The Car Shopping Round 148: The Turning Point
Berlin, summer of 1991.
After five years separated by the Wall, family, and economic circumstance, Michael Schefke (27) and Gabi Voight (29) are finally reunited for good. While the thought of spending money on a new car on top of their apartment’s rent makes Gabi wince a bit, Michael feels freedom in the air - why not live a little?
Criteria:
Though Michael and Gabi might be lovers, they couldn’t be more different if they tried.
Michael:
Dreams of Autobahn bombers, luxury limos, and stout offroaders fill Michael’s head…
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Something special: If Michael wanted something conventional, he would have stayed home. More than any particular market segment, he wants something that stands out from the crowd somehow - whether that be in the form of a silky-smooth ride, sporty flair, offroad prowess, or something else entirely.
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Styling: Michael wants to show the entire world his and Gabi’s joy. No matter what kind of car it is, Michael wants their new car to look as fresh and young as he feels.
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Technology: Michael’s had enough of smokey two-strokes. While it doesn’t have to be thoroughly bleeding-edge, Michael wants something that aspires to go a little bit beyond the norm.
Gabi:
While the allure of a new car to go with her new life is irresistible, Gabi tries to stay grounded.
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Practicality: As nice as it would be to have another car for weekend cruising, Gabi knows that this one will have to pull double duty - how would they pay for another car? And what if they decide to have kids?
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Running costs: Keeping the gas tank full and the check engine light off shouldn’t break the bank. Gabi prefers a car that’s reliable, cheap to keep running, and gets decent fuel economy.
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Safety: After working so hard to secure their new life, Gabi is reticent to accept a deathtrap. Their car should be safe, and at least reasonably easy to drive.
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Value: Though she wants Michael to be happy, there’s no sense in spending more and getting less. Gabi will pay for extra features and performance up to a point - but if it seems that a cheaper car will do about as well for less, don’t expect her to splurge.
Both:
- Transmission type: Both Gabi and Michael know how to use and are comfortable with a manual gearbox.
- Comfort: Though both are open-minded about what type of car they might buy, they both have their limits when it comes to a buzzy, rattly, crashy ride (reminds Michael of their old Trabbi…) The cutoff won’t be a hard one, but neither is looking for a time trials racer.
Though both are willing to compromise to get something they’re both happy with, neither will let the other walk all over them - striking a happy medium is the goal (though where that medium will be is up to you.)
Rules:
- Game version: Cars should be built in the UE 4.27 / LC v4.2 Open Beta.
- No preferred region: Whether from Detroit, Suzuka, or anywhere in between, entries will be judged without considering nation of origin.
- Trim and variant year: 1991 or older. Keep in mind that older vehicles won’t receive special treatment!
- Max trim engineering time: 125 months.
- Max engine engineering time: 125 base, 135 for mixed-material engines (e.g. iron block, aluminum head)
- Max price: $35,000.
- Fuel type: Unleaded, regular (91RON) or premium (95RON.)
- Exhaust: Standard or high-flow three-way converter required; at least one muffler required.
- Interiors: Interiors are not required and will not be judged. RHD/LHD will also not matter for the purposes of the challenge.
- No V16s: Even though this probably wouldn’t be the ideal challenge for them, for fairness’s sake, the use of V16 engines is banned.
- Be realistic: Though quirky, offbeat choices are allowed and even encouraged this round, engineering should generally remain cohesive and realistic. If you’re having trouble finding evidence for a design choice online, proceed with caution!
- Naming conventions: Both the car model and engine family should be named
CSR148 - yourusername. Car trim and engine variants may be named whatever you like.
Inspirations:
Note: Since I’m intentionally casting a wide net, the following inspirations are only meant to represent a small sample of the possible market niches, styles, and regions for this challenge.
MY1990: BMW 320i (E36)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series_(E36)
Automobile-Catalog: https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1991/269630/bmw_320i.html
MY1992: Subaru Impreza Sports Wagon
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Impreza#First_generation_(GM,_GC,_GF;_1992)
Automobile-Catalog: –
MY1990: Ford Escort XR3i
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escort_(Europe)#Fifth_generation_(1990–1997)
Automobile-Catalog: https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1992/946445/ford_escort_xr3i_130.html
MY1984: Jeep Cherokee (XJ)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Cherokee_(XJ)#1984–1996
Automobile-Catalog: https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1991/1313225/jeep_cherokee_4_0.html
MY1984: Mercedes 230E (W124)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W124
Automobile-Catalog: https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1991/1514015/mercedes-benz_230_e_automatic.html
MY1989: Nissan Skyline GTS25
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Skyline#Eighth_generation_(R32;_1989)
Automobile-Catalog: https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1991/2135285/nissan_skyline_4door_sports_sedan_gts25_type-x.html
MY1991: VW Golf mk. III GTI
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Golf_Mk3
Automobile-Catalog: –
Submissions were closed on:
July 23, 0400 UTC.
This challenge is not currently accepting new submissions.
Note
Hey there! Excited to be hosting for the first time. Don’t hesitate to tell me if something seems off here - I’d much rather deal with it ASAP than try to fix things after the fact. Thanks!
