This still on?
Round 8: Value
This is where it gets tricky. While a cheaper car will leave more headroom in the budget for upgrades, upkeep, and running costs, a more expensive one is generally presumed to be more capable out of the box. Built or bought? It depends on where Chris would rather spend his money on. The rankings for this round will thus be based on the percentage of the budget that remains when the car’s approximate cost is subtracted from the $30,000 allotment.
Cheapest car: DAW Corsica Mojarra ($11,250)
Small size and a small engine explain why the Mojarra is the cheapest car of the bunch right now. For all its faults, its low price would leave Chris with a lot of spare cash for aftermarket parts to turn it into a giant-killer.
Most expensive car: Lepus GT ($30,000)
This AWD hot hatch had the kitchen sink thrown at it from the factory, and therefore sits right on the budget cap. However, at least Chris could end up getting a lot of car for his cash if he picks this one.
Affordability rankings (based on percentage of remaining budget)
1st: DAW Corsica Mojarra (62.5%/5pts) - Though sparsely equipped relative to some of the other entries here, this is quite a bargain, for what it’s worth - it embodies the “built, not bought” philosophy very well.
2nd: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (50.58%/4.05pts) - With so little of it spent on proper performance parts, this one could be a surprisingly practical yet affordable (and quirky) choice for a daily driver.
3rd: Wells Sidewinder SS (33.78%/2.70pts) - Second only to the Corsica for affordability among the true performance cars, the Sidewinder may well be a more promising starting point if Chris wants a project to work on.
4th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (33.33%/2.67pts) - Just missing out on a podium spot (in part due to its AWD system), the Sylphide would still be a good choice as Chris’ next project car regardless.
5th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (25.81%/2.06pts) - That undersized body pays off in the affordability stakes, although its convertible top may explain why it ends up on the edge of the top 5.
6th: Winchester Warrior (20.05%/1.60pts) - With more standard equipment for its time than the Mara, the Warrior misses out on a top-5 finish, but at least you’ll get quite a lot out of this one.
7th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (18.81%/1.50pts) - A fairly well-appointed AWD liftback, and one that performs well enough to justify its pricing.
8th: Rocket Venus (15.09%/1.21pts) - Even with its powerful engine, this thing lives up to its name, considering its relatively low cost. Of course, if you want to spend even more on it to make it faster still, then go ahead - but don’t go too far.
9th: Oryu Destriero GTS (13.57%/1.09pts) - That big engine up front accounts for most of its price, but on the other hand, it’s squeezed into a relatively small body, so it’s still a bargain for its pace.
10th: Norrsken Esox R (9.98%/0.80pts) - This is where things start to get pricey - this particular trim level has a lot of creature comforts as standard, and it shows.
11th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (9.88%/0.79pts) - Almost as affordable as the Esox, the Goodwood just misses out on a top-10 spot due to its use of more advanced technology, despite using a FWD platform.
12th: Kato Celeritas (8.22%/0.66pts) - Quite a pricey beast, considering that it was positioned as a premium product in period, but it’ll still leave some cash left over for upgrades if Chris wants a sharper drive.
13th: Aero Flow (8.10%/0.65) - Despite not having power steering, the lightweighting and advanced construction make it one of the more expensive entries here, but it is a visceral experience worth savoring nonetheless.
14th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (7.53%/0.60pts) - The reason why it uses up more of Chris’ budget than the previous car is because of its active suspension - but at least it’ll still leave some cash for him to get it sorted.
15th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (4%/0.32pts) - As a relatively new car powered by a twin-turbo V6, this is one of the more expensive entries here, but it’s more than capable enough from the get-go.
16th: Primus Legacy SV500 (1.39%/0.11pts) - This trim level has held its value quite well, being a high-end super sports/luxury sedan with all the mod cons you’d expect from its kind.
17th (3-way tie): Gipfe CS40DTI, Nordwagen Loki S-8x4, and Zephorus Grimsel (0.3%, 0.23%, and 0.22%/ 0.02pts each) - All of these cars use up nearly all of Chris’ budget, but with their stellar performance and showstopping presence, it may just be worth it.
20th: Lepus GT (0%/0pts) - Throwing the kitchen sink doesn’t always work, and the Lepus actually offers less value for money than the Gipfe, Nordwagen, or Zephorus. It’s more practical than all of them, though.
Standings after Round 8
1st: Gipfe CS40 DTI (57.91pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (56.94pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (53.31pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (51.43pts)
5th: Primus Legacy Sv500 (43.7pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (34.92pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (33pts)
8th: Wells Sidewinder SS (31.67pts)
9th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (31.15pts)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (28.56pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (20.48pts)
12th: Aero Flow (20.05pts)
13th: Lepus GT (17.21pts)
14th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (15.68pts)
15th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (15.46pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (14.56pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (10.36pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (6.01pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (3.74pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (-1.94pts)
Apologies for the late post, but real life got in the way. However, I’m absolutely determined to get the whole thing done no matter what it takes, so…
Hold on tight for Round 9!
6 Likes
Round 9: Service Cost
Supposedly, money saved is money earned, and service cost is no exception. Having to allocate less money spent on routine maintenance (without skipping intervals, of course) will save some cash for aftermarket parts, accessories, etc.
Cheapest to service: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (914.9)
It may have a CVT, but it doesn’t have too many (any?) performance-oriented parts as standard. So for once, the least fitting car on offer (on paper, at least) leads a category in scoring for the first time here.
Highest service costs: Busan Pegasus Coupe ($2714)
Putting aside the fact that this is a newer car, it’s still quite tech-heavy (mid-grade infotainment nothwithstanding) - and gets unfairly slugged by the service cost penalty for turbo engines (especially one such as the twin-turbo V6 found on this trim level).
Service cost rankings
1st: Quix DIscopop 1.7 AWD ($914.9/2pts) - Ironically, not being a performance car meant that the Quix placed atop the service affordability rankings.
2nd: DAW Corsica Mojarra ($1129.3/1.76pts) - A small engine and relatively narrow tires make it cheaper and easier to work on compared to any of the other cars here (except for the Quix, of course).
3rd: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE ($1218.9/1.66pts) - Another relatively small car whose engine doesn’t take up too much space. Only its convertible top seems to hold it back from second place (or better).
4th: Aero Flow ($1528.4/1.32pts) - This pared-back, lightweight wedge has a cavernous engine bay, which seems wasted on a relatively small engine, but on the other hand, makes those servicing bills a bit more palatable.
5th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe ($1568.1/1.27pts) - Another small car with a relatively small engine. Even though it’s mounted transversely and drives the front wheels, it’s still quite cheap to run for its era.
6th: Yajirushi 290 CTC ($1594.7/1.24pts) - Although fitted with fully active suspension as standard, its wheel/tire fitment and camber settings are not too aggressive, and its turbo mill fits neatly into its engine bay without too much trouble.
7th: Oryu Destriero GTS ($1664.5/1.17pts) - A relatively big engine in a relatively small car, but one whose tires are not too wide or low in profile (or even aggressively cambered) to raise service costs even further.
8th: Wells Sidewinder SS ($1676/1.15pts) - See Oryu Destriero GTS above, although its engine is larger.
9th: Norrsken Esox R ($1689.1/1.14pts) - Despite being a full-fat luxury trim, its relative simplicity (mostly stemming from it being the oldest car here) helps it salvage a mid-pack finish.
10th (tie): Kato Celeritas ($1779.4/1.04pts) - Another turbo speedster, but at least this one leaves a lot of room in its engine bay for Chris to work on.
10th (tie): Lepus GT ($1779.4/1.04pts) - As stated in the previous post, this one packs a lot of stuff into such a small body, but the relatively narrow tires keep costs from spiraling too far out of control.
12th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 ($1839.4/0.97pts) - This turbo AWD rally rocket has a small engine in a modestly-sized body, but the wide tires (a necessity for its leech-like grip) put this behind the Lepus in the servicing affordability stakes.
13th: Winchester Warrior ($1922.2/0.88pts) - The luxury interior and stereo sound system on this trim level raises its service cost considerably, but it could be a lot worse.
14th: Gipfe CS40DTI ($2027.6/0.76) - A modern AWD turbo coupe finishing above the bottom 5? Chalk that up to having a longitudinally mounted I6 engine up front in a fairly large body, and tires that aren’t too wide or low-profile for the power they have to transmit to the road.
15th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 ($2290.6/0.47pts) - With a relatively small engine bay housing a fairly large engine driving all four wheels (wrapped in lower-profile tires, to boot), we’re starting to get into supercar-level territory here, as far as servicing cost is concerned.
16th (tie): Zephorus Grimsel ($2314.2/0.44pts) - Very wide, square-fitment tires and a large mid-mounted engine place this in the bottom 5 for this category.
16th (tie): Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V ($2314.9/0.44pts) - Yet another AWD turbo rocket ship, but unlike the Gipfe, this one is built on a smaller body set with a smaller engine bay, which may explain why it costs even more to service than the mid-engined Loki and Grimsel.
18th: Rocket Venus ($2337.1/0.42pts) - Staggered tires and a mid-mounted turbo engine put it in the bottom 3 for servicing affordability, but it could be worse.
19th: Primus Legacy SV500 ($2368.9/0.38pts) - A very large engine, in a body set with a relatively small engine bay, combined with a high-end interior and stereo sound system, would have made it the most expensive car to service if it weren’t for the…
20th: Busan Pegasus Coupe ($2714/0pts) - …whose twin-turbo V6 with variable intake runners (among other things) puts the retro wedge at the bottom of the servicing affordability pile.
Standings after Round 9
1st: Gipfe CS40DTI (58.67pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (57.38pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (53.78pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (51.85pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (44.08pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (35.8pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (33pts)
8th: Wells Sidewinder SS (32.82pts)
9th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (32.12pts)
10th: Knightwick GoodWood Coupe (29.83pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (21.72pts)
12th: Aero Flow (21.37pts)
13th: Lepus GT (18.25pts)
14th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (17.44pts)
15th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (15.9pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (15.73pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (12.02pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (7.05pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (4.88pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (0.06pts)
Round 10 is up next!
4 Likes
Round 10: Fuel Economy
As with service costs, money saved on fuel tends to be saved for other stuff - but in a performance car, this is generally less of a concern. Still, every little bit helps, so here are the economy rankings in descending order.
Highest fuel economy: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (42.62 mpg)
With its highly efficient turbo I4 and small, light platform, the Goodwood is by far the most economical car of the bunch.
Lowest fuel economy: Wells Sidewinder SS (13.67 mpg)
The Sidewinder is the thirstiest car here, due to its aggressively tuned OHV V8 - but at least it has a lot more power than the Goodwood.
Fuel economy rankings (in descending order)
1st: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (42.64mpg/2pts) - With an early spooling turbo mated to a tall-geared 6-speed DCT, the Goodwood leads the efficiency stakes by a wide margin.
2nd: Busan Pegasus Coupe (31.18mpg/1.21pts) - It may not even come close to the Goodwood’s >40-mpg figure, but its variable intake system (which yields a wide, flat torque curve) ensures that it is surprisingly economical for a car of its type.
3rd: Gipfe CS40DTi (30.38mpg/1.15pts) - Even without a variable intake manifold, the Gipfe nearly matches the Pegasus, thanks to some clever turbo and cam tuning.
4th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (29.91mpg/1.12pts) - A modest power output and a smooth CVT put it on the brink of a podium finish.
5th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (27.58mpg/0.96pts) - Another car with an early spooling turbo, and one that makes the top 5 in this category even without VVT (which is justifiable considering its age).
6th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (26.12mpg/0.86pts) - The second-most economical of all the normally aspirated cars, primarily due to a mild cam profile.
7th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (25.76mpg/0.84pts) - This one benefits hugely from a small engine in a light body, despite a high engine speed; a flat floor also helps.
8th: Kato Celeritas (23.68mpg/0.69pts) - Even with a lot of turbo lag (it doesn’t kick in until after 4000 rpm) and short gearing, its slippery body keeps it in the efficiency top 10, albeit in the lower end.
9th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (22.79mpg/0.63pts) - Another car whose engine has a broad, flat torque curve (thanks to a mild cam), despite only having one overhead cam instead of two.
10th (tie): Lepus GT (22.07mpg/0.58pts) - It squeaks into the top 10 with its flow-optimized undertray; even though its secondary cam profile is fairly aggressive, the primary cam profile is much milder, providing a decent amount of low-end torque.
10th (tie): Norrsken Esox R (22mpg/0.58pts) - Amazingly, despite its age, it almost matches the Lepus in economy, mainly due to being much lighter.
12th: Rocket Venus (21.88mpg/0.57pts) - Despite a late spooling turbo, low boost and low downforce keep the fuel economy from being too horrendous.
13th: Primus Legacy SV500 (21.78mpg/0.56pts) - Its gearing is a bit on the short side, but its effects are mitigated by a flat floor and a flat torque curve.
14th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (21.52mpg/0.54pts) - Combining the lowest possible primary cam profile with an aggressive secondary cam profile in its VVL tuning makes it easier on gas than you think, but it’s a long way from the top 5 in that regard.
15th: Aero Flow (20.73mpg/0.49pts) - Even with VVT only on the intake side, and an aggressive cam profile, its slippery body keeps it out of the bottom 5.
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (20.42mpg/0.47pts) - A fairly powerful engine (with a hotter cam compared to the Aero Flow) in a small, light car, combined with a lot of downforce and brake cooling, knock it down to the bottom 5 in the efficiency rankings.
17th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (19.64 mpg/0.41pts) - Despite an early spooling turbo, its short gearing makes it far less economical than expected.
18th: Winchester Warrior (17.52mpg/0.27pts) - The Warrior sits in the bottom 3 for fuel economy due to its large OHV V8, but it could be worse.
19th: Zephorus Grimsel (15.64mpg/0.14pts) - An aggressive cam profile combined with short gearing put the Grimsel near the bottom of the pack here, and yet it isn’t the thirstiest car; that dubious distinction goes to the…
20th: Wells Sidewinder SS (13.67mpg/0pts) - …whose pushrod V8 is even more aggressively tuned than the Warrior’s, leading to a worst-in-class economy figure.
Standings after Round 10
1st: Gipfe CS40 DTI (59.82pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (57.52pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (54.32pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (52.42pts)
5th: Primus Legacy Sv500 (44.64pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (36.07pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (34.21pts)
8th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (33.08pts)
9th: Wells Sidewinder SS (32.82pts)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (31.83pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (22.58pts)
12th: Aero Flow (21.86pts)
13th: Lepus GT (18.83pts)
14th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (18.28pts)
15th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (16.31pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (16.2pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (12.65pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (7.74pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (5.46pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (1.18pts)
Round 11 coming up!
5 Likes
Round 11: Practicality
This may not be on the mind of every performance car buyer, but having the ability to carry more than one passenger and/or some extra luggage space may be helpful at times.
Most practical: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (63.4)
As the only minivan/MPV in the field, its egg-shaped body obviously lends itself well to long road trips and cargo hauling, with copious amounts of cargo space.
Least practical: Aero Flow (22.9)
No surprises here either. Its wide, wedge-shaped body leaves precious little room for cargo, and its low roof doesn’t help.
Practicality rankings
1st: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (63.4/2.0pts) - Loads of cargo and passenger volume; there’s no provision for a third row, but it doesn’t need one anyway.
2nd: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (60.9/1.88pts) - A high load capacity combined with a voluminous 5-seat interior (for its size) cement its runner-up finish.
3rd: Primus Legacy SV500 (53.5/1.51pts) - Despite only having four doors, it still notches up a podium finish, thanks to having a spacious interior for its size.
4th: Kato Celeritas (51.4/1.41pts) - Another 4-door car, but this one’s smaller than the Legacy. It, too, has a decent amount of trunk space for long trips.
5th: Lepus GT (48.4/1.26pts) - It may only have 4 seats, but it’s still a hot hatch (albeit a 3-door one). Thiis is enough to put it into the top 5, though not by much.
6th:Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (47.7/1.22pts) - Although only a 2+2, its liftback shooting brake body style gives it more load space than you’d expect from a car of this type.
7th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (41.8/0.93pts) - A fairly big 2-door coupe with lots of passenger and cargo space is bound to finish in the top 10, although it would have done better with an extra seat and/or an additional door on each side.
8th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (33.2/0.51pts) - One of the widest cars here, but as a 2+2 it can carry more luggage space (or even small occupants) than it otherwise would.
9th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (30.7/0.39pts) - The highest-ranked of all the pure 2-seaters, its RR layout endows it with more cargo space up front than its small size would lead you to believe.
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (30.2/0.36pts) - It squeaks into the top 10 by virtue of having more load capacity than the DAW, squeezed into a smaller body.
11th (tie): Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (30.1/0.36pts) - The Paragon almost ties the Goodwood for practicality, finishing only 0.1pts behind (in terms of in-game scoring) due to being slightly wider.
11th (tie): Oryu Destriero GTS (30.1/0.36pts) - Both it and the Paragon notched up identical scores here, but the Oryu trades load capacity for more interior and cargo space in its smaller body.
13th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (30.0/0.35pts) - An even smaller car than the three that finished above it, but its RR layout allows for a spacious luggage compartment up front.
14th: Wells Sidewinder SS (29.1/0.31pts) - Far wider than the Loki, but in return it gains a lot of interior volume for both of its occupants to use.
15th: Winchester Warrior (28.2/0.26pts) - More load capacity but less cabin volume than the Sidewinder puts it very close to a bottom-5 finish.
16th: Gipfe CS 40DTi (27.9/0.25pts) - Bigger on the inside than the Warrior, but that’s mainly because it’s built on an even wider body set.
17th: Norrsken Esox R (27.6/0.23pts) - Its load capacity trails the Gipfe’s, but at least it’s based on a narrower body set (one that, sadly, could soon be deprecated) that sits higher off the ground.
18th: Rocket Venus (27.4/0.22pts) - For a car as wide as this, it has less interior space than the Esox, or even the Gipfe for that matter.
19th: Zephorus Grimsel (25.8/0.14pts) - Being built on the second-largest of the Super Wedge body sets, its width makes it a pain to maneuver in tight spaces.
20th: Aero Flow (22.9/0pts) - The widest car of the bunch, and hence even less wieldy on narrow roads than the Grimsel, not helped by having very little cargo and cabin space for its size.
Standings after Round 11
1st: Gipfe 40CS DTi (60.07pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (57.66pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (54.67pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (52.64pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (46.15pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (36.33pts)
7th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (34.96pts)
8th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (34.72pts)
9th: Wells Sidewinder SS (33.13)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (32.19pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (23.51pts)
12th: Aero Flow (21.86pts)
13th: Lepus GT (20.09pts)
14th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (18.67pts)
15th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (17.53pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (16.56pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (13.01pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (9.15pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (5.69pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (3.18pts)
Part 12 is up next!
6 Likes
it’s like my car is just stuck lmao…
Round 12: Safety
It used to be that some sports and performance cars had a reputation for being deathtraps, but those days are long gone. Still, a safer car will give Chris some peace of mind in the unlikely event that things go badly wrong.
Safest: Busan Pegasus Coupe (64.8)
The twin-turbo retro cheese wedge (as Chris calls it) takes top marks here - despite only having Standard 2020s safety, its stout chassis and high curb weight (which also happens to be the heaviest of the bunch) makes it the safest car in the event of a crash.
Least safe: DAW Corsica Mojarra (40.6)
The DAW, on the other hand, gets the wooden spoon, mainly due to its small size and light weight - lighter than any other car, in fact. Then again, its safety suite is far more primitive compared to those in the newest cars here.
Safety rankings
1st: Busan Pegasus Coupe (64.8/2.00pts) - This is the heaviest car here, and the only one with standard 2020s safety tech at minimum, hence its best-in-class score.
2nd: Yajirushi 290 CTC (63.1/1.86pts) - For something of its kind, it packs in one of the most advanced safety suites that any car from the '90s could’ve had, on an advanced high-strength steel chassis.
3rd: Gipfe CS40Dti (61/1.69pts) - Built on a robust alloy semi-spaceframe, its safety suite may only be a mid-range standard system from the 2010s, but it’s enough to put it on the podium.
4th: Zephorus Grimsel (58.6/1.49pts) - A rare example of a 90s supercar/hypercar built on an AHS steel monocoque. Safety kit is otherwise average for the era, but it should still be sufficient for most.
5th:Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (57.5/1.4pts) - Although small and light for a 2010s car, it uses the same material combination as the Grimsel, which explains why the Goodwood squeaks into the top 5.
6th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (57.4/1.39pts) - It nearly ties the Goodwood in terms of safety, only finishing behind because its safety tech is not quite as advanced (in absolute terms) and it also has to accommodate a +2 rear row.
7th: Primus Legacy SV500 (56.8/1.34pts) - A galvanized steel chassis may not be an engineer’s first choice when safety is a priority, but the Legacy’s size and advanced safety suite (for its time) make it one of the better options if you were unfortunate enough to end up in a ditch or lodged in a tree.
8th: Aero Flow (56.5/1.31pts) - Its AHS steel spaceframe, clad in alloy bodywork, may not be as stiff as a monocoque, but it should still provide plenty of protection for both occupants, especially with its cutting-edge safety systems.
9th: Lepus GT (55.5/1.23pts) - A bonded aluminum chassis may not be quite as safe as an AHS steel monocoque of the same model year and quality level, but it’s a lot lighter, and the fact that it has the most comprehensive set of safety gear fitted as standard (for its time, anyway) makes it surprisingly tough.
10th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (53.3/1.05pts) - Despite being marked down for being a convertible, the Paragon’s stout AHS steel chassis helps put it into the top 10.
11th: Wells Sidewinder SS (53.1/1.03pts) - The Sidewinder nearly matches the Paragon on account of having a fixed roof, even though it only has a galvanized steel chassis.
12th: Rocket Venus (51.6/0.91pts) - Having one of the most advanced safety suites for its time ensures that, despite its small size, the Rocket Venus is not as much of a deathtrap as you think.
13th: Kato Celeritas (51.0/0.86pts) - It may only have a typical standard safety suite (for the era), but its corrosion-resistant steel chassis with partial aluminum bodywork is quite tough.
14th: Winchester Warrior (50.3/0.8pts) - The only car with fiberglass panels, but even with their inherent safety penalty, it still avoids a bottom-5 finish with its well-built advanced safety kit and extra sound-deadening.
15th: Norrsken Esox R (49.8/0.76pts) - The oldest car here, which hinders it in the safety stakes, but with advanced safety kit (including a driver’s side airbag - hot stuff for '82), it too avoids falling into the bottom five.
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (49.0/0.69pts) - It finishes slightly behind the Esox for only having standard safety for its era in a smaller, lighter car, but things could be worse.
17th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (45.3/0.39pts) - An unusually poor showing by the otherwise front-running Loki, but in retrospect, this is quite unsurprising due to the Loki’s very small body and more primitive standard safety suite compared to the Destriero’s.
18th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (43.2/0.21pts) - Having aluminum panels on a galvanized steel frame may keep this minivan’s weight down, but it also compromises its overall safety rating.
19th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (42.5/0.16pts) - The only other car from the 80s apart from the Esox, but its safety rating takes a hit due to only having a standard safety suite in a smaller, lighter body.
20th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (40.6/0pts) - It’s not just its small size and unusually light weight that place it at the bottom of the safety leaderboard; its galvanized steel chassis and standard safety suite mark it down even further.
Standings after Round 12
1st: Gipfe CS40DTi (61.76pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (59.15pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (55.06pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (53.55pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (47.49pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (37.13pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (36.72pts)
8th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (35.12pts)
9th: Wells Sidewinder SS (34.16pts)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (33.59pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (25.37pts)
12th: Aero Flow (23.17pts)
13th: Lepus GT (21.32pts)
14th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (18.92pts)
15th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (18.67pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (17.25pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (14.06pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (10.01pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (6.45pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (3.39pts)
Round 13 coming up!
8 Likes
Round 13: Environmental Resistance
Rustproofing became a major selling point from the 1980s onwards, and over time it’s been taken increasingly seriously. Still, the less likely a car will suffer from corrosion, the less money has to be spent on rust removal.
Best rustproofing: Norrsken Esox R (63.2)
A shock win for this deep purple wedge, thanks to its well-built body and alloy panels. No wonder so many of them survive to this day.
Worst rustproofing: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (34.9)
The Sylphide, on the other hand, lies at the bottom of the rust resistance rating, due to having untreated steel panels of average quality.
Environmental resistance rankings
1st: Norrsken Esox R (63.2/2pts) - Alloy panels over a corrosion-resistant steel unibody, finished to a high standard… No wonder this one’s top of the list.
2nd: Aero Flow (61/1.84pts) - Another mixed-metal car, this time with an advanced steel chassis clad in aluminum bodywork, and almost as well-built for its time as the Esox.
3rd: Gipfe CS40DTI (56.6/1.53pts) - This one has a partial aluminum body on an alloy semi-spaceframe; if the whole body were made from aluminum alloys, it would be even better protected against the elements (and lighter to boot).
4th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (52.7/1.26pts) - Yet another aluminum-bodied car, but its galvanized steel chassis keeps it off the podium.
5th: Winchester Warrior (46.7/0.83pts) - Fiberglass bodywork won’t rust as readily as any metal equivalent (especially steel, whether treated or not), and its good fit and finish helps quite a bit here.
6th: Lepus GT (46.6/0.83pts) - Incredibly, the Lepus almost matches the Warrior’s rating due to having partial aluminum bodywork over a glued aluminum chassis.
7th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (46.1/0.79pts) - Its small size means less surface area for the elements to attack, given the fact that it’s built on the typical modern AHS steel chassis/partial aluminum bodywork combo.
8th: Zephorus Grimsel (45.9/0.78pts) - Beaten out by the Goodwood for seventh due to its relative age, the Grimsel is nevertheless a better built car for its time in most aspects.
9th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (45.4/0.74pts) - Not as well built as the Grimsel, but slightly newer, and built using the same material combo.
10th: Wells Sidewinder SS (44/0.64pts) - Again, it’s built on a galvanized (rather than corrosion-resistant) steel chassis, but this one is covered in treated steel bodywork, which lifts it into the top 10.
11th: Kato Celeritas (43.7/0.62pts) - A newer platform than the Sidewinder, and with a corrosion-resistant steel chassis/partial aluminum bodywork mix, it almost matches it in the standings.
12th: Rocket Venus (43.4/0.60pts) - Despite only having regular steel bodywork, its corrosion-resistant steel chassis keeps it from placing too low here. Partial aluminum panels would still be preferable, though.
13th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (42.1/0.51pts) - Marked down for having a convertible body style, it nevertheless can withstand the elements quite well for a car of its type, thanks to that familiar AHS steel/partial alu mix.
14th: Primus Legacy SV500 (42.0/0.50pts) - It nearly matches the Paragon, only losing out due to being an older design with a galvanized steel chassis (albeit a well-built one at that).
15th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (41.3/0.45pts) - The oldest car of the bunch to utilize an AHS steel chassis, and even then, it hasn’t had any quality points added to or removed from it.
16th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (40.8/0.42pts) - Despite using the same material mix as the Legacy, it’s not as well built, hence its unusually low placement here.
17th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (40.1/0.37pts) - Somehow, the newer Pegasus is even worse in this regard, mainly due to not having as much quality invested into the chassis or bodywork/trim tabs as the Loki, and the angular, slab-sided base body set does not help.
18th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (39.0/0.29pts) - Although quite small, and built on a typical low-budget galvanized steel/partial alu mix, there is no quality in the chassis tab.
19th: Oryu Destriero GTS (38.1/0.23pts) - It may have a decent amount of quality invested into its chassis, but the same cannot be said for the bodywork.
20th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (34.9/0.0pts) - A boxy body set, combined with insufficient allocation of quality points into the bodywork/trim tab, put this at the bottom of the list.
Standings after Round 13
1st: Gipfe CS40DTI (63.29pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (59.93pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (55.48pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (54.15pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (47.99pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (37.96pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (37.09pts)
8th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (35.12pts)
9th: Wells Sidewinder SS (34.80pts)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (34.38pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (25.82pts)
12th: Aero Flow (25.01pts)
13th: Lepus GT (22.15pts)
14th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (19.66pts)
15th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (18.96pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (17.48pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (14.57pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (10.63pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (8.45pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (4.65pts)
Get ready for Part 14!
3 Likes
Round 14: Bonuses, Penalties, and Final Scores
Last but not least, the final part, where I get to add and/or subtract points to/from entries’ scores for things like a detailed interior (even a rudimentary one), a particularly interesting exterior color, and unusual or unrealistic engineering choices, to determine all of their final scores. So, without further ado, here they are. Please note that for each entry, its final score will take into account the effects of all applicable bonuses and penalties.
20th to 16th: Bottom of the Barrel
First up, the bottom 5. It’s filled with cars which either missed the brief or had too many deficiencies across the board - but at least they had some redeeming features.
20th (5.65pts): Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD by @Hilbert (+1 point for interior, +1 point for exterior color, -1 point for wrong body style)
The quirkiest car of the lot, but quirky doesn’t always mean cool. Rock-bottom scores in coolness, sportiness, and prestige cement its position at the tail end of the field.
19th (10.63pts): Kato Celeritas by @JLKpro (+1 point for detailed interior, -1 point for billet aluminum block/cast-iron head)
A somewhat bland exterior design, combined with poor comfort for a car of its kind, and an unrealistic engine material combination ensure that it ends up close to the bottom, only ahead of the Quix.
18th (11.45pts): Norrsken Esox R by @Ritz (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, +1 point for 91RON compatibility)
The last car in the bottom 3 - poor drivability (for its time) and blocky styling (on a body set that ought to be deprecated and replaced in the next update) drag it down, but amazingly its rust resistance is unmatched in this company.
17th (16.57pts): Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE by @AndiD (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for 91RON compatibility)
Mara has shaken off its reputation for shoddy machinery by now, but this generation of Paragon lacks the styling cohesion and proportioning to win Chris’ heart. It is, however, the most reliable car here, surprisingly enough.
16th (18.48pts): Oryu Destriero GTS by @SheikhMansour (+1 point for exterior color)
A bit too small for its engine, and some styling details are questionable at best, hence the bottom-5 finish. For better or worse, though, its yellow exterior color makes it unmissable for miles.
15th to 11th: Middle of the Road
Next up are the rest of the bottom 10 cars on the list. These were either statistically average across the board, or had inconsistent scores throughout.
15th (21.66pts): Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V by @nvisionluminous (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color)
The shooting brake body style seems forced on this variant, but it still delivers an exciting drive, although it can be quite expensive to service. Even so, there’s not much about its stats that stands out too much, for better or worse.
14th (21.96pts): DAW Corsica Mojarra by @Djadania (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, +1 point for 91 RON compatibility)
Despite worst-in-class safety and the second-lowest comfort score, the Corsica somehow manages to avoid a bottom-5 finish due to its high sportiness rating, and also by being the cheapest car offered. Still, sportiness isn’t everything, and Chris would generally prefer something that isn’t as much of a glass cannon.
13th (24.15pts): Lepus GT by @thpethalk (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, -1 point for glued aluminum chassis on hatchback body style, +1 point for 91RON compatibility)
A glued aluminum chassis on a hot hatch? That’s why the Lepus GT is at the top of the budget cap (after accounting for depreciation), but it also explains why it feels even lighter and stiffer than it is, hence the high sportiness score; the fact that it sends its power to both axles (which puts it second in the drivability stakes) also helps.
12th (27.01pts): Aero Flow by @Edsel (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, +1 point for 91RON compatibility)
A very inconsistent entry stat-wise, with an odd frontal design, worst-in-class drivability, comfort, and practicality score holding it back from the top 10 - but its sportiness rating is second only to the Loki. This doesn’t completely outweigh its many downsides, though.
11th (27.82pts): Yajirushi 290 CTC by @Ch_Flash (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color)
Good performance and prestige, although the design could use a little more flair (even with its tasteful metallic green exterior color). However, being the least reliable car means that it also misses out on a top-10 finish.
10th to 6th: Close, But no Cigar
Now it gets serious. The cars that placed in the bottom half of the top 10 performed decently well across the board in most cases, though not well enough to reach the top 5.
10th (34.8pts): Wells Sidewinder SS by @DuceTheTruth100 (no bonuses or penalties)
The Sidewinder may be the thirstiest car here, and it needs to feel more engaging for its driver overall, but it performs well enough in most other categories to reach the top 10.
9th (35.38pts): Knightwick Goodwood Coupe by @mart1n2005 (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, -1 point for FF drivetrain with FR proportions)
Its front-drive platform may be out of step with its rear-drive proportions, but it’s very exploitable and economical - in fact, its fuel consumption score was the lowest among the entire field. If it were rear- or all-wheel-drive, though, it may well have finished even higher, but we’ll never know.
8th (37.12pts): Strenus Sylphide HT4 by @Knugcab (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color)
Apart from the worst-in-class environmental resistance score and second-lowest safety rating, the Sylphide delivers on most of its promises; those potent mechanicals under its box arches, auxiliary lights, and big spoilers ensure that its driver will love how it turns any road, paved or unpaved, into a yellow brick (gravel) road.
7th (38.96pts): Winchester Warrior by @Texaslav (+1 point for detailed interior)
You know it’s a stacked field when something that amounts to a near 1:1 replica of a C4 Corvette can only place seventh, but there’s a lot to like here, from its luxurious interior to its punchy engine. The result is a consistent performer that needs to stand out more in a key area or two to break into the top 5.
6th (39.09pts): Busan Pegasus Coupe by @the-chowi (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color)
Even though it’s the most expensive car to service out of all the ones Chris sampled, the Pegasus’ unique take on retrofuturism, combined with its good sportiness rating, elevates it to the brink of the top 5.
5th to 1st: Top of the Class
This is it. The moment of truth. The part where a winner is finally crowned. Who will finally come out on top after a long period of deliberation?
5th (50.99pts): Primus Legacy SV500 by @Happyhungryhippo (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color)
A prestigious entry for sure, and an understated yet imposing Q-car with good performance. The rest of the top 5 outperforms it in sportiness, though.
4th (55.15pts): Rocket Venus by @toxicnet (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, -1 point for untreated steel panels on a mid-engined supercar)
The use of regular, untreated steel bodywork on what is supposedly a mid-engined supercar is quite puzzling, to say the least, but apart from that, the Rocket Venus lives up to its name, by having a lust factor commensurate with its overall performance.
3rd (58.48pts): Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 by @moroza (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, +1 point for 91RON compatibility)
Small on the outside but a big-time performer on the inside, the Loki secures a bronze medal thanks to best-in-class sportiness, although it has the lowest safety rating among the top 3 entries.
2nd (60.93pts): Zephorus Grimsel by @Riley (+1 point for detailed interior, +1 point for exterior color, -1 point for identical front and rear tire sizes on a mid-engined car)
The dream car for an entire generation, unmatched among its peers for prestige, and surely the best design here. Only its relatively poor drivability (a result of having a square tire fitment front and rear) prevents it from taking the overall win instead of a silver medal.
1st: Gipfe CS40DTI by @ErenWithPizza (+1 point for detailed interior)
The Gipfe brings home a well-deserved win due to being a top performer in most categories (except for purchase price, although it justified its high initial outlay just as well as the rest of the top 3 did). In particular, it led the pack in drivability and comfort, which made it appeal as much to Chris’ head as it did to his heart.
Epilogue
It took Chris a long time to make his decision, but he eventually chose to buy a Gipfe CS40DTI on Bring-A-Trailer, in the exact spec he’d seen in person recently, knowing full well that it was the right choice for him, and a pristine example to boot. Three days after making the purchase, he returned home to find a surprising sight…
…a Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD, which his wife also bought. At first, Chris was puzzled, especially since she’d sold the truck to do so, but then he learned that they no longer needed it, since they had both changed jobs. Then he hit on the idea of turning the Quix into a quirky beach cruiser (something made easier by its AWD and high ground clearance), exactly as planned. The two of them nodded in agreement, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Congratulations to @ErenWithPizza for winning CW7, and to @Hilbert for a honorary mention!
Special thanks to every person who entered - they gave me encouragement to right the ship that was CW7 after initially mishandling my hosting duties, and filled me with determination to finish this before the year ends.
9 Likes
Excellent, possibly the worst challenge of this year due to the time it took to publish results, meaningless results, and the way the results were made. Next next next hurry up. At the very least, the challenge was completed. Better than some can say.
7 Likes
My shit been stuck at 13th since november man… Lol
Such posts will not encourage others to host, which might be good when you want challenges only done by experienced members… Yes that might be what some want but I guess this is NOT the style the majority of the members prefer.
Yes, that wasnt abgs best performance, I agree and propably almost everyone including himself does, too, but is that amount of salt helpful? Will it do anything good despite lowering your blood pressure now that you have vented? I doubt it.
8 Likes
Understandably, many including myself were upset regarding this challenge.
This was an October challenge and the final results are now available 3 days before xmas. Some also had issues with the way that the cool wall was implemented and judged.
I hadn’t hosted a CW before, which may explain why it took so long to complete. The sheer scale of the task overwhelmed me at first - but in the end, I dug deep and made sure that I finally got this challenge done. I also mishandled the first few rounds of judging (especially the scoring), but acknowledged my mistakes, did my best to fix them, and moved on.
4 Likes
I give you props for sticking it out and not abandoning or cancelling the challenge when you started to get heat.
I will say, as long as it took to complete the results, it was nice to get updates at regular intervals. Personally, I prefer that to endless weeks of radio silence until results get posted.
4 Likes
That Pegasus is just such a beautiful car imo. It perfectly captures a retro look with modern detail.
2 Likes
Well damn, I won. I’ll take CW8. It’s gonna have to wait for a bit with holidays and the new update, but I assume that’s ok with everyone? I already have an idea so I will get a basic ruleset done and fine tune it after most of the hiccups have been sorted with Al-Rilma.
8 Likes
Historically, CW has been a challenge reoccuring on an irregular basis, so I don’t think anyone will mind waiting until Al-Rilma is stable enough for challenges.
4 Likes
Great work @abg7, it was awesome seeing the challenge overcome the hiccups and become something pretty awesome.
I’ve been thinking of writing up “general rules and guidelines” for Cool Wall, similar to what @cake_ape did for ARM, so I might try to hurry that up before CW8. On one hand, I got other things going on atm (especially with MLC20 going on), but also some of the reactions on this are revealing some pretty big disconnects in what different people expect from CW. Especially for an irregular and a-traditional challenge like this, having a central guideline to consult seems pretty useful.
8 Likes