CSR 167: Three-Body Problem [FINALS]

你啲車設計好正,你有冇興趣加入太陽爆發汽車?我哋設計師,設計一架車,然後交畀工程師去完成,如果我哋需要,我哋可以 JBeam 設計佢。然後我哋有個完整嘅車檔案之後,我哋會將佢發佈喺 BeamNG 存儲庫,並且向所有參與過呢個項目嘅人提供 credit 。我哋冇失去會員,但係我哋可以用一個好似你噉嘅人,如果你都有間公司,噉你如果有時間,可以為兩者設計,或者如果你只係做設計,但係冇名或者公司,噉你可以為我哋同你自己做設計,你嘅日程唔會喺我哋度忙。如果你有興趣,就算你改變主意,我嘅優惠都隨時有得用。個諗法係你可以自由離開或者否認,自由設計任何其他嘢,同埋自由言論。我哋有時會有笑話晚會,呢啲係隨機發生,隨時都可能發生,我哋只係講笑話或者 meme 同埋放啲音樂。呢度好好玩

Part III:
The Finale


Without further ado, let’s dive into the top contenders of the race.










Jefferson EL9 Executive
@the-chowi




The lore/story of the car is very reminiscent of the Buick GL8 in China, being a popular model with ultra-luxury 4-seater variant released recently. The inspiration is definitely an expected entry for this segment so no problems here.

The side design is fairly conventional, with the black greenhouse with metallic window trim giving it a relatively modern look. Wheel choice is appropriate for the segment of the car.

The facia is the part that I’m a bit unsure about. The center grille shaping makes it look a bit goofy, resembling a fish with a gaping mouth. The choice of using stacks of geometric horizontal lines throughout the grille and side vents definitely dates the design, in my opinion.

Especially in this super-luxury segment, aside from lines and surfacing, in many designs there is a “jewelry” element to its design. The “jewelry” element is something with a lot of detailed design and contrasting/eye-catching materials, and headlights are a typical example of that.

examples of “jewelry” in designs

Going back to this design, like many previous cars that got eliminated, the headlights look flat due to the excessive use of flat LED sticks. The LED sticks covers the entire surface, and there are no intricate details within or underneath them.

Due to the reasons above, while the design is overall ok, it does not offer a luxury feel to it, and a prestigious appearance is very important for this challenge.

The rear is better in my opinion, with a conventional but good shaping. But for the same reasons mentioned above I wouldn’t consider it a stunning design.

I do like the interior a lot however, it has the tech, looks fairly premium and is overall very clean.

And above are some of the nice details throughout the cabin.

Engineering wise, drive and comfort are among the highest in the finals, along with good practicality as a result of the minivan layout. While not too relevant to our customers, it also has a very low service cost.

However, for some reason its safety is severely lacking behind the competition, with the reason partially being not choosing the AHS steel for the chassis material like most other competitors.




To conclude, while the high stats, (mostly) clean design and the effort being put into the interior puts this car into the finalist list, its overall design is still probably the weakest of the 3 MPV finalists.








Looq 9x Palladium+
@vero94773






image

At 5.38m long and with its boxy profile, this MPV has a ton of internal space, which is ideal for what we are trying to do here.

I would say it’s within the realm of realism too. While it is significantly bigger than the likes of Toyota Alphard, GWM does make a LWB version of its flagship MPV, which is 5.4m long.

The side profile is very solid with clean and modern surfacing, with nothing looking out of place. Though with its massive greenhouse window I would say that it’s a bit of an missed opportunity for it to not have an interior, and in my opinion even a very simple interior made out of premade parts can make the car more interesting to look at from the outside.

The front design is modern and clean, with a memorable light identity and clean details. The one issue that I have with it is that it doesn’t really give off a prestigious feeling.

With Looq being a non-traditional brand, it does make sense to not give it a massive grille like the more traditional luxury MPVs, which is what you did here. But even without going for the big grille look, I would still argue that there is space for it to look more premium.

While the GL8 Century does have a pretty big grille, it’s not the top-to-bottom grille like for example a Lexus LM. But even if you shrink its grille it could still retain a premium feel to it, due to the jewelry details within the grille element.

Alternatively you could completely commit to the futuristic look which allows you to not use a ton of metallic elements, though the design as-is isn’t quite there yet in my opinion, and is closer to something like the GL8 and the aforementioned GWM MPV.

Basically, while the front design works perfectly fine on its own, it feels a little bit downmarket given the context.

The rear has a more conventional design and is more similar to some of the real life counterparts in its overall layout. The execution is very good with a good amount of details in the tailights, though it almost look unbranded with the “Looq” text being tiny and buried within the tailight assembly. Maybe make it illuminating like oreology/ivan’s car?


Engineering wise, while a inline 4 hybrid would be the common choice for a Chinese minivan like this a V6 Turbo is understandable given the constraints of Automation.

All the stats are pretty competitive across the board, with the only lacking part being its prestige, although that is to be expected of a MPV.




Overall, this car is a very solid debut for the brand. Whether its the engineering or the design there really isn’t any glaring issues at all. But for a fight taking place in such a high end market, I feel like the overall look just isn’t quite prestigious enough.









Hinode Aries Mobile Lounge Package
@S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T



If this CSR happened in real life Hong Kong, chances are, something like the Lexus LM would be one of the first choices the customer would consider in the MPV category. And it’s pretty clear what this car is inspired from:

This is not to say that the design of this car is a copycat of the LM though. While clearly inspired, the design turned out to be very original, and overall works very well.


This front end design definitely gives off a luxury feel to it. While there are smoother ways of doing the transition from grille to body, using these fixtures is definitely a clever way to approach it, without necessitating the use of a ton of fixtures and painstakingly placing them down manually

The placement of that triangular molding fixture is very clever, as it compliments the natural shape of the body so well, while being almost unnoticeable at first glance.

The design of the side is quite solid in the pictures, though in the 80’s design room it definitely shows its messiness a bit, and there definitely is potential for it to be cleaned up a bit.

The rear light design is extremely simple, yet it works really well in the design.

The diamond details in the tailights doesn’t really take that much effort to do, yet it definitely elevates the visual richness and sophistication of the design.

While the exterior design doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any ways, it is a very solid design that perfectly fits the brief given, and might be my favorite MPV design wise.

Seriously though, even being a last generation 7-seater instead of the 4-seater with the dividing wall as intended, the interior is still very solid.

They’re too nice to just be ignored lol

Stat wise, the key stats are on the low side compared to the other two MPVs in the finals, but not by a whole lot. It does have the highest practicality in the entire challenge though. But still, overall stats are not its strong point.




That said, with a design that fits the brief so well, many of its stat deficiencies can be overlooked, comapred to its MPV competition anyways.









MION Almanac V8
@azkaalfafa



While it is true that I really like the overall design, we do need to address the elephant in the room, and frankly something that I did not expect to see:

At 4.6m long, this car is 150mm shorter than a BMW X3

As something that is supposed to compete with SUVs beyond the league of even the X7, this is quite obviously a problem.

This issue is even more perplexing, when you consider the fact that the Defender body does offer 3.1, 3.3 and even 3.5 wheelbase options, all of which are more appropriate than this size.

So while it does look big thanks to its design in the pictures, if you see this car in real life, it would look almost comically small.

At least the design itself is very good. The way the front DRLs are integrated with the body (shown in the ad, though not imported correctly on my end) is not only creative, but works together with the body shaping. With its linework, the facia looks modern, cohesive and definitely prestigious.

There’s not much going on the side though, and it looks a bit flat.

While the |-----| shaping is good, I’m a bit unsure about extending the upper bit out so much on purpose, and it looks a bit odd.

The internals doesn’t seem that well integrated and looks a bit too exposed, and I would either hide them behind a darker glass material or consider doing a different design for the internals.

The interior is also very decent, unfortunately the scale is very off due to the tiny body.

Engineering is also not the strong point of this entry, with by far the worst comfort among the finalists, possibly due to the loud and high revving turbo V8. It does get credit for having the only 3-digit drivability in the whole race though.




While the design is undoubtedly grandiose, making it tiny sized is a perplexing decision, and could be a major reason why the stats are not the best either.









Somervell Siridar Centennial
@Maxbombe @Texaslav



Wait, this is on the Polestar body?

To begin, achieving this kind of body shaping, especially on this body, is an incredibly impressive feat.

The wheelbase stretch, the integration of the 3D roof and the custom rear end are all really well executed, resulting in a body that looks perfectly natural, with the stunning proportions. Even with so much custom work that there is barely any resemblance of the Polestar body left, nothing looks out of place at all.

What in the @pen15 type witchcraft is this

In constrast to the shaping work, the facia looks a bit underwhelming in my opinion.

Most of the surface area in the front are covered by plain grille, and there just isn’t much to look at at all. Sure, there is a vertical bar pattern, but with the choice of thin bars and a dark ish chrome, a lot of times it just looks way too dark, and the entire surface area just kind of looks like a black hole.

I tried many different scenes, and that is always kind of the case

That is even more prominent in the official pictures, with the entire front end looking like its covered in featureless black.

Also, while the light design works in terms of shaping, at this level of design, there should be some kind of “jewelry” that captures your attention:

You don’t have to go full ham and make the headlights look like a literal crystal flower like the bentleys, but giving it just a little bit more details in its light work would have made it so much better than what is essentially flat LED lines and two pairs of standard projectors.

Looking at the design of the Escala as a whole, while not over the top, there still is a good amount of brightwork details to be had in the headlights and the grille, in constrast to the dark and relatively featureless front end of the Automation car.

It’s very much the same story for the rear, while the shaping is good, I just wish there are more details that wows you.

The interior is highly custom, with a mixture of modern and retro with its massive screens and retro elements…

With some elements that seem too retro for the likely taste of myself and the fictional customer, such as the violently 80’s steering wheel, chrome bezel around the screen, and those swtichgears. I’m sure some people would really dig them though.

Overall, very nice work on the inside.

Engineering wise, it has very high prestige and sportiness, but the drivability and comfort lacks behind the competition a little bit.




All in all, this is a very strong entry and definitely by far the best sedan in the entire competition. What separates this from a truly top tier design in my opinion, is some intricate detailing that compliments the grandiose body.









Sendo Royal Calliope Packages Nouvelle Decoratif
@variationofvariables @Xepy @chiefzach2018

I shit you not I waited like 5 minutes for the fixtures to stamp



You know the Sendo has rolled up with the framerate dropping to single digits

Continuing the light identity of modern Sendos like the Friesia, the Royal Calliope has a very distinctive light design. In some of the previous entries I talked about how there is a lack of a “jewlery” element in their designs, and this is a perfect example of what I’d like to see.

It looks futuristic, unique and elegant at the same time, though I would consider removing the black bezels on the fading elements, to make them look cleaner. But overall, this is a facia that definitely looks like it belongs in this part of the market, which cannot be said for many other entrants.

jesus christ

I am less impressed with the side profie though. Sure, it makes perfect sense going for a geometric feeling on the SUVs, but…

Moldings like this just look way too stiff in my opinion, and wanting a geometric vibe doesn’t mean that you cannot use any kind of organic shaping.

And this chrome strip with lights on each end just feels really random and out of nowhere.

This is definitely a polarizing rear design, for more than one reasons.

I actually think the art gallery is a good idea, and is probably something Angela would like a lot. But I am really unsure about the tailight shaping. While I like the design of the tailight internals and it is another example of “jewelry” in design, the shaping just looks incomplete and awkward.

Combined with the flat surfacing and the boxy shaping, the rear is easily the weakest part of the design.

And for the part that you’ve all been waiting for…

Uhhhhhh I think someone got a bit too carried away looking at art deco interiors

So if you look at the upper doorcard you would think “OK this has some clear inspirations with the lines, but it works pretty well and doesn’t look too out of place in a modern context”

And then you see the wood speaker grilles

I was so confused when I saw this table at the back

I feel like there is a line between “retro design” and “actually looks like its old”, and something like this just flew too close to the later. I feel like it just completely shatters the immersion that “this is supposed to be a modern car at least”.

Which is a massive shame, because with some different material choices and toning down some of the retro elements, this would be an incredibly good interior.

Those things above the headrests are not it tho :sob:

In the context of a modern car, you look at something like this wood panel and would be completely confused at what is it supposed to be.

While this interior has a lot of highlights, I think as a whole it just flew a bit too close to the sun.

Stat wise it is actually a really good all-arounder, with no noticeable weakness across the board. The use of hydropneumatic suspension initially raises an eyebrow, but given Aether’s background I think it’s justifiable.




While it might sound like I really don’t like it, in the grand scheme of things it is still absolutely one of the strongest entrants. But being a Sendo, I need to apply the highest standard when looking at it, and some of the questionable choices I just have to point out.









Oryata Enso (EWB)
@iivansmith @Oreology



In terms of having an overwhelming presence on the road, nothing comes close to the Enso.

Yet it still has that unmistakable cleaness to it. There’s not much to say about the overall execution, it is simply top tier.

What is also unmistakable is that proportion with the extremely low roofline. While the headroom is actually pretty good from the dummy measurements, the visibility out of the car would probably be very poor.

If you look at the camaro, a car known for its poor visibility,

You will see that the greenhouse window of the Enso is almost the same proportion as the camaro in relation to the total height of the car.

That side profile does look pretty stunning though. It is even more impressive when you consider the fact that the base body is actually a sedan, and the entire greenhouse is custom made with fixtures.

The towering front with its prowdly displayed grille is nothing but imposing. Though because of the body shape it does kind of looks like a blobfish.

While not super complicated, the rear lights work really well, and has a good amount of depth to them. Lots of detailing at the rear too.

Though from a straight angle the rear does look a bit off, likely due to the body shape.

While the interior is far from complete, I can definitely see the vision of an over the top and opulent design on the inside, matching the outside.

The engineering is also very solid, with stats firmly placing it in the leading pack of the competition consisting of about 5 cars.




Welp, they have done it again. While the design is not perfect, the execution is undoubtedly beyond the rest of the competition, and the resulting car looks like it belongs at the very top, which is what we are looking for here.





At this level of competition, there is a lot of subjectiveness when it comes to deciding who is better, because they all excel in their own ways. If you don't agree with some of my judgements, feel free to discuss about it below!





R E S U L T S


7th place

Jefferson EL9 Executive
by @the-chowi

6th place

MION Almanac V8
by @azkaalfafa



5th place

Looq 9x Palladium+
by @vero94773

4th place

Somervell Siridar Centennial
by @Maxbombe and @Texaslav

3rd place

Hinode Aries Mobile Lounge Package
by @S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T



2nd place

Sendo Royal Calliope Packages Nouvelle Decoratif
by @Xepy @chiefzach2018 @variationofvariables

1st place

Oryata Enso EWB
by @Oreology @iivansmith


Thank you for participating!
22 Likes