Berlau, February 1996
The first episode is already in the filming process, and Walkowski quickly trashes Rainer Sordels Baumhaber. For the second episode (it´s a two parter, so filming has to be asap) Mike and Johannes invited actor Zbiginiew Mandroki who plays Harald “Dirty Harry” Walkowski.
ZM: AAAH, NICE! That does not really fit Walkowski, but I like it. An excellent design! Perfect. I want that!
MM: Noo, Zbiginiew, the car has awful reliability. It even stalled when performing hard test driving before it sucked the tank empty, which it also does quickly. It is quite fast, and the sound from the small high-revving V12 reminds me of a swarm of angry bees, but no. I even wonder why they install cheap hubcaps over aluminium rims. Propably to let it look more unsuspicious, and yeah, with that bland color, it really works well for our purposes. But the Tio Eagle oversteers bad and is not tough enough for stunt driving.
“A shame”, said Johannes, pointing towards a silver car that they all feel familiar with and don´t know why.
MM: That´s a Samir 2.8i. Also oversteering terribly, but a skilled driver can catch it on this icy surface. Rear brakes have too much force, the safety is questionable although not too bad, and it is not even riding really firm despite the oversteer. The ride comfort is overall on the positive side. It is quite cheap for its performance and the reliability seems alright. It is not a bad car, but feels unrefined in the details.
ZM: The looks are alright, but honestly a bit boring. I would say it does fit in general, but does not reflect Harrys character to well.
Johannes sighed. “Well, there are three more. What about the white one?”
ZM: The IP Royal Vagant looks elegant and rugged at the same time. I like it and I think, it fits Harry quite well. It is not mainstream in our area but blends in well.
MM: For an IP, that´s quite a sum they want! But it is better than the Samir in most aspects. Economy is good, and the comfort is also really a pleasure. A really sporty feel is something I looked for without success, but it is capable of acceptable cornering.
“So this is considered”, stated Johannes, pointing over to a giant flunder.
ZM: Whoa! That´s quite a car! It has that kind of commanding presence but is free of ornate stuff. It is an older model, fortunately. Swanson doesnt make them anymore like they used to. That indicator placement on the side! Pure art! Also the rear, very strict, but other than their new models, the angled shapes work well together. I would put it at the same level as the IP.
MM: For a hint less, the IP is faster. I am not surprised considering how huge this thing is. The handling is better than that of the IP, but it does not feel equally comfortable. As typical for a Swanson, it did handle all the sick stuff I did with it when I brought it here. I agree with Zbiginiew, we should take this to the next round.
“Good”, said Johannes. “Only one left.”
MM: It is a weird car. It handles like a shoebox since it is an SUV with horse carriage suspension, but with that being street-tuned and RWD only make it quite useless offroad. In the muddy snow it disappointed me while the Swanson made it through effortless. The 2 liter turbo engine made me wonder if it is as good as an inline six in terms of reliability and performance, but ACR managed to build it very solid. It is not slow for what it is, I think it is at 100 kph after 8,5 seconds. But I wait with the last thing until Zbiginiew told us what the thinks.
ZM: It really fits Walkowski. A rugged but not too rough appearance, it could be more comfortable but overall it makes a very consistent and well-thought-out vehicle. No nonsense, but also no blandness.
MM: Then it`s also one round further! It is dirt cheap, even noticeably cheaper than the Samir.
[OOC:] Again an interessing quintet. Three cars are very close to each other and I can´t quite decide yet, but two are out.
First one is the Samir 2.8i by @conan . Not a bad car and a 3 Series clone is generally alright in cop shows, but it lacks refinement.
Although the design of the Tio Eagle by @DrDoomD1scord recieves 11 from 10 points, it might not really fit Walkowskis character and the shortcomings in economy, price and reliability are killing it. The Zephorus for Batimus by @riley managed to be miles better at drivability and reliability for a lower price.
The Swanson 537 NP by @Ludvig impresses like the 425 with excellent driving characteristics. But I feel like it is hampered by the huge size. On the other hand, the design is more harmonic than that of the smaller and newer one.
The ACR Vea Pen…, eh, Fenis by @shibusu is a bold move as an SUV. The engineering seems cheesy for
archieving better stats at the first look, but it all works well together. However, a turbo engine in such a car in 1996 seems… Nah, this is a game, not reality. It´s fine and fits Walkowski like an oily working glove.
The IP by @knugcab has about the same strenghts as the Saarland: An ultra-realistic design being exactly what a real life police officer would propably use. Impressive performance, but mediocre sportiness, however what helps it is the fact unlike for Batimus, Walkowski is offered cars with generally lower sportiness except for the Tio which broke down.
