Thank you for the feedback 
I knew purchase price and maintenance cost would hurt !
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Hey can I get more details on why mine was a bin? Because the peak power was 6900 RPM and redline is 7000. But 7000 rev limiter because if it was higher, the piston stress would have been bad
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Well, let’s make it a party then! Drinks on Cherry
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Just relooked at the car because I thought you was totally off the ball with that comment…but now I look again…it’s a fair cop, guv! 
Redline should be at least 300 above peak power, for normal road cars, 5-600 for sports cars and maybe higher for racecars.
If you’re that close on the pistons then you either change them up or, more likely, redesign your engine so components can take more revs or stress.
I would normally apologise for double posting but meh…
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The first stage of cuts in this round has once again taught us that usually, if a car looks right, then it is right; however, that won’t matter in the slightest if the engineering underneath the skin turns out to be all wrong.
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Tire service cost due to excessively high top speed is usually the biggest factor in high service costs. It’s very easy to miss because the game doesn’t warn you about it and the service cost number is hidden away. Try setting your speed limiter to different numbers and see how the service costs change.
I don’t think peak power at redline is worth binning by itself, but probably in combination with other factors. There’s nothing inherently wrong or undrivable about it - you can find dyno plots of real world cars that also make peak power at redline.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in my mind, the main problems are
- The car will not accelerate as fast as its horsepower figure suggests, because that power is not accessible throughout the rev range
- When shifting at redline, the power will jump from a high figure to a lower figure
7000 is already a pretty reasonable redline for this market segment. You should also consider lowering the cam profile and playing around with exhaust sizing to try pushing the torque curve towards lower RPMs.
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Just so I can have more advice with improvement. Was there any other problems with my entry apart from the tires? Would love to know!
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Usually there is a specific cam/vvl and ignition timing configuration that can push the peak power a further 100 rpm. In addition I often find myself screwing around with bore/stroke, intake, and exhaust.
Gotta say, I never thought about this…thanks for pointing it out. 
It is indirectly noticeable though if you realise one thing - that rising material cost with higher limiter is due to the tyre cost. The tyre speed rating in the tooltip is a good hint for that.
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Thank you!
I didn’t consider that when building this car!
I’ll have a closer look next time!
Correct, and here’s why (check post #3). Basically, you want to be at the same amount of power before and after the shift so that you maximize the area under the power curve.
Yes, many cars irl will have peak power at redline, but it matters more so in sport applications, and guess what this challenge is about.
If you’re struggling with raising redline because your internals can only handle so much, either use forged internals (if it makes sense for the car you’re building) or make it more oversquare.
And about the tires, there’s only really negligible changes in service costs if you increase the speed rating until you start going over 155mph. Then the costs increase massively. I’m positive most people this round set their speed rating to that.
Here’s some other thing that can jack up service costs. Some should be pretty obvious.
-
Staggered tires (front and rear tires are not the same width- this can easily cost you hundreds of dollars)
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Excessive camber (try not to exceed -1.5 degrees)
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Excessive brake pad type
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Carbon-ceramic brakes
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Sport tires
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Adam sets up his laptop at the kitchen table, and waits eagerly. Finally, he and his wife were going to sit down and devote some real time to looking for a new car. He knows that Leah couldn’t really care much less about the process, but at the same time, she ought to be here so she can have a say, and approve the decision, right? Right. He was excited to share his passion of car shopping with her. What seemed like a chore to her and most people, was fun to him. So he waited for her to show up.
“Alright, let’s do this!” she said eagerly, as she trotted into the room. She seemed enthusiastic about it. Adam smiled. “How is this gonna work?”
Adam responded: “Well I have all these tabs open to professional reviews of each car, they’re on different websites but that doesn’t matter. I know enough to where I trust myself to know what’s what.”
“Chaotic good, I suppose.” She smiled, and sat down in the chair Adam pulled out from the table for her.
“First up!”
@mart1n2005 - Courageux Quinze CSR32 turbo
“Ooh, sport car.” Adam said. “The color is bold, for sure.”
“It’s definitely working on me, I think. But it’s really small, don’t you think?”
Leah had a point. It was a size class down from what they had intended to look at, and that would be a drop accentuated by being familiarized with the Talbot. They wanted smaller, but this was a bit much.
@variationofvariables - Quezon Cordova GT
“What’s next?” Leah asked. Adam closed the Courageux tab and pulled up the website for the Quezon Cordova.
“I like this one!” Adam remarked. “Reminds me of that CLK that someone in my hometown used to have.”
“It’s nice, but isn’t it also a bit too small? I know we were downsizing but this looks pretty cramped inside too…”
“Oh, and it’s FWD anyways… I’m not interested in torque steer,” he said.
“…torque-steer?” Leah asked, shyly.
The Quezon does not pass through.
@Mikonp7 - Rocket Apollo BOOST
Leah saw another yellow car in the corner of the page, and clicked on it.
“Oooh, more yellow,” she said. “What about this?”
“A pretty gnarly looking car, and I like it a lot, but unfortunately the power figures back up the AMG-Black like bodykit. Not to mention the fact that this is a 5.8L engine with a whole ass turbo, making only 520 horsepower, with a torque plateau.” Adam dismissed the Rocket. “I know you’re not gonna like driving this one honey, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, that sounds like it could get sketchy…” This one does not make it.
@Lazar - EFI Hayato S
“Oooh that looks really cool, so much grille!” Adam said, clicking on the EFI Hayato S tab.
“That’s just a render though, see?" Leah pointed at the screen. "Says it’s coming out in a year or two. Shame.” She noticed that the car wasn’t out yet.
(This one violated ET but I noticed too late because I’m big dumb and can’t use “hurr durr brain fart” as an excuse for much longer…)
@Leonardo9613 Bonham Chaucer Silverstone
“Ohoho, this looks POSH,” Leah remarked in a British accent. “I’ve always kinda wanted a Bonham!”
Adam agreed, and looked through the specs and advertisements for it. Three litre turbocharged inline 6? Check. Advanced 8-speed automatic? Definitely. They read further - complicated air suspension system? Maybe…. Outdated SatNav system compared to competitors? Perhabs. British reliability qualms from numerous owners? Unfortunately so.
The tab for otherwise sporty and posh Chaucer was closed, to much dismay.
@Sky-High - Zepherous
Next up was the Zepherous… the uh, Zepherous, yeah!
“It doesn’t even have a name?” Adam wondered out loud. “Seems pretentious and confusing, I think. It’s also only got 290 horsepower, I think that’s the least out of any of these other entries.”
“I’m not a fan of the green, to be honest.” Reading on, they found out that the Zepherous has sporting credentials beyond the family sedan levels of power, but was let down by seriously underperforming brakes and, consequently, lower than average safety ratings.
The unnamed, The $14,000-under-budget Zepherous sedan remains mysterious to the two. 
@conan + @goblin95 - Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport
They moved onto another flashy yellow sports sedan, this time one with a good ol’ MURICAN V8 MOTUR.
“Nice color,” Leah nudged Adam and smirked. The Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport appeared to be an appealing option. They read on.
“The Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport is a classic American muscle sedan, with a welcome premium twist. If you can look past the unrefined engine and muscle car fuel economy, this is a great alternative to something like a Dodge Charger SRT - because it handles well too. And that classic Raymond-Steward engine reliability can’t be beat.”
“The Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport seems a bit… I dunno. Brash?” Adam asked Leah. She thought the same thing. Despite a nice interior and solid handling, reviews say you can feel the weight in the corners, and at the fuel pump. That, and including the higher-than-average yearly maintenance costs, led to the Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport being set aside.
Next up was a German legend.
@HybridTronny - Steurmann VB8i
“Yeeeees these have sweet engines, I’ve always wanted to look into the VB8 more,” Adam said as he scrolled through images. “Handsome, too.” Leah agreed, it was an attractive car. A quality slice of German muscle.
Further research showed high service costs - expected from a German sedan, but this was a bit different. Individual throttle bodies provide for an excellent powerplant, but unfortunately the VB8i let down elsewhere. Slightly underpowered brakes thanks to skinny 225 width tires, a hefty weight due to the steel chassis (albeit very rigid), and an excessively harsh ride do not combine all that well together.
Although an attractive car for having fun at the track sliding about, it would not bode well for daily Michigan use.
@J35_Power - Schneider 5L S30
Leah spotted the red Schneider and was wowed.
“Are German cars all pretty slick like this?” she asked.
“For the most part, they all have a refined edge to them like that.” Though Adam began to eat his words - as the two looked closer, they saw that the build quality wasn’t quite as good as it appeared from a distance. It did, however have a well made interior, and reliability reports were pleasing. Parts and maintenance prices were not as pleasing however, and in addition to having some strange options like an open differential with AWD, the 5L S30 was overlooked in favor of some other options.
@Centurion_23 - Kinusoka Osprey GT6
“When do we get to the cars that we can actually go look at?” Leah may have been getting a bit bored.
“Don’t worry, I put a bit of thought into this next one.” A red Kinusoka appeared on screen, and Leah’s expression changed. This was a good looking car. “A sweet, high-strung V6, trick handling technology and a very well put together interior.” They were into the Osprey. This was a real, quality, Japanese-engineered sports sedan, and Adam and Leah were here for it. “I say we go look at this one.” They shook on it.
@ARM_Tune - Prince SC-4 ST
They moved onto yet another rear-drive, six-cylinder, red sedan – this time with a turbo.
“This looks pretty neat too, really sexy grille and headlights,” Adam noticed.
“What about my grille and headlights? 
” Leah teased.
“Hush you know my stance on that. Anywayyyys what do you think?” his wife laughed on the outside and agreed, it was pretty attractive if not for a couple of off-putting details here and there. Unfortunately for the Prince, it had some issues - mainly being the reliability of the complicated suspension setup and electronics.
They agreed that if it was a bit more comfortable or a little cheaper to maintain, it would be a strong contender, but alas, they sent the Prince to Canada.
@Gerblederp - Thompson Chinook GT
“Another coupe! How does this one fare, hon?” Adam looked into the sporty looking Thompson to answer her question.
“Well, first off I think it looks a little on the cheap side, what with all that plastic and such,” and Leah agreed. “It has got a nice enough interior though! And the engine is very nice. 5 valves per cylinder too, it must be super smooth.”
Reading on, they learned that it was a bit too much on the sporty side for them. A harsh ride, and a real drivers car - drivability is on the lower side as well. A lovely sports coupe for under $50k, but unfortunately, not on their list.
@CriticalSet9849 - Morton Ceilao 43S
“Huh, Ceilao, like the Farox? Wait no, this one is different…” Adam trailed off.
Ooh, that’s a really pretty blue!” Leah said as she closed the Thompson tab and saw the Ceilao appear. “Looks kinda pinched though, like those duck lip things.” They were in agreement on the styling - a little bit on the strange side.
“It says it has a really nicely built interior, and it handles well. I don’t think the ride is supposed to be good though…” The website was right - The Ceilao was yet another good sports car, but not quite comfortable enough to be considered. Way below average. They moved on.
@Xepy - Edelgard Empress GTX
Next up was a very intriguing - almost muscle - sedan. A very aggressive car with a very non-aggressive name.
“Wow this one is pretty slick, this marketing is working on me big time. Menacing, but I kinda dig it,” Adam started.
“Does that say 484 horsepower? Isn’t that… like a lot?” Leah asked. They dug deeper to find out - and it turns out that yes it is a lot, but it isn’t anything to be scared of. Reviews praised the Edelgard for everything from its impressive build quality, predicted long term reliability, how controllable the car is to drive… the list goes on.
“It’s at the top of the budget but it seems like it’s worth a try,” Adam said. They agreed, and bookmarked the Empress GTX for later use.
@tzuyu_main - Seikatsu Prince 350Q HF[VL]
Next up was another JDM handler like the Kinusoka, but this one had some significant differences. And a HUGE grille.
“Wow that is a lot of car from the front, isn’t it?” Leah was taken aback, and didn’t quite know how to feel about it. Adam liked it. Even though it maybe looked a bit too futuristic with its complex grille and front lip, it had a certain element to it that made him think ‘huh, this oughtta age well.’
This Prince was a welcome departure from the earlier Prince, as well - with similar credentials, better build quality, and more compliant handling, they voted to keep this handsome Prince in the running.
@66mazda - (K612 pre-TU) Kaizen SC 40s AWD with V424 bodykit
Adam was confused by the name as the (K612 pre-TU) Kaizen SC 40s AWD with V424 bodykit appeared before them after closing the Seikatsu Prince 350Q HF[VL]’s tab.
“Is this like the technical JDM name or something? I think we could stick to just the Kaizen SC 40s.” Leah chuckled and agreed. They powered on, looking through the huge amount of excerpts from the manufacturer posted seemingly everywhere on the website. They looked closer at the fancily detailed LED headlights and very fancy interior, and took note of the reviews stating that these things are a LOT of work to keep on the road.
“Costs are really high, and I know that money isn’t super huge of a problem but this is like $500 more expensive than a lot of other options… that adds up,” Leah remarked.
Adam agreed - if it weren’t for the average build quality and an overly harsh ride to make up for the huge weight in the corners, it may have been an interesting choice. Unfortunately, they moved along. (Also, wheels from a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee lol)
@Boiled_Steak - Aria Enxir DeLux
“Wow speaking of Japan…!” Adam’s interest peaked. Leah didn’t know why. Must be an Adam thing. “Looks pretty neat, not a huge fan of the rear, though I guess it doesn’t affect the car that much," – he laughed – "and I genuinely appreciate the marketing team’s sense of humor.”
“The review says it’s a great car, like a luxury sedan but smaller. I’d assume like just a smaller, Japanese version of what we already have.” Adam concurred, and thinking about it a bit more, decided against the handsome Enxir DeLux. It was good, but definitely too soft for what he wanted in a car. (Too much Crown Royal Saloon, not enough Crown Athlete.)
Next up was a Rigore, another car with a long name.
@titleguy1 - Rigore Angeles Prestige 3.0 S4 Sport Package [FL]
The deep cherry red sedan glittered even through the laptop’s 1080p screen. This one looked properly sharp, and it caught their attention immediately. “That is definitely something I would want parked in my driveway,” Leah concluded. Even though the Rigore Angeles Prestige 3.0 S4 Sport Package [FL] had been around since 2009, it still continued to impress.
“Rigore still knows how to make a pretty car, and a high quality one at that. Throw in a turbocharged flat-six and all-wheel-drive and you have what should be an astonishing luxury sports car - but --”
“I think I know where this is going, babe,” Adam paused in the middle of the review. “The engine is gonna be unresponsive, and wonky to drive. Rigore engines have that problem…” he continued the review.
“-- the interior leaves a bit to be desired in the space department, and the smooth and responsive Boxer-6 is hindered by the weight of the car and its AWD system. A V6 Honda Accord could keep up with it in a sprint.”
Adam was wrong. Further reading concluded that the engine was inherently fine, but the car was heavy and plowed in the corners, despite being tuned more for sport and didn’t have a lot of compliance left in the ride. They were sad to do so, but the pretty-eyed Rigore had to go.
Adam stood up and stretched his arms above his head.
“Alright, I think it’s time for a break, that’s about half way through. We can get back to it tomorrow or whenever, I know you’re probably burned out,” Adam said to his wife, yawning.
“Y’know, I’m having fun with this almost! We can do more later tonight after dinner, how’s that sound?” Admittedly, Adam was a little surprised by Leah’s wink and a smile, but hey, if she was okay doing this, then cool!
PART II tomorrow! ;))
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Seems like I went a bit too Jaguar on this one…
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omg, i think i forgot to send my file in 
i kinda forgot about this round lol. good luck to all the participants, i guess hahah
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same
yay I’m not alone
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After a nice dinner, Adam and Leah pull back into the driveway. Sushi is a nice treat, and Ann Arbor has some great sushi not gonna lie. He thrusts the chromed gear lever into the park position and looks over at the woman sitting in the passenger seat. She meets his gaze.
“More cars?” he asks, still doubting the fact that she was actually enjoying the time looking through numerous new options.
“I’m down!” she responds, to his delight. Adam smiled and they both got out of the car, grabbing the leftovers from the cooled fridge in the back seat of the Talbot, and went inside. After putting the food in the fridge, they sat down and cracked open that laptop for another round of car shopping.
@Hshan - Aquila Polaris GT
They opened Chrome and all the tabs popped back into place with the middle-click of the mouse button. First up was the Aquila Polaris GT - a real unique looking entry to the segment, which caught their attention immediately.
“Wow, that looks super neat too - kind of like if that Hayato was made today, almost. I like it!” Adam said.
“Yeah it’s cool, that white is nice on it. Definitely very strange though,” Leah announced - she was indifferent about the car, with its massive pentagonal grille.
“It too, has a flat-six, like the Rigore, only this one is all natural like you lol,” and he was met with a whack on the arm. “It has a similar engine to what you find in the Osprey, only this one is bigger, and not quite as powerful. Gas mileage is better though, and it’s rear wheel drive.”
“What’s this about optional air suspension, and ‘latest technology?’” Leah read part of the online brochure that was included in the website’s writeup. Uh oh. Owners were already complaining about iffy electronics, mostly to do with the weak totally active-adaptive air suspension setup. Reliability was definitely a concern for this one. They saw no point in paying more money for what was basically the same car (but not quiteeee as good) as the Kinusoka, so they discarded the Polaris GT.
@Radster - Vega Saetta RL
As they clicked off of the Aquila, the familiar Vega Saetta RL appeared on screen.
“Ah, I’ve seen these! They’re pretty for sure,” Leah started. “Didn’t we look at something like this when we bought our current car?”
“Yeah we did, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Vega because it’s one of the only Spanish brands we get here. It’s unique. I figured it would be worth another look, since they came out with a new version in 2009, and that’s what they have here, though updated a bit I presume.”
They dug deeper into the Saetta, and found a solid 5.0L V8, rear wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic sending power to viscous-LSD-controlled rear wheels. Unfortunately, they also found squishy brakes and suspension to match, compared to a lot of the other cars they were looking at. Another car that was set aside for its autobahn-aimed tuning, albeit a good car for doing that kind of high speed cruising.
@MasterDoggo and GetWrekt01 - Olsson-Vector 6300 Orkan GT
The two laughed.
Leah began. “IT’S A FUCKING TANK!”
“FUCK YEAH, HON!” her husband joked back.
“I like this one.”
“Me too, can’t go wrong with an Olsson. Swedish tanks, that’s not a lie. This one just so happens to have a turbo bolted to its 3.2L inline six, partly-active suspension, a really high quality interior, modern amenities, and somehow it manages to have the highest rated reliability by owners out of any of these cars.” Though it was a tad over the $55,000 budget, the two agreed that the 6300 Orkan was definitely worth a test drive.
@yangx2 - Jinhe Qingxiu S 346T
Moving on, the two looked at a Chinese offering from the well established marque Jinhe.
“I feel bad every time I see these because I can never get the pronunciation right. I gotta say though, this thing looks great.” Adam wasn’t surprised.
Leah read off of the website’s review:
“Jinhe impresses again with the new Qingxiu, and this one isn’t messing about with a seriously torquey, pretty responsive, and smooth inline six making more than 350 horsepower. It’s quick, and despite its thin tires and comfortable suspension, it can still pull over 1g in the corners, and it has AWD to keep you out of the ditch. Inside is typical Jinhe as well - well put together and very premium.”
“I don’t see a reason not to go drive it,” Adam concluded. They bookmarked it, and moved on.
@EnryGT5 - Altior QL G
“If the Steurmann was Japanese, I think this would be it. High revving naturally-aspirated V8, excellent handling, braking, and accelerating.”
“It’s pretty too, the white works really well here too. It brings out its lines, doesn’t it?” Adam smiled at Leah trying to sound car-enthusiasty. “But it also says that the drive comes at a price, it has a really harsh ride.”
“Yeah, I worried about that… and these are notoriously high strung so it’s quite a bit of money to keep on the road as well. I think, unfortunately, we should pass.” The QL G was indeed a case of too much car for the two, and that resulted in its demise.
@DoctorNarfy - Shromet Levine Sport
“Why is this here?”
Adam looked at her, pogchamping and gesturing. “Paint it gold and lift it, boom, here’s our car.”
Leah X’ed out of the tab with a laugh.
@mcp928 & @mat1476 - Hanno S360 R-Spec
Next up was the Hanno S360 R-Spec, which immediately caught Adam’s attention because of course it did.
“It’s a RWD, turbocharged flat six, Japanese sports sedan that blends in and looks that clean…” he trailed off. While he looked through pictures of it, Leah took the computer and read through some reviews out loud.
“This is a really great luxury sedan, especially from Hanno. Sports-car acceleration, over 1g in the corners, a turbo and rear-drive with a true limited slip diff coupling the wheels together. The transmission is crisp and responsive, and the engine delivers power in gobs whenever it drops a gear, or three. Unfortunately the suspension tuning is still a bit weird, and the car has a tendency to wobble about when pushed. And admittedly, the electrics could be a bit better - the TCS went wonky while we were sliding this bad boy around, and we had to take it back to the manufacturer. Hanno’s typically aren’t like this, so we did more digging into it, and found that this was indeed uncommon - but that it was a fortune to fix such a small flaw as this.”
Adam’s hopes dropped. “What are the servicing costs on this thing then?” Leah showed him, and to both of their dismay, they had to set aside the pretty S360.
@Vena.Sera423 - FWM Cheyenne ES
The two moved onto the FWM Cheyenne ES, and both sat back and admired the strong, chiseled sedan for a second. It was indeed a pretty slick looking car, so they leapt into the review.
“Alright so this is another one with a big V8, holy cow 6.3L? That’s bigger than some AMG cars.” It was the second largest engine here, just a hair smaller than the Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport. “It’s also one of the most reliable engines, right up there with the Raymond-Steward Second Stage Super Sport yet again. And it handles really well for such a big car, but that results in a poor ride, of course…”
The problem lay in the service costs, yet again. Parts prices were insane for this car, and some people were quoting over $3200 annually. This was a pass.
@phale - Pearliate Virtue
Up next was a very daring design from Pearliate.
“Wow this looks pretty futuristic, almost like a turn back to the curviness of the 90s. Especially with those full width taillights,” Adam thought out loud as he studied the design of the Virtue.
“I like it, it’s nice! And the name seems fancy too,” Leah said. “Does it match the car?”
“Yeah it does, this thing has a luxurious interior and infotainment, even if only average quality. It’s got some serious tech in here, a 7-speed dual clutch, and even computer controlled sway bars.”
The Virtue performs well, but at a cost of the second lowest reliability out of all the entries, beaten just by the Bonham. It also has luxury car parts prices, unfortunately. Combined with learning about its poor brakes, an engine that has similar flaws to the Kurokama, and uncontrolled weight (4600+ lbs of it), they set the Perliate Virtue aside.
@Chickenbiscuit - LMC Scylla GT
Adam flicked the tab over to the LMC homepage. Adam had this one up his sleeve. Leah saw it in its deep red paint and said,
“Oooh.”
That described the car’s appearance very well. It looked really, really nice, especially from the rear. They knew that much. “Probably a bad idea to see it on their website, let’s go for something a little less biased. They just had the nicest pictures.”
Various reviews praised the LMC for feeling very light on its feet, and making a lot out of very little power: only 300 horsepower from its smooth (for a V6) and responsive 3.1L turbo unit. Indeed, it was also one of the few V-shaped six cylinders in the running. Not only was the engine a solid heart, but it had what some people said was this “LMC magic” in it. It must be the electronic wizardry going on with its semi-active suspension, high tech traction aids and very light weight for its size.
Top it off with reasonable costs to own and a price that fits the budget, even with a seriously luxurious interior, and you have two very interested customers.
@ProfessorP3PP3R - Silver-York Senator Z
Following the LMC came another famous American brand, Silver-York. This time with the Senator Z, a V8 executive saloon in classic S-Y fashion.
“This thing is decked out!” They thought. The Senator was indeed decked, and had all the features the LMC had, and more. Fully active suspension? Yes, your honor. Luxury-spec interior with matching infotainment system? Absolutely, your honor. “It would be pretty cool to say that we have a Silver-York…”
“Well, how does it hold up on the road?” Adam asked. They looked into it - and found that it was, indeed, a competent handler for its very hefty weight. This one being the Z model had some tough suspension to help manage said weight, but the cushy massaging seats make up for that. Unfortunately, there was another problem… from a user on BidsAndCars.com:
“This is an excellent car, if you can manage the relatively high cost of owning a Silver-York. Tons of space, handles on rails, just don’t take it on the highway and you should be okay. It has really, really short gearing. At American speeds, this massive V8 is churning out over 3300 rpms, which isn’t too bad if you’re in Europe and only really go 60 or so, but at 80, 90 mph where this thing should live as an S-Y? Oh boy it drones… great around town and on B-roads though!!”
“A lot of Michigan freeway driving is pretty much 85 mph everywhere… this might not be the one.”
@Falling_Comet - Suisei Taka Fuji G6LXH
Next up was another very Japanese-esc entry.
Adam began: “Suisei, these are pretty neat! I haven’t seen this one yet, it looks pretty cool. They’re a very high tech company too, and this is AWD, so it should be very easy to drive year round.”
Leah zoomed in. “It’s sorta unrefined…” Adam did a double take, and she was right. “At least it is pretty high tech.” The Taka Fuji offered many modern luxury amenities, advanced safety tech, and - very stiff - advanced suspension to boot… but it all comes at the cost of the one of the lowest reliability ratings out of any of the viewed cars. Sadly, this one doesn’t make the cut.
@Cheeseman - Evgenis Basilisk 5.0 V8 Executive
Up next, Adam pulled up another big British name, in hopes that maybe this one wouldn’t be one of the most… well, British. The shimmering blue Basilisk wowed them both.
“I like it. That’s a super pretty color, too, lots of these have nice color options,” Leah said.
“Only thing that I can kinda nitpick is that it looks a bit crosseyed, the lights being so far out like that. The grille’s a bit pinched too but I mean, the rest of it is really well made. How does it hold up to own and drive?”
“The Basilisk offers a lot of car for its under $55k price tag. A smooth and well proven V8 under the hood, and an optional sports package with the V8 tightens up the suspension and widens the tires enough to make this 5-series killer handle like it’s a class down. The only downside is that you do still roll about in the corners - it’s hard to hide all aspects of the weight. It’s also tough to slow down, and the brakes faded a tiny bit during the testing. On the bright side, Evgenis is improving their quality - inside, everything fit together very well. Its luxury interior was supremely comfortable as well,” the review read.
“I say that we put this one on the list. It might be a bit soft, but it could be better in person. And its interior is fantastic without being a fortune to buy and keep.” Adam offered.
“I thought you wanted something that handled well,” Leah asked, “but go on…”
“Well, given what we’re used to, it might be a nice midway point. And it does handle, it’s not nearly as bad as others that we’ve dismissed for the same reason…”
Leah decided to trust her husband on this judgment, and they bookmarked a dealer’s address for later use.
Next up!
@thecarlover - Mont Royal MV Sport
“Ooh, Mont Royal… that sounds fancy!” Leah said.
“It’s nice enough for sure! These are super well built things,” Adam offered. “This one just so happens to have a… yep, 5.0L V8, and they managed to get a lot of power out of it. 373 horsepower, in fact. They move out and haul like freight trains for something so big, the new 8-speed helps.”
The Mont Royal proved to be a solid contender through and through. Very handsome styling, a smooth and easy drive considering its setup, and sporty character. It does hide its weight well, while still managing top safety ratings and readily available parts. The MV Sport was kept for later.
@ST1Letho - Kurokama SL-A 3.6 T
“A Kurokama,” Leah said, as they moved on. “Reviews say that these are supposedly a jack of all trades.”
“Yeah, but…” Adam said.
“Hm?”
“Well first off, it’s kinda generic looking. Almost like your dad’s Avalon. Second, look at how gigantic those tires are. Those belong on an SUV. And then there’s some really weird trim detailing going on on the sides and in the back there, and there’s cameras all around it, what do they even do? And it says here it weighs over 2 and a quarter tons… no way you can hide that. Look, it says “like confidence depleting, squishy brakes” in the test-drive part of this review. 
”
He was being a bit harsh, and statistically, the car was pretty good; high comfort levels inside, good cornering, power. However numerous little flaws that they found while researching (a harsh suspension that was compensated by having a 4-seat arrangement and a luxury interior, and an engine that seemed very much underworked) led to the SL-A being set aside.
@Repti - Veldora Doragon GT
Up next was a car that reminded them of the previous Kurokama, but if it was taken up to the next level, as it had some very similar specs.
“Simple, elegant. Classy but not overdone,” Adam said. “I can dig it. A bit bland at the back but it looks good overall.” Leah nodded as she looked through pictures with him.
“The Veldora Doragon GT has a very imposing name - matched by its classic presence. A turbocharged flat-six allows for a smooth and linear pull all the way to a daunting 8,000 RPM redline. Its sporty tires also allow for hard cornering and lower weight allow for pretty solid cornering capabilities.”
Even though the Doragon had a bit of a price tag, and some pretty hefty running costs, they voted to go check it out anyways.
@CorsicaUnknown - Corsica Vienna Limited
They only had two tabs left. They switched over to the next, and were met with a Corsica Vienna Limited.
“Corsica! I know it might not be quite as nice as others, but they are kinda known for sportier stuff so I thought we should give it a look,” Adam began.
“The Vienna is a well designed car, with a focus on the horizontal. Typical Corsica design language here, cheapened a bit by the extensive use of plastic on the front, but this one is complete with some attractive full width tail lights. On the limited trim, the Vienna is fitted with a turbocharged version of their 2.6L engine, making a respectable 300 horsepower. As a bonus, it boasts an unreal 40 miles to the gallon and is super, super cheap to run, like any normal family car! Unfortunately, they haven’t done much to the handling of the RWD family sedan - it still handles and stops like, well, a family sedan. The brakes are firm, but struggle to stop the car short of 125 feet from 62 mph, and the ride can get unrefined in the rough stuff.” Sadly, the two had to dismiss the Vienna Limited.
@vouge - Tevian Elambra GT
Adam was excited - “Alright this is the last one! We get to set up some test drives after this one, hell yeah baby!”
Leah laughed and flicked over to the Tevian Elambra, and admired it from all angles. It was big, imposing, and well disguised as a 4-door with its hatchback design. Familiarly blingy, almost. “I really like the way this one looks, don’t you?” she asked.
“Kinda looks like a Chry – nah there’s some big differences, it’s unique in its own way,” Adam began. (Sorry vogue, it had to be said😉) “Nice lines and creases, it’s pretty.”
Under the hood of the Elambra was a smooth and relatively responsive 3.3L turbocharged I6, making a respectable 333 horsepower and even more torques. Paired to it’s DCT sending power to each wheel via a geared diff, it’s also very quick, pushing to 60 mph in just under 5 seconds (0-100 kph being 5.1). Easy and sporty to drive and quick, with a comfortable average-quality top spec interior, they finished off their car research with one final bookmark for the nearest Tevian dealer.
Their quest was almost complete - Adam and Leah had narrowed it down to 10 finalists, and were looking forward to trading the Talbot in for a car from one of 10 entrants: @Centurion_23, @Repti, @MasterDoggo and @GetWrekt01, @yangx2, @Xepy, @vouge, @Chickenbiscuit, @tzuyu_main, @Cheeseman, or @thecarlover.
Finals soon™!
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