Hey, the point if the challenge was to make it look expensive without being so.You hit the nail on the head there.
The Allure felt to me like the base model of something like a GT86 or Miata; something which, beyond what’s needed to make it sporty, would be as sparsely appointed as an economy car (like the Versa). So while the Wells from last time seemed as barren as a gokart, this one was at least nice enough that it felt it could mostly exist stock.
"Alright, so… here’s the part that most people usually start with. Is the car useful for anything? How many people can it hold, and how accessible are the cabins and trunks?
I mean, It’s not like I’ll frequently need to drive people around in this thing. But at the same time, I’m investing just about all the money I have into it; I should make a point to get as most useful a car as possible."
2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP – 58.9
“Wow. I thought the Everest would be the best here, but this one just barely beats it out. This car has 5 seats in a large, spacious interior, and despite it’s sporting modifications it’s high enough off the ground to make it easy to enter and exit.
What sets it ahead from the Everest, though, is that the fact that it isn’t as tall; the trunk and cabin a lot more accessible, at least to me. Though to the Everest’s credit, it is more spacious, and has a slightly higher load capacity; gosh, these things are almost equal in practicality. But the Stockholm just slightly wins out."
2012 Allure Chiroptera - 27.8
"This one, I have to say, also surprises me. I mean yes, it’s a 2-seater car, but so is the Cirrus; and that car is a smaller convertible!
But it turns out that extra size is an illusion; while the overall Allure car is bigger, its cabin space is actually somewhat smaller, since most of the Allure’s space is dedicated to that long hood and other mechanical stuff, while the European Cirrus seems to value compactness a lot more.
Now, to its credit, the Allure does have a couple of advantages, like higher load capacity; it and the Cirrus are about as close as the Stockholm and Everest. But again, this is the one that manages to stand out at the worst."
| Position | Car | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP | 10.0 |
| 2 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer | 9.9 |
| 3 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport | 8.4 |
| 4 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 | 8.3 |
| 5 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 | 6.9 |
| 6 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E | 6.9 |
| 7 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 | 4.7 |
| 8 | 2005 Regal Vedette | 4.6 |
| 9 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC | 4.5 |
| 10 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG | 3.8 |
| 11 | 2000 Armor Mojave | 2.8 |
| 12 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus | 0.1 |
| 13 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera | 0.0 |
| Position | Car | Current Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera (@DuceTheTruth100) | 43.0 | ±0 |
| 2 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP (@Odyssey_Fan) | 40.1 | +2 |
| 3 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 (@Texaslav) | 39.9 | ±0 |
| 4 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG (@Ludvig) | 38.7 | -2 |
| 5 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer (@Hilbert) | 34.2 | +4 |
| 6 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 (@FidleDo) | 33.8 | +2 |
| 7 | 2000 Armor Mojave (@GassTiresandOil) | 31.9 | -2 |
| 8 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport (@interior) | 30.5 | +2 |
| 9 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC (@Knugcab) | 30.2 | -2 |
| 10 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus (@mart1n2005) | 26.7 | -4 |
| 11 | 2005 Regal Vedette (@karhgath) | 22.6 | ±0 |
| 12 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 (@SheikhMansour) | 14.8 | ±0 |
| 13 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E (@BannedByAndroid) | 12.1 | ±0 |
Next up: Drivability. Is Isabel even capable of controlling your car?
Well I still am because I have roof racks.
Yes, but the Stockholm had the massive spoiler whose only use may be as a luggage rack.
Edsel and his supercharged copy-paste errors xD
Now we see an interesting sprint to the finish. The Stockholm’s chances are looking very good indeed!
Uh oh, what’d I do this time? -_-
“Cheapest-to-service car”. There’s just a bunch of those (or at least there was) where you didn’t change out all the stats
Hey, at least it’s not with the score numbers themselves! (I think) :D
Ackshually… I would like my “impressive” 3,8 points added to the total please. 
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Both my car and the Allure will have poor driveability and comfort, which would give your Waldersee a good shot at winning.
"Y’know, one thing that’s just occurred to me; some of these cars are more work to drive than others.
I notice this because, well, I’m not really a good driver. Like, well I’m not bad or anything, but heck I only have 6 months experience. I still don’t feel very comfortable turning left on a four-lane road, I don’t want to worry about, like, shifting, or losing traction while I do it!
No, I want something that’s accessible, and easy. I want to be able to just focus on external problems, not internal ones as well."
2005 Fowler Rand 211AG – 68.6
“Yeah, this one is definitely the best. For a car that tall and skinny, it honestly handles pretty well on its own, with no real risk of rollover or anything. It’s got AWD, so I don’t have to worry about losing traction, and an automatic gearbox so I don’t have to worry about shifting; and it’s one of the only cars here to have a full-fledged ESC system. Also, the fact that it’s so tall really helps, it means I can see a bit better; not much better, really, but hell I’ll take all I can get.
I mean its not perfect; the suspension tune is a bit soft and suboptimal for example, compared to something like the Regal. But that’s just nitpicking at this point, honestly. This car really just has about everything."
2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport - 37.4
"RWD. Manual. Oversteer-prone. Rear-Biased Brakes. Yeah…
Now, okay, this thing isn’t a complete disaster; the suspension’s actually pretty good. The car also has traction control, which helps alleviate some of the problems with RWD and the oversteer; and plus, the oversteer it faces is really the fun, sports car type of oversteer, not the really-dangerous terminal type.
But still… that’s a lot of oversteer. And the brake balance is way off, so that every stop is like a handbrake turn. And I have to shift it manually, and worry extra when snow falls and stuff. And honestly… these are all things that, really, I don’t want to have to worry about. Not in general, and especially not at my skill level"
| Position | Car | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG | 10.0 |
| 2 | 2005 Regal Vedette | 8.9 |
| 3 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 | 6.9 |
| 4 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E | 6.8 |
| 4 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 | 6.8 |
| 4 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer | 6.8 |
| 7 | 2000 Armor Mojave | 6.7 |
| 10 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 | 5.4 |
| 8 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus | 5.3 |
| 9 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC | 4.5 |
| 11 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera | 2.5 |
| 12 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP | 0.9 |
| 13 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport | 0.0 |
| Position | Car | Current Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG (@Ludvig) | 48.7 | +3 |
| 2 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 (@Texaslav) | 46.7 | +1 |
| 3 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera (@DuceTheTruth100) | 45.5 | -2 |
| 4 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP (@Odyssey_Fan) | 41.0 | -2 |
| 4 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer (@Hilbert) | 41.0 | +1 |
| 6 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 (@FidleDo) | 40.7 | ±0 |
| 7 | 2000 Armor Mojave (@GassTiresandOil) | 38.6 | ±0 |
| 8 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC (@Knugcab) | 32.8 | +1 |
| 9 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus (@mart1n2005) | 32.0 | +1 |
| 10 | 2005 Regal Vedette (@karhgath) | 31.5 | +1 |
| 11 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport (@interior) | 30.5 | -3 |
| 12 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 (@SheikhMansour) | 23.0 | ±0 |
| 13 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E (@BannedByAndroid) | 18.9 | ±0 |
Next up: Comfort. Does Isabel even want to be inside your car?
To those who have already seen those last results, turns out the score error with the Fowler Rand from last round carried over to this round, and it was erroneously placed in 3rd overall instead of 1st where it belongs.
Final results still on the way… :D
I can see the Ritter tailgating me, well actually it’s so close I can only see the roof.
Back to medium points this last round I expect, between the solid rear axle, donkalicious wheels and no-frills interior on the Fowler.
Ah yes, cower in fear of my multi-link!
Seriously though, this competition’s been a rollercoaster. May the best man win!
"Alright, I’ve kept noticing and thinking about this on every car this whole time, I have to dedicate a category to this: comfort. Like, I’m gonna be using this every day if I can, and there are some things I’m seeing that I just don’t feel like putting up with every day.
Though maybe more importantly, I have to acknowledge that someday I may want to drive a friend. …Well, I probably won’t, since they all have their own cars. But the possibility is still there. And while yeah, they’re not going to be studying the interior like a contest judge, if the interior and ride quality is noticeably bad by their standards- and their standards are so very friggin high -then all the work I’ve done in buying this car could be completely and utterly negated!"
2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer – 44.2
“My… you really forget how old and ugly this car is once you actually get inside it.
So to start, this thing has some of the best quality interior appointments of any car here already, and it’s still in fine condition. It’s suspension is also very soft the way you’d expect from a luxury car, and- something which is impressive now, let alone then - it has adaptive dampers, and active sway bars! (well, not fully active I guess, but still-)
The fact that it has really nice tires also helps it- oh. ah… right, I just got out and looked at it again.
…right, I think I would struggle to get my friends inside that car. B-but yeah, right, whatever, coolness already took care of the outside. Yes it’s one of the worst cars for my image from the exterior, but what matters now is that from the inside, it’s the best."
2012 Allure Chiroptera - 10.1
"Wow, this has consistently been one of the most extreme cars here. It’s always either the best, or it’s the worst, it doesn’t know how to do the middle.
Well unfortunately, here, it’s the worst, and to aid comparison it just so happens to be parked right next to the best too. To start, this thing has one of the most basic, barren interiors here; in fact, even though it’s condition is just fine, it might even be the worst. Then there’s the suspension, which is, well, hard, and sporty, and not very good with bumps. The fact that it’s a manual also isn’t helping its case much.
Now, all that makes sense. It’s a cheap sports car. It’s supposed to be hard, and simple, and shedded of features, that’s the point. But it’s just not the point I’m after."
| Position | Car | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer | 10.0 |
| 2 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 | 8.8 |
| 3 | 2005 Regal Vedette | 7.8 |
| 4 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 | 7.3 |
| 5 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 | 7.1 |
| 6 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E | 6.7 |
| 7 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG | 6.2 |
| 8 | 2000 Armor Mojave | 5.1 |
| 9 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport | 5.1 |
| 10 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP | 5.0 |
| 11 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC | 3.6 |
| 12 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus | 2.5 |
| 13 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera | 0.0 |
| Position | Car | Current Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 (@Texaslav) | 55.5 | +1 |
| 2 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG (@Ludvig) | 54.9 | -1 |
| 3 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer (@Hilbert) | 51.0 | +1 |
| 4 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 (@FidleDo) | 47.8 | +1 |
| 5 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP (@Odyssey_Fan) | 46.0 | -1 |
| 6 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera (@DuceTheTruth100) | 45.5 | -3 |
| 7 | 2000 Armor Mojave (@GassTiresandOil) | 43.7 | ±0 |
| 8 | 2005 Regal Vedette (@karhgath) | 39.3 | +2 |
| 9 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC (@Knugcab) | 36.4 | -1 |
| 10 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport (@interior) | 35.6 | +1 |
| 11 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus (@mart1n2005) | 34.5 | -2 |
| 12 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 (@SheikhMansour) | 30.3 | ±0 |
| 13 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E (@BannedByAndroid) | 25.6 | ±0 |
| Position | Car | Current Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer (@Hilbert) | 50.0 | +2 |
| 2 | 2007 Waldersee Ritter RK2300 (@Texaslav) | 47.6 | -1 |
| 3 | 2005 Fowler Rand 211AG (@Ludvig) | 44.8 | -1 |
| 4 | 2007 Vaughn Firebolt GTC (@Knugcab) | 37.4 | +5 |
| 5 | 2000 Armor Mojave (@GassTiresandOil) | 36.6 | +2 |
| 6 | 2006 Stockholm 130CFBSP (@Odyssey_Fan) | 34.9 | -1 |
| 7 | 2005 Regal Vedette (@karhgath) | 33.1 | +1 |
| 8 | 1997 Lazurus DTX 3200E (@BannedByAndroid) | 32.5 | +5 |
| 9 | 2012 Allure Chiroptera (@DuceTheTruth100) | 32.5 | -3 |
| 10 | 2010 Matterhorn Scout 2.5 (@FidleDo) | 31.7 | -6 |
| 11 | 2008 Courageux Cirrus (@mart1n2005) | 29.5 | ±0 |
| 12 | 2006 Schnell 1.8 Sport (@interior) | 28.5 | -2 |
| 13 | 2006 Rosewood Sunbelt V8 (@SheikhMansour) | 24.6 | -1 |
This scoreboard is based on spreadsheet calculations
This makes the 2000 Allen Mount Everest Tourer the empirically best car here; the one Isabel would likely have chosen had her image not been important to her.
Isabel has bought the Ritter, and has taken it to show her friends. She wanted them to think it was a gift from her rich parents, but they found out anyway that she bought it; and as it turned out, the fact that she was independent enough to buy her own car was far more impressive to them than anything the car itself could be.
She went over to tell Dad her choice, and the two of them signed the necessary paperwork together.
“Good choice, the Ritter.” Dad said, as he filled out her end. “It’s what I would’ve wanted, too.”
“Sorry?”
“As in, if I were gonna get you a car, I would’ve gotten that one. It’s the most sensible one.”
Dad smiled at her with pride, and not wanting to seem unappreciative, she smiled back. Inside, though, she began to panic that, if what she’d bought was appealing to him, perhaps she had gotten the completely wrong car.
But no, no it was the right one. She’d assessed all the cars, and it was definitely the best for her needs.
That is what she kept trying to tell herself as she drove towards the get-together. This was the first time, in fact, that she’d driven it since she took it home on Thursday; the papers from the sale were even still sitting on the passenger seat.
Thinking back, the Ritter hadn’t been the most luxurious, or the most flashy, or the newest… Honestly, if she was gonna go the sensible route she should’ve just gotten the Allen. Or no, she should’ve focused on looks alone, and gone with the Matterhorn. Or wait, maybe the Regal?-
Come on, she said to her self. Stop panicking; The Waldersee was the right car. its far too late to go back now, so the Ritter has to be the right one…
…
Reaching the end of the driveway, she saw the field where everyone was pulling in; Caleb’s CTS, Madelyn’s A5, Rafa’s Encore, Crystal’s XC70, and many more were all here, already starting to form a grid facing a screen on the far end of the lawn. Tony’s Dad had also put up signs instructing kids how to park, and advising everyone to stay 6ft away from each other (that last tip seemed to go largely ignored, however).
Tony, who’d been talking to Caleb and Rafa near the entrance, noticed her car pulling in and went over to greet her. Preparing to show off the car, Isabel rolled down the windows on both sides.
“Oh, hey Isabel. Is this your new car?”
“Yeah!”
“Dang, alright! I like the color.” By this point, several other students had noticed her arrival, and were crowding around the car.
“So what year is this?” asked Rafa. “2000? 2001?”
Isabel, who wanted to play up the car as much as possible, felt somewhat annoyed. “It’s, uh… 2010, I think.”
“2007, it says. Also, holy crap Isabel, you bought this yourself!?”
Isabel looked over in surprise to see that Caleb, impulsive as he often was, had reached in her window and grabbed her sales records off the passenger seat. “Dude, what the hell! Put that down, don’t look at it!!”
Most of the other kids sided with Isabel here, and helped convince Caleb to put the papers down; but the truth about the purchase was already out.
“Man, you own your own car? …lucky!”
“Bruh, I wish I could choose my own car. The Volvo my parents got is ugly AF.”
“Yeah, I hate Buicks. I-it’s literally, like, an uglier and overpriced version of what I wanted. But ‘meh, safety features!’”
“God, Mom won’t even let me have the keys. I have to ask every time I want to go somewhere. It sucks!”
“My parents are the same way! Like, they’re always whining about how ‘we pay the insurance’ and ‘we pay the gas’ and I can’t even go to Dairy Joy unless they give me money. Like just screw off!”
“I wish I had my own money. To just, hang out and not have to put up with their BS and crap.”
“Yeah, that’d be awesome. Like, then I could actually buy something I wanted, like…”
The conversation drifted off, with the students generally in awe and envy that someone their age might have the financial independence to buy something of their own, let alone a car. As for Isabel, she sat there a bit stunned; after all her work to exaggerate how much money she had, that Caleb had seen the sales documents anyway, including the price in big bold letters …and yet that wasn’t what stood out to him?
Congratulations to the Waldersee Ritter for its rather close win, and thanks to all participants for a super diverse and close lineup, and a really fun challenge!
Thanks @Edsel for another super fun challenge. That car for me sparked a lot of inspiration. Congratulations to @Texaslav as well bro, good win bro.
Congratulations! Great round!
Well hell, guess I got it. Good round, very suspenseful.
I think the Waldersee was the more elegant solution to the brief, even beyond the score.
Nice how Isabel’s fears were subverted in the end. Writing, format and fun facts much appreciated.
Congrats @Texaslav , will there be a CW5 at some point?
This series isn’t serialized in the same way as most other challenges - it just pops up whenever somebody tries to run it - but if @Edsel wants we can change that. Either way, I probably won’t be the CW5 host, but it will happen at some point. Maybe you can do one!
