This is my first time reading your reviews and i must say that they are great. I like how you break it down into sum shoulda woulda coulda type shit. Makes me wish i made a car for this comp so i too can get a thorough breakdown as to why my shit got binned lol. Any way, great writing, im looking foward to whats next.
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lmao i suppose this was to be expected
fwiw i designed and engineered it last minute in all of like 3 hours, and you can clearly tell where most of that time went - i am in fact primarily a designer and have a track record of being a terrible engineer
godspeed, better automationeers
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Speaking of which, are your DM not working? Thereâs been progressâŚ
oh shit yeah Iâll get back to you once school gets back
Itâs fine! Itâs just a game and Iâm happy that I was able to work with you on this 
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Short update:
I was gonna upload the finals after finishing my shift but on my way back, something happened.
Long story short, I was on my bike, minding my own business in the bike lane. A CRV was waiting on the median crossover area between the two highway lanes, when the driver decided to book it with reckless abandon, no regards to checking if thereâs any more oncoming traffic.
Loud bang, a Commodore T-boned the CRV, and the CRV flipped on its side and scraped by quite the distance. Managed to juuuuust hit my rear wheel, not hard enough to injure me directly or damage the bike, but threw me off the road and into the kerb nonetheless.
I am fine other than a few bruises due to the fall, the lady and the kid in the CRV are fine, the guys in the Commodore are fine. CRV is definitely getting written off and is at fault.
Anyway Iâll do my best to upload the results tomorrow. Cheers guys.
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Ouch. Hurt or not, I can imagine it was a quite shocking experience. Take care!
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But is the Commodore itself okay?
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Hah canât blame you I asked that question myself. The Commo started fine, so I presume it wonât get written off. Mostly visual damage, including right headlights.
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So now like all the other commodores on the road then, no worries.
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Oh man⌠Iâm glad you and everyone else are okay.
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Glad youâre ok and here to tell us about it 
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Needless to say, the important thing is that neither you nor anyone else got seriously wrekt (sorry). That said, shouldnât it beâŚ
Journey of Ownership 3-B:
A Brake From Convention
Finals, pt 1
[Counting down from 6th position]
For the last few weeks, Magda had been meticulously researching all the various shooting brakes available for purchase in Germany. She delved into their specifications, performance reviews, and reliability records. She sought the opinions of fellow car enthusiasts and trusted automotive experts. She added and eliminated cars from the information sheâd gather from her research.
Soon, Magda stood before a list of six cars, her potential candidates for the ultimate purchase. This was important, because just like the Kaffee, she expects this car to go a long way. Yes, this is a novelty purchase, but this is also the car thatâd help her take her family on trips, the kids to school, and bring back stuff from a whole month of grocery shopping if necessary.
Magda and Stefan are getting on the Kaffee. Itâs finally the day of test driving the shortlisted cars. Trying out 6 cars in one day is quite the feat, and honestly would not have been possible without the sort of reach and influence Magda has over the automotive scene in Germany, as one of the lead writers for âAuto Revueâ magazine. She sent out a letter to the nearest showrooms of all the 6 brands to have a car ready for her to test out at specific times. NorĂ°wagen was so eager to lend their car to Magda that they replied with a multi-page letter with an in-depth look at their Fenrir. Magda knew she was quite famous and respected in the community, but not to this degree!
âWell, since NorĂ°wagen is so keen to let you drive their car, why not go there first?â Stefan said. Magda gave it a thought. Their showroom is not that far away from their place, and they wouldnât have to back-track too much to go for their original order of visit. âI suppose we could do that, donât think the folks at NorĂ°wagen would mind much. Letâs see what theyâve got to offer.â
6/ NorĂ°wagen Fenrir Mk. I by @moroza
As they drove into the parking lot of the NorĂ°wagen showroom, Magda couldnât help but feel a bit out of place inside her Kaffee. It was an amazing car and is quite the looker. It was a relatively cheap car too but didnât look like so from the outside unless you were looking really hard perhaps.
But NorĂ°wagenâs cars were quite something else. They looked like they belonged in a completely different class, waaaaay unique from most of the cars currently on the road other than a select few super high-end cars. Magda glanced at Stefanâs face once, and he pretty much had the same face of slight bewilderment at the cars NorĂ°wagen kept for showcase.
Within 10 minutes, Magda met the showroom manager, who arranged a shiny new Fenrir for her to try out. It was a flakey, bold metallic red shooting brake, adorned with stately but subtle aggressive looks. Initially she tried to compare it to some BMW and Alfa Romeo models, but she eventually gave up. It is indeed quite the unique looker that manages to stand out from literally any other car on the road that Magda could think of.
Her husband Stefan, being a professional architect, couldnât stop gawking at the carâs exterior design. Every single line flowed into a perfect shape. Every stroke had a purpose, a beginning, and a conclusion, like a story. And goddamn if this car didnât call features from the previous era back every now and then. The split windscreen and rear window, the Tri-Star lights on both ends, the protruding door handles, these were all done gracefully without looking too out of place.
âThe designer really had the time of his life with this car, I can tell.â Stefan said while Magda started approaching the car to get inside.
âI have literally not seen anything like this before, this is outstanding.â Magda exclaimed, âI mean have you looked at the attention to detail? And look at the black trim pieces, they look so nice with the carâs paint. Quite a modern approach to design, donât you think?â
âVery. You can tell the designer is someone who appreciates the designs of the olden days but also doesnât hold back from trying out completely new stuff. Futureproofs the design a lot if you ask me.â
âOh my god, look at the rear exhaust pipes, thereâs three of them!â Magda said with awe. âAnd these pointy rear-view mirrors too, such a nice callback.â
âScheiĂe, the inside looks like a palace!â said Stefan after opening the passenger side door.
The interior does not shy away from showing how upmarket this car is. Soft-touch, piano black plastic pieces, leather seats with a fuckton of padding, wooden dashboard and door card parts, suede⌠this was luxury on wheels for something that isnât even trying to compete with Daimlers, Bentleys, and Rolls Royces.
âIâm pretty sure thereâs more adjustability inside this car than I have seen on some coach-built cars that are not too old and cost an entire lifetime worth of my salary.â Magda couldnât help but sing even more praise for the Fenrir. However, she started realizing something as she kept going around the car more. She realized that the car isnât completely out of her range as it is specâd right now, then it wouldnât be on her list at all. But that doesnât mean itâs exactly cheap either.
Before she proceeded any further, she decided to wave her hand at the nearest clerk and inquire about the pricing.
âAs it is currently specâd, the car would cost you around 35 thousand Deutsche Mark.â The clerk informed them.
âOhâŚâ Stefan, said, followed by a chuckle, âThat explains everything weâve seen so far.â
âI see, a bit expensive, donât you think? A very nice, top of the line Volvo P1800S wonât cost much over 22 thousand Deutsche Mark. Why is this car so pricey then?â
âWell, the Volvo isnât a shooting brake, like this one. Of course, a bit of markup comes with such a unique body style. Granted, there have been talks of Volvo making a shooting brake version of the P1800, but who knows when that might be! Do you really want to wait that long, maâam?â
âFair enough, I suppose. Iâll do a quick test drive then,â Magda said a bit reluctantly now. She and Stefan together have managed to accrue a decent bit of savings. Most of the expensive parts of life are mostly over for them, including buying a house. But she canât help but feel spending 35 thousand Deutsche Mark on a car is quite a massive investment. She has two growing kids, thereâs probably 50-60 more years left in her life, and who knows when a disaster might strike which would warrant spending a hefty chunk of their savings.
With all this in mind, Magda started the Fenrir. The big 3.5L straight six gently let her know that it is running. She had a second look at the spec sheet. For a relatively big six banger that makes 250nm torque at idle, and pushes up to 300hp, it was rather quiet.
âNot too shabby, actually. It hasnât gone full on sports car with the noise. Very reserved and dignified.â Said Magda. Stefan nodded in agreement. He also noted the throaty sound of the car, âListen to that⌠does it have throttle bodies for each cylinders?â he asked Magda, to which Magda responded with a rev on the neutral gear, âSeems so, quite advanced. But with that price tag, it better be.â
She spent the next half an hour driving the Fenrir around. She let Stefan drive it a little bit as well, while she took notes about what she liked and disliked about the car. When she was done, Magda and Stefan both decided that while it was a nice car, it probably didnât belong in their driveway. Maybe in the future, when theyâve accrued enough fortune to simply not care about a carâs outright purchase cost, and the inherent quirks a car comes with.
Notes:
1/ Undoubtedly one of the best lookers in the finals. If matching looks according to the brief was the competition, and engineering didnât matter, this and the Zephorus probably wouldâve been fighting hard for the cake. I cannot put it in words about how much I love its design, so Iâll just leave it at that. Awesome stuff really.
2/ It seems like this car was based off of a truck platform.
Which is fine. But why does it have an IRS then?
You have taken the funny BMW/Audi suspension, Alfa Romeo design cues, and then stuck it to the platform of a Sierra, essentially. The whole purpose of a unibody/ladder frame combo is to give the car better load bearing capabilities while reaping most of the benefits of monocoque. But then you decided to stick a Semi Trailing Arm suspension on the rear end. I am bewildered. Please do explain the reasoning behind this decision.
3/ Engine curve tuning is mostly fine, other than a sharp raise of torque towards the end, probably due to the massive intake manifold and long tubular headers it has. Also, ITBs were a bold and expensive move. Yes, it gave you a lot of headroom, to the point you stuck the fuel mapping to 88, but it also skyrocketed your engineâs price (and the carâs) by a significant margin.
4/
Nah fam, not happening.
5/ +8 quality on tires. Yes, they matter a lot IRL, but in this game, putting higher â+â quality tires hardly do anything IMO. Magnesium wheels are also unnecessary. Shouldâve spent all that money on other stuff, like you know, positive body quality.
6/ Okay Citroen.
Iâd say this car has an identity crisis. It very proudly shows its offroad capabilities while also trying to one up a goddamn Maybach, and it manages to have a 0-100 time of 6.3 seconds. Itâs not bad that itâs this fast for this era, but the identify crisis point just becomes even stronger. I have never seen such a mismatch of engineering choices that somehow work but would never be a viable option in real life. Or even if they did exist, I can bet they never sold well.
And with that, the Fenrir is unfortunately off the list. Shame, was a damn good looker.
5/ Swanson 225 PWC by @Ludvig
Entering the Swansonâs showroom, Stefan couldnât help but laugh. Going from a German, super luxury automaker to such a quintessentially French brand was a big mood shift.
âSay, didnât you tell me that one of your colleagues owns a 225?â Magda asked.
âWell, yes but he owns the standard hatchback. A rather nice, reliable car. Easy on the wallet after purchase, respectably fast, yet practical and comfortable.â Stefan shared his anecdotal experience.
âI see, from the spec sheets and other peopleâs opinions of it, the shooting brake isnât too different from those observations, other than looking like⌠No that canât be right.â Magda looked confused.
âWhat does it say⌠Looks like someone stretched the back end and elongated it till it could be classified as a shooting brakeâŚ? Well, it couldnât possibly be that awkwardâŚâ Stefanâs voice feigned away.
ââŚOh. I see what they mean now.â He glanced at the 225 PWC. It wasnât a bad looking car by any means. In fact, it had a more civil-looking exterior than the Fenrir, which had a rawer elegant style that stood out. The main problem was the side profile. The carâs dimensions, both horizontal and vertical made it look like a van, but instead of having panels on the side, Swanson decided to stick a large slab of pillarless window and call it a shooting brake. And it technically is a proper shooting brake, with 2 doors and a rear hatch, while having the horizontal dimensions of a wagon.
It had a simpler design style compared to the other cars. It played with simpler shapes to keep the looks decluttered. It was nice on the inside too, with predominantly red interior pieces, leather/aluminum/suede parts. In other words, the car was âdecentâ in the style department. Thereâs nothing to write home about, but itâs also not a bad looker. Perfect car for someone who wants to blend in with the crowd.
Although, with a 0-100 time of 8.3 seconds, blending in with other cars might be a tall order. âHow come itâs this fast off the line with only 130 horsepower?â Magda looked at Stefan. Before Stefan could say something, Magda went off on her own, âMaybe itâs because of how lightweight it is. How is a steel-bodied mid-size shooting brake this lightweight?â
âProbably has to do with the 6-cylinder boxer. I donât think I saw much information on the spec sheet on the engine. Should we pop the bonnet?â Stefan asked eagerly.
âYes, we do have time for that.â Said Magda while unlocking the car.
It was a 2.5L boxer 6, all iron. âAn overhead cam, 2 valves for every cylinder, 2-barrel carburetor with a single choke⌠all pretty standard stuff, no?â Said Magda while still inspecting the engine bay.
âDefinitely, but everything looks really high quality, properly well engineered. I donât think my friendâs standard 225 was this nice, and that has a bulletproof engine. Canât imagine how much better this is.â Said Stefan.
Time to get inside, they thought. The small boxer roared to life, it was a much louder car than the Fenrir, but the couple didnât really mind the ruckus, as it was rather pleasing to hear. âSounds very under-stressed, doesnât feel rattly at all if I floor it,â Magda sounded impressed. âAlso seems to have just as good throttle response as the much more expensive Fenrir, while having one less cam and no injection. This is really good engineering from Swansonâ.
âRear-wheel drive too, no differentials and a 4-speed box. Nothing fancy, but just about adequate for what we want.â Stefan said while looking at the spec sheets, then focusing on the interior heâs sitting in, âThe interior is definitely a downgrade from the Fenrir, but honestly, itâs still a very nice interior to sit in. A lot of padding so I can barely feel any bumps.â
The more they looked, the more they realized the fact that on paper, it wasnât a particularly fancy car. It was simply nice. The real reason why itâs so highly praised, and loved in the community, is because of how well made all the materials are. There is zero compromise in any of the parts used in this car. Zero creaking noises in the panels, zero body panel gaps, zero signs of stress from the engine or the rest of the hardware in the car. And because it is so lightweight, it can benefit from having a manual steering rack, instead of having to adopt a power steering system.
Magda took notes while Stefan drove the car around on his own like last time. She was really into going for this car if it werenât for a few reasons.
Notes:
1/ As much as I like the car and itâs styling, and I personally donât think the car misses the styling brief, I definitely feel like the âelongated vanâ looks doesnât help it against the other cars. Maybe if Magda and Stefan were in their 40s, this wouldâve made more sense?
2/ Really really reaaaallly well engineered car overall. I tried to find flaws in it, even to the point of nitpicking but genuinely speaking, I couldnât find jack shit. I think this wouldâve been the winner if it was on a different body.
3/ Very cheap upkeep costs, probably the cheapest to run overall. Congratulations, you managed to beat AndiD in terms of making a good cheap car that barely requires any servicing.
4/ Not a huge dealbreaker but having 5 full seats and losing to a 2/2-seater in comfort department is a wee bit embarrassing.
Stats and specs-wise, Iâm sad to let this car go, purely because I think the styling is a miss with what Magda would want based on whatâs left on the table. But it is what it is. Great attempt overall.
4/ Durendal Pomona by @GassTiresandOil
Entering Durendalâs showroom now. Stefan and Magda found themselves being greeted by the manager standing next to the Pomona. It was an understated yet sporty looking car. Its inoffensive styling and modest details gave it an elegant and refined appearance. Magda loved how it looked like from all angles and besides, she had already driven the wagon version of this car for a review.
âIs the shooting brake any different than the wagon? Or does it just lack 2 doors?â asked Stefan.
âWell itâs different, the wagon had an all-cast engine from what I recall, and definitely didnât have throttle bodies for every cylinder,â Magda replied while looking at the spec sheet. âThis has definitely been tuned up to a certain degree to match up to other sportscars.â
âWith a 0-100 time of 6.3s, itâs matching the way more expensive Fenrir. How heavy is it?â
âLighter than the Fenrir, but also very solidly built. A colleague test drove one of these, he said the quality control was very good on the car, though the engine is a bit finnicky if pushed past its limits. Oh, it has a similar drivetrain setup to the Swanson we saw earlier but has a proper limited slip differential. No wonder it goes like a rocketship!â
The interior looked plush and elegant. While it couldnât quite match the cloudy feeling of the Fenrirâs stupidly high-quality interior, this was the closest one so far, and the couple definitely picked up on that.
âI think we should stop comparing these cars to the Fenrir, that car was nearly twice as expensive as this, and way more expensive to upkeep.â Magda said. She could definitely be more than satisfied with the Durendalâs interior. And with 4 full seats, the kids would be very comfy as well.
âDonât settle your mind just yet, itâs a V8 with still-new tech fuel injection. The general upkeep cost is pretty high, along with the price.â Stefan reminded Magda.
âHmm, I suppose youâre right. Which is weird because the wagon version was much cheaper, it was an amazing deal. This car has some features that I personally donât think are required for the demographic itâs aiming at.â Magda replied. The car, while not nearly as quirkily engineered as some of the cars she removed from her list before, still has some odd engineering characteristics. For example, the Aluminum panels combined with environmental resistance package for the steel chassis was a bit much. So was the offroad skidtray. Yes, this car will be taken for trips, but having some plastic panels for undertray over a proper skidtray wouldâve made way more sense for this car.
âWell, letâs see how it drives then?â Magda looked at Stefan before stepping on the accelerator.
The Pomona drove smooth. The differential really helped the car grip around turns at all speeds, while the soft springs helped with predictability of the handling and ride comfort. Again, this was the closest thing to the Fenrirâs ride quality so far, and it really impressed Magda as it was significantly cheaper. She did, however, notice how the car was not as âfunâ to drive as the previous two cars. Even the extremely civil looking Swanson offered a more engaging driving experience. The Pomona drives more like a daily highway car, which is fine by itself, but Magda did want something that would awaken her senses just a little bit more.
âStefan, I think I know why this car is built the way it is.â Magda said to her husband. It was quite clear that the Pomona was built while keeping moderate offroading tasks in mind. This was a combination of a touring wagon and a utility vehicle. Something that is just sporty and fast enough, practical, and durable, but also rugged for offroading tasks. Technically speaking, a well-balanced vehicle that combines all three should be the perfect vehicle. But everything has a trade off and Magda soon figured out what sheâd have to sacrifice if she chose the Pomona.
Notes:
1/ The styling is very understated but elegant, I have nothing much to say about it other than âI dig itâ.
2/ I do understand what you were going for here. And I appreciate you focusing on the âgoing to tripsâ part of the brief and trying to make a case for an offroading shooting brake, essentially an early SUV like the Eagle. While it works perfectly fine, and has great stat/specs distribution, there are at least 3 other cars that managed to meet the brief better in my opinion. But I do genuinely appreciate you trying to make a case for it.
3/ I have rarely seen people manually adjusting spring rates to the tenths, that is an attention to detail from you that Iâll never forget, lol.
4/ Again, perhaps in a round where the next 3 cars didnât exist, this probably wouldâve snagged the victory. And besides, the battle of the top 6 is a very subjective battle this time around anyway.
Unfortunately, Magda will have to skip the Durendal, the spec sheets show some really promising cars waiting for her. So, all in all, great attempt.
Of course, the real reason why your cars got binned is because they all were a shade of red.
Jokes aside, all of these entries were pretty strong showings on their own. They did have some weaknesses, some inherent, some caused by quirky engineering choices. Overall, good stuff from everyone.
Finals Pt 2 will be up soon. Have an online exam today that I DO NOT want to fuck up. So cyaâll in like⌠12-16 hours.
I understand that it is entirely my own fault dragging this round out when I knew the exams were ensuing, but I did not expect to get absolutely fucked in the butt this hard, because some tutors literally did not release the assignment/exam details until there was only a 2 weeks window. But thanks for your patience anyways guys
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Those are very nice and detailed write-ups. Between that, your exams, and the fact that Iâm still in the running (hehe), I donât think I mind the wait.
And I have to say, I am very relieved that you seem to have escaped unscathed from that accident. Car to bike collision⌠Coulda been far worse.
(EDIT: On the topic of shitty TAs/Professors refusing to provide practice material and formats: F E L T.)
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Ha tell me about it. I am surprised I escaped that shitshow myself. Tbf it was just a light tap from the CRVâs roof while it was scraping by sideways, but yeah still hard enough for me on an all aluminum bike.
Cheers, hopefully the wait wonât be too long from now.
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Sometimes I go one step further and manually adjust spring and damper rates to the hundredths. Itâs especially useful since the buttons for these settings only allow adjustments to the fifths (0.2).
That was worth the wait. Well done, thank you! Including for the interior review even though you said you wouldnât (but âpiano black plasticâ? The clerk at the NorĂ°wagen dealership says, peering down their nose, âI suppose it takes a certain clientele to know ebony when they see it.â) Iâm surprised by Magdaâs assessment of the exterior looks; my own opinion is that while the details came out well and matched each other, the side is weird and overly loud, and the whole looks too much like a sprawling wagon missing a couple of doors, rather than a sports car with more luggage space. I find it ungainly from some angles.
Were some of the comments for the Durendal Pomona intended for the Fenrir? Durendal and DCMW/NorĂ°wagen initially collaborated, before gracefully separating when the latter realized that shooting brakes and wagons are kind of their specialty and deserved a full effort. I venture this is why Pomona kept the alu/stainless chassis configuration and skidplate. Fenrir definitely made a point of off-road ability, unlike Pomona, and Iâm not sure if Durendal tuned the footwork later, but the initial prototype was engineered by DCMW and featured spring and damper rates down to the hundredths, as theyâve been doing routinely since day 1. Some cars even get swaybar rates down to the tens.
NorĂ°wagenâs understands that the price is a meaningful detriment to the vehicleâs market appeal, and will revise the 1969 model to suit. Anyway, thereâs some merit to making a splash with a halo model (being able to advertise âthree hundred horsepowerâ in 1968 without chugging gas or crippling the mechanicals elsewhere was much of the reason for the engine setup) and toning it down thereafter. Sixth place is graciously acceped, especially considering competitors half the price were deemed of insufficient value.
OOC:
Some of the engineering demerits you brought up were ones I specifically discussed with you over DM. The letter explains the stainless. Yes, itâs essentially a luxury soft-SUV (light truck) wearing a car body. As a luxury vehicle and a soft-roader, IRS was much more appropriate than a solid axle. And the body quality was deliberately lowered to reflect the novelty of stainless steel; best believe it wasnât lowered for budget reasons!
As for identity crisis⌠on the contrary, it has a quite clear idea of what its identity and purpose is: its own.
As for viability IRL, itâs based heavily on my actual car: an E34 wagon with hydropneumatic suspension (which BMW has used since the early 70âs), a heavily upgraded interior, and variously a medium-strung L6 or V8, which Iâve driven past the arctic circle among other places. Further inspiration came from non-US market E34, notably the AWD/4WD 525iX, as well as some versions of the Citroen DS, Mercedes W124 4Matic, and more recent luxury SUV that mostly use air rather than hydraulics but otherwise are basically the same thing, only taller. Ultimately, though, the mashup could best be summarized thus: BMW making something halfway between a Jensen FF and a GAZ M72, with the interior and price point of a Facel.
Something may have gone wrong with the .car file. The Fenrir should be $39800 to buy and $1204.50 to maintain. Reasonable running costs were among the selling points. The Pomonaâs service costs are just over $1k. You mention 35k and âway more to maintainâ⌠I wonder what numbers ended up on your end?
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Iâm not the host here, but let me talk about that. In 1969, solid rear axles on front-engine, rear-drive-based cars were standard - even if the car was a total on-roader. The âpremiumâ option was coil springs, and IRS was usually reversed for sporty or high-luxury cars - though, yours does indeed fall into the latter category in terms of price.
The problem is with the whole âlight-duty truckâ thing. A light-duty truck - unless Nordwagen made those especially luxurious or innovative too - would have surely had a solid axle for better load capacity and ease of manufacture, maybe even a leaf-sprung one. You can have a luxury or sports car with IRS - hell, I did that too - and you can have a car based on a truck for better offroad capability. But having both at the same time, especially in a 1969 setting, raises questions even if it is not, in fact, impossible.
EDIT: And while not unreasonable, $1204 would be on the higher end in terms of service costs. I got under a thousand in my car - the perks of a simple std-mid carburetor intake. I know some people made out cheaper than I did.
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Youâve got to recognize how hard it is to imagine this sort of vehicle being produced, right? Who does this sort of vehicle appeal to?