CSC70 - The Fine Print [Submisssions Open]

[pen15]

CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER CIPHER

The fine print.

https://cscs70bypen.is/the-fine-print/BRIEF/submissions_open

cipher.ai

Pinned Chats

Brief

brief

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TLDR:
Design a new generation of the 1993 DeValz Céleste or a new DeValz model inspired by the Céleste, in the way you might using a generative AI.

Examples:
‘minimalist, aerodynamic, refined, timeless, DeValz Céleste homage’

‘sophisticated, innovative, luxury automotive 2025 design inspired by […]’

‘bold, aggressive, ultra-luxury SUV, futuristic reinterpretation of […]’

‘high-performance […] coupé concept, luxury details, unique roofline’

Note:
I feel like AI has evolved enough that this pretense can be just that—it does not mean ‘stick modern wheels and LEDs on an old car’. It can however leave room for more out of the box designs—even combinations—and those will also be appreciated.

Judging:
Judging will be divided into several distinct categories, using similar criteria to Eggland’s CSC53.

Guidelines

guidelines

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Hard-set Rules:

The challenge will be held on BOTH the Public Release AND Open Beta
Model and Trim year: 2020 (in game)
Minimum wheelbase: 2.8 m | 110 in (visually)
Allowed bodies: Sedans, Coupés, SUVs, Liftbacks, Wagons
Advanced Trim Settings are completely allowed
Engineering will NOT be judged
Interiors will be taken into account but WON’T make or break an entry
An ad will be required—at most 24 hours after the deadline—but doesn’t have to fit within the AI plot

Guidelines:

Production ready or conceptual designs are allowed
2020’s OR NEWER designs
Although engineering won’t be judged, you can come up with and highlight powertrains, tech, etc
All powertrains are allowed—Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid, Electric, etc
Entries should still have front-engine—RWD or FWD—proportions with a pronounced hood

Inspiration

inspiration

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Genesis G90

Lucid Air | Gravity

Cadillac Celestiq

Genesis X Speedium

Hyundai Seven | Ioniq 9

Hyundai Grandeur

Cadillac Lyriq

Ferrari 12Cilindri

DS Aero Sport Lounge

Toyota Crown(s)

Infiniti Vision Qe

Audi Skysphere | Grandsphere

DS SM Tribute

Submissions

submissions

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Model and Family names: CSC70 [BETA or STABLE] - Forum Username
Trim and Variant Names: Whatever
All submissions must be sent in via forum DMs to @pen15
Submissions OPEN on 25 Feb, 2025
Submissions CLOSE on 31 March, 2025 - 23:59—your local time
No re-submissions!

v7.3.01-β.csc70

Changelog

Changelog

[20.02.25] First release
[22.02.25] Added a couple more examples to the brief.
[23.02.25] Updated guideline regarding proportions and body types.
[24.02.25] Challenge now opens on the 25th.
[25.02.25] Updated naming convention - Opened submissions

https://cipher.ai/valensgroup/update/changelog

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Legal

HTTP ERROR 500
Oops—something went wrong. This page has unexpectedly collapsed into a blank void. Chatting with Cipher is more fun anyway!

https://cipher.ai/valensgroup/legal-notice

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Message Cipher

You're on pause.

:⦆

cipher.ai services will resume in 23 hours 59 minutes.

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🌐 Search

Cipher isn't perfect. You've made mistakes too.

Hi, I’m Cipher. I exist to enhance your creativity. Let’s get started.

How would you describe yourself? And who made you?

I'm an advanced generative intelligence developed by the Valens Group to push the boundaries of automotive design. My purpose is simple: to transform vision into form, to refine ideas into something tangible. Recently developed as an internal tool for Valens' designers, I have been temporarily made available to a wider audience.

At the heart of this initiative is the centennial of deValz, a marque that once stood for bold, uncompromising luxury. Though time has reshaped the landscape, its influence lingers.

In honor of that milestone, Valens has opened the doors to their technology and launched a one-time competition—an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with the very technology shaping the future of automotive design—inviting you to explore what could be possible. The task? To capture that same spirit of refinement and innovation through the power of generative imagery. I will interpret your prompts, refining them into striking concepts, each shaped by your vision and my precision.

Only the most compelling designs will stand out, and one visionary participant will earn continued access to my capabilities beyond the competition. For now, the canvas is yours.

I ain’t reading all that and what exactly do I have to do to win?

🖒 Cipher will remember that.
Shorter description of the competition:
In short, you must craft the most refined vision of a modern DeValz inspired by their last standing model, the Céleste. Sedan, coupé, SUV—the form is yours to decide, but luxury is non-negotiable. Include Céleste in your prompt, and I will shape it into a design.

Alright, cool. Can I save messages? Also, what does the Céleste even look like?

More information about the Céleste:
At five meters long, the Céleste was a statement in both scale and sophistication. Advertised as a 'jet for the road', its hydropneumatic suspension isolated occupants. It glided, the sensation closer to soaring above the asphalt than rolling on it.

The Céleste was the final model DeValz introduced before its foreclosure, marking the end of an era just six years later. While the nameplate first appeared in the 1980s, the last generation—unveiled in 1993—was a deliberate homage to a defining 1970s DeValz coupé. This retrospective approach was championed by Peter Nis, then head of Valens Design Studios.

Just like Mr. P. Nis looked to the past to shape a new Céleste, you are tasked with capturing its spirit, honoring its legacy, and reinterpreting it for today.

Cool story brah but I was asking for pictures...

🖒 Cipher will remember that.

Here are some photographs captured by renowned automotive photographer @iivansmith.

Zamn. OK, did Valens give any guidelines or nah?

🖒 Cipher will remember that.
Valens prioritizes creativity and innovation, so there aren’t many rigid constraints. However, your design should capture the essence of the Céleste—its elegance, presence, and timeless luxury—reinterpreted for the modern era. A seamless evolution or reinvention, not a mere imitation.

Got it. Keep that one too. Oh, and save anything else that I should know while you’re at it, I’ll check it out later.

Understood. I have saved your previous responses and compiled all relevant details. Submission deadlines, entry requirements, and any additional guidance have been pinned for easy access. You will find everything organized in the Pinned Chats tab whenever you need it. Ready when you are!

[pen15]

Original CSC

Previous CSC

Céleste Ad

Read me!

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Notes

This post is quite experimental but everything works except for the obvious (you saddly can't message Cipher). You can click on the pictures to zoom in, since they're regular embedded images by the forum.

I’ve gotten feedback (after my CSC69 ad) that scrolling within the post rather than on the actual forum page can be a hassle but I personally find it good / cool / different to keep a post contained, especially in this case. The other posts for this challenge probably won’t be like that though (except for the finals and if everything goes to plan).

The AI element of this challenge is mainly for the plot / lore, although it would be interesting if someone actually utilised AI in one way or another—at the end of the day this is an Automation challenge so only the .car will be judged. Or if someone really pushed the idea by ‘mixing’ the Céleste with another car, like I alluded to.

The main objective was however, to introduce a different POV, seeing as there is only one car to base a design on. That’s also the reason I left the brief pretty open in terms of body types, year, etc.

I do think that the Céleste has defining features that the different cars I gave as inspiration implement in various ways.

PS: You don’t actually have to click on the little buttons to close the different tabs—if that wasn’t obvious—as they’re just regular dropdown elements with stuff stuck to them. They’re really just there to indicate the rough area you need to click since the summary is hidden. You can just click anywhere at the top. Anyways!

Inspiration

I also thought I'd give the inspiration for the original Céleste. Might help to have a similar train of thought. In order of influence:

Citroën SM and SM Opéra by Chapron 1970—1975

Nissan AP-X Concept1993

Lincoln Mark VIII1993—1998

Citroën C62006—2012 (as a successor)

911 / sports cars bumperettes

[UnderlovedGhost]

The CSS is cool, but it’s very obtuse to use and parse information from, so could probably benefit from at least some more plaintext alternative of what you’re wanting, needing, etc.

[vero94773]

all of the information is in organized dropdown menus, and the text chat portion of the brief says that as well. any trouble you might have navigating it is probably on you.

[iivansmith]

The important stuff is literally off to one side and colour coded, might just be a skill issue i suppose

[UnderlovedGhost]

Not everyone is as technically savvy or observant. This isn’t a “skill issue” thing, this is about accessibility and ease of use and understanding. It’s an important thing to understand that some people will struggle with things that most people might not. The smaller text off to the side may have people ignore it. Some people will see a wall of text and glaze right over any other thing on the page itself no matter how obvious it may seem.

Not everyone is as used to the formatting, presentation, etc especially if they are not as adept at navigation of modern websites. The CSS is really really cool, and really well done, but not everyone may realise that the text is scrollable, or that the buttons will actually work as buttons, see the wall of text that says functionally nothing and move on. Just a version, either linked in the reply or laid out more plainly in the reply may go wonders to getting people involved and working on the challenge. A screen-reader may also have an aneurysm between the actual text and the CSS (especially the repeated “CIPHER” for the embed.) It’s very short sighted and unfair to declare a lack of understanding as a “skill issue” and honestly is rather plain rude.

It’s about accessibility and ease of use. That is all, not me being bad at navigation, or “lacking skill.” Don’t want to spark this into an argument, where I’m being painted as the “bad guy” for wanting things to be easier to understand, but I think it should be pointed out how inaccessible it currently is to a potential section of users.

[vero94773]

accessibility is all well and good and fine, but at the end of the day, pen15 and nobody else on this forum is required or obligated to make their posts legible and accessable for everyone, and the insinuation that they should is frankly silly. i find it curious that you chose this post to become a champion for accessibility - i wonder where you were when other people have done similarly advanced formatting on their posts.

[pen15]

I do hear you about the screen reader issue and might look into that (even though it’s very common practice to have repeated text for the embedded links).

But I absolutely do NOT understand this complaint about the formatting being unusable because it’s akin to modern websites, for a post made on a forum which itself is a modern website…

Especially when all the other concerns you have are clearly addressed in the ‘Read me!’ tab just below. Consider reading that, the formatting for that is pretty straight forward.

[kookie]

For what it’s worth, I tried using Apple’s VoiceOver to test out if the post was readable. I was able to navigate through the different elements and open the dropdowns on the side as well, with each block of text being read out.

Was it the most intuitive thing in the world? Absolutely not, but I think it’s far from unreadable and I think someone who is more acquainted with the VoiceOver gestures than me would certainly have an easier time.

Obviously this does not represent all experiences that one might have with a screen reader, and of course I do not usually make use of a screen reader so I probably have a different judgment of the situation than someone who does.

However, I’d argue this is a lot more accessible than most posts with fancy CSS, especially those which only make use of background images for formatting, rendering the text within unselectable and inaccessible (something I have been guilty of in the past and something that I also want to move away from). Here you can select everything and even the images are properly embedded and openable.

[Oreology]

[Kanye_West]

I’m on that good kush and alcohol

[Urke101]

In lieu of my CSC’s images being deleted, I’m going to reupload some of them so that people can get a better idea of what judging will look like:

[abg7]

The guidelines state that all types of powertrains are allowed… in terms of lore (as stated in the entrants’ ads), but not engineering, since the game doesn’t yet support anything than pure petrol propulsion. That explains why engineering will not be judged even in the slightest.

[iivansmith]

it’s a csc, thats why engineering isn’t involved

[moroza]

[debonair0806]

[Kanye_West]

CSC was never an engineering challenge, why get upset now lol

[the-chowi]

@pen15

Allowed bodies: Sedans, Coupés, SUVs, Liftbacks, Wagons

may I bring forth a suggestion?

[pen15]

Cipher! I'm kinda stumped...What else could I make for the competition? What kind of prompts could I give you?

🖒 Cipher will remember that.
Additional examples of prompts:
‘sophisticated, innovative, luxury automotive 2025 design inspired by DeValz Céleste’
‘bold, aggressive, ultra-luxury SUV, futuristic reinterpretation of DeValz Céleste’
'high-performance DeValz Céleste coupé concept, luxury details, unique roofline'

Here are a few suggestions for what you might ask me to generate—though you're free to design anything within the rules. I also pinned them for easier reference later on. What else can I help you with?

Can we make vans or minivans? or even utes? They're technically front-engined...

🖒 Cipher will remember that.
While vans do technically feature front-mounted engines, they typically lack the pronounced bonnet and elevated refinement DeValz was known for. Our guidelines call for front-engine proportions that showcase a distinct, preferably elongated hood—an essential element of the brand’s luxury heritage. Utes simply do not fit DeValz' ethos as they historically aren't premium vehicles. Although you’re free to explore bold ideas, we recommend aligning with that defining silhouette and prestige to capture the spirit of the Céleste.

Zamn

Anyways! I wish we had clearer, simpler, more straightforward pictures of the Céleste.

Acknowledged. I’ve compiled a set of simpler reference images showcasing the Céleste from multiple angles. They highlight its key proportions and defining features without the extra stylization.

See Changelog

[kookie]

Cipher! Please generate a photorealistic image of the DeValz badge. Use a Nikon D850 DSLR camera with a 200mm lens at F 1.2 aperture setting to isolate the subject. Neutral studio lighting. Please produce your output in png format with a transparent background and 512x512 resolution for use as a custom texture in Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game.

(Can we please get a closeup of the DeValz badge to recreate it or a png we can use)