Journey of ownership 1 - Discount Elvis - Part 1D (finals)

Tiny car but I love those taillight innards

2 Likes

CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS.

I got additional submissions from the following users:

@FidleDo
@ItsWrench
@KILO
@Knugcab

If you made a submission but aren’t mentioned here or in the above 24-hour-warning post, please tell me so I can double-check.

3 Likes

ROUND 0 - ELECTRIC FUNERAL (Instabins)

30th of August, 2012
8:43 PM
Keith Phillips’ Residence

Keith: Oh, Jesus wept…

The barely audible mutter broke the silence in the family’s living room. Amanda, who was lounging on the couch after a busy Thursday, perked up to see her husband looking dejectedly at his Sixth Gear magazine.

Amanda: What’s wrong, love?

Keith: It’s this Apex car. Look at it.

Keith flips over his magazine, revealing a picture of the automobile in question.

APEX RISING SUN - @ldub0775



Amanda: Fwaah. That’s one mean cabrio.

Keith: And that’s just the thing. It’s gorgeous, it’s a cabrio, it revs to ten thousand for crying out loud. I would skip the search and just buy it here and now. Problem is, the reason the car’s in the mag is because it’s just come out and there’s already been two fatal crashes. The airbags won’t deploy.

There’s a moment of silence as Keith grimaces, letting the revelation sink in.

Keith: Carelessness is what this is. Car’s amazing looking, but I’m not gonna buy something that hasn’t even been tested properly. Such a shame.

(Binned for exceeding ET limit: Value is 170.7 against an allowed 170. There was also the minor issue of ‘Clone’ being in the model and family names, but I would have forgiven that if not for the ET gaffe. Ldub, I love your cars, I love this car, but you’ve got to start checking your entries before you send them in. It would probably have been a finalist, you know.)

Leksi GSXR - @ItsWrench


Keith: Here’s something funny, though. Have a gander at this.

Flipping over to a page he was holding onto with his thumb, Keith reveals an article about an emissions scandal involving several kit car manufacturers.

Amanda: What’s that got to do with anything?

Keith: Well, I figured you’d be terrified of me trying to get some mad racing car, but it looks like I’ve got nobody to buy one from anymore… Those poor bastards have been nicked for using surplus engines from a few years back, with no emissions equipment on’em. Leksi especially is in hot water, it looks like they aren’t going to be making any GSXRs anytime soon. Look here.

Amanda leans forward to look at one of the pictures in the article - a small, mean-looking orange track car.

Amanda: You… Weren’t thinking of buying one of those before, were you?

Keith: Nah, not seriously. It looked pretty intimidating, but it’s years behind on development and refinement. Plus, I’m not looking for a track day special.

(The design was made by somebody relatively new to Automation - or at least making Automation cars - and it shows, with a sub-40 unadjusted drivability and such an impossibly rich tune that this 2600-lbs car only gets 14.5 mpg-US. The instabin, however, comes from breaking two rules: the car trim and engine variant years don’t match, and the car rides on semi-slicks. That last one is forgivable because I failed to clarify that semi-slicks are a racing part, but nobody else made this error so I’m counting it.)

Bowmann R530t - @FidleDo



Keith: One I was considering, though, is this Bowmann car. As you can see, though… Same scandal. Bowmann were actually the only real, proper carmaker to get caught up in this. What’s more, it’s got terrible economy.

Amanda: Huh. Jen’s mum drives a Bowmann estate of some sort. Either way, it’s no big loss - there’s probably two dozen other coupes you’d probably like.

Keith: Actually, I’ve got just the one. Lemme just find the page…

(Another race parts bin: This car’s got Turbo Race Headers. ‘Race’ is literally in the name. I guess it just goes to show that you can never write out a rule clearly enough. As stated in-character, the Bowmann also falls victim to a turbo engine with a poor tune; somebody should really make a tutorial for those.)

Corvidae Supercell P600 - @3000Miles


As soon as Amanda sees the car in the magazine, she reaches for her iPhone in a bit of a panic.

Keith: Something the matter, love?

Amanda: Oh, not much. Just another life-threatening bug.

Amanda gestures to her phone, which is showing a Guardian article on the Supercell’s teething issues.

Keith: The Guardian? Please don’t tell me you’re listening to any of their whinging…

Amanda: This is serious, Keith! None of their stability controls work! The MOT is investigating them for fatally glitchy ABS systems!

Keith: Oh. Well, nevermind then. Guess they’re right this time 'round.

(If there was ever an obviously malicious minmax, this is it. A -8 quality on Driver Assists, which shaves a whopping AM$4100 off the vehicle’s cost. Without the negative quality here, it would have been AM$3500 over the limit. No wonder I thought it was too good to be true when I received it… Yoooouuuu’re fiiiiiirrrrrred!)

13 Likes

It’s been a while now, any updates?

Soon. Friday or weekend, probably. Substantial judging done

2 Likes

ROUND 1 - PARANOID (Threshold and Rank Eliminations)

4th of September, 2012
7:58 PM
Keith Phillips’ Residence

Amanda: Sooo… It’s been a while since we’ve talked about your new car plans. When are you actually going to make a choice? All you’ve been doing after work is watching the telly!

Keith turns around in his chair and quirks an eyebrow as the TV speakers boom out Jessica, heralding a Sixth Gear episode

Keith: What are you on about, love? I am making a choice!

Amanda: Oh, dear God. I’ll get the popcorn ready.

AMS Shrike GT 5.0 - @abg7


The show begins with the lead presenter - a bloke known as Carlson - testing a gaudy, blue sports coupe. After an initial round of praise for the car’s responsive engine and overall sporting merits, the showman begins to pan the car’s lack of taste.

Carlson: You’ve probably noticed the glaring problem with the Shrike by now - after all, you’ve been looking at me thrashing it round our track for a while now. What are those proportions? It’s stubby, like one of those poor pug creatures, and it’s got no arse. The wheels and arches don’t help, either - they’re so huge that it looks like the aforementioned pug has got Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pectorals for legs! Anyway, expect to see one in your resident footballist’s driveway any day now.

Amanda: I’m not sure if…

Keith: You said it. I’m not sure if I want to be spotted within 200 feet of that thing.

(The car is very strong in stats and pretty good value for money, but I couldn’t bring myself to assign even close to a positive score in the looks department. Just looks wrong, honestly. For that, it’s out.)

Swanson 300 12 337TSCX- @Ludvig



Following the conclusion of the opening review segment and the customary studio banter that follows, the presenters move on to car news for the week. Maynard and Hamlin, the show’s resident gentleman weirdo and hothead racer respectively, lead the segment off.

Maynard: Right, the news. The Swanson 300 continues into Model Year 2013 unchanged.

Hamlin: So it still looks like a ball? Good to know. I was afraid I’d start liking it.

Keith: They read my mind sometimes.

Amanda: Hey, I don’t think it’s that bad!

Keith: Says you. I don’t want my feel-good car to look anything like a Celica, thank you very much.

(The engineering part of this car is really good - better, in fact, than the Shrike. Built atop a 2-door sedan body, though, this one looks even less convincing as a sports car - I mean, it almost looks front-drive. A shame, too, as the red accents did give off a nice and sporty vibe at first glance.)

Tartesso Choete - @Edsel



Carlson: There is an alternative, though - here we have a Spanish sports car. Hardtop convertible, ten cylinders… But half as many gears.

Hamlin: You do start to wonder, what’s the point of a smart double-clutch gearbox when it has less ratios than your typical manual? Matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a single DSG that doesn’t have a sixth gear.

Amanda: …Ba-dum-tss!

Keith busts out laughing

(Another weird car. While I’ve had the characters focus on the lack of gear ratios, the real dealbreaker was the poor handling. At least in this case, the poorness comes courtesy of some potentially murderous oversteer. THRESHOLD BIN - LOW HANDLING)

Vaughn Silverbird L-Type- @Knugcab



Hamlin: Ooh, now here’s something exciting. The Vaughn Silverbird-

Carlson: Oh, Lord.

Hamlin: …Now has a twin-turbocharged version called the L-Type. Pretty much supercar performance, for a fraction of the price! And it actually handles, too.

Carlson: No, no it doesn’t. I will give you that it has a decent grip limit, but the suspension is still pretty obviously floppy. I’ve seen better come out of American leaf springs.

(Sorry, friend. But you’ve fallen into the same easily-avoidable hole as everybody else who’s made a car that’s way too cheap: I didn’t put a best-value clause into the brief and that was intentional. The chassis is more than salvageable and a higher purchase cost could have been justified by a track pack and a luxury interior trim, or something. Shoulda done that and gotten way more points.)

Zephorus Focoso- @Riley



*Maynard: More exotic news: the Zephorus Focoso now has a renewed interior spec with what seems like the most advanced satnav on the market.

Carlson: Yes, but it’s still a nigh decade-old car made of thinned Corvette shavings, nothing is going to make that interior comfortable. Couldn’t even put a Sixth–.

Hamlin: Shut up, I made that joke first! Either way, that basically concludes the news for this week.

Amanda: I have to say, the Focoso looks absolutely gorgeous.

Keith: Well you’ve heard them: it doesn’t drive gorgeous.

(This car is the second-most beautiful in this competition, the best still being Ldub’s instabin. The problem is, it has a couple of holes one can pick in the design - again, including a horrendous gear gap. which doesn’t allow for quite as good acceleration compared to the fiercest of its rivals. In addition, it has a lot of weight optimization on top of an already fiberglass body, leading to much compromised comfort. As such, it does not progress.)

Schnell LX50 GT - @interior


Keith and Amanda take a break from their informal analysis as the show gets to its main event: A cheap-car challenge for used Arlingtons. Hamlin actually wins for once, with his mid-trim 1987 Foxhound beating out Maynard’s practical but boring Airacruiser and Carlson’s quick but thoroughly battered and flagging Antares SRX. This main segment is also broken up by an unremarkable Well-Priced Car interview. Maynard then conducts a road test of a new Schnell supercar - which doesn’t go all too well, with the ponderous presenter complaining of unacceptable fuel economy and bad road feel. Back in the studio, it faces one final test.

Carlson: All that’s left for the LX50 is to see if it at least does well on a nice, dry test track - which means handing it off to our resident racer. Rumors abound that when he punches people, they don’t make a huge scene out of it that results in millions of pounds in losses - and that he has a third eye on his left buttock. But to us, he’s a total Enigma.

The Schnell at first looks like it will set a brisk lap, taking rather well to the Petrolhead turn - before the Enigma loses it in the fast Drive-through corner and bins it arse-first into a tire wall.

Maynard: Hold on, that wasn’t supposed to happen. When’s the last time the Enigma’s binned a car?

Carlson: God, it’s been years. I think he did it with that one Swedish hypercar or what not. Oh, no… Anyway!

Amanda: You didn’t like that one, did you?

Keith: Let me check… Nope. No no no no no.

(Yeah, this one was never really going to pass muster. The richest fuel mixture here - with a 79-octane tune, mind you - the worst oversteer, and 250-section rear tires. The TRX has been dead for 25 years when this challenge is set!)

Apache Trillk GT - @xianxian2



After the debacle with the Enigma, the show returns to the studio.

Carlson: Tonight’s show is all about sports and supercars like the AMS - or, hopefully, better than it. However, our deal with the insurance company fell through after, uh, that, so we’re just going to have to use yet another gimmick wall that we totally won’t kill off by next week. And with that, say hello to the Super Wall!

The crowd of Subaru owners cheers mindlessly.

Maynard: Quite. Now, the way this works is: each of us puts forward some supercars, and we decide on whether they’re mundane or monstrous. For example, this Apache coupe is monstrous.

Hamlin: Eh!?

Maynard: You shut up, Hamlin. This has got a twin-turbo V8 engine, magnesium wheels, and a top speed well in excess of 200 miler per. It’s monstrous.

Carlson: That’s stupid. I’ll give you that it’s fast, but what this really is is a regular Trillk with the back seat removed and no speed limiter. It’s still got its comfort-oriented active body control, and a cushy, heavy interior. Give me that.

Carlson snatches the Trillk photo from Maynard’s grip and slaps it into the mundane section.

Keith: You know what, I rather like that. Big car, lots of comfort, still outruns most things on the road.

Amanda: Honestly, I’m surprised it can do 200. Looks like a couch to me.

(This car is a strange case. In most areas it’s simply a better Shrike - and while it does cost more, this is not a value-first competition. Like the Shrike and the Swanson, the car’s weakest point is the looks - basing a 216-mph 2-seater on the 2-door sedan Tezda body just doesn’t work. It’s a good effort and would have benefited greatly from Keith’s multipliers if it ever got to the test drive stage.)

ATLAS Aura N4 - @KILO



Carlson: And it’s the same deal with the super version of the ATLAS Aura. Big turbo-V6 power, no restrictions. but it’s still a fettled-up sedan platform. They didn’t even remove the rear seats from this one.

Maynard: I’m actually with you on this one. My problem with the Aura is that for all the upgrades it comes with, the tires are hopeless. They limit the car’s acceleration, and it spins round whenever you approach the limit.

Carlson: Which is something you surely have plenty of experience with, General Glacier. We’re in agreement, then: Aura N4, hopelessly mundane.

Keith: I’ve looked at the N4 on my own, actually. All that money to get entry-level Tyrellis? Yeah, right.

(The Aura is a fun idea - I do love me a liftback - but not only is it far too large and GT-ish for the challenge with 116 inches of wheelbase and 5 full seats, but it also stumbles at critical engineering hurdles with its high-speed oversteer and harsh turbo lag. In addition, far too many resources are spent on weight optimization and balance. For all of those reasons, it’s out.)

Durendal SC44 A - @GassTiresandOil


Hamlin: Here’s a seriously monstrous car, though. The SC44.

Maynard: You’ve got to be joking. You of all people should understand the problem with that car. It looks American, it’s priced… Well, on the higher end of American cars, but it accelerates like a pig.

Carlson: I’m with Maynard on this one. Muscle cars aren’t serious sports cars anyway, but this can’t even be called a muscle car - It’s got this puny little 4.4-liter engine with just 330 horsepower and no torque. The one good thing about American muscle are the massive V8 motors they have, and the Durendal leaves that out, too. Instead it has an all-wheel-drive system nobody could possibly make use of. I think it shouldn’t even be on the wall.

Carlson tosses the SC44’s picture over his shoulder, hitting an Evo owner in the head. Keith and Amanda withhold any comments.

(One of several price and performance bracket misses in this challenge. Over AM$25,000 left unused and a vehicle that would have trouble overtaking a museum piece. Also, this isn’t the only car in the comp to have this issue, but the gear power gaps are horrendous and I might start smiting people for that in future challenges. THRESHOLD BIN - LOW HANDLING)

FST Peregrine VE - @Lanson


Hamlin: Fair enough, but here’s something properly rabid. The Peregrine Velocity Edition. V10, standard stick shift, meanest face this side of Hell. You can’t deny this one’s a banger.

Maynard: That’s more like it. You can take the top off, as well, though I wouldn’t recommend i. I tried it once and ended up looking like a wet dog by the end of it.

Hamlin: Yeah, mate, that’s just how you look. Either way, unless you’ve got any objections, the Peregrine is going into the monstrous column.

Keith: Now that there looks like some serious kit. I’ve read they’re seriously fast, too.

Amanda: Looks a bit too serious to me.

(A stellar car this time around. The choice of a detachable hardtop indicates some serious knowledge and confidence - some would have been to afraid of a bin - and the sportiness is through the roof.)

Mara Paragon 4.0 SK42 - @AndiD



Hamlin: Now, we do want to get some audience participation going. Is there a current production car any of you blokes would describe as monstrous?

An audience member is heard screaming “The Mara SK42!”; Carlson immediately barges through the crowd towards the hapless man

Carlson: Who said that!? I haven’t heard hogwash like that in years. You mean to tell me that a 300-horsepower dishwasher capsule is your pick for the most monstrous car of all?

AM: It’s well-balanced, fast and reasonable priced.

Carlson: Well, maybe we should put Stallone in one and send him round our track, then. Honestly, I don’t know why we bother with audience participation.

Amanda and Keith have a hearty laugh at the old budget sports car and its lone proponent. The tension over Keith’s decision is mostly forgotten as the two kick back and enjoy the ride.

(Like the Durendal, a clear mismatch. The Mara costs AM$39,900 - less than half the budget - and has accordingly mediocre stats and performance. That it didn’t run headfirst into any of the stats thresholds - unlike the aforementioned Durendal - is a miracle in and of itself.)

Novalina M300 Carbon Sport - @mart1n2005



Maynard: Honestly, I quite like the Novalina M300. And there’s really no question about it being vicious or not, because I almost busted my spine test-driving it three weeks ago.

Hamlin: Yes! The M300, especially the Carbon Sport, is a track-car masterpiece. a real champion of simplifying and adding lightness.

Carlson: I can’t argue with that, although that’s mostly because I can just barely fit in one.

Keith: And that settles that. None of them can stand how it rides, so there’s no way I could cope with it.

(I can really emphasize with the philosophy behind the Novalina, but in a competition with comfort as a 3-star priority, it’s downright unwise to build a car with comfort in the twenties. THRESHOLD BIN - LOW COMFORT)

Octane Helix Spyder - @karhgath



Carlson: See, as a bigger man I think six cylinders just aren’t enough. Twelve is more like it - which is why the Helix V12 is still my favorite car of the year. The Spyder is downright splendid, too: because it’s a space frame design that doesn’t need as much reinforcement, they managed to keep the weight down. And that’s despite the all-wheel-drive.

Hamlin: Actually, that’s my problem. It’s not really all that visceral, is it? Can’t fling the back out as much in an all-wheel-drive. And that trunk will fit a golf bag, too.

Carlson: Right then, I’ll do you a deal. We’ll put it in the middle.

As Carlson slaps the Helix picture onto the mundane/monstrous divider line, Keith leans in to get a better look. The Helix is sounding mighty good.

(Perhaps the most well-rounded car of them all, but also the only one with the guts to use a V12 engine. High marks all around propel it into the finals comfortably.)

Riemann LSGT RTA - @ChemaTheMexican



Maynard: Aha! I see your V12 and I raise you a V8 that’s bigger than it. Riemann LSGT, 600 horsepower, most powerful V8 ever put on the assembly line. Active aero, racing body control, light as a feather.

Hamlin: Monstrous. Definitely monstrous. I’d argue the Peregrine is still crazier, but this is up there.

Carlson: Tell you what, I’ll be honest. I really want one. Riemann doesn’t make good things like that every decade.

Amanda: It looks funny.

Keith lets out a soft chuckle.

(This is actually the sportiest car in the entire competition, and I’m here for it. And I know you’re trying to not ape Mercedes, but this thing would have looked much more flattering in a richer color than silver.)

The show ends shortly after.

Carlson: …And on that bombshell, we’re done for this week. Thank you and goodnight!

Sitting contentedly ad somewhat groggily on the couch, with Amanda half-asleep on Keith’s shoulder, the pair slowly come to their senses.

Amanda: That was honestly pretty enjoyable. What’d that have to do with your choice, though?

Keith: Well, the Riemann, FST and Octane all looked good to me. Three cars are a low enough amount that I could pull some strings and get proper, untethered test drives. You know, so I could bring you along and not the sales rep.

Amanda: Huh. Sometimes it scares me how you blokes can make a decision based off a limited set of random trivia.

Keith: Oi, where’s my thank you?

On that note of subdued banter, the two call it a day. Keith’s next order of business is to arrange the test drives of the three finalist cars on the next weekend.


Congrats to the finalists!

@ChemaTheMexican
@karhgath
@Lanson

All advance to the test drive round, which should be out soon without the ™.

12 Likes

Any news?

THE FINALS - IRON MAN (Threshold and Rank Eliminations)

6th of September, 2012
11:33 AM
Octane dealership, suburb east of Southampton

The Sunday test-drive blitz that the Phillps coupe had been arranging is upon them. While there are only three cars Keith is still considering, the nerves associated with driving expensive cars he doesn’t yet own have all but guaranteed that the day will be a slog. Excitement and anxiety at the max, Amanda and Keith set foot inside the Octane dealership in the hopes of looking at, and perhaps driving, the Helix Spyder sports car.

Octane Helix Spyder - @karhgath


After a brief chat with personnel - pre-softened up by some strings Keith pulled in the two days prior - the keys are handed over, and the two are directed to a parking lot where the coveted Helix is parked… in a bush. Seems like the employees have their fun, too… Keith takes his time inspecting the V12 under the hood, much to Amanda’s eyerolls.

Keith: Certainly looks like a proper piece of kit. All gorgeous-lookin’, too.

Amanda: I don’t think I’ll ever get you… The car’s stunning, but here you are looking at heads and pipes for five minutes.

Eventually, they set off, and Keith levels the car to a relaxed 30 miles per on the empty road.

Amanda: You know, it’s strange. I can’t really hear it.

Keith: You’re right, you know. The top’s open, but cruising like this in sixth? You could just about whisper and I’d still hear you. No rattles, no squeaks, and no bumps. Must be that clever suspension at work.

With a short straight followed by some gentle turns ahead, Keith tries flooring it - and is forced to stop after just about 2 seconds, as the twin-clutch box leaps down to second and takes the car to 75 in a blink of an eye. The awakened engine emits a melodic V12 symphony for a while before ultimately subsiding to a cruising gear upshift. Keith follows up by taking the corners without so much as touching the brake pedal, stopping only after he feels Amanda’s withering stare right on his temple.

Keith: Oh, yeah! Sorry, love, but I had to do that. What a car!

Amanda: Just… Give me a heads up next time. Almost had a bloody heart attack there.

Upon returning to the dealership and cooling off, the pair thank the staff and get back into their Archprince. Keith gives his thoughts:

Keith: Y’know, not once during that episode did I feel out of touch. That Helix just takes care of business, even if I’m being a knob.

Amanda: You’re not wrong - and it’s plenty plush, as well. I just hope that doesn’t put you off. I mean it, though: don’t just punch it willy-nilly.

FST Peregrine - @Lanson


Next stop: FST. The dealership is located off a motorway with a bridge, and Keith knows exactly where he’s taking the Peregrine. After the handover and an under-hood inspection, Keith states his initial impression.

Keith: See, you might not see the value in looking under the bonnet, but there’s a bunch of interesting clues in here. There’s only two throttles under here; that Helix had twelve.

Amanda: And what, pray tell, does that mean?

Keith: This one’s more brutal than it is exquisite. Matter of fact, I’m going to warn you straight up: I will be driving in anger this whole time.

As Keith leans down into the Peregrine and moves to start unlatching the roof, Amanda catches his hand.

Amanda: Alright. But if you’re going to drive like an absolute baboon, the roof stays on. Maybe it’ll save us when you flip the sodding thing over.

Keith: Oh, fine.

The fears of a rollover quickly end up being immaterial: As Keith guns it atop the bridge, dodging the occasional commuter, he finds that there is no body roll. All there is is the savage shifter, the road ahead, and the vague feeling of something missing…

Keith: Come on, then! I can do this all day!

As the pair turn around after the bridge ends and start back to the FST dealership, the opposite becomes apparent. Keith’s aggression tapers off, but the stern stare, controlled breath and sweat on his face remain.

Amanda: …Are you alright, love?

Keith: … …Yeah. But it’s bloody exhausting, it is. You’d probably noticed, the suspension has no give. I’m knackered. …Sorry, by the way.

Amanda: Oh, no, that was fun. Both the ride and the look on your face when you passed that gray Astra Diesel.

Keith: Yeah, today would’ve been one hell of a lot worse with the rozzers in it But that wasn’t the worst of it: That engine just feels off. Way too peaky for the gearbox, and you just know that they could’ve pushed it further if not for the faffing about with the luxo-VTEC. It’s a no-compromise car with compromises, and I don’t get it.

Two cars down, the pair return the FST and head to the Riemann dealer in town. Riemann is a big name, enough so to eat Octane and FST for breakfast - but can a premium mass-market manufacturer really produce a sports car with the Peregrine’s savagery, or the Helix’s confidence?

Riemann LSGT RTA - @ChemaTheMexican


The Archprince, with Amanda at the wheel, arrives at the parking lot of the huge Riemann dealership. As the pair walk through the front door, one of the greeters takes note of Keith’s condition - and, after a split-second glance at the coffee maker in the display hall, retreats into the break room. Just as Keith starts with his test drive request, the employee returns with a can of Beast.

Keith: Heh. Now that’s what I call “service”.

Amanda: I still want my cappuccino.

Caffeine and paperwork taken care of, Amanda and Keith walk out to the LSGT they came here for. A refreshed Keith immediately goes for the hood latch; Amanda actually chuckles this time, amused at her husband’s persistence.

Amanda: Oh. That’s… Pretty massive, actually.

Keith: Yeah. This car might have the least cylinders, but it’s got the most displacement out of them all - and power, too.

Amanda: This LSGT doesn’t look quite as chiseled as the other two, though…

Keith: Hey now, I’m not chiseled either and you’re fine with me.

Amanda: Oh, bugger off.

Keith starts the Riemann and drives it, in a rather relaxed manner, through the town and towards a nearby motorway. He’s somewhat relieved to not be in charge of a third pedal this time around - though he does feel like he misses it somewhat.

Keith: There’s a bit of alright, there. Gobs of power, everywhere. Pretty much what you liked in the Archprince, matter of fact.

Amanda: Are you saying the other two didn’t feel like that? They’re both five liters, too.

Keith: Yeah, but this one’s rather more predictable and straightforward. No variable lift on this one; If you’d have just come and looked under the bonnet with me, you’d have known that. Heads are pretty tiny compared to the other two.

The pair have a fun, yet by now predictable thrash round the motorway. On the way back, Keith looks contemplative - the Riemann has made a much more solid showing than he’d even thought it would, and would even appear to be something of a middle ground between the other two - engaging and rear-drive, but not outright bonkers. And where he would have normally been dismissive of the jack of all trades, it’s also the quickest of the lot and noticeably so.

8:12 PM
Keith’s Residence

The pair are back where they started: on the couch, each with a cup of tea. There is much to think about with the three cars they had experienced mere hours ago. However, it seems to the both of them that there is an odd one out.

Keith: I still can’t get over the way they geared that FST. Whenever I shifted up, it’d felt like I was moving in slow-motion for a solid half-second. And, I mean, I loved the fact that it was me shifting it, but… if the 'box itself is shite, I don’t particularly care how it was geared.

Amanda: I know I said I’d liked the ride back then, but I think my back is worse off for it now that we’re home. The Peregrine was definitely less… street-ready than the others. It’s a shame, too - I though it looked well.

THE FST PEREGRINE BY @Lanson WINS BRONZE.

Keith: The other two are a doozy, though. I hadn’t talked much when I was driving the Riemann, but that’s because I was busy driving it and figuring out that it was just… excellent. Taut but not rock-solid, the quickest but also very confident. It’s real good. Then again, the Octane’s got that majestic ragtop, and you won’t find a V12 just anywhere.**

Amanda: And let’s not forget, the Helix rode best. And it didn’t have that ear-splitting cold start. I know you might appreciate that, but I’d wager that it would get us permanently disinvited from Maggie’s.

Keith: Yeah, it’s none too kind to the bloke next door. You know what, I think that 4 thousand more pounds for 4 more cylinders is a fair trade. I’m going with the Octane.

Amanda: You sure? I liked it best too… I might steal it like I did the last one.

Keith: Hah! How scary. Maybe now I’ll get to drive the Archprince once in a while.

Laughter, sappiness, tenderness and so on. You know how cliche my writing is by now. The very next day, Keith would revisit the Octane lot and place an order for his new, magnificent V12 supercar. Life would continue, the kids would grow, and Keith would get his wish of aging with style. And with occasional tire smoke, too, because “ESC OFF” is the button that gives life, and not even 4 wheels can handle that V12.

THE RIEMANN LSGT RTA BY @ChemaTheMexican WINS SILVER.

THE OCTANE HELIX SPYDER BY @karhgath WINS GOLD.


Host’s note: I truly apologize for the delay. This semester has hit me a fair bit harder than I had hoped, and I’m just starting to level out; and while I know that some would say “don’t host then, idiot” I think this has been a good learning experience for me, and it’s not like I screwed up too bad. I will post the scoreboard in the coming days once I do clean it up properly.

There was a very small difference in scores between the winning Octane Helix Spyder and the runner-up Riemann LSGT RTA. In fact, the Riemann was perhaps a few stat points or a single ‘green flag’ from winning on the spreadsheet. I had actually sort of rooted for the LSGT against the Helix, mostly because @karhgath has been on a roll lately and his Helix was the overcat from the very beginning. But it is objectively the best car: While the slowest of the finalists, it effectively used all of the budget and tech allowance to totally outstrip them in comfort and prestige, all the while being a full auto-roof convertible. Congratulations to our victor, and good luck to him or whoever the JOC2A hosting responsibility passes to. I’m off to make CW5 a reality and maybe to catch up on TOR.

8 Likes

I thought you did a great job. So, the Peregrine was too stiff and oddly geared? I chalk that up to optimizing for the Nurburgring in Beam. I’m not really ever going to learn my lesson in that way. They still have to perform in Beam before they get sent out. JIC the host decides to.

A fitting triumph as well - and a fitting conclusion to this first JOC.

Yes. For the one starting JOC 2, remember to make a new thread for it, thanks!

FYI I forgot to state it here - I will start the next journey, probably post the brief this week. I was waiting for the new update to settle down and everything.

5 Likes

I am still assessing the impact of the Tech Pool now being available on JOC.

I will most likely start with the default Tech Pool from the new patch and the next hosts could see later if they want to do some changes. I think this is best until this (big) change fully settles in the challenge community.

I plan to have a brief this weekend.

2 Likes

Does that mean setting all tech pool values (for model, trim, and engine family/variant) to 0?

Default would be +5 to everything. When you create a new car in sandbox now, this it the default value now. People reusing a car would need to update, but anyone creating a new car would have nothing to do.

I do need to finish reviewing Price and ET requirements before setting that in stone, as they are heavily influence by this.