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?
(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.
