welp
i missed it by 45mins
I by 30cm
CSR 102 - Round 1, Part I
Thursday, March 12th of 1992. As the grandfather clock announces the arrival of 12:00pm, Ivo Kuusik sits down in the living room at the coffee table and opens the new issue of Mootorileht, the cover story being a huge group test featuring 45 cars. It’s lucky that he had a day off so he could read the entire thing.
All text has been translated from Estonian to English.
“Alright, starting off we have the PMI Calliope…”
@Private_Miros - PMI Calliope
The Calliope is a rather average performer in the class… the interior is great, sadly the rather harsh suspension lets it down in terms of comfort… servicing costs are lower here than in the Aria, and so is the fuel economy…
Ivo: “The design is pretty inconspicuous, but that might just be a good thing. It drives fine, the fuel economy is fine, there’s plenty of space. Too bad about the rather low reliability and the slow 0-100km/h time* though, this might have made it through otherwise.”
Not a contender in the finals.
*low and slow when compared to the competition.
@machalel - Epoch M30
The high price of the Epoch M30 is practically erased by the great fuel economy and the very low service costs… the interior is very cheap, especially when compared to the competition and makes the higher price more questionable…
Ivo: “I do like the distinctive styling, even if the taillights are quite too big. All-in-all, it seems to be more of an economy car dressed up in a bigger package. And what’s this, 11 seconds from 0 to 100? Yeah… no. There are going to be faster and cheaper cars than this. It’s really safe and big on the inside, I’ll give ‘em that.”
Not a contender in the finals.
@conan - Conan S45
Great comfort, great safety and great reliability, the Conan S45 offers it all… the 2 liter inline-4 under the bonnet offers high fuel economy and low emissions…
Ivo: “Even if I like the styling, it might start looking out-of-date in just a few years. Other than that, most of everything seems pretty much excellent here! Currently, I really have no reason not to check it out.”
A contender in the finals.
@kobacrashi - Reduit GSR11
Standing on the slightly lower priceline is the Reduit GSR11, with the interior packing a cheap cassette player despite having premium quality materials… fuel economy is nothing to brag about due to the high fuel mixture… the engine does provide good low-end torque, even if it is loud…
Ivo: “So the premium feeling interior also has just 4 seats, it would appear. I can live with that, but 5 would have been better in my eyes. Other than that, the 4-speed manual is definitely outdated but the all-wheel drive would help in the snow, it definitely isn’t the safest car here but the 7.2 second acceleration speed is great… I must be honest, I’m pretty torn on this thing right now.”
looks closer at the specifications
Ivo: “The load capacity has seemingly been rated at 180 kilograms. Yeah, our family weighs more than that. Not counting the dog.”
Not a contender for the finals.
@Kyuu77 - KGB Stealth
Why am I still doing this? Why did think that it was a good idea to test cars such as the rear-engined KGB Stealth? To feel driving pleasure? Oh, trust me, there is nothing fun about traveling at nearly 260km/h and realizing that you’ve got no brakes since they’ve burned to pure dust. Then, once you crash into a tree at the end of the runway, don’t expect the safety systems to help you as the safety in this car seems to have been lifted out of a 20-year old Rover. At least there won’t be any fuel in the tank to ignite since it has been used up during the test run. And the power peaks at exactly the redline which is nice.
Ivo: “Oh great, I’d love to be associated with the KGB, especially after that sort-of-war which just ended! I’m also glad to see that finally someone understood what I meant when I said “inconspicuous styling”, this looks perfect for the job. You bet your asses I’m giving this a test dri-
Oh, apparently it gives out too many emission gasses. Shame, It was a fantastic looking thing.”
Binned for exceeding the Emissions limit. And the service costs are ¼ of the material costs.
@abg7 - Morton Gazelle
Morton’s Gazelle achieves good fuel economy, has a good interior and features nice performance… the ride might be considered harsh by some… the reliability record is good…
Ivo: “Yep, this certainly seems like a good performer. The price is scraping on the high side for what I’m looking though… Okay, even if this could be the perfect undercover car since absolutely no-one will ever notice it, that might lead to problems with my family - It would be odd justifying to them why I chose this more boring option over something else which doesn’t looks as boring.”
Not a contender for the finals.
@yurimacs - Bradford Alima RS Turbo
Standing out from the crowd with the design, the Alima is a mixed bag… for many, the suspension was simply way too harsh… despite not appearing to be so on the outside, this Bradford is one of the fastest car in the test…
Ivo: “This design… I personally like it, but getting the dog in through those rear doors is going to be a hassle. Elsewhere, the low price and fuel economy definitely make up for the servicing costs and… they’ve made it out of steel that seems to have been sourced from Russian farmers 30 years ago. This isn’t going to last too many winters.”
Not a contender for the finals.
@Vena.Sera423 - Delta ES
Odd, this car was advertised to us and was even on its way here. However, it seemingly got lost due to a misnaming issue.
Ivo: “Huh, that’s weird. It doesn’t seem to be a huge waste however, apparently they cheaped out in every single corner they could to save a bit of time and money.”
Binned for not following the naming guidelines.
@Flamers - Queen Victoria GRSI
The Queen Victoria differs from much of the rest of the competition as it is a convertible… fairly cheap to buy and run… the gearbox is a 4-speed manual, definitely not making it appear modern next to most of the others… we found the An Engine engine to be sluggish…
Ivo: “Aside from that gearbox, the comfort isn’t much to brag about. And now that I think about it, seeing a white convertible with turbine wheels could attract quite a bit of attention.”
Not a contender for the finals.
@Oldenways - Quost Stratum 230
One of the cheapest cars in our test, the Stratum provides good comfort and even better safety… the interior is another example of combining high-end materials with a cheap cassette player…
Ivo: “The engine appears to be balanced and smooth, so that’s good. It’s comfortable and reliable, and why the hell is it riding so high? I suspect it has something to do with how much it can carry, since making it lower would most likely mean it couldn’t carry a pea. Overall, the design seems good, except for the rear indicators which… just why? The steel panels aren’t making the situation any better.”
Not a contender for the finals.
@Mad_Cat - Wagner Minister
The Minister is one of the best handling cars here… the purchase and running costs could be high to some… comfort has clearly been one of the key points when developing this car…
Ivo: “I mean, I would be willing to spend a bit more if it really happens to be as comfortable as they claim. They also say it’s safe and that reliability is fine for the most part. A drawback is the fact that it has just 4 seats, but the engine seems to be responsive and reliable so… who cares, I’ll check it out.”
A contender in the finals.
@yangx2 - Honghu Beifeng
It’s very comfortable, quick, good to drive and has a good, if sometimes loud, engine… the fuel economy is good…
Ivo: “From the design, this could already be perfect: it’s discreet enough to blend in and handsome enough for the family to love it! Other than that, it appears to again be on of the most expensive cars here. I can’t really find any flaws here, so a test drive should be in order.”
A contender in the finals._
@Ludvig - Batz Breton
The Batz Breton really bats an eye with what could be described as an “interesting and conceptual design”… it’s another case of a luxurious interior fitted with a cheap cassette deck, hanging down the inside experience… the engine power likes to peak at the redline…
Ivo: “It’s about as comfortable as the Honghu and about as cheap to run too. Unlike the Honghu, this has 4 seats. If it wasn’t for the design, I might even consider it. Frankly though, I don’t think the kids will get a kick out of this design for long.”
Not a contender for the finals. It is what it is.
@DragonMotorenWerke - Dragon DC01
Following the Bat is a Dragon, namely the DC01… the big, high torque engine clearly seems American, which is later supported by the fuel economy… what makes this one stand out is the all-wheel drive system…
Ivo: “AWD? Even if it’s not the most comfortable car in the test, that should make up for it! Otherwise, it’s safe and has a decent interior, nothing special there. The design seems odd in some places and that barrage of chrome won’t help me hide in alleys. I guess the only thing that makes it special is that all-wheel drive but sadly there’s not much else that could make this a winner.”
notices the stats
Ivo: “…except for the 0-100 time of 6.4 seconds. But… yeah, Marju will start asking questions if it has to be this fast.”
Not a contender for the finals.
@Kogure - Arion Pelican
The Arion Pelican could be the most expensive car here to buy and run… the top speed and 0-100 time are great however… it’s by far the most comfortable car here thanks to the soft suspension, which also creates larger amounts of body roll…
Ivo: “This styling… yep, it’ll garner attention with that huge rear overhang, that’ll let the villains in their empty volcano bases know that I’m driving one of these. What it has in comfort, it lacks in other places though - like the low fuel economy, low engine reliability and the addition of a 4-speed manual. Here. In this all-new 1992 model. I think that’s a few too many negatives now.”
Not a contender in the finals.
Across the room, Ivo can see Mustu jumping around the front door.
“Ahh… fine, I’ll take you for a walk. I can finish with this later.”
And indeed he will. The exact time at which he’ll continue is yet to be known, but he’s gonna finish it.
29 Likes
Nicely written. Short and distinctive, me like!
But yeah, I oriented a bit too much on real cars from that Era. Basically every car was that high to accommodate a soft suspension but still enable a reasonable payload and no bottoming out.
All the time I am at the absolute price limit and this time I thought of going cheaper. Yeah.
thats my punishment for sacrificing abs for awd
The AAU M2087 1.6 EFI Turbo offers outstanding value at a price no competitor can match.
It’s also full of sporty promise with an advanced turbocharged and electronic fuel injection engine with over a 100hp means it can sprint to 100km/h in under ten seconds!
Yet it is just as practical and reliability for everyday use plus with class-leading insurance and servicing costs so it won’t break the bank making the AAU M2087 1.6 EFI Turbo a compelling package.
Details
Released in May 1987, the Anikatian Auto Union (AAU) M2087 was available as a sedan or coupe. It fits within the AAU lineup above the compact M2083 and below the full-size AAU 3075. While not as successful as the rival semi privatised brand Maesima the wholly state-owned Anikatian Auto Union widely exported and marketed the AAU internationally although it saw its best sales locally alongside the larger M3075 where it primarily filled the role of a taxi and police vehicles as well as affordable basic transportation for those lucky enough to afford them.
The rear-wheel-drive AAU M2087 was initially available with a series of naturally aspirated 1.3-litre or 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engines with aluminium construction, twin barrel eco carburettors and a single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder. That was mated to a five-speed manual transmission with a four-speed automatic transmission available as an option. Power output varied with the tune as the engine was able to run on both low-quality domestic fuels and higher grades in certain markets.
The lineup consisted of the basic M2087L trim sedan and coupe equiped with a 1.3-litre engine, 5-speed manual transmission, drum brakes front and rear, no radio or power steering. These model were mostly sold domestically and within certain developing markets. The M2087X trim featured a 1.6-litre engine, the option of 4-speed automatic and radio. Export variants were designated EL and EX trims. With the EX being the only one offered in the European market, the differences also included the option for hydraulic power steering, radio and high-grade seating and comfort.
In 1990, all models were further developed with western partners as an effort to maintain and build on export levels to the Western countries where the obsolete carburettor system failed to meet stricter emission standards. Thus the new EFI variant of the engine was developed by installing the Bendix and ECU Renix injection and injection units.
In addition, an exclusive M2087E Sports 1.6 EFI Turbo trim with further modifications was produced in partnership with its Western market European operations to act as a halo vehicle for the brand. This model featured a low-pressure Garrett turbocharger, suspension tweaks hydraulic power steering, larger front solid disc brakes while the drum rear remained, unique 15-inch alloy wheels, and an Eaton Performance viscous limited-slip differential (LSD). Approximately 1,000-3,000 examples were produced between 1990-1995 for the European market. It’s surprise success winning the Affordable European Sportscoupe for 1990 led to the production of a M2087 EFI Turbo sedan from 1990 which followed coupe with the same EFI engine, LSD, but it kept the 14-inch steel wheels and drums all around. Unlike the coupe this model was not limited in production.
The AAU M2087 had double wishbone front suspension and a live rear axle with coil springs. Furthermore, the AAU M2087. Standard features for the M2087 included five seats (2+2 in coupe variants), a sound system with four speakers an FM/AM radio with cassette player and front fog lights.
The AAU M2087 stayed in production until the collapse of the DSRA without any major changes to the exterior but technically it was further improved to meet rising emissions standards. Production ended without a direct successor due to a combination of internal and external factors such as an Asian Financial Crisis and national instability.
While design remained traditional compared to competition and performance was acceptable the design offered a compelling value proposition within its segment while maintaining a relatively a high degree of practicality and ease of maintenance has made it a popular entry-level vehicle for enthusiasts. It’s discreet styling looking nearly identical to standard variant besides the subtle addition of turbo badging and small lip and made the EFI Turbo quite the sleeper. In recent years, it is becoming a collectors’ items, with growing popularity due to the limited number of vehicles produced along with poor environmental protection meant clean examples are becoming much harder to find.
28 Likes
I didn’t submit a vehicle because of this. With the material cost limit, I could undercoat the chassis, but the body panels would be bare steel (also, standard/ basic interior)
3 Likes
I bet 90% of the entries here have untreated body panels. That’s to be expected for the early 90’s. Corsica was likely referring to an untreated chassis as well.
Good start to the reviews. Well done!
Anyway, I ran into the same problem as I did three rounds ago - my car had good stats but they wrapped up in an exterior that looked a bit too understated. It did have some merit, though, and if styling wasn’t as heavily weighted as it was, it would have stood more of a chance.
Also:
This seems like a contradiction - a strut front end has only one set of wishbones on each side instead of two.
90% of the entries will have Northern Honda Syndrome, but oh well. I couldn’t fit anything other than galvanized chassis and regular panels, so that’s what I went with.
Well I submitted a car well knowing that I only have this set-up available in a real life scenario.
Of course I could fit galvanized body panels while sacrificing suspension, interiour and safety quality.
But since I thought it’s a family car designed to be capable of light pursuits, it better have safety and a good suspension set-up instead of galvanized body panels, which are no benefit in that case.
Only very few cars ever had the whole body galvanized. Audi being the first volume manufacturer to have them. Most manufacturers only galvanized some panels like BMW and Mercedes. As far as I know, maybe except some exotic examples, no japanese nor french and espacially no italian manufacturer had galvanized bodies.
1 Like
I got the naming issue wrong. That is my bad, I’m very new to these types of challenges. Oh well better luck next time and good luck to everyone who made it to round 2.
I did cheap out on a lot of things to meet the goals set while trying to make a decent enough car.
didn’t know ex-ussr people are picky about what kind of steel their car chassis is made of. it’s not like the lada was made from recycled t34 steel
5 Likes
No they made them out of cloth and wood. T-34 steel is a valuable commodity, you know.
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trabant is made of plastic. the production is easy, one cuts, other glues
Soviet cars are notorious for rusting away, these buyers don’t want to live through that again.
@EddyBT Correct, untreated panels with an untreated chassis was only the final nail in the coffin for one of these cars.
CSR 102 - Round 1, Part II
Returning from the walk, Ivo found himself back with a clean mindset and sat down to read another batch of reviews.
“Next where I finished off is the Alta Balt S45…”
@MGR_99 - Alta Balt S45
The Alta Balt features the excellent RL5 engine which packs in responsiveness, fuel economy and reliability. The only drawback being the loudness… the interior is comfortable… buying and running the Balt is among the cheapest in the group…
Ivo: "May our three glorious nations be free from the giant, we can and will perform our duties freely without anyone taking back control! We are free and that’s the way it’s supposed to be!
Ahem… sorry, I was feeling a bit patriotic there. Anyways, this seems rather excellent. Well… not a surprise considering who’s making these!"
…right?
A contender in the finals.
@MasterDoggo - Deverre Reliade
Being the most expensive car here, the Deverre Reliade features good equipment… the engine is fuel efficient, if also loud… speed however is average…
Ivo: “I can live with the 9.9 seconds to 100 time, otherwise I think this could one of the best looking cars here. The distinguishable French design is just exciting enough for the kids and understated enough to blend in the streets. What I really like about this though is that they haven’t cheaped out with the body and chassis - this could be the most rust proof car in this test. Even if it’s not incredibly comfortable, I should still give it a shot.”
A contender in the finals.
@NormanVauxhall - Znopresk Zenit
The great Znopresk and their Zenit is by far the cheapest car here… even then, it packs as much equipment as the Deverre… the gearbox could be annoying in city driving…
Ivo: “So, about 1000$ less, the Zenit has as much equipment as the Deverre, is slightly more comfortable and gets better fuel economy? Yeah, guess what’s happening next.”
A contender in the finals.
@Aaron.W - Tanaka Ascent
All-wheel drive and ABS come standard in this Ascent… the fuel economy is excellent… untypical for a Japanese car, the engine reliability record isn’t always good…
Ivo: “Now this here looks good, I really like the distinctive rear. When compared to other cars however, comfort is practically non-existent. That can probably be attributed to the stiff suspension, as the equipment is fine. The engine has been described as slightly odd with the spike in torque power, though fuel economy is among the best. I’d love to drive this but that hard ride and the low load capacity…”
Not a contender in the finals.
@LinkLuke - GMI T-Star
TMI’s I4 engine in this in T-Star provides some of the worst fuel economy, loudest noise and least reliability in this test… the interior, if pretty standard, has been refined well… the design seems very modern, almost concept like…
Ivo: “What I can deduct from this is that the only sides where this might beat some of the others are the great performance numbers and the good driving experience. Sadly, nothing else really stands out. Pass.”
Not a contender in the finals.
@Bmaggiori - Moybu XTR
This is a motorized way of transportation… the ride comfort is excellent… while the engine seems to be marginally better than the unit in the GMI, the end stats emitting from it are not…
Ivo: “Worse fuel economy, slower speed and not as good as drive as the GMI?”
Not a contender in the finals.
@CMT - CMT Astrona
The CMT Astrona is one of the safest cars participating here… fuel economy isn’t great compared to most others… despite the low price, the body and chassis are made of high quality materials…
Ivo: “Okay, let me just say that I am not a fan of this design. Mis-matching lines and empty space fill the design, making it look cheap and not good. As for the car itself, the only real standout is the excellent safety rating. Comfort isn’t the greatest and the engine is loud. It also happens to be the most unreliable car in the group, and that sort of kills it.”
Not a contender in the finals.
–
@On3CherryShake - Hokuto Tierra
Well priced is how we’d describe this Hokuto… the well equipped interior features loads of space, helped by the wagon body style… fuel economy is fine, if nothing special…
Ivo: “This exterior design is great, I’m just a little worried how it would look a few years from now. When it comes to the statistics, the 0-100 hits straight into the sweet spot with a time of 7.6 seconds. The suspension is comfortable and apparently, they’ve built it out of more rust-resistant materials which is excellent news. Really, I don’t have a reason not to drive it.”
A contender in the finals.
@Ryan93 - Washi Harmony
Outstanding comfort and fuel economy already put the Harmony a step above some of the competition… reliability records sadly aren’t as good… the engine here is fantastic…
Ivo: “First of all, I’m definitely a fan of this design. It’s humble and quite attractive so it does the job fine there. And if it’s really as good as they made it out to be in the review, I need to test this one out.”
A contender in the finals.
@goblin95 - Lavish Austerity
The Lavish Austerity is very surprising… surprisingly fuel efficient, cheap to run, reliable and fast… it also happens to be surprisingly uncomfortable for what it is (we should mention that it isn’t actually uncomfortable, we just expected more)…
Ivo: “This design seems a bit familiar, but I can’t put my finger on why… anyways, the specifications definitely seem good. However, a big American barge like this driving around could attract some attention and I don’t think the sound would be too easy to mask either. This also adds to its American roots by having an automatic gearbox. I guess I could live with that but frankly, I won’t.”
Not a contender in the finals.
The disqualified resubmission pictured, original car looked different.
@Darkshade-AP_Autos - Serene GB200
A 3-speed manual is all you’ll find in this Serene GB200… it also happens to be the slowest car here with a top speed of 173km/h… but it is very comfortable…
Ivo: “I know I said that I’ll accept a car this slow if everything else makes up for it, but here? No. Alongside that, nice ancient technology with the gearbox there.”
Not a contender in the finals.
@Mikonp7 - Popas Cheechi
The V8 Popas Cheechi isn’t really the cheapest to buy or run… the comfort quality is great, it also has some of the lowest body roll here… like the Lavish Austerity, it is equipped with a 4-speed automatic…
Ivo: “The interior sure is nice and the performance is good, the engine is a good unit but the reliability isn’t up to standard what the other cars here have. Other than that, the design sure is Russian, though I am getting a hint of British also. It should still be common for some years to come, so at least I’ll fade in. Okay, there’s a part of me that really wants to give this one a shot… but I just can’t. Most of it is good, just not good enough.”
Not a contender in the finals.
@ST1Letho - Kurokama AX-C
The styling of the AX-C is extravagant for the kind of vehicle it is… the interior is fine, if nothing special… performance is up there with the best…
Ivo: “The front is quite busy but overall, I guess fits what I’m looking for. Moving to the rest however is a mixed bag. Performance is great and the load capacity follows suit, but the levels of comfort just aren’t up to standard with what the cars I’ve chosen to drive offer. The same can be said for the fuel economy and service costs, and when combined with the price that’s kissing the limit, it won’t be a cheap experience. Additionally, this model is equipped with and outdated 4-speed manual, only adding to the averageness.”
Not a contender in the finals.
@Keikyun - Haruna Isekai
Ivo: “Huh, there’s an ad here for a used Haruna Isekai. It seems to fit all the criteria I’ve set… Great levels of comfort, a surprising combination of good performance and fuel economy and to top it off, low maintenance costs. It is right at the top of how much I’m willing to pay for it, but the way they make it out to be in this ad, this could very well be a winner.”
A contender in the finals.
@Boiled_Steak - Aria Theso Turbo
A good looking sedan with great performance and better fuel economy… interior quality is above average for its class, interior space however isn’t…
Ivo: “This is a fine looking thing indeed, the interior seems nice and the reliability record seems okay. The service costs are definitely on the high side… It’s good and all, but I just don’t think it’ll be the best choice here.”
Not a contender in the finals.
Suddenly, the phone rings in the kitchen. Ivo gets up and answers it.
“Dad, we’ve been waiting here for 20 minutes. Are you ever gonna plan on picking us up?”
“Oh right, I forgot I had children.”
He leaves the magazine on the table and gets in the Kadett to pick the kids up from school. Once he gets back, he’ll have the final batch of cars to read about. Sadly, it is currently unknown when he’ll be returning as apparently, he’s a bit late on doing everything.
19 Likes
We said driving pleasure, not braking pleasure or driving safety.
I am still confused how my car could be the least reliable, as it actually has nothing special engineering wise. Standard interior, manual gearbox, no ABS, … the engine is an NA one based on a 1976 lore engine, so nothing complex there…
Oh my god… I did it… I’m in the finals. OH MY GOD I DID IT
Edit: This is a wonderful round so far, very well written and justified, so props to you Corsica!
3 Likes