CW7: Golden Age Memories (Round 13: Environmental Resistance)

[abg7]

Round 4: Drivability

This is the measure of how easy it is to handle a car under most driving situations - sacrificing some of it might be desirable for a performance car, but there are limits.

Most drivable car: Gipfe CS 40Dti (87.6)

An advanced automatic gearbox may not be everyone’s idea of what should belong in a performance car, but when combined with a suspension tune that balances firmness and suppleness and a trick AWD system, as well as a fat, consistent torque curve throughout the rev range, it makes the Gipfe a doddle to drive even at ten tenths.

Least drivable car: Aero Flow (59.7)

Its absence of power steering, among other factors, makes it more of a handful than any of the other cars here. Still, a drivability score of nearly 60 without this item isn’t too bad in absolute terms, but it shows how far standard in everyday usability have improved since then.

Drivability Rankings

1st: Gipfe CS 40Dti (87.6/10pts) - A super-smooth 8-speed advanced automatic gearbox, taut suspension tuning, a consistently fat torque curve, and fast-acting variable electric power steering make the Gipfe the easiest car of this bunch to drive fast, especially with its balanced AWD system.
2nd: Lepus GT (84.0/8.71pts) - It may not have the plateau-like torque curve of the Gipfe, or its fully electric variable steering, but this AWD pocket rocket is still far from unwieldy in any driving environment, even the most taxing ones imaginable.
3rd: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (82.9/8.32pts) - As the only front-driver of the bunch, the Goodwood performed as expected - in other words, very well. Its advanced (dual-clutch) automatic gearbox, though not as well-geared as the Gipfe’s, is well-suited to its engine, and its variable electric power steering is perfectly matched to its chassis, which underpins one of the smallest cars here.
4th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (78.8/6.85pts) - Among all the rear-drivers, the Paragon is tops in the drivability stakes, with a flat torque curve and a relatively small body, with a firm yet compliant suspension tune that keeps things from getting too lairy.
5th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (78.7/6.81pts) - Trailing the Mara by 0.1 in drivability, the Loki achieves its score by being even smaller than the Mara, and leveraging it with a sportier suspension setup, effectively negating the penalty its manual gearbox incurs.
6th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (77.8/6.49pts) - The best drivability figure among all the entries using a DCT. This, combined with a well-tuned suspension and variable EPAS, make it surprisingly exploitable, and not just for a pure rear-driver.
7th: Primus Legacy SV500 (75.5/5.66pts) - As an older rear-driver built on a larger body, it should not be as easy to drive in extremis as it is, but still ranks in the top half with its well-judged ride/handling balance and linear torque curve.
8th: Rocket Venus (74.2/5.2pts) - While its dyno sheet shows a less progressive torque curve than expected (mainly due to forced induction), its ride/handling balance is perfectly suited to an ideal blend of daily use and spirited driving, even without AWD.
9th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (73.5/4.95pts) - Its CVT make it extremely smooth around town, especially with its supple ride/handling balance. However, mild oversteer at the limit keeps it from placing any higher.
10th: Oryu Destriero GTS (72.7/4.66pts) - Wide tires should’ve made this thing a handful, but ESC and sporty suspension tuning ensure that it doesn’t become too unruly.
11th: Kato Celeritas (72.3/4.52pts) - Despite not benefiting from having an automatic transmission of any description, its electronically controlled AWD system helps it leap off the line just as easily as it can negotiate the daily grind.
12th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (71.1/4.09pts) - It loses out to the Celeritas due to not having its suspension setting quite as dialed-in, but still runs it very close. It could be worse, though.
13th: Zephorus Grimsel (70.6/3.91pts) - The Grimsel ranks so low this time around because of its unusual square-fitment tires (275mm wide front and rear). This leads to an oversteer bias, but at least its AWD system and progressive power delivery help keep things from getting too far out of hand.
14th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (70/3.69pts) - It should be easier to drive than the Grimsel, but it isn’t, thanks to its relative lack of grip. Still, as an AWD turbo rocket with rally heritage, it’s easier to drive to its limits than its boy-racer exterior suggests.
15th: Winchester Warrior (68.9/3.3pts) - The wide staggered tires (255mm front/285mm rear) are the culprit for its relatively low drivability score, but its torque curve is very conducive to around-town blasts, and its suspension helps keeps that fat rubber planted with ease, all the time.
16th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (68.3/3.08pts) - For something with fully active suspension, its oversteer bias really handicaps it when driving below seven- or eight-tenths. Some minor gearing adjustments wouldn’t hurt, either.
17th: Wells Sidewinder SS (68/2.97pts) - It suffers from the same problem as the Yajirushi 290, but at least it has better throttle response, along with ESC for the daily grind. You could do worse than this for something to use in everyday situations, though.
18th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (66.2/2.33pts) - Staggered tires (185mm front/215mm rear) combined with a high idle speed (nearly 2,000 rpm) make it somewhat stroppy unless it’s driven flat-out, but its small size makes it easier to place on the road than its rear-engined configuration suggests. Its suspension needs a slight retune for a reduced oversteer bias, though.
19th: Norrsken Esox R (60.6/0.32pts) - The absence of power steering, combined with standard springs and an oversteer bias (even with staggered tires), make this wedge quite an unruly, wayward one - but at least the factory spring/damper settings are well-suited to the kind of spirited driving it was built for. Just make sure you’ve taken some bravery pills, though.
20th: Aero Flow (59.7/0pts) - The Aero Flow gets the wooden spoon for drivability due to a lack of power steering (in something weighing over 1.5 metric tons), an unusually low driving position, and staggered tires (something the Esox lacked). Then again, considering its high sportiness rating, it may just be worth it for the brave souls willing to try it out.

Standings after Round 4

1st: Zephorus Grimsel (41.72pts)
2nd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (40.36pts)
3rd: Gipfe CS40DTI (39.73pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (38.14pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (30.62pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (21.65pts)
7th: Wells Sidewinder SS (20.65pts)
8th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (20.24pts)
9th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (20.02pts)
10th: Aero Flow (15.83pts)
11th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (14.1pts)
12th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (13.35pts)
13th: Lepus GT (9.52pts)
14th: Oryu Destriero GTS (6.98pts)
15th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V DAW Corsica Mojarra (6.85pts)
16th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (5.58pts)
17th: Kato Celeritas (1.85pts)
18th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (1.55pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (-2.24pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (-15.05pts)

Round 5 coming soon!

[mart1n2005]

My car uses a six speed dual clutch btw. It’s the same as in my CSR entry

[Edsel]

Dang, I did not expect 60 drivablility to be the bottom of the pack. I must be too used to building older, weirder cars from ALC & LHC.

[Ritz]

The Esox does actually use staggered tires, the fronts are 205 and the rears 245

Also now looking back I see I sent the wrongly tuned car, therefore the oversteer bias, RIP my score ig

[abg7]

Round 5: Design

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so it is with this lot. It’s not a stat that I can measure in Automation, so I’ll just give the top marks (100 points) to the best-looking car, and everything else gets a percentage of that based on how good-looking I think it is.

Best-looking car: Zephorus Grimsel (100 styling points)

How could it not be? The dramatic styling of the Grimsel makes it easily recognizable for miles, and a prime candidate for bedroom posters everywhere.

Worst-looking car: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (41.7 styling points)

While well-engineered on the inside, the Paragon is far from a styling, erm, paragon on the outside, with poor proportions, fixtures that don’t quite gel with each other, and an undersized body.

Exterior design rankings

1st: Zephorus Grimsel (100/10pts) - Not just one of the best-looking supercars of its time, but also of all time, with drama and swagger to turn heads everywhere.
2nd: Gipfe CS 40Dti (96.7/9.65pts) - A more understated offering compared to the Grimsel, but its looks are perfectly appropriate for something that is meant to be a grand tourer with a dash of sportiness.
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (94.2/9.38pts) - Although somewhat on the small side, its menacing front fascia and bulging fenders give it a menacing air on the road.
4th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (92.6/9.21pts) - A clear case of retro-modern done right, and solid proof that the Moore body sets can be made to work well for the modern era (2020 onwards).
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (90.9/9.03pts) - Absolutely nails the Q-car brief on the outside, with just the right amount of sporty touches on a 4-door sedan body to give off a performance vibe.
6th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (88.2/8.75pts) - In isolation, this isn’t a bad-looking car, but it would be more aesthetically resolved if its proportions matched its FF drivetrain.
7th: Winchester Warrior (84.1/8.31pts) - It may look too much like a C4 replica on paper, but that car had such an iconic shape that I can’t rank it any lower.
8th: Strenus Sylphide (83.3/8.25pts) - A butch, unapologetic exterior treatment makes the Sylphide look every inch like the rally refugee that it is.
9th: Rocket Venus (80.7/6.77pts) - This one has all the retro supercar details (rear wing, big side intakes, pop-up headlights) in the right places. Needs a less grumpy face, though.
10th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD) (80.1/6.67pts) - Lots of body molding in all the right places make this minivan feel light, airy, and surprisingly attractive for its body style.
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (78.7/6.44pts) - It needs more cab-rearward proportions, and a slightly different shape for its headlight covers, but this is still a solid design.
12th: Wells Sidewinder SS (74.4/5.72pts) - A typical '90s aero-influenced design, but the rear wing is too boxy and the headlight covers are a bit too small. Still, the proportions are quite good.
13th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (70/4.98pts) - The headlights are a bit too small, and a slightly larger lower air intake would be welcome, but the proportions fit its RR layout perfectly.
14th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (66.3/4.36pts) - From the front, it looks quite decent, but the shooting brake rear looks forced and too tail-heavy. The side mirrors should also be slightly larger.
15th: Lepus GT (61.1/3.49pts) - On the outside, it takes the Q-car theme a bit too seriously. The result is something that, rear spoiler aside, could be too easily confused with its lesser siblings in the range.
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (58.8/3.11pts) - While not a bad-looking car per se, the headlights are mounted too low, and the mirrors should be wider. It also needs some more detail on the sides.
17th: Aero Flow (55.9/2.63pts) - It looks like a supercar that had shrunk in the wash and melted in the sun, but at least its aero fixtures are the right size and shape.
18th: Kato Celeritas (51.4/1.87pts) - The way the front-end fixtures are placed and scaled makes it look sleepy, and this car also suffers from small-mirror syndrome.
19th: Norrsken Esox R (48.5/1.39pts) - I know this one is built on what will soon be a legacy body set, but that doesn’t excuse its upright front fascia, which clashes with the overall wedge-shaped profile.
20th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (40.2/0pts) - Mara gets the wooden spoon for using an undersized body set with poorly-proportioned morphing settings, and placing the fixtures on it disharmoniously.

Standings after Round 5
1st: Zephorus Grimsel (51.72pts)
2nd: Gipfe CS40DTI (49.38pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (49.36pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (43.89pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (38.62pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (28.65pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (28.52)
8th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (26.74pts)
9th: Wells Sidewinder SS (24.65pts)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (21.6pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (17.6pts)
12th: Aero Flow (17.33pts)
13th: Lepus GT (12.02pts)
14th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (9.85pts)
15th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (9.08pts)
16th: Oryu Destriero GTS (8.98pts)
17th: Kato Celeritas (2.85pts)
18th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (1.55pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (-1.74pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (-10.05pts)

Stay tuned for part 6!

[mart1n2005]

Is this very important part of the cool wall scoring going to be ignored for this challenge basically?

The whole point of this is to make the scoring relative to the top and bottom numbers for a given category. If you use this scoring then out a 10 point scale for example the top car getting 100 in reliability would mean the second place car with only 50 reliability then gets 5 points out of a possible ten, even though it is in second place it is half the points due to the relative nature of the scoring.

With the system used currently the second place car would get 9.5 points even though it’s reliability score is half of the top placed entry.

[abg7]

I thought about using the original Cool Wall scoring system for this round, but decided to replace it with a different one just for this round, and will update the OP accordingly.

[Knugcab]

Well…my five cents, if you are deciding to ditch a well established scoring system in a continous challenge and replace it with one of your own, “updating the OP accordingly” should probably be done before the end of rules delib and not over a month after the deadline for submissions…

[Tsundere-kun]

What is the point of updating the OP when everything from the rules, the entries, and whatever judging it is are already said and done? Genuine question, is this just some sort of satire?

[abg7]

Apologies for the unexpected change - I realized late in the deliberation phase that I would rather switch things up for the scoring system, but only for this iteration of the Cool Wall Challenge - future iterations will revert to the usual system last used in CW6.

[Riley]

It’s not so much that the lateness of changing a rule is bad, but the way the challenge is meant to be hosted has been changed after we’ve all submitted. The scoring is straight up wrong, and far more basic than it should’ve been. To prove a point, here are the real scores after our current scoring.

As you can see, things don’t really move at the very top or the bottom, but after that it’s a mess, everyone shuffles everywhere with several people jumping or dropping 10 spaces or so.

Ty @Danicoptero for doing this visual place swap thing.

[abg7]

Thanks for pointing that out - I’m seriously considering reverting to the original CW scoring system and adjusting points per round accordingly.

[Riley]

Please do! it would make many of us very happy. The original calculator is right there.

If you were going to run your own version of CW the way you did it would be “fine” but this is the real thing!

[abg7]

It’s getting late where I live, so I’ll go to bed first, then readjust the rankings the following day.

The new scoring system I had wanted to replace it with, however, will not go to waste, and I may consider using it for my own standalone challenges later.

[abg7]

Round 6: Reliability

They say that a car is only as good as how far its oily bits can take it - the further the better. Or is it?

Most reliable: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (88.0)

Mara has shed its reputation for badly built knockoffs of Western machinery with the Paragon. Odd-looking it may be, but it conceals a heart of iron.

Least reliable: Yajirushi 290 CTC

Overcomplicated on the inside, its sleek looks conceal mechanicals that are not quite as robust as they seem.

Reliability rankings

1st: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (88.0) - An overbuilt engine, interior, and body help make Mara’s flagship performance car outlast its competitors mechanically. If only it looked better…
2nd: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (83.5) - While not as over-engineered as the Paragon (at least in terms of body and engine quality), its interior is far better built. Being a full decade newer also helps.
3rd: Zephorus Grimsel (83.3) - By resorting to using an exquisitely finished body and a more robust drivetrain, it does not need to have as many quality points sunk into other areas for a podium finish - a remarkable result considering its age.
4th: Gipfe CS 40DTI (82.6) - Built using the same philosophy as the Grimsel (more drivetrain and body quality points, fewer such points elsewhere), the Gipfe leverages its newer design to compensate for the complexity of its fancier infotainment.
5th: Rocket Venus (82.3) - It takes a similar approach to quality allocation as the Zephorus and Gipfe, but leans even more heavily on body quality to offset the reliability penalty of its active suspension.
6th: Lepus GT (81.1) - With its quality points distributed more evenly (but with fewer of them assigned to where they affect reliabilty the most), the Lepus barely misses out on a top-5 spot, but is still one of the better built entries here.
7th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (80.5) - Despite not using any quality points in many areas, it invests many of them in a few crucial places (including bodywork and drivetrain) to score highly in this field.
8th: Primus Legacy SV500 (80.2) - Like the Lepus GT, the Legacy opts for a more balanced allocation of quality points, but leans even more heavily into its philosophy to remain competitive in this regard, despite its age.
9th: Winchester Warrior (79.7) - Even with a luxury interior and CD player (which I’m assuming was an optional extra), its robust engine and drivetrain help ensure that it can last a long time.
10th: Oryu Destriero GTS (79.2) - In terms of quality allocation, its approach is similar to that of the Myosotis, though not as extreme, thus resulting in a top-10 finish.
11th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (77.5) - By using few or no quality points outside of the suspension and drivetrain, its reliability suffers accordingly, and never rises far enough above average.
12th: Aero Flow (77.4) - It has the same problem as the Pegasus (too few quality points in general), but not to the same extent. However, its age also partly explains why it finishes behind the Pegasus in the reliability rankings.
13th: Wells Sidewinder SS (76.6) - Another car plagued by a similar issue as the Pegasus, but for a different reason: some of the quality points have been assigned to places where they don’t affect reliability as much.
14th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (76.2) - The oily bits and interior are fairly well-built, but not to the same extent as the class leaders, and the rest of the car even less so, though the relatively low amount of body quality points may be somewhat to blame for its disappointing reliability ratings, especially when combined with the use of active suspension and semi-active dampers.
15th: Norrsken Esox R (76.1) - Using lots of quality points across the board to reinforce an older design can only go so far - the Esox’s sheer age really holds it back here. It still avoids a bottom-5 finish, though, by going all-in on that approach.
16th: Kato Celeritas (75.7) - Although it invests lots of quality points overall, it spreads them too thinly, especially in the gearbox and interior.
17th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (74.3) - Most of its components are set to 0 quality, and the others haven’t had a large number of positive quality points sunk into them.
18th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (74.0) - A lot of quality points here, but spread inconsistently - they should have spent more of them on the gearbox, interior, and bodywork, where they are most effective.
19th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (70.3) - No quality points anywhere on the trim (and even on some engine components)? That’s a recipe for a shitbox down the line - only its offbeat exterior design saves the Quix from being one, though.
20th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (69.9) - The bottom of the barrel in terms of reliability. In part this is due to having active suspension (very cutting-edge for 1991), but the real deal-breaker is the complete lack of positive body quality.

Standings after Round 6

1st: Zephorus Grimsel (55.42)
2nd: Gipfe CS40DTI (52.89)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (51.1)
4th: Rocket Venus (47.32)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (41.47)
6th: Winchester Warrior (31.36)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (30.62)
8th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (27.87)
9th: Wells Sidewinder SS (26.5)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (25.36)
11th: Aero Flow (19.4)
12th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (17.6)
13th: Lepus GT (15.11)
14th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (12.78)
15th: Oryu Destriero GTS (11.55)
16th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (10.3)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (6.55)
18th: Kato Celeritas (4.45)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (-0.03)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (-9.94)

Stay tuned for Part 7!

[moroza]

@abg7

twin-turbo

Huh?

[abg7]

Sorry, but I didn’t catch that oversight initially - the engine is naturally aspirated and has had quite a lot of quality points sunk into it everywhere. I traced its relatively low reliability score to its active suspension system (specifically, active springs) - it’s the most advanced one the game offers (and provides unmatched drivability, comfort, and sportiness), but it’s also the most complex, expensive and least reliable option of all.

Also, one major observation I made when analyzing the reliability scores for each entrant is that adding body/trim quality provides a significant boost to reliability, by improving overall fit and finish.

[abg7]

Round 7: Comfort

Drivability is not the only criterion for everyday usability; interior and ride comfort also play a part. For a performance car, however, it may be best to balance this with overall sportiness, although it may be worth sacrificing some comfort (but not too much of it) if the customer is brave enough.

Most comfortable: Gipfe CS 40DTI (60.0)

Top-of-the line infotainment, an advanced automatic gearbox, softer brake pads, variable electric steering, adaptive dampers… They threw the kitchen sink at it, and ended up with the most comfortable car of the bunch.

Least comfortable: Aero Flow (13.8)

Stiff suspension (with standard, non-progressive springs) and unassisted steering, combined with a relative lack of sound-deadening, make it a challenging proportion to live with on a daily basis, to say the least - but in return you get visceral thrills rarely found elsewhere.

Comfort rankings

1st: Gipfe CS 40DTI (60.0/5pts) - With the best infotainment money can buy (for its time and market segment), plus a buttery smooth engine, this is nicest place to be on a long haul or in rush hour.
2nd: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (50.3/3.95pts) - A surprise silver medal for the glass bubble on wheels, whose CVT takes the hassle out of gearchanges, while fancy suspension bits and a premium interior keep the occupants contented all day long. Electric steering adds a pleasingly light touch to the controls.
3rd: Norrsken Esox R (41.2/2.97pts) - This is the full-fat trim, with its luxury interior and cassette tape stereo, and the extra balancing mass makes it quite a smooth ride for its time.
4th: Rocket Venus (40.6/2.9pts) - Active suspension (which, to be fair, should’ve been tuned slightly better), a top-end sound system (with a CD player) and lots of balancing mass make it more livable than most of its rivals in the supercar class.
5th: Wells Sidewinder SS (36.6/2.47pts) - Maximum balancing mass may not be good for engine response, but it definitely cuts down on NVH, while the suspension focuses mainly on comfort.
6th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (36.1/2.41pts) - A high-quality interior and infotainment, with variable EPAS, adaptive dampers, high balancing mass, and a DCT - all hallmarks of a luxury car worth many times its price, and surprisingly welcome in something so small.
7th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (34.9/2.28pts) - Another car with active suspension, although this one is a tad firm for its intended purpose. It’s still a good fit for what is meant to be a grand tourer, especially with its luxury interior and CD stereo sound system.
8th: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (34/2.19) - Yet another case where the active suspension is on the firm side, but at least it’s more in tune with the car’s positioning. A top-tier sound system/CD player also helps, as do comfort-biased brake pads. Balancing mass is on the low side, though, and the performance intake/ single muffler combo makes the engine quite noisy (although isn’t that what we expect from a supercar like this one?).
9th: Primus Legacy SV500 (33.4/2.12pts) - The spring rate is a bit on the stiff side, but at least it has adaptive dampers. Also, the premium CD player is a bit outclassed in something with a full-on luxury interior. Still a good choice for a sports sedan to use as a daily driver, though.
10th: Lepus GT (33.2/2.1pts) - An unusual (and firm) application of active suspension, not helped by the mid-grade standard infotainment, but still a fairly usable choice of daily driver.
11th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (32.8/2.06pts) - Standard infotainment is a bit out of place in its premium interior, and the non-progressive standard springs don’t help. The 2+2 seating makes it even worse, but at least it has a DCT, and VVL with the lowest possible initial cam profile, to smooth things out.
12th: Winchester Warrior (31.9/1.96pts) - Another stiffly sprung car, but one with adaptive dampers and a full-house luxury interior/CD player (along with slightly softer brake pads) for the daily grind, although the balancing mass is a bit light…
13th: Oryu Destriero GTS (31.5/1.92pts) - Despite a high-quality premium interior, it is somewhat held back by its relatively small size, and consequently a lack of interior volume. Also, the single muffler on the exhaust makes it a bit louder than expected.
14th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (30/1.75pts) - Another undersized entry, and one without progressive springs, but the narrow tires and high balancing mass are a boon for comfort (relatively speaking). A single straight-through muffler with mid cast headers is a bit out of place, though.
15th: Zephorus Grimsel (27.7/1.5pts) - Its adaptive-damped air suspension is a bit firm, and the sports interior/premium CD is not quite as well-built as some other interiors here. That said, high balancing mass (with balancer shafts) help soften the blow from having dual straight-through mufflers.
16th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (24.7/1.18pts) - Adaptive dampers and semi-active sway bars are all well and good, but the 2+2 seating limits the amount of space in the rear. Interior quality is only average, and balancing mass is on the low side.
17th: Kato Celeritas (22.1/0.9pts) - Its active suspension (with adaptive dampers) is oddly stiffer in the rear than it is up front. Also, the rear bench seat is a bit cramped in a body of this size, and the turbo kicks in too late, resulting in an unpredictable power delivery. The interior quality is quite good, though.
18th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (19.4/0.61pts) - The only car with a semi-trailing arm rear suspension (to simulate rear MacPherson struts?), but it’s quite firm (especially with non-progressive steel springs). Then again, it’s meant to be a hard-edged homologation special, so it might be possible to live with that.
19th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (17.3/0.38pts) - Its suspension tune is very much like the Sylphide’s, but even stiffer. Also, it lacks some sound-deadening and has no balancing mass for its engine’s harmonic damper. The result is an unusually high idle speed (1900 rpm!) and a rough engine that feels lethargic until you reach 5000 rpm - the high level of intake noise doesn’t help.
20th: Aero Flow (13.8/0pts) - Stiffly sprung, with unassisted steering, reduced sound-deadening… Even with a kerb weight of over 1.5 metric tons, only the brave or foolish would use it as a daily driver.

Standings after Round 7

1st: Gipfe CS40DTI (57.89pts)
2nd: Zephorus Grimsel (56.92pts)
3rd: Nordwagen Loki S-8x4 (53.29pts)
4th: Rocket Venus (50.22pts)
5th: Primus Legacy SV500 (43.59pts)
6th: Winchester Warrior (33.52pts)
7th: Busan Pegasus Coupe (32.68pts)
8th: Wells Sidewinder SS (28.97pts)
9th: Strenus Sylphide HT4 (28.48pts)
10th: Knightwick Goodwood Coupe (27.77pts)
11th: Yajirushi 290 CTC (19.88pts)
12th: Aero Flow (19.4pts)
13th: Lepus GT (17.21pts)
14th: Ayatsuji Myosotis GSR Spec-V (13.96pts)
15th: Oryu Destriero GTS (13.47pts)
16th: DAW Corsica Mojarra (10.68pts)
17th: Mara Paragon 4.0 KSE (8.3pts)
18th: Kato Celeritas (5.35pts)
19th: Norrsken Esox R (2.94pts)
20th: Quix Discopop 1.7 AWD (-5.99pts)

Stay tuned for Part 8!

[ErenWithPizza]

This still on?

[abg7]

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!