It’s a hot sunny day at Storm Automotive’s Nevada Manufacturing Plant, where a team of bold engineers from several car companies have met by Luke’s request.
Luke stepped out of the doors after letting everyone bake in the hot Nevada sun for ten minutes, his casual attire consisting of just a pair of jean shorts covering his otherwise Twilight Blue body, as he carried cool water on a tray from inside.
After passing around the glasses of water, he stood in front of the group, then said, “Hot, isn’t it? Unfortunately, this is what it will feel like in the near future if we don’t do something now. Let me get straight to the point. We need better cars. We know that there’s a need for alternative fuels, but we need a stop-gap to reduce fuel consumption. There is, however, a problem.”
Luke stayed quiet for a couple seconds, a pause for dramatic effect.
“Hybrids are not the answer to our crisis. As good as they’ve gotten, they’re not good enough. They cost too much for the common man to afford one, they have appalling performance compared to just about anything else on the road, and the mining for battery components is horrific for the environment. Add to that the fact that every car company seems to think that a hybrid has to stand out so everyone can tell what it is, and it leaves little to the imagination as to why no one other than rich eco-freaks seem to buy them.”
Luke motioned to the car he’d driven to work that day, a rather old Storm Surge 4XR Hybrid.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? This was our first step into Hybrid technology, and is an example of the problem at the same time. It needs expensive Premium unleaded gasoline to get 49.1 miles per gallon when it was brand new. Underneath the belly of the vehicle, there’s two large 288 volt NiMH battery packs to turn the electric assistance motors to give it 49 MPG in the city. As it’s the Extended Range version, it only seats 4 people because the rear bench was replaced with bucket seats to shed weight.”
He stepped over to the Surge, then spoke again.
“You might be asking what my point is. It’s as simple as this: This Surge was manufactured in 2004. It is 2018, and the batteries have long since given up. Worse still, we stopped manufacturing new NiMH battery packs in 2010, and dismantled the production facility for NiMH battery pack assembly in 2012. What this means is that if I wanted to keep the Surge going, it would need Lithium-Ion batteries retro-fitted in order to keep going.”
He stepped back in front of everyone, waiting a few seconds before continuing his speech.
“The thing is, I don’t want to keep making hybrids. The only reason we did so in 2004 was as a snap response to the incoming fuel crisis and the environmentalists going hybrid crazy. We jumped on a bandwagon and rode it for 14 years. What I’m looking for today is something different. What I have to propose today will change the automotive world should all of you, the owners and operators of your respective car companies, agree to this challenge.”
Luke waited for the quiet mumblings, murmurs, and whispers to dissipate, then said what was truly on his mind.
“I’ve gathered all of you here on this hot day to give you a chance to join me in the creation of the Hybrid Beaters League. The goal here is to outperform the conventional hybrid with pure gasoline power, a stop-gap that we can work with instead of wasting our resources building Hybrids and forcing all the other companies to do the same. I will hand out some papers that have all the needed information, and I wish you all luck in this task. Oh, and one more thing before I send you all on your way: This is a challenge, and while everyone wins because of the cars you will be making, the best car overall will be the car I replace my tired old Surge with. The environmentalists don’t like it much when I drive my Bogliq Ambassador too much, so I need a modern car to drive in public.”
Rules:
Year: 2018
Price @ 40% markup: $26,000 or less.
Safety: Above 40.
Fuel Economy: 50 MPG (US) Minimum
(60 MPG UK) (21.25 km/l) (4.7 l/100km)
4 Doors (Or more, but no two door cars.)
Edit: Four Seats (Or more.)
Regular Unleaded Fuel Only
Highest Importance: Drivability, Comfort, Safety, Emissions, Reliability, Fuel Efficiency
Moderate Importance: Running Costs, Cargo Volume, Acceleration (0-62mph), Price, Practicality, Utility
Lowest Importance: Prestige, Sportiness, Environmental Resistance.
Tiebreaker: Lap around Automation Test Track
Steam Workshop Mods Only.
No Barth Bodies, please.
Deadline is December 26, 2016 @ Midnight, US Central Time
Naming Scheme:
Model: HBL – (Username)
Trim: Car Name
Engine: HBL – (Username)
Variant: Engine Name
All Cars will be Reviewed at the end of the challenge.
Edit: I feel, for the spirit of good competition, that thecarlover’s 20’s eco car body needs to be disallowed. I’d like to see variety instead of just one body style.
a little when my CSR winner was mentioned, but I then 
when I realised you’re going to replace it!
and build you a better Bogliq so that I can ultimately 
!!!
