CSR151 - 100 L2 -> L1 OC!

1997 Midlands Cygnus F2 Kit Car


Lore

The 1997 Midlands Cygnus F2 kit car was developed in response to the tightening regulations in WRC after the decline of Group B and shelved Group S. The first generation of the compact Cygnus hatchback had cemented Midlands as a force to be reckoned with during the late '80s, as well as deepened their sponsor relationship with Martini. The second generation Cygnus, introduced in 1996, put the technological advancements and lessons learned in Group B into the consumer models. The supercharged 2.9 L V6, rear AWD layout was retained and a more aerodynamic liftback body style was added to the lineup. The rear suspension was swapped to a more complex wishbone structure to address the nervousness over bumps the first gen had. Midlands did all of this in anticipation of the homologation process, which they had expected to be similar to what they’d had in Group B.

However, Midlands were caught completely unawares by the much stricter regulations on weight, displacement, and driveline. They had been expecting similar engine restrictions to Group B, but the newer focus on safer racing speeds forced the maximum engine capacity down to 2 liters, naturally aspirated only. Nixing the supercharger was a relatively easy change for them to make, necessitating only a compression recalibration. The capacity limit was much more difficult. Midlands had already spent tons of R&D developing the engine to be 2.9 L, sharing fitments from the much larger Ceres sedan, and they didn’t have the time or the money to develop a bespoke engine. Using one of the i4s in their stable wouldn’t work due to the relatively small space available behind the rear axel, and the ones they had would also need extensive modifications to cam and intake structure to be competitive. So, as stubborn brits are wont to do, they stuck to the original block, valve, and cam structure while sleeving down the internals to be 2000 cc compliant. This produced a high revving, reliable brick of an engine that they could shave weight off of in strategic places due to lower rotating mass. It also allowed them to use a more durable mpfi system than a finicky direct injection set up. They were pleased with making an engine that produced over 110 hp per liter, despite not having the electronic valvetrain assists that they were expecting.

The other half of the equation, the driveline and weight regulations, were a bit harder for Midlands to solve elegantly in the Cygnus. They were using the weight if the AWD system to not only place the majority of the weight super low down in the car, but to also get over the minimum weight requirement. With the regulations mandating 2wd, they lost a whole bunch of front end weight that majorly upset the balance of the car. They weren’t too worried about maintaining good acceleration numbers, since having a rear engined car already put them ahead in that department over the mostly FWD competition, but the weight distribution change was a huge concern. They couldn’t easily change the structure of the car, since any more weight reduction in the rear would start compromising integrity despite the high strength steel construction, and just adding ballast weight at the front would compromise the handling of any road versions of the Cygnus Midlands would have to homologate in this spec. In the end they opted for just including the heavier, road car versions of dash board pieces, telemetry gear, and other amenities like power steering. This shifted the weight to a more reasonable 41/59 and allowed the engineers to sink that extra budget and time into a highly tweakable clutched LSD and CAD assisted aero design. The Cygnus, as it is shown here, is the primary factory team car, donning the iconic Petrol blue with Sebring grey stripes. Both of the team drivers praised the gearing and acceleration, being 4.7 seconds to 60 mph and geared to a top speed of 160, which gave just enough top end for longer rally stages while keeping the pep needed on the shorter ones. Overall, the Cygnus in its F2 kit car guise proved to be a capable successor to the Group B monster that spawned it, despite having an interesting development.

8 Likes

About 25 hours left now till i close the challenge.

i have legal entries from:

@Mikonp7
@AndiD
@conan
@Deltaz
@doot
@Jaimz68
@Lanson
@Ludvig
@Portalkat42
@Quackarov
@Xepy
@Happyhungryhippo
@VaporScape
@SupraWip


i have posts but no .car from

@Knugcab
@Riley
@variationofvariables


i have an illegal entry from

@TheLapTopX20


Copy of the countdown is HERE

3 Likes

1997 Régal R2000 Octane Edition

What do you get when you break an eggshell? Unbridled performance delicious eggs!

The R2000 is made for those twisty tarmac temples of burned rubbers. With about 260hp, 0-100 under 6 seconds, this small and nimble hatch was tuned by Octane for rallies.

Not the fastest or the most agile, but certainly the cutest. This car screams : have fun!*

* Warning: you might see red when driving (unless you are colorblind), and cook in direct sunlight.

12 Likes

MARSEILLE
Thaleia Patersons RALLYE


Summary

A rally version of the Thalieia Patersons, the Rallye is ready to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and it is all out of bubblegum.


Gallery


© 1996 Patersons Motorsport Group

12 Likes

1997 Avion Nexen Omologata

A city/compact car turned wild, from the streets of Italy to world tarmacs.




5 Likes
6 Likes

Shops closed, no more entries from now on.

Couple of cars need minor fixes but those people have ben told about it so as long as they are done today there will be no bin round

7 Likes

Sorry this has took me so long people, i have some real issues actually making myself write without wandering away from the computer so hopefully this is ok. I’ll have the actual rankings up hopefully tomorrow as that is less writing.

First Stage Roundup Part un


After what seems like forever the girls receive press releases and photographs of all the prospective cars the sponsors could get ready in time for the start on the Monte Carlo rally


Beongsae Motors Selecta Rallye @doot

Esmée First up is the Selecta Rallye, and it’s certainly an unusual looking beast
Séphora Yes this seems more like a taxi than a rally car, its really just too big. Looking at the specs it’s also the second heaviest car and the second slowest to 100km/h and the top speed is far too limited.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


I think you knew this wasn’t quite the right car when you sent it in. The exterior design is on the basic side and it’s really just too big for what was needed.
Technically the engine ended up with the second lowest power and the lowest torque, also what is strange is maximum power is made at 5300rpm but torque doesn’t max out until 7400. Any quality or tech pool on the top end would have given you much more power at the top of the rev range

The interior design is pretty simple but everything required is there. More care on the placing could have helped with the interior though, the exhaust is showing through the floor and also the seats are hovering in place. Could also do with some more switches and buttons for the timing computers and interior lights.


Zephorus ZR271 @Riley

Esmée Next on the list is the Zephorus ZR271, which seems more the kind of thing we are after. The spec sheets says this is the most powerful car we have to look at today, and that engine is also the most bulletproof
Séphora It isn’t the fastest to 100 though because of how heavy the car is.
Esmée True, the weight doesn’t seem to hurt it overall though as it has amazing braking ability and insane road holding
Séphora It does seem to snap into oversteer at the limit though so this isn’t the easiest car to drive

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


Really great design that nails the 90’s rally look perfectly. Tons of little touches like the fuel cutoff switches, vortex generators and visible fuel tank to name a few.
The engine is the most powerful by a reasonable margin but somehow manages to absolutely kill it with reliability too.
If the car had been closer to the weight limit maybe it would have had better acceleration but it does have the second best braking anyway so it doesn’t appear to harm it.

The interior doesn’t actually have a lot more going on than the Selecta, however what is there is placed more consistently with some nice touches like the fire extinguisher and digital instruments.


Trémaux Flore Maxi @LS_Swapped_Rx-7

Séphora This looks promising enough, the flag stripes are a good start anyway.
Esmée Yeah a nice hot hatch is always going to go down well on the rally scene. What’s it like to drive though? it doesn’t look as extreme as the Zephorus
Séphora No it is somewhat more manageable to drive, it actually grips the road slightly better but without the snap oversteer problem. It is slightly down on power but the 0-100 time is faster as it is right on the weight limit and has much more aggressive gearing.

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


The exterior design is on the more restrained side but it manages to look clean and everything looks well done. A well done simpler design is always better than throwing shit everywhere in my opinion.
The engine is the third most reliable but the way the cars are spread the top four are all well ahead of the next cars down anyway. The power is made right at the red line which isn’t ideal but it manages to plateau slightly around 7500rpm so it’s not as bad as it could have been, the extremely tight gearing makes up for this.

The interior is actually very similar to the Zephorus so again it could have done with more little touches but overall what is there looks good. Only knock i would give it is the fact there is no actual gear shifter, unless that is what the handbrake lever is for.


FINAL FWD @Quackarov

Esmée This is the rather strangely named “FINAL FWD”. Luckily it doesn’t look too strange, seems a normal hot hatch
Séphora Yes the looks are alright, it’s a bit awkward at the back with the large pillar but overall im ok with it. How is it to drive though? that’s all we should really care about
Esmée Well i think this might be a problem as it’s the least powerful car here by a fair amount, it also doesn’t take advantage of the available rev range as it’s limited to only 6500rpm like a road car.
Séphora Engine is also well down when it comes to reliability too so we would be lucky to even finish a stage with the FINAL FWD.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


On first look this is a decent if slightly aged design. The simple livery is nice and it certainly looks the part as a rally car. Probably doesn’t need the roof bars though.
The fibreglass panels will absolutely kill safety however, which why i assume it has advanced 2000’s safety on the car.
The engines problems probably come from the fact you left the tech pool on the default setting of +5 all round instead of putting points into power and reliability boosting areas.

Interior wise it’s a decent enough attempt. Every required is there in the right place, some extra switches and controls have been added for the co-driver and the footrest and extinguisher are good touches.


Primus Merit 200 Competition @Happyhungryhippo

Esmée Next on the list is the Primus merit 200 competition, a sort of sporty hatchback coupe car.
Séphora Names a bit of a mouthful isn’t it? but is it a handful to drive?
Esmée Reading the test it’s actually too civilised to drive, it has really pronounced understeer when pushed hard. This is especially noticeable as the Merit 200 is rwd so you would expect the rear of the car to give way first. It’s the heaviest car too and it doesn’t hide it well with the handling and the below par braking performance. It accelerates very well for its weight though and the speed is competitive.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


Initial design of the car is ok, it’s a bit on the simple side for a rally car. But what is there isn’t badly done or offensive in any way.
I think you took any oversteer warnings too literally as the car is very much tuned for understeer, if you are making a rwd car then you may as well lean into the way that would drive.
Don’t be afraid to use the weight slider or lighter panels too as the weight limit is really more of a target when it comes to competition cars.
Somehow it has massively high comfort bearing in mind the rubber band tyres and standard interior/cassette so well done on however that was achieved.

I like the interior, it’s a bit more “road car” than i probably would have liked but it’s all placed well and works nicely together. I think this is the only car with an interior light too.


FM Hiway Rally @Jaimz68

Esmée I hope yellow is your favourite colour
Séphora Err not really no, why do you ask?
Esmée Well what if we had a yellow car, with yellow brakes for some reason
Séphora I guess it depends what it drove like, but tbh i would rather have a more subdued colour if given the choice. Anyway looking at the stats the Hiway rally drives better than it’s eye searing hue suggests
Esmée It’s just a bit middling really though, we can do better in pretty much every stat for the money.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


yeah this gold/yellow is quite the choice, not sure why the brake discs are the same colour too btw. If the gold and red combo had more of a livery to it then it wouldn’t be quite so jarring.
The aluminium panels on a car of this age would be a ding against it too as it’s a bit too cutting edge and a pain to beat a panel back out in a light crash.

The interior is a bit mis-matched tbh. The components are there but they are just kinda “plonked” onto the bare chassis with no floor or actual dashboard design either. With a floor fixture and some door cards it would probably look twice as good.


FMC Ladybird (Rally-tuned by FST) @Lanson

Esmée Oh wow this looks like some kind of insect
Séphora Yeah almost a ladybird or something, and like a ladybird this has some serious wing going on. In fact why does this have a massive vent on the back of it?
Esmée Well, in what seems like a massive case of folding the rules over it’s actually mid engined. With an engine where the back seats should be.
Séphora Hang on i thought the FIA rues said the base road car had be able to take 4 seats?
Esmée Indeed but to be fair it never said they needed to be able to be fitted to the rally variant.
Séphora Hmmm, it’s here now so how is it?
Esmée Actually pretty dangerous to drive if you push it, it’ll oversteer at 50 km/h and snap into understeer somehow if driven any faster. Luckily it is reasonably safe but i would rather not find out.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


This is probably a body i should have banned tbh, but since i didn’t its really not breaking any rules. There are other issues over the relaxed body choice anyway, this manages to somehow oversteer quite readily at lower speeds even with the extreme tyre stagger, and then once you hit 100km/h corners it’ll snap under to oversteer which is a tad on the dangerous side.
Both engine and trim reliability are on the very lowest end of the entrants too, the 0-100 is good though as is the safety.

The interior is decent quality, it all fits together nicely with all the main components properly accounted for.


Saarland Vital ES @Knugcab

Séphora This car looks a lot more normal than the last one, the “Vital ES” it seems to be called. So is it vital we try driving this one?
Esmée I’m not so sure, the specifications seem a bit cut down considering the cost. It uses quite basic suspension and gearbox. About three or four years ago it would have made more sense.
Séphora Yeah i guess this is more of a budget car turned rally car. The looks are alright though, shame it’s lacking in performance.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


The design is alright, it’s more on the simple side but i can’t really complain about any of it as it looks realistically like a mid 90’s budget hatch.
The MacPherson strut/torsion beam suspension setup really hurts driveability and sportiness here, with the weight limit i imposed the usual low weight benefit of that choice is lost.
Power is somewhat down too as you haven’t fully utilised the rev range allowed, cutting the fuel at 7500rpm.

Solid enough interior, it’s missing some little flourishes here and there but on the whole it hits everything you need, plus you added the fire extinguisher some people didn’t think about.


Alba SS2 Super2000 @TheLapTopX20

Esmée Now this looks like it means business, please tell me this is an absolute tarmac weapon.
Séphoracrickets
Esmée go on then, what’s the news?
Séphora Sadly the Alba SS2 is not as fast as it looks with a 0-100 of over six seconds, which is a bit of a mystery as it’s powerful and uses very tight gearing.
Esmée I am disappointed as this is a really stunning looking little car. Reading through the paperwork though it’s quite unusual being so small but using a rear wheel drive setup. I guess that’s why it seems to live it’s life on the edge of oversteer.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


Really great design, looks exactly like you would expect a real mid 90’s rally car to look.
The choice to use rear wheel drive is interesting on this size of car, and i wonder if it had actually been a bit better overall if it was front wheel drive.
The engine isn’t lacking in power and the gearing is very short but somehow the 0-100 time is on the slower end of the entries, the fact it makes maximum power right up to the rev limiter is probably a factor in this as changing the gears will cut into the actual powerband you can use.

Interior works well, some nice extra switches on the dashboard along with the fire extinguisher and foot plate. on the whole a really nicely done interior. Not sure about the random wires under the dashboard though.


Mara Asteri 2.0 S2000 @AndiD

Esmée This looks a bit dated for 1997 doesn’t it? remind me of a late 80’s fiat uno
Séphora Yeah i’m not going to argue with you on the looks, but you have to check out the specs on this car it’s literally top five in everything
Esmée I’ll take your word for it and give it a chance then.

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


As above really, the design really isn’t the best I’m not going to lie but the engineering is really first rate as it manages to do well in everything on the priorities list. It isn’t number one on any one thing but overall very strong.

The interior is good though, good choice of fixtures to get an overall feeling of the right kind of car. Not sure about the climate controls on the passenger side but i’m guessing you wanted them to look like a timer or something.


Hergenrother Atom S2000 @VaporScape

Esmée Is this Barbie’s rally car or something?
Séphora True it is rather bright but this is the tied fastest car to 100 and still manages to have a very high top speed meaning it will be nothing but a pink blur on the stages.
Esmée Oh so it’s a good all rounder then?
Séphora No sadly not, reliability issues are well known for this model and it’s not very strong in a crash. Probably due to being completely made of aluminium.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes

I’m not sure why your car floats in photoscenes btw, i had to manually place it for the top image.
The colour almost seems like a mirror wrap, it’s so bright and in your face.
Rest of the exterior design is ok, the shape of the rear is a bit strange but this body has some quite sharp edges so i guess it can’t be helped.
i don’t know if its the semi space frame chassis causing it but this is one the lowest for safety, and i’m not a huge fan of semi space frame as the entire car is built from aluminium
The rear tyres are so marginally wider than the fronts that i’m sure they could have been the same without causing too many problems.

Good interior, one of the very few cars to make your own roll cage and not use the pre-built mod, the fit is a lot better because of this.


Stallion Maxi II Kit Car @SupraWip

Séphora This car looks like it means business, is it already used in racing or something?
Esmée Yes the photos are of another entrants car, that’s why it has a full racing livery on it. It is absolutely tiny though so would be a bit of a squeeze.
Séphora Well at least it’ll be easy to stay on the track with a smaller car. Is it fast?
Esmée Yes it’s it the low five second range to 100 and it has the best brakes of any car we are looking at today. Performance isn’t really what i’m worried about. it’s more longevity of the actual car that may be a problem.
Séphora Oh, how so?
Esmée Well it seems to have a reliable enough engine but the quality of the material used to build the car is very below par also meaning it’s the least safe car here.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


Love the design of the car and the racing livery.
Using negative quality on the chassis and trim along with the plain steel construction doesn’t bode well for the lasting power of the bod though, i’m not putting numbers on environmental resistance but it’s very bad on this car, and it is something to bear in mind when building a car.
For some reason the front tyres are wider than the rears, it is fwd but this is so unusual as to be bin worthy for some people.

Really great interior. One of the best to be honest. Another car with a custom roll cage and some nice little touches with the switches on the interior and the fabric pulls to close the door.s


4 Likes

First Stage Roundup Part Deux

Amation 98 @AlbertMwugabi

Esmée This looks like another teeny tiny car, we need some larger cars to look at you know.
Séphora It is the smallest car here, but it’s not the least powerful by some margin so it definitely isn’t wanting for speed. That power comes at a cost though as its reliability is bad. Also the cost of the fact it’s not even available.
Esmée what do you mean? i can see the paperwork in my very hands
Séphora Yes but the sponsors couldn’t get the required price on the car so it’s been withdrawn anyway.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


I should have caught this on the submission but the rule should have been checked more closely as it is $300 over budget. Even in budget the car has issues like the aforementioned reliability and the strange tyre choice of 230 front tyres and 245 rears.
Exterior design is a bit odd in places but the little things like latches and fuel cut offs are nice.

interior is pretty good, it could do with an actual floor instead of using the games chassis art but you aren’t the only one to do this. The secondary screen on the co driver side with the fan and map reading light are a really nice touch that i think no one else actually did.


RM Sport Cordova F2 Evolution Kit Car @variationofvariables

Séphora Well you said you wanted to see a larger car, and this is the second biggest car here today.
Esmée This looks really good, every bit of the car belongs on a tarmac rally. Please don’t tell me this has some awful reliability or gutless engine.
Séphora No, luckily it’s on the highest end of the reliability and the engine is the third most powerful. It isn’t the third quickest to 100 though as it’s in the high five second range but the handling does make up for it. Safety is good to.
Esmée Let’s give it a look then.

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


Brilliant design, the car is a bit on the big side but it doesn’t look ungainly and the design hides it well.
Bodykit is good, makes it looks like a racing trim of what would normally be a normal two door coupe.
Not sure if it’s related to wheelspin but it’s a shame the car doesnt get to 100 a bit faster since this is powerful car and is right on the weight limit.
Has the car been parked in the sea for some time though? the entire underside and most of the engine block are rust coloured.

Interior really shines on this car, one of the best overall designs on the interior, nothing i can really fault. Maybe secure the extinguisher for actual racing though.


Avion Nexen Omologata @alen.alic1983

Esmée Is this car from the future? it looks like a spaceship compared to any other car here. i hope its as futuristic to drive.
Séphora Err well not entirely, it’s pretty middle of the pack for most things if i am honest.
Esmée Oh that is a shame as i really like the style of it too

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


Solid exterior design, it does look a bit more 2005 instead of 1997 though.
The specs are good it just ends up right in the middle of the entries and with the way the cost and service costs are handled it’s a casualty I’m afraid.

High quality interior with plenty of switches and controls that would be retro fitted into a real rally car.


Midlands Cygnus F2 kit car @Portalkat42

Esmée Another slightly larger car, looks like a pretty standard three door hatchback turned rally car. Nice design and a simple but well done livery. Anything i should know about this one?
Séphora It is the only car here with a six cylinder engine actually, this has a V six and in another turn up for the books it’s mounted in the rear.
Esmée How unsual, does that mean it’s a handful to drive? surely it’s liable into oversteer.
Séphora No, reading road tests it’s a lot more neutral than you may think, it does have a slight tendency into oversteer but it’s a lot more controlled than some of the fwd cars we have looked at today.
Esmée Well considering the performance stats are all pretty good i think we should give the Midlands a second look.

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


On first looks i didn’t think this design would be too crazy, but quite literally the entire body is custom done giving a really interesting step along the side which hides some of the width of the car. Absolutely one of my favourite designs.
I don’t know how you managed to make a rear engined car handle so well with square tyre sizes and not having to use a crazy suspension setup is pretty much witchcraft as far as i’m concerned.

Interior is every bit as good as the exterior, everything fits into place perfectly with a good attention to detail.


Haapala CupSport 2L Rally REV2 @Mikonp7

Séphora Since you seemed to like the last rear engined car how about another one, this is slightly smaller and based more on a standard hatchback. It does use a flat four engine so still somewhat unusual.
Esmée This seems a more aggressive car from the way it is styled, i assume it’s harder to drive?
Séphora Not especially so, but it using aero and staggered tyres to maintain neutral driving. It’s actually a fair bit less powerful than it looks too, it’s 0-100 is good though in the low five seconds. It’s also the only car to use an automated manual gearbox meaning no need to operate a clutch pedal.
Esmée What’s this information in the test about poor crash safety though? that can’t be good.
Séphora No, due to the unusual construction method used this really isn’t a car you want to crash into anything.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


The design is really impressive, looks like a slightly more modern 205 T16, my assumption is like the 205 the standard road car is fwd with this being a special build for rally purposes.
The choice of a space frame chassis is a really strange one and doesn’t really fit these type of cars at all, it would make sense if it was a silhouette racer not a converted road car. Also gives it the second worst safety score too.
On a technical level it’s somewhat underpowered but manages to be very competitive with the 0-100 and top speed figures. The engine and trim reliability is low though, the automated gearbox probably not helping the latter.

The interior is impressively done. I love the vented engine cover and the detail that has gone into the seatbelts. Can’t really fault any of the interior work tbh it’s as good as the exterior design.


KBF CX-2 @Deltaz

Esmée Are we back to more convential cars now? this doesn’t seem too wacky
Séphora Yep front engined hatchback. Though this is rwd, but we have had more of those than i expected anyway so i guess not that strange. The main oddity for the KBF is the fact it uses fibreglass panels, which i’m not even sure you would be allowed to race with.
Esmée That does seem strange for what seems a conventional car otherwise. Looking at the stats sheet it does look pretty fast to 100 but then that is countered by middling reliability and a very limited top speed.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


The front end design doesn’t quite work for me, the lights shape is at odds with the very square body you have chosen. The bumper is alright and the rear lights fit just fine though.
Fibreglass panels are an unusual choice and would normally kill safety which is why i guess you chose the most advanced safety available for the time.
Some fine tuning off the suspension would have eliminated the oversteer problems the car has

You have done a good job on the interior, it’s more cohesive than the exterior design. The switches, fuel cut offs and panel latches all go towards a well rounded design.


Nanahoshi Cony NRG F2000 @Xepy

Esmée yes i do like the look of this one, seems purposefully designed for tarmac racing.
Séphora The suspension and tyres really do lend themselves to exactly the kind of racing we are going to need to be doing.
Esmée How is it power and braking wise?
Séphora it’s not the quickest car we have seen to 100 but it’s reasonable enough and the top speed is very high and it should be able to maintain those speeds through flowing curves.

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


This is a relatively clean design not over the top, but if you look more closely there are vents and wings abound. It all just manages to blend in nicely.
the 0-100 time is on the slower side for the cars that have gone through but it does have a mental top speed, imo i would have swapped a small amount of speed for acceleration.
Handling wise it’s right on the edge for a fwd car, just managing to keep on the road, this does however mean it can generate very high g-forces and grip the road like glue.

Very nice interior, it’s clean and tidy like the exterior. Door pulls and visible fuel tank look good.


Mitsushita Jesta S2000 @conan

Séphora This really reminds me of the Saarland ngl. It’s a bit plain for a rally car
Esmée Weirdly it uses exactly the same suspension setup as the Saarland too, these are the only two cars to use MacPherson strut/torsion beam.
Séphora i assume the handling is compromised as well then?
Esmée It does handle better but it still isn’t as dynamic as some other choices. it is actually the car with the highest top speed but i don’t think it has the handling to hold onto that speed

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


The design is a bit on the plain side, this body choice is pretty flat nowadays compared to some of the newer ones.
As with the Nanahoshi i think some of the top speed cold have been swapped for more acceleration, you would probably need wider tyres though as these are narrow for a performance car.
The engine reliability would normally be very competitive but in this round it’s about 10 points under the ideal. The trim reliability is good though.

i am happy with the interior, i like the extra controls for the co-driver. Could do with a floor fixture over the top of the chassis though.


Régal R2000 Octane Edition @karhgath

Esmée We are back to tiny cars? it’s a bit of an egg isn’t it?
Séphora True but it has quite an aggressive bodykit making it much wider and sporty than the standard car would be. Considering what is probably a fairly standard base car this one has pretty wild handling and a crazy top speed.
Esmée I’m still not 100% sold on the looks but if it drives as well as you say i’ll give it a chance. The road test i’ve been looking at suggest it’s very reliable and comfortable too.
Séphora

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


The design is a bit “busy” for me. i know most of that is livery, but it might have been easier to see the design if it had been one colour instead.
You are second in engine reliability and third in trim reliability so definitely doing something right.
My only concern with the driving is the sudden turn into oversteer at 120km/h which could be lethal in a car of this small size, also the tyres are extremely low profile.
Another note is if you had a geared diff instead of open you would have took 0.4 seconds off you 0-100 time for barely any reliability hit.

Interior looks ok, seems kinda cramped because of the car shape. However the fixtures used are good and everything works well together. The floor surface is a bit odd however.


Swanson 220RSC no34 @Ludvig

Séphora Cool looking livery on this one, im sure we could change the colours round to match our sponsors. Seems on target enough with the 0-100 time and the top speed seems alright for tight rallying, could maybe do with being a bit higher.
Esmée Yeah seems a decent enough all rounder to me, should be very easy to drive. No dramatic snap oversteer here.

Verdict
Makes it to next round
In depth notes


The body looks far too low, the numbers don’t suggest that though so i assume it’s a bit of a problem with the body. Maybe raise it up a bit with advanced trim next time. and it’ll look better.
Design of the car looks good, the front end design is quite an aggressive style with the sharp lights.

Interior is very red, i think it’s the only car not just using plain black seats though.
Overall interior design is good, another car that could do with an actual floor on it instead of the bare metal.


Marseille Thaleia Patersons Rallye @S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T

Séphora Wow what a beautiful little car, i wonder if we can fit this one onto our list.
Esmée Looking at the stats sheet it’s right on the money with it’s performance figures, grip is a bit lower than some others but its not bad.
Séphora I have had a quick look at a race report and it’s not all as rosy as it seems. The Marseille has some bad gremlins in the engine and it is touch and go whether the car finishes a race at all.
Esmée I’m not happy about this at all, I really could see us in this car.

Verdict
Doesn't make it through
In depth notes


Another floating car, no idea what is going on with some of these bodies.

This is probably my favourite designed vehicle, the Clio Williams being one of my favourite cars and this obviously owes a lot to the mk1 Renault Clio design.
the design is so good that it actually pains me to not put the car into the final places but the car falls down quite a lot on engine reliability and is slightly off the pace with trim reliability. Safety could be a tad higher too.
Performance is pretty on the ball however and it would fit around mid/high section of the final eight, just the snap oversteer causing issue.

The interior really is amazing, in the top quarter of entries for sure. Good modelling with the dashboard components and door cards to fit the body with zero gaps. Lettering on the seats is a nice finishing touch.

9 Likes

The Ladybird runs good in Beam, on my wheel it is capable of some great stuff. Not sure what’s the suspension tuning judge marker here. Nice cars though.

A lot of cars has been floating in photoscene for me lately, must be some kind of bug.

Also, wouldn’t McP/torsion beam be a lot more common IRL? Since I don’t think that’s usually changed from the road going versions? Yeah, I realize why most people didn’t opt for it, but still… :stuck_out_tongue:

Actual Ranked Results


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  1. @AndiD
Reasoning

Design not the cars strong point tbh.
highest sportiness score
safety, reliability and driveability mid/low
g-forces good until the car ends up facing the wrong way.
in gear times are a bit low as is top speed.


  1. @variationofvariables
Reasoning

good exterior and interior design
high g-force numbers
slowest 0-100 and longest brake distance (by only 0.1m)
safety, reliability and driveability middle of the pack.


  1. @karhgath
Reasoning

Good G numbers, until you go too far and it crashes. But at least safety is a solid middle of the pack
engine reliability really good and trim reliability pretty good also.
Body has a sporty egg feel to it.


  1. @Portalkat42
Reasoning

Very strong design with an amazing amount of custom work to the body.
0-100 is the fastest here, top speed is a bit mid pack though. in gear acceleration is slowest.
safest car here.
lowest G-force numbers, however very neutral on the edge.


  1. @Xepy
Reasoning

insane g-force numbers and highest top speed.
big fan of the design, not too ott
high sportiness and driveability.
0-100 time isn’t too strong.
lowest safety (by a small amount) and trim reliability.


  1. @Ludvig
Summary

nice livery and design, does look far too low though.
0-100 and in gear times competitive enough.
third in trim reliability and driveability.


  1. @Riley
Reasoning

Really good design
absolutely insane engine reliability
high g-force figures.
best braking distance.
highest top speed
best drivability.
sportiness on the lower side however
0-100 time could better as could in gear acceleration.


  1. @LS_Swapped_Rx-7
Reasoning

Good clean design
fastest in gear accelaration, second best 0-100 time. low top speed but luckily in gear and handling is good.
best trim reliability, third best engine reliability but it was pretty close.
second best braking, but again very close.
safety and drivability right up there, second in sportiness too.



All results are final and my own thoughts. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

9 Likes

Ah ggs I think that’s my best place finish in a CSR, close though! very close. Good round, on the challenging side for sure with all the design elements but it paid off. Congrats to the winner.

2 Likes

Thanks for a really fun CSR and congratulations to the winner.

These results were well worth the waiting, with precise and friendly reviews of every entrant.
They were very much on point for my car, the Merit Competition was designed as a Beginners’s rally car right from the factory, so it was quite close to the stock version and tuned for easy driving while being comfortable enough for occupants that are non-professional drivers.
However, the two ladies looked for something with less compromises aiming for experienced professional drivers, so being thrown out that early was well justified.

4 Likes

Very happy with third (especially considering my track record with CSR lol), I celebrate with Bepis™
It does look better with some + ride height, I was wary about it being considered cheating but inb4 if it’s not in the rules…
A fun, well hosted CSR with a high level even among the non-finalists.
In case my betters unfortunately decline hosting I will too, I’m committed to AGC. Which is coming, just need to get LHC sorted, work, and sleep in cave first

I’ll get started on making the next CSR then
I admit I’m a bit nervous, but I think I got a good idea in mind

4 Likes

Maybe I didn’t get the best position, but I’m really fine with it but also happy that you enjoyed some parts of the car, I also can say that, I went with less wide rear because, I wanted to achieve a slidey car in some aspects, and FWD cars are also easy to drive, but also understeery in some situations, so I wanted to achieve something between the middle haha