TBH, don’t you think that every early 80s blandmobile was engineered and designed under those circumstances?
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All - I’m home a few hours earlier than expected, but I won’t shorted my deadline. That means the 3 of you who haven’t submitted still have a chance.
I’m looking at you @Aaron.W, @NormanVauxhall, and @kmBlaine
(3 hours from this post. 9PM Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-8)
4 Likes
Ahem.
Check the last message I sent you. I submitted 
Sorry, I can’t join this round. I’m still out of town…
1 Like
You are correct, sir. I am an idiot and for some reason didn’t mark the spreadsheet when I downloaded it.
Aaron.W - Next round then.
5 Likes
I didn’t had time. Sorry.
A quick question in advance of next round: It was either '84 or '86 that the high stop light became a standard item, but in real life many were mounted - as an afterthought - within the rear window; something that can’t really be duplicated in Automation. How should we approach this innovation?
Im pretty sure it was 1986 that they were needed, but were not needed on trucks or SUVs
I’ll cover that in the write-up for next round. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish scoring tonight.
9 Likes
Motor World Review, August 1982
Model Year-In-Review Edition
(Side note – you will notice one of the category winners has a lower RR than some of the other entrants. This is because they won their overall category before penalties.)
Best Entry-level Car – 1982
Vermillion Igni 1900
Relative Rating: 100.00
Vermillion seems to be a perennial contender for the Best-of titles every year. This year, they take top honors again, with the Igni 1900.
Among its peers, the Igni stands out for being exceptional in several ways. Its road manners are excellent, even on rough, broken roads. It is easy to park, easy to see out of, and even the 5-speed manual transmission shifts with ease, its knob within easy ergonomic reach of the driver.
All 4 doors open wide for easy entrance and egress, and the front seats have a wide range of motion, giving both front and rear passengers plenty of space. The seats themselves are made from a durable, flat-woven cloth. Radio controls are well thought out, even if the radio itself is nothing spectacular.
Under the hood is a 12 valve overhead cam, fuel-injected engine that puts out 85 horsepower. That is on the more powerful end for this class. This leads to our only real gripe; the fuel economy of the Igni is acceptable, but not particularly good when stacked against its competitors.
Best Upscale Car – 1982
Fenton ET 300
Relative Rating: 100.00
The face of upscale motoring has changed here in the 1980’s. Small is the new big, and the Fenton ET 300 is leading the pack of this year’s available contenders.
It includes all of the touches you’d expect from a car of standing. Veloured cloth seats (with leather as an available option), a 4-speaker AM/FM stereo with equalizers, power steering, and air conditioning all come standard. As does something new; Fenton has made an air bag for the driver a standard option this year as well, ushering in a new era of safety.
Its motor is no slouch either. A 3.0 liter single-cam V6 worth 150 horses, mated to an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission, allows the ET 300 to get up to 60 in under 10 seconds.
Handling is sharp for a car of this class, but its biggest coup comes at the pump. Our week-long test netted over 25 miles per gallon in mixed driving.
The ET 300 competes at a price point similar to the Takemi Ascera and the Birmingham 8000. While it is the most expensive of the trio, we feel it is worth the extra initial outlay.
Best Sport Car – 1982
Grehet Supremacy
Relative Rating: 93.00 (after penalties)
FIXTURE VIOLATION: Rear side markers the wrong color.
SUBMISSION VIOLATION: No ad submitted
Supremacy. Grehet certainly had a prophetic stroke when they named their new supercar.
It indeed rules supreme in the sports car world. 432 horsepower is a number we haven’t seen coming from an engine in over a decade. And they have squeezed it out of a turbocharged 4.2 liter twin-cam motor.
This engine is an absolute beast, and looks like an enigma when one pops the hood to look at it. But when you slip behind the wheel into the luxurious leather seats and wrap your hands around the leather-trimmed wheel, that becomes less concerning. And when you fire it up, well…
Hands down, the Supremacy is the best handling, fastest car out there today. And unlike sports cars of a day gone by, a joyride will not break your back or make your spleen bleed. Rather, the level of sophistication invested in the passenger cabin rivals that of premium sedans.
Alas, we must shatter many dreams here. The Grehet Supremacy is also supremely expensive. But if you can afford one, you will understand what it means to never compromise.
Best Utility – 1982
Deer and Hunt Buck
Relative Rating: 100.00
Deer and Hunt, known for many years for their rough and tumble trucks, shows us their civilized side with the Buck van.
Unsurprisingly, a 4.5 liter V8 motor powers this model. But what may surprise some Deer and Hunt fans is how pleasant it is for passengers.
Premium velour seating for five is standard, along with a 4-speaker AM/FM stereo with programmable presets, as well as air conditioning and power steering. The Buck also boasts a cavernous cargo area and, if that’s not enough to move your family’s gear, it also comes standard with a roof rack. And did we mention it has a half ton payload rating, and a 2500 pound tow rating?
Deer and Hunt knows their customers well, and they have shown that they can cater to their customers in more than just one way.
Best Engine – 1982 - TIE
Caliban Screamer II 1600 and Ardent Cygnus 2C-20Si
(+5% relative rating bonus for Caliban, no bonus for Ardent)
This year we have a tie for best engine.
First is the Caliban Screamer II 1600, which powers their Thunder Infinity. With 100 horsepower and 91 ft-lbs of torque, it does a more than adequate job of propelling the small hatchback. What impressed us most is that it is, despite its intended design for use in a sporty car, the Screamer II is quite smooth in operation. This may explain why our long-term lab testing indicates that it is going to be one of the most reliable engines available this year.
The second choice is Ardent’s 2C-20Si “Cygnus” series 4-cylinder motor. Much more mundane than the Caliban offering at 79 horses from a 2.0 liter displacement, the Ardent motor is very peppy and torquey in its application on the Piper. It, like the Caliban Screamer, also places very highly on our long-term reliability testing. As an added bonus, service for the Cygnus is both simple and inexpensive, saving in long-term cost.
Sedan Class Reviews
Ardent Piper 2.0 GL
Relative Rating: 91.43
“…seems to have more of a focus on performance and comfort than economy. This might make the most fun car to drive to work this year, but you’ll pay for it in fuel…”
Pros: Low maintenance cost, decent comfort, good practicality, best-in-class reliability (tie)
Cons: Poor safety, poor fuel economy, subpar handling
IP Urbana 1000S
Relative Rating: 81.43
“…super low-cost offering. Those looking for a new car, but with a used car budget, might be interested in the Urbana. On the other hand, its small size and poor performance make it rather outdated for the modern American road…”
Pros: Lowest in round purchase price, low maintenance cost, best-in-class reliability (tie)
Cons: Very slow, poor comfort, poor safety, subpar handling
Cascadia Combo
Relative Rating: 94.29
“…this model continues on from the previous year unchanged. Perhaps Cascadia isn’t changing it, however, because it’s so good overall…”
Pros: High drivability, good comfort, modest purchase price, low maintenance cost
Cons: Poor rough road handling
Epoch M10 A14
Relative Rating: 91.43
“…a solid overall entry in the commuter realm. It’s quite good on gas and handles well, though it’s not as comfortable as similarly priced models…”
Pros: Good fuel economy, modest purchase price, good handling, low maintenance cost
Cons: Poor comfort, poor practicality, rather slow
Sinistra Swift GS3900
Relative Rating: 95.71
“…by far the most thrilling of the entry-level cars we tested. Owners will pay for the thrill in the long run, however…”
Pros: Good drivability and handling, good comfort, best in class safety, good performance
Cons: Poor fuel economy, high purchase price, poor reliability
Maesima Celento 2.0
Relative Rating: 84.29
“…safe and inexpensive. The new Maesima does have several challenges, however, when stacked up against other cars…”
Pros: Low purchase price, high safety, good fuel economy
Cons: Poor drivability and handling, high maintenance cost, mediocre reliability
Upscale Class Reviews
Bush Andromeda 2150
Relative Rating: 91.30
“…reliability history that’s not particularly impressive, along with fuel consumption that is rather on the thirsty side. On the other hand, the Andromeda receives high marks for its road manners and safety…”
Pros: High safety, high drivability, good rough road handling, low initial cost
Cons: Poor reliability, poor fuel economy
PMI Usurper Consul 82 V6 Turbo
Relative Rating: 89.86
“…in testing has shown a tendency to have fuel system and top end failures at a rather alarming rate. But no other car in the class comes even close to the sheer thrill that the Usurper’s 3.8 liter turbo six provides…”
Pros: Fast, comfortable, great safety, great rough road handling
Cons: Poor fuel economy, worst in class reliability, high purchase price
ACA Traveller
Relative Rating: 88.41
“…while a mostly balanced, if not inspiring, entry into the world of premium cars, it’s just too slow for the modern American highway…”
Pros: Good fuel economy, good handling
Cons: Poor performance, otherwise very mediocre
Birmingham 8000
Relative Rating: 85.86 (after penalties)
FIXTURE VIOLATION: No aerial for radio, no fuel filler
“…probably among the most reliable premium cars you will find. It handles competently enough, though that doesn’t save it from other demerits received during our test period…”
Pros: Good lateral handling, best in class reliability (tie), good sportiness
Cons: Worst in class drivability, worst in class comfort, somewhat expensive maintenance
Takemi Ascera 10th Anniversary Edition
Relative Rating: 97.10
“…a very close second to the Fenton 300 ET in the mid-range premium segment. While we prefer its interior slightly to the Fenton, the Ascera’s engine is underpowered, compromising both performance and economy…”
Pros: High comfort, great fuel economy, good drivability
Cons: Poor reliability, subpar performance
Olympus Libra Luxe
Relative Rating: 98.55
“…this luxury cruiser took second overall in the class, though its extreme cost will be a major consideration for most buyers…”
Pros: Best in class comfort, best in class safety, good drivability, prestigious model
Cons: Very high maintenance cost, highest in round purchase price, poor fuel economy
Sport Class Reviews
LMC Maladus M100 GT
Relative Rating: 95.59
“…nearly the performance of a Grehet Supremacy, at a fraction of the purchase price. Yet it keeps its overall balance…”
Pros: Great performance, high drivability, good safety, prestigious model
Cons: High maintenance cost, poor fuel economy
Keika Katana 2000RS
Relative Rating: 94.12
“…all things considered, it’s relatively cheap and fun to throw around. Insurance costs, however, are sure to be sky high due to poor crash test marks…”
Pros: Low purchase price, good performance, best in class fuel economy
Cons: Poor drivability, poor safety
Erin Nasaro 2.0I Turbo
Relative Rating: 92.65
“…powerful 2 liter turbo 4-cylinder engine revs willingly. While we feel it’s a good car, it just didn’t stand out in any way…”’
Pros: Low purchase price, decent performance and fuel economy, good reliability
Cons: High maintenance cost, poor drivability
Kimura Auriga Ralliart
Relative Rating: 92.65
“…in the similar vein, both price and performance-wise, as the Erin Naraso. Competent, reasonable, but nothing particularly outrageous or noteworthy…”
Pros: Low purchase price, decent performance and fuel economy, good drivability
Cons: Low sportiness, low comfort, poor rough road handling
Bogliq Coyote 240 Street
Relative Rating: 86.76
“…cheapest entrant in the field. That seems to be the calling card of Bogliq lately, and they are struggling to stay relevant in the field of performance…”
Pros: Low purchase price, good safety, low maintenance cost
Cons: Poor reliability, poor drivability, handling badly outclassed by competitors, low comfort
Caliban Thunder Infinity
Relative Rating: 94.71 (after bonus)
“…under the hood is one of our favorite engines, the Screamer II 1600. It’s very well matched to the car, which itself is rather rough and raucous, but great for a budget kick…”
Pros: Engine of the Year, good economy, best in round lateral handling (tie), low maintenance cost
Cons: Low comfort, poor drivability, poor safety
Utility Class Reviews
Sakura Asura Overland Republic
Relative Rating: 94.59
“…a 4WD truck built in the greatest traditions of domestic makers like Deer and Hunt and Dominion, yet from across the sea…”
Pros: High reliability, high offroad, high utility
Cons: Poor drivability, worst in round fuel economy, somewhat high maintenance cost
Rado Adventure 140 Turbo
Relative Rating: 91.89
“…Rado continues to show us that they are serious about carving out their market share. This unique offroad-geared wagon is intriguing, and builds on recent improvements from the manufacturer…”
Pros: High offroad, best in class fuel economy, high practicality, low maintenance cost, low purchase price
Cons: Poor drivability, poor reliability, poor comfort
Sorry for the delay getting this up. Busy with home stuff + holiday today. Will try to get the next round info up ASAP.
13 Likes
Round 10 - 1988
It has certainly been a decade of challenges, with economic recession dominating much of the decade. AT&T is broken up into multiple regional Bell systems due to them being ruled a monopoly. Our neighbors to the north have finally gained full autonomy from the Crown and become their own sovereign nation. The IBM PC and Apple // (and later Macintosh) computers vie for dominance in a growing home computing market, while other early contenders fail. The Mother Road, Route 66, is officially removed from the US Highway System in '85. Nintendo releases the original NES console. Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union. Chernobyl melts down in '86, stoking further fears about not just nuclear war, but accidents as well. And the States are utterly shocked to the core when the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates just over a minute into launch in January '86. And in 1987, what will eventually become the longest running series in American TV launches: The Simpsons. Reagan gives his famous “Tear Down This Wall” speech in Berlin.
Economy
Unemployment: Low
Inflation: High
Economy: Stagnant
Short-term economic forecast: No improvement
Regulations
Fuel: Regular Unleaded (universal), Premium Unleaded (universal)
Bumpers: 5MPH bumpers required.
Front lights and fixtures: At least one pair of headlights required. At least one pair of turn indicators required. Turn signals may NOT be placed in bumpers. Exactly one pair of parking lights are required. Parking lights MAY be placed in bumpers. Parking lights and turn signals may not be part of the same lens/fixture. There has to be some form of visual separation.
Front light colors: No red may face forward.
Rear lights: At least one pair of brake lights. At least one pair of turn signals. At least one pair of reverse lights. NO lights may be placed bumpers (however, optional red reflectors may be). If turn and brake lights are in the same fixture AND of the same color, there must be a minimum of THREE bulbs in the fixture. Passenger cars must also have exactly one Center High Mount Stop Lamp (a single brake light fixture at or above the level of the top of the trunk, in the center). Vans, trucks, and SUVs are exempt from this.
Rear light colors: Brakes must be red. Reverse must be white. Turn signals cannot be white.
Side marker/signal lights: Front side markers required. Rear markers required, may be placed either on the side or the rear.
Side light colors: front side may be amber only, rear side may be red only.
Mirrors: Driver and passenger side mirrors required on passenger cars. Vans, trucks, and SUVs will require this in 1991.
Aerials: Long mast or retractable antenna required if car has a radio.
Fuel fillers: Must be placed on the side of the vehicle. Front-engine cars must have the filler somewhere in the rear quarter, mid- and rear-engine cars must have the filler somewhere in the front quarter.
Emissions: Catalytic converter required.
Safety: All passenger vehicles must have a minimum of 30 safety. All trucks, vans, and utes must have a minimum of 25 safety.
File Naming Convention:
Model: Gen10-(username) Trim: (MFR Model Trim)
Engine: Gen10-(username) Variant: (Whatever you want)
Export and PM me the .car file, make a post about your car in your lore thread (if not already there), and post an ad in this thread BEFORE the round deadline.
If your company hasn’t registered for the competition yet and you want to participate in this round, please PM the required company information as well as your submission prior to the round deadline.
Round 10 deadline: Thursday July 12, 9:00 AM PDT (UTC-8)
NO FURTHER COMPANY REGISTRATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED.
Deadline is now back to being a Thursday (the 12th)
SOME SIGNIFICANT REGULATION CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED AGAIN, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CAREFULLY READ.
With regards to the CHMSL - Please try your best to do something visual. PM an explanation if it doesn’t work.
12 Likes
1985, Somewhere in Ohio, Luke Sinistra’s Sunbolt
He revved the engine menacingly, as he’d done four times before in that same night, and had been doing for months now. The high-revving V6 responded eagerly, 220 horsepower demanding to be unleashed. Luke put the Sunbolt in first, pinned the engine to the rev limiter, and dumped the clutch. The back of the car, already an astounding racket, burst into squealing tires as Luke threaded the Sunbolt through a careful dance, the rear tires spinning madly. The lazy loops slowly formed letters, and after a couple minutes, formed words. “Don’t Buy This Junk, Buy a Sinistra.”
For the past three months, Luke had been doing these covert missions with the Sunbolt, driving into competitor’s parking lots in a dark-colored sports car, almost always a Charcoal black Sunbolt, though occasionally one in Crimson Sky was used, and ripping off a loopy, cursive burnout to warn people away from his competition. But for Ardent, he’d reserved judgement, and had done his striping in the Sunburn yellow menace, his personal car, complete with the license plate “GOOD SIN” visible. He didn’t care if they noticed this time.
Of course, he’d cared a lot more when he ripped one across a couple of Erin dealerships, and he’d only left a squiggly mess of stripes through the Bogliq lot, but for Ardent, he was throwing down a gauntlet. He was telling them, “This is what my first generation sports car can do.”
And, of course, the bright yellow car was long gone by the time the cops could arrive, back on a highway heading toward Nevada, the tires worn nearly bald from doing burnouts.
He knew the other company CEO’s could tell who was doing this. If it wasn’t him doing it, it was someone he hired, someone who could handle the rear-engined car’s twitchy handling.
1988, Sinistra Motors Headquarters, Nevada
“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?!” Luke yelled, sending Jeff back-pedaling out of Luke’s office. “I authorized you to spend money and create prototypes because I expected results! Yes, the Sunbolt is a success, I know that. That’s the only reason I haven’t fuckin’ fired you yet. Where the hell are my god-damn turbochargers!?”
“We’re trying to manufacture them in house, so we…” Jeff started to say, only for Luke to go on another outburst.
“Why the fuck are you reinventing the fucking wheel!? You could have contracted with a company and we could have had turbos five-fucking-years-ago! Do the in-house manufacturing once we have a product line, you shithead!”
“I… Didn’t think about that.” Jeff admitted.
“Get the fuck out of my office. And Jeff, if you don’t have a Turbo Sunbolt ready for me in two years, you better have your desk packed before you come to my office. This has gone on long enough.”
“We… Could adapt the engine with variable valve lift.” Jeff said, in a half-hearted attempt to calm Luke down. He relaxed when it seemed to work, and even more so when Luke said, “Do it. It’s half of the Sin-Cam project done, then, and we’ll figure out the other half when we have time. At least it’ll fix the crippling gas-mileage of the Sunbolt.”
Jeff hurried down the hall, back to the engine design room. Before making any calls, he opened the locked filing cabinet and grabbed the bottle from within, pouring himself a large glass before downing it, putting the bottle and the glass back into the cabinet, and locking it back up. He knew if Luke ever caught him drinking on the job, he’d be fired. Luke was known to dislike activities that wasted company time, and he’d soured a few friendships when he imposed a no-smoking policy on the property. And Jeff remembered warning two new employees to his department about not smoking or drinking on the job, only for both of them to get busted, one that day, and one a week later.
The first guy had simply shrugged it off, wasn’t the first time he’d been fired, let alone gotten in trouble for smoking in the bathroom. The second, however, had also crossed Luke’s hard stance against drugs. Jeff had smelled the pot and tried to find the source, but Andrea, Luke’s current head of the Performance Division, had found the guy first, and then found Luke before Jeff could. Luke had the cops on site before Jeff could even warn the guy, and Luke made sure he left in handcuffs, to make a statement about drugs on company property.
Jeff picked up the phone and started calling companies, asking if they could contract out to Sinistra Motors for some turbochargers. He hoped he could find some that were suitable for the Sunbolt before 1990, because he really needed to keep this job.
5 Likes
I haven’t decided on which car to use yet, but if I choose the Boulevard Star, will it count in as a van when it comes to regulations? It’s using the early 80s hatchback body, but redesigned into a shape as van-like as possible. In the back there’s a simple bench for three passengers, that can be removed, folded flat or even folded to work as a bed together with folded front seats…so a 2+3-seater with quite large cargo room for its size.
(Of course, this version doesn’t have the USDM taillights and bumpers)
6 Likes
1988, Sinistra Motors Headquarters, Luke’s Office.
“So, you think this ad’s gonna work?” Luke asked Robert, the new head of the advertising division.
“Well, it plays to the Sunbolt’s strengths. It’s easy to drive, it has room for the family, and it’s affordably priced.” Robert responded. “Plus, it’s really safe. Someone crashes one of those foreign supercars, it’ll be all over the news because it’ll get ripped in half. Imagine the headlines: ‘Another Tech CEO Dies in Supercar Crash.’ You’ve been saying the tech industry is cut-throat and that people are stopping only slightly short of murder when a startup threatens their market. Then in '83, some CEO crashes his foreign supercar, and his company goes bust, proving these stupid-fast cars aren’t super safe.”
“Wasn’t I the one who predicted the demise of Eagle Computer?” Luke said, raising an eyebrow at Robert. “Still, good way to twist it around, make other cars breaking that speed-barrier look like death-traps. Yeah, you’ve got my permission to publish that ad. Maybe you’ll scare people away from the crazy two-seat doctor-killers.”
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Bogliq USA HQ
Detroit, MI
Michael Konstantin’s office
September, 1983
Michael Konstantin slumped forward in his dad’s, no HIS, chair as he read the dismal sales projections of the new for '83 Bogliq line-up. It was clear to Michael that he was not the man his father was. The company hadn’t weathered the fuel crisis well at all, the '79 line-up was panned for being too bland and stale and the '83 refresh had fallen into the same rut. The cars weren’t nice to drive and they were too thirsty compared to rivals. Other than a low purchase price, no-one was interested in what Bogliq had to sell. Things were going to have to change, old values to shake up, new values to forge, or else Bogliq would continue its slide into the abyss of market irrelevance; mocked as an also-ran when compared to the all conquering imports…
But what to do? Michael rubbed his temples and sighed, another headache was forming. Michael decided to contact his senior engineers; everything had to go on the table! Without change Bogliq would die and Ardent would win and that future was unthinkable… Michael got up and left his office, organised his secretary to get the meeting rolling for tomorrow and he headed home for the day. No point hanging around waiting for his head to burst, besides, he was going to be really busy tomorrow morning.
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@VicVictory Do we need to put the 5mph bumper bars on this body? I mean this car has bumpers already.
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Molded bumpers count as 5 mph bumpers. You’re still limited with light placement in that regard, however.
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