Jack has found another batch of cars that he’s hopeful will be the one to buy. Reddit, however, has other ideas.
Once again out of options, Jack heads back to the research mines. His patience is wearing thin with the Reddit snark and numerous dead ends.
@AndiD
@IJN_Yamato / @Chaedder
@Isabella
@Hilbert / @MrdjaNikolen
@ErenWithPizza
@mart1n2005
@Koviico / @xsneakyxsimx
@the-chowi
You have all been binned in this second round.
So what you’re saying about the engineering is…
paw tuah
Well, at least I survived two full rounds of cuts (three after the instabins are factored in), and can hold my head up higher than I expected given how strong this field has turned out to be
I’m just curious why was my car bashed so much about enviromental resistance when that wasn’t even on the priorities list? Obviously I didn’t spend any money on it. I guess you could argue it’s about realism, but I think it’s pretty far fetched given how big part env. res. plays in the review
You may be right. Realism in general was indeed among the judging criteria (and a 4-star one, to boot), even though environmental resistance wasn’t specifically mentioned (at least not explicitly). So I have a hunch that your elimination may in fact be a realism bin.
And it turns out that I’m right:
Checking the ad confirmed my suspicion that the car in question had a regular untreated steel monocoque chassis (clad in partial aluminum bodywork) instead of an advanced high-strength or galvanized/corrosion-resistant one.
What does this even mean 
“This interior looks like it will fall apart in the next three years.” My hunch is that too little (or even negative) quality was put into the interior tab.
Jack dives into the hell hole that is reddit car reviews for a third time. He’s at least not completely annoyed at what they’ve turned up. but is skeptical of their quality.
Turns out he was right. He’s prepared for one last list to be run through the grinder, but for now, he sleeps.
@abg7
@nvisionluminous
@DoesStuff
@VaporRossa
@HelloHi
@azkaalfafa
@bang6111
You have all been binned in this third round.
It’s a miracle that my last-minute entry ended up finishing as high as it did… but no higher, since it turned out to be an average performer for something with such a high price.
Jack once again asks reddit for car suggestions to fill his desire. He resolves that if this grouping turns up nothing adequate enough, he’ll put the work in himself to review the few cars he knows are left in his price range.
With his faith in the online car community thoroughly broken, Jack sets his sights on a more local, physical solution to his car search.
@Maverick74
@vero94773 /@yurimacs
@karhgath
@Xepy
@vouge /@Tsundere-kun
You have all been binned in this penultimate round.
WE BALL
34 entries out, and some amount of entries still in the challenge for the most prestigious final round on the forums. I’ve enjoyed it so far, and for how many cars there have been I think it’s fair that a CSR like this takes a while. It’s why other competitions exist 
CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW CSR NOW
Since Jack’s forays into doing research for a car on reddit have failed him, he’s decided to take a more hands-on approach. The next weekend he’s arranged a small track test with some of his buddies at their local circuit to try out the few cars left in his list of potential buys. Their thoughts and experiences with the cars are inscribed below.
@Riley Ori Nodachi Type S
The Oni Nodachi is two things primarily: drivable and performant. Despite a slower acceleration stat, it keeps up with other entries thanks to how it behaves when cornering. Some of the engineering decisions make us scratch our heads, such as the apparent investment in suspension and interior technology but lack of quality on both. The front offset seems slightly larger than the rear - maybe that’s part of this car’s secret. The good one, not the one we haven’t mentioned - its below-average safety rating. Combine that with sitting at the top of the budget, and the car falls short of the most serious contenders.
@Ne0 Dafeng Prosper RS
The drivability on this car is almost telepathic, certainly the best of the lot. You can just point it where you want it to go and it just goes. Given how expensive and advanced the engineering of the Prosper RS, maxing out our budget, that is all to be expected. At that price you’d expect it to do your laundry, or to monitor traffic around you, or to protect your friends and family as well. What’s that? It scored worse than the Akari in crash tests? It’s disappointing that the Dafeng wasn’t able to break out of the bottom 5 in safety ratings. Further, all entries past this pull out at least some savings. The high driveability and stellar design are what have carried it this far into the finals, but this is where it finally stops. A good showing, but not quite good enough.
@donutsnail / @Lazar / @Kanye_West Hoffsman Lamda
The razor-inspired design doesn’t stop - while others wondered how to side mold, the Hoffsman Lamda studied the blade. Perhaps it did too much studying - those rear lights could pose a pedestrian hazard. Its function corresponds with its form, being the most sporty entry of all with its meteoric acceleration and glued handling. All this speed and performance comes at a cost, barely acceptable fuel economy ratings and near maxed out budget ($100 under). The Lamda is also hiding some distinctly unsporty engineering decisions, such as a single-exhaust V6 that pretends it’s a dual exit at the rear (looking under, we only see one pipe). The active suspension with semi-active dampers are a step in the right direction, but they are overtly complex for this application. The Hoffsman Lamda promises the most performance of the top three, but spares no expense to get there.
@iivansmith / @Oreology Tioro Amaro TR
The Tioro Amaro presents a sculpted figure, but one that is not serrated like the Lamda’s. The design is very worldly, striking a distinct identity while hiding components like sensors and cameras. Among the finalists, its performance is more moderate, with a limited top speed and slightly lower grip. Its engine may have slightly more power than the internals can handle, but at $26000, there would be money left to deal with any reliability issues this causes. Additionally, it does suffer in practicality with a lower, sporty roofline and undersized trunk opening. Headroom is a potential concern in the rear, but unless the friends being carried blast past 6 feet tall, it will not pose much of an issue. In spite of these issues, it makes no untoward moves toward the driver and does not gripe for fuel with over 30 US MPG. The Tioro Amaro TR is a sensible, exciting choice in a field of more polarizing and specialized vehicles.
@Kyorg / @Texaslav Arlingnton Airacruiser 141 FQ spec
Let’s start with the design: strong, bold, powerful. These are the words commonly associated with the Arlington Airacruiser, especially if you know about the top-of-the-line RFQ. The front is unmistakably Arlington, but the rear does look a bit close to another sports car. Nobody would expect something as sharp and muscular as this to be so thrifty on fuel and maintenance costs. When cornering, you can hear some jingling coming from the glovebox and boot - might those be the armaments you get complimentary of every new Arlington purchase? The only bit where it falls short is acceleration at 5.2s to 100 km/h from standstill - likely a consequence of running 254 HP in a 1483 kg package. While others in this field seem to be going for an all our sporting vision, the Airacruiser puts a bit more emphasis on comfort, doing so with typical American thriftiness.
After pulling into the pits at the end of the day, Jack sat down to peruse his options. Both the Prosper RS and Nodachi were off the table due to sub par stats while maxing out Jack’s budget.
The Amaro, as the moderate option, was not as braggadocio as the Airacruiser or as edgy as the Lamda. The Lamda beats the other two out in raw performance, but falls behind in other areas. The Airacruiser is a more traditional choice than the others but is still a valuable prospect with the highest MPG and comfort of the three. All of these would be great choices on their own merits, but after some time grappling with each prospect, Jack settled on the one for him.
@iivansmith / @Oreology’s 2024 Tioro Amaro TR!
the final standings are as follows:
1st: @iivansmith / @Oreology
2nd: @donutsnail / @Lazar / @Kanye_West
3rd: @Kyorg / @Texaslav
4th: @Ne0
5th: @Riley
6th: @vouge / @Tsundere-kun
7th: @Xepy
8th: @karhgath
9th: @vero94773 / @yurimacs
10th: @Maverick74
11th: @bang6111
12th: @azkaalfafa
13th: @HelloHi
14th: @VaporRossa
15th: @DoesStuff
16th: @nvisionluminous
17th: @abg7
18th: @the-chowi
19th: @Koviico / @xsneakyxsimx
20th: @mart1n2005
21th: @Hilbert / @MrdjaNikolen
22th: @ErenWithPizza
23th: @Isabella
24th: @IJN_Yamato / @Chaedder
25th: @AndiD
26th: @shibusu
27th: @Tyhikastija
28th: @Est_Nbmstr
29th: @supersaturn77
30th: @Danicoptero
31th: @fabiremi999
32th: @asdren
33th: @thpethalk
34th: @Dog959
35th: @PhirmEggplant
Well I suppose I can’t be disappointed with 5th, finals for a CSR isn’t bad at all. Very nearly highest placed solo artist too so I’ll take it. Congrats to all involved. Thanks for a great challenge @Portalkat42 !
any chance of a spreadsheet?
sure
W.
