting the slightly angled surface it’s placed on) and painted bumpers. Much of a muchness between generations.
And now the Renwoo pair. The unreliable, temperamental French imports. They both use performance-oriented intakes like the far more expensive Phenix-engined cars. The issue is that Phenix took painstaking efforts to make their cars reliable in spite of the intakes, while the Superlite is targeted for the track - and that lack of reliability gets a little more acceptable when you’re paying a premium for a high-power car. The Renwoo does manage to extract plenty of power for the size of its engine, but said engine is relatively small. Compared to other engines on the market, you’re getting a lower tax bill in exchange for an increased service bill. It’s a bit of a wash financially - but the lower reliability means you spend less time actually driving your sports car! And when you drive it? Well, Renwoo cut corners in the worst way. See, the two cars have the same mechanical underpinnings. The same springs connect to the same wheels which run to the same engine through the same transmission. The same radio is installed in the same dashboard with the same seats. There are just two main differences. The Cote d’Azur puts a little more force through the car… Because it has a soft top, and they had to substantially reinforce it, and that added extra weight. The brakes on the Cote d’Azur are pretty good for the car. But the suspension is a poor fit. The engine is a poor fit. The gearing is a poor fit. Most of what it got is designed for the Coupe.
So what do you get in the Coupe, remembering that the Cote d’Azur is worse? You get an incredibly uncomfortable suspension offering almost no roll, but dampers that don’t inspire confidence under spirited driving either with cornering performance no better than the others. Acceleration and top speed are solid (but subpar for the Cote d’Azur). The driving dynamics are acceptable if pushed hard but nothing special compared to the more expensive options. It’s just so much more demanding and less enjoyable than almost anything else, especially the Nike S3 1.6. At least it looks good, with those cuts in the hood that look like they were made by a knife, those sculpted rear intakes that look like they came from a fighter jet, that shapely, sporty design… Buyers are drawn to looks first, results second. The sole metallic paint available is a dull, muted sort of red that honestly looks worse than the matte options available, and far behind many others.
Finally, I’ve included the Capable Conveyor Bolt, because a hot hatch does at least promise some sportiness. Let’s take a look at it now.
The only coupe it beats for sportiness is the Katana HT - but the Katana is so much more comfortable. It’s a little more comfortable than the Nike, but far worse to drive. If you don’t need the extra seats, just get a proper coupe. If you do, wait for reviews there. Aesthetically, it’s in a similar boat to the two Empire vehicles - as a sports car, it does nowhere near enough to differentiate itself from the regular vehicles from whence it came. If you’re buying to look sporty, you want literally anything else in the segment (almost). When you look at (just about) any other car here, they say performance and sport or at least a fun time. They stand up and say “I’m a sports car, hop in!” It’ll be reviewed more later.
Troll Complete, Return To Base
BetterDeals HPD Sport
The cheapest car on the market, costing under 6400 after tax. Also a market bomb. The issue is, well, for every person considering the HPD Sport, there was a reason not to purchase it.
First, and foremost, was the two dirtiest words on the ADPR reports. It wasn’t quite the least safe car, but it did have terminal oversteer. Didn’t matter that it only kicked in at and above the top speed of the car, it was on the report. So, some people picked another car.
Then there was the actual top speed. Not even 170 km/h. This is the result of a tiny little 800cc engine putting out all of fifty horsepower. So if you want to actually push your 2-seater coupe, or floor it and feel some acceleration? You pick another car.
Okay, well, how about handling? Well, it’s decent there, but the important question is how it gets there, and it does it by doing something no other 2 seat coupe does… It runs staggered tyres. This makes it a lot more expensive and difficult to run, in logistical terms. So, the market goes down there, similarly to the two from Empire.
Next we come to the aesthetics. It’s, well, standard BetterDeals affair. Cubes and boxes and shapes that don’t really fit too well with the rest of the car. Odd seams, panel gaps, that sort of thing. Scratch off a couple more buyers, and suddenly there’s no market. The car barely sells. It’s a little cute, mainly thanks to having been downsized so much, being so much smaller than it “should” be, but the rest of it just takes away any buyers for it.
You knew what you were doing, didn’t you?
17 Likes
Troll not yet complete; Take partial return to base
Cant wait on the air review 
4 Likes
REVIEWS PART 4.4
A MAGNIFICENT MENAGERIE
Truck: Centurion 8300 and Jet Trailer, both by @ldub0775. Rocket above truck: ArcSpace SRT Araga Comms Demo-1 by @lotto77. Plane: Ilaris PT72 Tiger by @shibusu. On wings of plane: Canned Air and Air by @Djadania. To left of plane: Hikaru Power-Wash 100 and Hikaru-360 Mijikai by @MoteurMourmin. Under wing of plane: Superlite Alpha 15R by @Danicoptero. Fun fact: All photos in this review are unedited.
No Blue Shells Here
Well, isn’t this just the cutest little thing? The Superlite Alpha 15R is a simple, stripped down little kart, the ideal first foray into the world of custom track-only vehicles. A tubular frame and a sheet of metal are all you get for structure, but the frame has been laid out carefully to ensure driver safety, keeping the seat and engine in place while also offering protection against front, rear and side impacts. In fact, when you compare it to some other go-karts on the market elsewhere from the era, it’s as safe as houses. It still keeps everything as simple as possible though, allowing it to remain lightweight, reliable and easily repaired. While some other karts use fibreglass shells and all sorts of paint to stay recognisable, the Superlite sticks to a few badges and a complex enough shape to be a brand - which means they can stay in service for longer, and be repaired far easier. The fibreglass can crack, the fancy paint jobs can wear, but what do you need to repair an Alpha? Basic tools are about it really. Just chuck on a new coat of paint, redo some welds, replace some tubing and off you go really, good as new. As a result, dozens of tracks have purchased the little karts, and plenty of series have sprung up absolutely filled with them too. It really captures the spirit of karting, it’s the essence of a good, robust kart. It’ll probably increase interest in track toys and open wheelers going forward, strengthening the market Superlite competes in.
OKEINOTOKEI
From one cute little thing to another, here we get the Mijikai… And it’s really a well-timed car. With options for utility vehicles still a bit slim, and the economy starting to point downwards, a cheap goods transporter is really well suited to the market. The Mijikai is, of course, not without its downsides. As a motorcycle, the amount of goods one can legally transport with it is limited. In addition, a low top speed bars it from travel on any of the highways, forcing it to remain within the confines of the cities. The interior is an incredibly spartan affair, with very little padding and no radio… And now we get into the difficult question of how I should handle this. See, it really competes with cars. Not cars on the market right now, not really, but cars on the market from a while ago. This competes with used cars, old beaters being replaced. But those aren’t as available, and there’s more competition for them, what with the safety scare and all that. The oldest cars on the market are about six years old, so a 20% annual depreciation sends it down to about 40% of its new value. A car that sold for 8 grand, as the cheapest cars on the market then did, now costs 3.2. That’s cheaper than the Reliant Robin’s lowest van spec, adjusted to USD of the era then adjusted for inflation to 2012 USD (which are roughly equal to AMU). It’s cheaper than the 4.7k this was submitted as too - a potentially inflated figure, sure, but you get the idea. Whatever number I give this, it’s higher than a used car and you need a few years of sitting in your uncomfortable coffin-shaped kei truck to pay it off. I’m sure that there’s kei trucks just like this in particularly impoverished parts of the world, that are cheaper than my numbers, but they’re not paying western costs involved in certification, transport and sales. Oh, there’s also the hire car market, which saw a big influx of cars they’ll probably be getting rid of due to the bathtub curve of reliability. For the small business owners who might buy this, the question is simply “why not a used sedan or hatchback”? Even a somewhat beat-up ex-hire car will almost certainly be more comfortable. Perhaps the Mijikai has reliability going for it, but it is also barred from the highways as mentioned before. Running costs are low, yes, but so is the amount of goods you can carry; low costs are offset by low margin.
I had this image in my mind of a buyer for this. A farmer or similar turning up to a small market, tray loaded with goods ready to sell. But why would that farmer buy this rather than any other vehicle? Is a tray really that useful, compared to a wagon or a hatchback? I don’t really think so. It’s a shame, I want to love this car, but this just isn’t the right market for it, and I’m sorry for that. If Araga was somewhere poorer, somewhere with less money and the overhead involved in selling it was lower, it would have done way better.
What is the legacy of the Mijikai? In all likelihood, it’s the same in Araga as in reality; a tightening of laws. In Araga, the existence of the Mijikai proved illustrative of the need for product regulation. This is why we have rules on things, can you imagine someone taking this on the highway? Just look at it! In reality, it also proves illustrative of a difficulty inherent in the judging of non-cars: “What do I do when they compete with real cars?” I think that the best solution is, well, not allow them to. The rules will be tightened up in a future round. It’s not your fault, really, it’s just that my rules were too permissive. The Mijikai won’t be allowed as a non-car, because of how it’s shopped against actual cars.
Sud This...
Top: Power-Wash pictured in the tray of a Bazard BTH-8. Bottom: Kenmore Washer And Dryer from the 1970s, seen here.
The Hikaru Power-Wash is rather unlike machines of the era - but machines of the era were the way they were for a reason. Take a look at the real washing machine of the era I have shown next to it. You’ll notice many differences - the edges of the real machine are rounded off, the body is covered in white enamel, and the controls use white printing on a black background. Each of these serves an important purpose:
The enamel coating is cheap and easy to apply, protecting the body. It’s also easy to clean, which is good for the inevitable messes and spills in the laundry.
The rounded edges mean that nothing will get caught, and there’s no risk of any cuts or similar.
The contrasting colours make the controls easy to read, even under low light conditions and with other issues.
This does none of those. It uses a metallic silver paint - if it’s intended as paint, it’ll be easily scuffed and damaged. If it’s intended as exposed metal, then rust and corrosion are major issues. The edges are all hard and pointed, with exposed points right on the corners. The lettering, where it exists, is merely indents raised from the rest rather than a contrasting colour.
Even without getting into how it would look with interior design trends of the time (silver appliances would not be in until far more modern times), it’s a miss for me. One of these might be excusable, but all? I’m just not feeling it. It doesn’t really feel like a design of the time.
Centurion: A Division Of The Aragan Government
Ah, Centurion, you’ve done it again. The company was nationalised not because of any struggles but rather due to its strategic importance. Between being an important defence contractor to having its massively successful line of trucks, Centurion was vital to Araga. The government offered to compensate the existing owners and keep them on in leadership positions, in exchange for a slice of the action and a say in the future of Centurion… And the existing owners took them up on it. With government funds and plenty of confidence, they set to work on plenty of new models - including the 8300. The 7400 was successful because it happened to fit the new ISO-sized shipping containers, and they’ve come out with a new car that fits them even better. Compared to the 7400, the 8300 adds indicator lights, new styling and a livery, and a sleeper cab - plus an aerodynamic fairing perfectly suited to ISO containers, or the new Jet Trailer. The new 8300 is far larger, far heavier, far more imposing. It’s taller, partially due to the sleeper but partially because it’s just been scaled up. The design helps instil a sense of national pride and awe. Yes, your tax dollars are going to Centurion, and look what you get in return! It sells the investment really well. Thing is, they didn’t need to do that much to sell it to the truckers themselves besides the engineering they already did. Less drag meant less fuel costs, which means more profit. A sleeper cab meant consistent sleeping conditions, lower payments to road houses and the ability to take longer routes. Larger fuel tanks meant longer routes too, plus a greater ability to buy fuel in bulk in locations where it’s cheaper. It’s pictured here in a really beautiful Bordeaux Red Metallic with silver stripes along it that work from the cab down into the trailer, and it just looks absolutely to die for. I’d love to paint a car in exactly this shade, and I may just find a similar shade for whenever my next submission is. Operators, of course, painted theirs in a variety of liveries, many advertising their own brands - and with a simple, uncomplicated shape on the Jet Trailer, they were easy to paint or plaster with whatever messages were wanted.
Burnin' Out His Fuse Up Here Alone
The ArcSpace SRC Araga Comms Demo-1 is a pilot program, a forerunner of future projects set to take to the sky. In our world, the rocketry programs of the Americans and Soviets were driven on by the needs of nuclear warfare first, delivering untold kilotons of destructive power in small packages. The Juno II rocket used for the Pioneer 4 lunar probe was a development of the nuclear-armed PGM-19 Jupiter, while the PGM-17 Thor spawned the Delta family of rockets - a family whose descendents were launched as recently as 2022. The existing launch systems, then, exist in relation to nuclear warheads. The ability to launch satellites is an incidental fringe benefit, something gained off to the side. What do rockets look like in a non-nuclear world? What do they look like without the need to launch nuclear ordinance? They still look like they do in real life.
See, it’s easy to imagine that we started with the nuclear warheads and designed the rockets to fit, but that’s only partially true. Nuclear warheads do see diminishing utility once they grow sufficiently large, as the concentration of damage eventually outweighs the concentration of military targets… But that was only true in the fifties and sixties. The seventies brought with it the Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle, the MIRV. Now, a missile could be launched and target a dozen valuable targets. All of a sudden, there was a major benefit to be had in making larger missiles carrying more warheads… But neither major power did. The MIRV-equipped Peacekeeper and Minuteman III both utilised similar sizes to their predecessors. Missiles didn’t grow larger, because of how rocketry works.
See, in real life, we are used to economies of scale. We use trucks and heavy trains to move goods, because the amount of fuel needed to move cargo from A to B increases slower than the amount of cargo we move. We use busses because putting twenty people on a vehicle does not use twenty times the fuel. If rockets were stopped and held back by drag, maybe that would be the case, but it isn’t. No, the challenge of a rocket is the amount of energy you need to give your payload, and the amount of fuel you need to carry part of the way, and… You get the idea. Double the weight of the payload and you double the fuel required.
So, what is the ArcSpace? It’s a conventional rocket capable of delivering a satellite-sized payload up to orbit, that’s what. It’s a similar size to that Juno or Delta I mentioned before, perhaps a little larger. It has a large volume at the top, perfect for a nice large payload. It’s wide enough to carry a substantial payload, and to carry that payload up into a variety of orbits, providing a flexible and diverse array of launches. It is, in other words, a perfectly realistic and plausible rocket for the technology of the time. It even looks era accurate too! Now, how much will Araga use the capacities of the ArcSpace? Wait and see for the war, but it’s very effective and very well crafted, realistic and sensible.
Plane And Simple
The Ilaris PT72 Tiger is a casualty of standard automation jank, the sort of thing that easily catches you out and is hard to resolve. In reality, plane manufacturers take painstaking measures to smooth the surface of their cars as much as possible, to the point that even the paint is carefully chosen and maintained, an integral part of the overall package. The Ilaris PT72 Tiger, meanwhile, is constructed from a large number of small rounded segments. This leaves it with bumps and rough surfaces, the sort that would play havoc with the airflow and massively increase drag. The issue, of course, is that there’s really no alternative. What else were you going to do? So, I have to just ignore those parts, step away and look at the overall general shape and the details you could control.
Let’s start with a look at the overall shape. It’s a short T-Tailed propeller plane, and the short length renders it less vulnerable to one of the biggest flaws of that design. When an airplane stalls, turbulent air begins washing off the rear wings at an upwards angle… Right into the path of the horizontal stabilisers of said tail. Those horizontal stabilisers are vital for your ability to pitch up and down, so said ability is massively diminished. How do you get out of a stall like that? You pitch down. A classic catch-22. The issue is that you need to have the air actually wash out to the tail. With how short this is and how steep it is, that’d need your angle of attack to be over 20 degrees by my measurements. By that point, you’re well into territory you shouldn’t be. It’s conceivable to get there - the Tiger is actually manoeuvrable enough to get there with its layout, because of physics and how the tail acts as a lever and all that. So Ilaris introduced a computer to specifically prevent this, which is a sensible choice. Fly by wire is good, because humans are fallible. Like the ArcSpace Comms Demo, the Tiger is a really realistic plane using actual sensible fundamentals, it would have been achievable with the technology at the time.
So what do I see on the outside? Plenty of really nice things! There’s position lights, there’s deicing boots, there’s all the standard markings you expect to see, there’s pitot tubes and pull tabs and tons of goodies. The interior, meanwhile, is what you expect from a six seater. There’s no luxuries, no wide isles or drinks service to be had here, because there simply can’t be. It needs to be narrow in order to be fast, or you would use even more excessive amounts of fuel.
So, who is the target market? To put it simply, not airlines. No airline would assign two pilots to carry four passengers. Charter and airtour companies? They would likely purchase the non-turbo variants, with lower fuel costs and a more comfortable passenger experience thanks to the reduced noise. The well to do traveller who hires someone to be a pilot, like Frank Sinatra? Again, probably not, that traveller probably really wants that drinks service and wide aisle, there’s a reason Sinatra flew on Learjets and Gulfstreams. This is the Helios Turbo RX of the air. Yes, there’s limos you can pay someone to drive and be more comfortable in, but that’s not the point. The point is that you, the rich air enthusiast, can purchase this and have a ball flying it. That high speed and all that manoeuvrability makes it amazing for the pilot who cares about having fun, the pilot who has a choice in what they fly. And for that pilot? The compromises to provide the speed and overall performance are worth it. Nobody complains that a sports car is loud, because hearing the engine is part of the fun. Nobody complains too much about the small interior, because it’s all in pursuit of performance. And just like here, it works.
Is it a rousing success, in this configuration? No. Will it be one of the most successful planes of all time? Also no. Will it make back all its costs and provide a suitable platform to expand from, or technologies to apply and use elsewhere? Absolutely, definitely, very much yes.
Troll Actually Complete Now
Here, alongside the “BetterDeals Air”, you can see all the fucks I have to give about this. I mean, what did you expect? It’s a troll, sure, but… Where’s the selling point as a product? (In the photo). Where do you expect the consumer interest in this car to be? (In the photo). Where do you expect additional writing to be? (In the photo).
Okay, well, I’ve been saving this one. I suppose this is a potential novelty gag gift as some have pointed out - apparently it exists IRL, somewhere, so what do I know? I’ll still always see Spaceballs, but still, I can somewhat forgive that.
What I can’t forgive is the fact that this is just a bad can. See, in reality, the humbled can is a marvel of invisible industrial engineering. The top of the can is designed to fit into the bottom, so you can stack them on a shelf. The characteristic rimmed edges exist for ease of manufacturing and also distribute impacts from edge-on impacts. Material use is minimised, with labels relying on simple printed sheets or directly dying the material without changing the shape. In short, the modern can is the way it is for a massive number of reasons.
This can doesn’t follow the conventional form of a can, and it doesn’t have any good reasons besides, I suppose, convenience of production. The bottom is perfectly flat, preventing any attempts to stack the cans. The top protrudes substantially above the edges - which, lacking any rims, would be very difficult to matter. Lastly, there is the label, where additional material has been used to create a squared-off, protruding mass which would make these cans difficult to arrange horizontally in addition to vertically.
Perhaps, if you had taken the time to more accurately model a can, I’d be more positive. Some sort of shape on the bottom rather than just having it be perfectly flat. Using custom textures or similar to apply an actual label rather than whatever this is… The can has seventeen fixtures, of which ten are text; this review has seventeen sentences, of which six are waxing lyrical about IRL cans. I ate the bait, didn’t I?
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Troll complete; Return to HQ
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REVIEWS PART 4.5
BOTTOMS UP
ALL REVIEWS BY @Edsel
Left: Capable Conveyor and Conveyor Bolt by @Vento. Middle: Saguaro T-REE 1190 Wagon & Eco-Wagon by @MrdjaNikolen. Right: Squirrel 130 Standard & 150TCI Tourline Optijector by @passengerpigeon
Even after the crash of ‘69, Araga was still a relatively wealthy market. People were spending conservatively, but most people (not all of course) still had money. So while many Aragans were moving downmarket, they kept their higher-class and forward thinking expectations, and appreciated when higher costs came with suitably higher value.
Also, note that 5 years of sales after the safety scare wasn’t quite enough to replenish an entire market. Even with rental companies beginning to cycle out their oldest stock, there was still far more demand than supply, making used cars hard to find and still very expensive when you did. There was a stronger-than-usual need for low cost, entry-level new cars; but on the flip side, the disparity had eased enough that people weren’t desperate anymore, and if a model wasn’t pulling its own weight, they could and would move on…
All Expenses Spared
Middle, in focus: Squirrel 130. Left, out of focus: Bazard BVL8 by @Edsel, Hakaru Carica 1200S by @Executive. Right, out of focus: Swanson 225 SF by @Ludvig, Hamfa 3000 Sedan by @Ch_Flash.
Bazard, Hakaru, Swanson, Hamfa all from ALC3.
At $5810, An entry-level Squirrel was far cheaper than last era’s Hakaru Carcia, which 60’s Aragans had regarded as very definition of shitbox. As it happened, 60’s Aragans were very, very mistaken; the Squirrel’s interior, if you could call it that, was just a bare metal box, with the minimum gauges and controls to make the thing move glued in. The only comfort you got was a weak, tinny AM radio, that you could only really hear at stoplights thanks to the lack of sound deadening. It was also one of the very few cars in all of Araga with front drum brakes, and the whole overall package was just lacking in the refinement Aragans had come to expect from a mass market manufacturer.
So things weren’t great. But the thing is, nothing was really wrong with it either. The car didn’t feel rushed, or haphazard, being a modern, monocoque hatchback with FWD and 4-wheel independent suspension. Its 1.3L engine, with the same 50hp as the rest of segment, felt spritely and agile in one of the market’s lightest cars, and even had enough extra to keep up on short highway stints (if you were willing to sacrifice your health). The handling was balanced, rust protection was adequate, safety was fair for the time, and while its build quality did give it one of the worst reliability records on the market, parts and fuel for this thing were so damn cheap that even after a few breakdowns it’d still have the lowest running costs on the market.
The Squirrel was very cheap - much too cheap and much to uncomfortable for most luxury-accustomed Aragans - but it had its act together, without the glaring mechanical flaws that’d plagued the Carcia and with notable advantages. For the poorest of Araga, especially those in cities, this made an excellent alternative to the lack of used cars they could find. The rest of Araga, however, optioned up their Squirrels a bit…
In(ter)jection
Left: Squirrel Injection. Right: Phenix Metro Twin Cam by @karhgath, Kensington 3700i Premier Saloon by @Restomod, both from ALC3
Compared to the base model, the higher end of the Squirrel’s option range wasn’t that different in its overall package, but it did include some meaningful interior upgrades to at least (somewhat) appease Aragan tastes. The top-tier tourline interior had equipment on the nicer side of budget offerings, including an 8-track port, a clearer speaker, and enough interior padding to save you from back problems. But there was one range-topping option that particularly stood out in the Squirrel lineup- a fuel injected 1.5L engine option.
Now, fuel injection wasn’t new to Araga (Nerruci had had it in the standard segment in 1965), but it still wasn’t very common, and to have it at such a low price ($8.8k) was pretty impressive. Then consider that this fuel injection- named “Optijection” by the marketing -had gifted the highest horsepower in the segment (93hp; 0.5 higher than the 2000TC) to the lightest car model in the segment; a 10.2s 0-100 allowed Optijected Squirrels to keep up just fine with most of the larger, higher-end models around it, even on highways. Oh, and it achieved that with better fuel economy, and with about the same road manners and reliability as cheaper Squirrels (not that those 2 were any good on the base squirrel, but it’s still impressive they didn’t get worse)!
Now, VME hadn’t done much else to accommodate the extra power, having no interest in making these into performance cars. Still firmly tuned for economy and usability, the excess of power was known to overwhelm its thin hard tires annoyingly often in the rain, or when turning onto a street. They did upgrade the brakes, but just to a better set of drums, while all its competitors had front discs. The high-end tech now made it outprice its competitors too, in both upfront and maintenance costs, reducing its “budget” proposition.
But overall, it was still a fairly well-rounded compact car, just now with enough power to hold its own. So despite reliability complaints, Optijected squirrels turned into a fairly steady seller among lower-middle class Aragans, especially previously-wealthier ones moving downmarket, who were willing to take the hit to ownership costs if it meant not sacrificing the performance they were used to.
Conveying Meaning
Front: Capable Conveyor Bolt. Rear: Centurion H1000 by @ldub0775 from ALC3
Running the same 2.3m wheelbase as the Squirrel, Capable’s Conveyor was one of the Squirrel’s main competitors. But even though it was released a year earlier (1970 vs 1971), the Conveyor never saw quite the same success. Priced just short of 7k, normal for the segment but a grand higher than its rival, it outwardly had a level of build quality and refinement more fitting for a large-scale market manufacturer, including a par 5-seat interior with perhaps disappointing radio speakers but an appreciated 8-track slot. Looks wise, form may have followed function to a fault here, but after all the rest of the budget segment wasn’t winning any beauty contests either; and when it came to function, the factory roof rails and durable parking bumpers were notable perks (though the door handles were mounted inconveniently low).
Yet in an inversion of the Squirrel, the Conveyor’s shortcomings were mechanical; it was an old-fashioned ladder-frame affair, with a solid rear axle and RWD. Despite equivalent tires and power to the squirrel, the heavier and less-composed chassis gave it notably worse performance all around; including the braking, which despite front discs was bad enough to earn the Conveyor Araga’s lowest ADPR of 50! 
(tied with the Kyros Nike). And while the car was plenty easy to drive at its natural city speeds, it felt washy and uncertain, and was getting to be too underpowered for the highway with a 16s 0-100. Safe to say, when it came out a year later, the Squirrel proved to be the clear superior offering overall, and conquered Capable’s market.
What kept the Conveyor from being completely secondary, though, was that it did excel in the one place VME failed: It had the 4th best reliability record in Araga, as well as some of the best rust protection, with both being the highest anywhere near its segment. Its ladder frame also made the vehicle very durable, often surviving lower-speed traffic bonks with rarely more than cosmetic damage. Having the hardiness of a truck wasn’t enough to bring widespread success, but it was at least an advantage that resonated with and retained a handful of buyers (especially on the used market, after some “events to come” later).
Oh, and the Conveyor did have a few more advantages beyond that, but those were done even better by a 3rd big player…
Cactus Jack Says: Have A Nice Day
Middle: Saguaro T-REE 1190 Wagon & EcoWagon. They’re visually identical.
Left: Ilaris Icon GT Turbo-Cabrio Coach by @shibusu for a bonus between ALC rounds. Right: Ilaris Imperial Injection S, also by Shibusu
Also introduced in 1970, the Saguaro T-REE 1190 was the biggest of the budget offerings in both cost (starting at $7.4k) and physical size, with a dated design and cartoonishly-high clearance making it clear the vehicle was here for work, not pleasure. Its body was the same rough and lacking-quality build as the Squirrel, and sported the same unibody, FWD, and 4-wheel ind. suspension layout. Its 5-seat interior was on par with Tourline Squirrels minus the 8 track port, and with some very poorly made steering and throttle controls that felt so numb and imprecise, they helped make the T-REE one of the slowest, hardest, and least pleasant to drive in all of Araga- worse than most trucks! (albeit the Conveyor wasn’t much better). Corners were also cut on the body itself, with panel gaps and seams notably worse than the competition.
In many ways, the T-REE (and the Capable to a lesser extent) was kind of like an early equivalent to a crossover. It felt like a truck to drive; but also like a truck, it dealt with rough terrain very well thanks to a softer suspension and wide, high-sidewall tires. A fairly big trunk also helped, offering a lot of space for the price, and its normally-overpowered brakes made it unexpectedly competent at light towing. Its reliability and rustproofing was not as good as the capable, but perfectly acceptable, and while it didn’t have quite the hardiness of a truck, it was one of the more utilitarian cars you could get in that regard. And it was also the safest car in the budget range…
Well ok, that last statement warrants further discussion. See, its ADPR of 70 was exactly the same as the Squirrel’s. But the T-REE had more consistent-performing front discs, and wider tires to give it a slightly better stopping distance. And also, well, it just felt safer; It was bigger, it looked bigger, it was taller, there was more metal between you and the dangers out there. It was hard for the average Aragan to test drive the dinky little Squirrel without constantly noticing how much bigger all the other cars were, and how they all seemed so fast and aggressive and scary, and how the Centurion bumper in front of them was perfectly level with their head, and how their brakes could fail in the rain and leave them helpless to stop said bumper from Optijecting itself into their skull, and- you get the point. Regardless of how empirically safer it actually was, the subjective perception of the T-REE being safer certainly helped its Aragan reputation.
So Saguaro’s T-REE wasn’t a car many people wanted, but it was a car many people needed, especially in more rural environments where compactness wasn’t as important and rough conditions were more likely. The modding scene also jumped onto it, with tire and engine swaps being particularly common (the stock engines were fine, but given the T-REE’s size were just a bit underpowered for anything more than local commuting), as well as bash bars, roof rails, rock sliders, and even a couple pioneering 4x4 attempts. The Conveyor also had some ruggedness, but unless durability was a top priority, or the buyer specifically needed BoF, RWD, or support for regular gas, the T-REE was just better at it.
There’s theoretically two models, theoretically. Saguaro offers a larger yet weaker engine in the EcoWagon, with added balancing mass and a harmonic damper to completely destroy any semblance of responsiveness left after the woeful controls. That larger engine does increase purchase price (and taxes), but gives about 15% better fuel economy. It also kills all semblance of highway performance to the point that the safety inspectors almost flagged it - but it wasn’t quite bad enough to get that score docked. Just. That’s about the only difference. It’s so minimal and moves the dial so little that it may as well not exist.
Bolt From The Blue
Front: Conveyor Bolt. Back: Somboy Sembra 1600 GTX by @Restomod and Wara Irena 2.0 SR by @AndiD, both from ALC3
(OOC note: So it turns out the Bolt doesn’t actually have a rear seating row. Just the 2 seats. But the reason why is ‘cause its one of those cases where Automation has seemingly arbitrarily decided it can only fit jump seats despite there clearly being space for a full bench, so I’ve decided not to fault it for this.)
And finally, we come to a bit of an outlier within the budget price range. The most expensive car in the segment, though still under $10k even with taxes, the Conveyor Bolt (rimshot) claimed to have converted the unpleasant-driving, truck-like economy car into a sporting hot hatch. For anyone who’d driven the original, this claim was hard to believe at first. It certainly didn’t look that different; it had a lower, fastback profile, and some tweaks to make its face just a bit less dorky (that really should’ve been there on the main car too), but the way its trim level had been labelled like a filing cabinet was a bit embarrassing to be seen with.
Yet to everyone’s surprise, it… actually did it. Fitted with high end tires and a 1.6L making 82hp, the Bolt could get to 100 in exacty 10 seconds- as fast as possible without taxes - and now boasted handling and grip far ahead of any normal car (and even most luxury cars). While it could never compete with a real sports car, the Bolt’s well balanced and forgiving tune, with R&P steering and a very-slightly loose end, made it quite a hoot to chuck around. Capable had also hiked the quality of its interior materials for a much sportier feel. And yes, they’d done all this while keeping the car practical, drivable, and best of all, reliab- Oh, the pistons just exploded.
Yeah, uh, in a disappointing smear on Capable’s otherwise excellent reliability record, it turned out the engine’s pistons couldn’t actually handle the stress of full power, with many shattering within months of leaving the dealership. Also, the way they’d gotten a solid rear axle to have such balanced handling had been via staggering its tires, which inflated repair costs. On paper, it cost no more to fuel and service than a 2000TC (more on that later), but the mods necessary to make it any good, plus the kind of abuse youthful performance cars are often subjected to, inflated this car’s actual cost of ownership a lot. Still, the Bolt was selling in a blue ocean, being the only car on the market even trying to make a practical performance car for the masses, which gave it a bit of job security.
The only car truly anywhere near it was VME’s Optijected Squirrel, which made more power and similar acceleration figures for slightly less cost. But the Squirrel wasn’t hot - it was just a regular Squirrel, given caffeine - and it too would require significant mods to have any proper performance. So ultimately, those who wanted a sporty and practical daily had 2 choices - take a good car and make it fast, or a fast car and make it good. The Squirrel was cheaper, had the lighter unibody, made more power, and was empirically more sensible, but the Bolt had RWD, was a way better driver’s car out the box, and (other than the piston issue) came with Capable’s best-in-class reliability & build quality- remember, VME had the worst. Araga’s tuning scene never reached a consensus about which car was better; but enjoyed the excuse for some “friendly competition” regardless.
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