[LHC] - Letara History Challenge - Rd 5 [Results being posted]

Community Challenges & Competitions
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Rd. 4 PREFACE: SPENDING AND LOBBYING



The Preface of Round 4 will determine the starting condition of Letara in 1975. For a summary of what happened between 1964-1974 economically and politically, see this post. In short, the country’s economy is rebounding and people are regaining hope as their spending increases. There were a few fluctuations toward the end of the time period, but the government is committed to continue to invest heavily in Letara to prop up the economy.

For those that are eligible and want to participate in the lobbying and spending mechanism, this is your chance to shape how Letara dealt with its many challenges, how its industry and infrastructure grew, and how to shape the future of the car market.

TIMELINE

Round four will span 1975-1984 inclusive.

CAR CULTURE - TAKE-AWAYS FROM 1964-1974

The overall size of the car market in Letara held steady in this decade. This round, the city segment tended to not just be small cars, but also cheap cars, with only one car breaching the premium price-tag. The city segment, naturally, gained the reputation to equal cheap. The majority of these small cars were hatchbacks, giving them a little extra practicality over the small sedans. Some cars shone, however, by showing that city cars can be quite capable too in terms of speed, handling, and even off-road! So being small doesn’t mean the car cannot be fun to own, but it does have to work just that little bit extra to overcome the ‘cheap’ stigma that this category seems to be developing.

The budget and standard family market grew quite significantly this past decade and was quite over-saturated. Many cars were quite similar and ended up stepping on each other’s toes, so even good cars were forced to share the market. There was a healthy mix of sedans and hatchbacks with no real preference for either yet. It was also between the city and family markets that the ‘hot-hatch’ phenomenon was born.

The premium family market shrunk quite a bit compared to the previous round, presumably a reaction by the car companies to the economic woes of the previous era and the disappearing middle class. But this round the middle class rebounded, and where the lower segment was over-saturated, the premium market had less choice than expected. Consumer could be quite choosy still, and those with some upward mobility started to look at the lower end of the luxury family market even.

The luxury family segment was an interesting one. The lower end of the segment is mostly what people would expect here: comfortable family sedans with a hint of luxury. But in the upper end of the segment things got a little wild with many segment-bending machines. There were sure still the overly opulent and comfortable cruisers, but there was a very significant overlap with the luxury sports segment, almost to the point that the two segments could be merged completely seamlessly. Letarans embraced this phenomenon, and would indeed expect the most expensive cars on the road not only to be driving waterbeds, but to have a little oomph too.

The sports segment lacked any true budget offerings this decade. Overall, there were a lot of cars with quite poor set-ups from the factory that required aftermarket suspension swaps, or at the least adjustments. Letarans hope that these firms hire engineers who can put safer and easier to handle cars on the road in the future. That said, there were some real gems too, and choices ranging from big boxy straight-line monsters to smaller and more nimble canyon-carvers, so everyone had their pick. Especially at the more expensive end of the spectrum, though, there were few truly dedicated sports cars; as mentioned above, most were easily cross-shopped with luxury family cars, and still left a bit of a vacuum for the real luxury sports vehicle.

On the SUV and Wagon side, the market held steady. There were still very few SUVs on the market, and two of them were mostly toys for the dirt for the rich; only one car could be said was a true SUV - emphasis on utility. As for wagons, it was a similar story as the family segment: there were no up-scale offerings on the market. In fact, none of the cars breached the premium price tag. So wagons firmly became embedded in people’s minds as capable but utilitarian family workhorses, nothing to show off with, ever.

Last, but not least, the utility market. This market segment shrunk a little and there was still not a lot of choice for Letarans. In terms of vans, there was slightly more choice than last round with a range of sizes covering the city to larger long-haul vans, but once one decided on size, that was it, that was the car you bought. Pickups were not much better off, but with an even smaller available size range. Given that nearly half of the available cars also suffered from engineering issues that needed to be fixed by the customer, it was not a happy segment to say the least. Also the loss of pickups that could serve as family vehicles left people buying older vehicles rather than look at the new ones.

COMPANY SPENDING AND LOBBYING

In total 38 people submitted consumer cars in Round 3, and are eligible for company spending and lobbying. Spending and lobbying is completely optional and not mandatory to participate in the next round.

The people in this list currently have no assembly or factory in Letara, and thus have the following options:

The people in this list currently have an assembly in Letara, and thus have the following options:

The people in this list currently have a factory in Letara, and thus have the following options:


SPENDING

Everyone on the above lists has their allocated spending tokens that you can spend in whole integers. How you allocate your tokens is up to you.

Note that the government has their own spending purse, so your spending will supplement the government’s funds. Spending items proposed by the Letaran Government include:

  • Road maintenance - helps to rebuild and maintain the current road network so that roads don’t deteriorate.
  • Road construction - will expand and improve the current road network. These might include paving gravel or dirt roads, continue construction on an interstate highway system.
  • Supporting or expanding the current bauxite-to-aluminium processing chain
  • Expanding and supporting higher education - in general, or in any of the following specialties:
    • aerodynamics
    • mechanical engineering
    • petrochemical engineering
    • materials science
    • electrical engineering
  • Building of improvements at the Lerance Raceway or changing the Lerance Raceway in some fashion (e.g., the planned but not built inner short track, more/less banked corners, surface changes etc.).
  • Construction of a different racing venue, track or otherwise.
  • Support for train infrastructure.
  • Support for air infrastructure.
  • Support the shipping infrastructure.
  • Support for other industry - general support, or any of the following:
    • Petroleum
    • Coal
    • Iron
    • Forestry
    • Agriculture
  • Expand protected areas and National Parks.
  • “Other” - feel free to spend on items not on this list. Provide a brief description what your company spends its tokens on and I’ll do my best to incorporate it into Letara’s lore. If you think your idea might be too far fetched, outside the scope or spirit of the challenge series, it’s best to ask; the Letaran government reserves the right to reject ideas, or they might simply fail.

LOBBYING

Depending on how you spend your tokens, you will have 10, 13, or 16 lobbying power. These can also be spent in whole integers, and it’s up to you how you wish to allocate them. You can lobby for or against individual items. Note that the government has their own ideas and direction they want to take, and some items they feel very strongly about. So lobbying outcome is not a guarantee - but your input might influence the government to make certain decisions.

Lobbying items proposed by the Government of Letara include:

  • Mandate amber indicator lights on the front and rear corners of the vehicle.
  • Mandate side indicator lights.
  • Mandate double head lights - one regular light and one high beam.
  • Mandate three brake lights on the rear of the car.
  • Mandate two reversing lights.
  • Mandate rearview mirror placement on doors.
  • Ban a third centre headlight.
  • Modify current safety regulations.
  • Ban cross-ply tires.
  • Implement emissions standards.
  • Tighten noise regulations.
  • Allow/disallow functional aero on road-legal consumer vehicles.
  • Adjust and tighten speed limits on public roads.
  • Change vehicle taxation; e.g.,:
    • Implement displacement tax (state displacement in L or cc that would trigger the tax)
    • Implement/change speed-related tax
    • Implement/change safety-related tax
    • Implement fuel economy tax (could be tax on inefficient vehicles or tax break for very efficient vehicles)
    • Implement segment-specific taxes (e.g., extra tax on luxury vehicles, tax break for utility vehicles, etc.)
  • For keeping the Lerance Raceway as Letara’s flagship racing venue (with or without changes to the lay-out).
  • For alternate race location/series/type. For an alternate race series, specify:
    • Alternate paved route/format.
    • Alternate mixed surface/dirt race/rally event.
    • Alternate dedicated track racing (specify what kind, e.g. traditional circuit, oval, drag etc.)
      (OOC: I am making an executive decision now that only one race category will be available, whatever that is. Running two is 1. too much work going forward, and 2. it would guarantee a large field of cars making for more engaging races)
  • “Other” - feel free to propose your own lobbying item. Same restrictions and caveats apply as for the spending tokens.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING LOBBYING

I encourage light banter and chatter between companies in character in this thread to discuss their stance on the issues presented. But keep it civil and light-hearted please. To be clear, absolutely no threats against another person or company, real or fictional is tolerated. I trust that you will all play nice with each other.

Those people eligible for spending and lobbying, please DM me your responses in the same thread where you submitted your car. Please do not create a new thread. I WILL IGNORE NEWLY CREATED DM THREADS, IT IS TOO TIME CONSUMING TO CHASE PEOPLE.

Please submit short point-form items only. I don’t want to have to read an essay and try to decipher what you actually want. Leave the essays for your forum post, but I will not consult them - what you say in the DM is what I enter in the lobby spreadsheet. To reiterate: I WILL ONLY ENTER YOUR LOBBYING BY WHAT YOU SAY IN YOUR DM. DO NOT REFER TO A FORUM POST, DO NOT REFER TO SOMEONE ELSE’S INITIATIVE. JUST SUCCINCTLY SAY WHAT YOUR LOBBY SUBMISSION IS MEANT TO DO.

Submissions are final; I will not change your entry if you change your mind on a spending or lobby item. So think before you hit submit.

Spending and lobbying is open until 6:00 AM ET on Sunday, February 12.


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LIBERTY'S SUCCESS
Distributed by Liberty Corp.
We Thank You

As our 1966 model lineup edges closer to the end of production, now is the time to thank all of you, our customers, for purchasing our wonderful cars. Whether you purchased the luxurious New Yorker, or the highly practical Familia, all of you made the correct decision for your car. As a thank you, anyone who has bought a Liberty from 1966 or later will recieve a coupon for your next servicing, something that you will definitely need you hopefully won’t need.

Liberty Corp. Advertising and Engineering Department, 1953
Building 420, 69th Avenue
Philidelphia, PA, USA
+1-215-xxx-xxxx

In the office (Lore)

Michael looked at his engineers that designed one of the most succesful lineups so far. “Wow, I am amazed by these sales, and I just can’t thank you enough.” He starts shaking the hands of each engineer. “All of these cars were amazing, good job to everyone! However…” As soon as that word came out of his mouth, the mood in the room changed very quickly. The engineers didn’t know what would happen next. They could end up being fired!

“There was a primary issue in all the cars produced. It looks like that you engineers were too focused on creating a unique car that you forget one very important thing: Reliability. A lot of our customers have been reporting breakdowns; we’ve had to issue many recalls, and it is starting to tarnish our reputation. I’d recommend that next time, focus on creating a car that doesn’t break down every 100 miles.” He saw the fear in the engineers’ faces. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad, just dissapointed.”

That’s not better.

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Rhania’s Plan:

Rhania Lobbying

Corporation Health United Research Committee Help [CHURCH]

Rhania would like to introduce a new plan regarding emissions:

Since our discovery that lead[Pb] was dangerous for humans as the heavy metal would enter the lungs and cause asthma and would interfere with the brain, especially those who are still developing such as children.

Now, our concern are the tailpipe emission that are coming out of the cars that the people are driving. The health of people would be affected negatively because of the pollutants that would enter the lungs would increase the chances of asthma, bronchitis, heart attacks, and many more.

Those who are invited to CHURCH
  1. Capable Motors
  2. Canadian Motors
  3. Levente
  4. Liberty Motors
  5. Mara
  6. P&A
  7. Mayland Motors
  8. The Aero Company
  9. Vizzuri
  10. Wolfe
  11. Kessel
  12. Vaughn
  13. SUMA
  14. Vausse
  15. KHI

Automobiles Regarding Emissions Administration [AREA]

This new group started by Rhania was made in response to the increasing concern of emission coming out of cars. The solution that came out of this administration was simple: Incentivize car manufacturers to reduce their emissions.

A plan would be formulated to address such issue as tail emissions as they cause the following:

  1. Smog, especially in denser areas of Letara

  2. Death of many animals ranging from insects responsible for pollination to fish that is served to fellow Letaraians. Emissions at a high would affect the wildlife and would cause issue for the Letaraians.

  3. An increase of pollutants leading to a harsh living environment

Those who are invited to AREA
  1. Capable Motors
  2. Canadian Motors
  3. Levente
  4. Liberty Motors
  5. Mara
  6. P&A
  7. Mayland Motors
  8. The Aero Company
  9. Vizzuri
  10. Wolfe
  11. Kessel
  12. Vaughn
  13. SUMA
  14. Vausse
  15. KHI

The Plan by both [CHURCH] & [AREA]

  • Cars must be under 2000 emission units, unless they wish to incur a 10% tax on all their vehicles.

  • Cars under 1000 emission units would receive a 5% tax cut

Rhania Spending

Rhania Spending:

Due to the lack of investment for aircraft cargo transportation last decade, we decided to invest into aerospace engineering to allow Letara to gain an economic advantage of being able to import and export goods much more faster.

Air infrastructure being invested would allow the advancement for aerodynamics and possibly other technologies along with airplanes.

The goods can be transported more effectively and people would be able to travel across continents quicker than before. The economy would improve with the increase of goods being transported and sold for a profit.

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VAUGHN REVUE LETARA

The magazine that goes out to all of you Letarans driving a Vaughn, Wraith or VCV
Winter 1974

EDITORIAL

Vaughn is one of the first manufacturers to turn down the offer to join the CHURCH and AREA programmes initiated by Rhania. This have spawned some controversy, some people even try to make it look like if Vaughn should not care about emissions or the environment. If you know your history, nothing could be further from the truth. Vaughn was one of the pioneers when it came to building engines for unleaded gasoline. Vaughn was one of the manufacturers pushing the hardest to introduce alcohol based fuels in Letara. Fact is, that without the support Vaughn has given the petrochemical research in Letara, it is doubtful if the cleaner burning E-fuels would even be available today.

But as the US based manufacturer we are, we have first hand information about how emissions regulations have caused lots of problems. Not only are many modern engines on the US market gutless and runs rough, they are also unreliable and consumes unnecessary amounts of fuel, which in itself is a less desirable thing for the environment. That is, because emissions technology is forced upon the car makers, and eventually the customers, before enough research and development has been done.

Of course, at Vaughn we spend lots of effort into making our cars run as clean as possible, but that should not be at the expense of the customer. With catalytic converters today, you get a fair amount of money added to the sticker price, for a technology that doesn’t really work, and gives you a car that’s significantly worse. We believe that in 10 years, the catalytic converter will be good and cheap enough to be added to a normal car without anyone even taking notice that it is there - but we aren’t there yet and should not be forced until the technology is ready.

Also, our research has shown one thing to us - to work properly, emissions equipment needs to be used on an engine with fuel injection. That’s not a bad thing in itself, since the technology is superior to carburetors in many ways. The drawback is that, at the moment we are writing this, we could justify the cost of fuel injection on a high end sports car like the Vaughn Torpedo, or luxury cars like the Wraith models. Adding fuel injection to an economy car like the Vaughn Firebolt or even the Vaughn Hierophant would price the cars way out of their intended customer base today. Again, in 10 years we believe that fuel injection will more or less have replaced carburetors - but we aren’t there yet.

That’s why we believe that emissions regulations should have to wait until the technology is ready for them. We’re of course not against clean air - that’s a responsibility all of us have. But we also need to build good cars and sell them to a price point, and if emissions laws aren’t written with the challenges we are facing today in mind, that will get very hard for us - and for other manufacturers, even those who pretend otherwise.

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Mont Montelin, 1973
Onlooker A: "Hey, did you hear about that new Japanese driving style?"

Onlooker B: “What, where they blow out their tires after five minutes of driving? Who hasn’t? Morons!”

[Motor is heard in the distance.]

A: “Well, I’ve heard those guys at KHI- the ones who got banned from racing because they tried to cheat aero, with the whole mirrors thing- I’ve heard they drive like that.”

B: “Oh, I believe that alright. As if it could be fast, though. Remember how they did on the old Lerance?”

[Motor draws nearer.]

A: “Well, this isn’t a track, is it?”

B: “No. Is it even legal for them to test cars here?”

[Tires squeal, and the backfiring of a motor echoes through the woods.]

A: “Guess we’ll see if that tip-off was accurate, huh?”

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A & B [Together]: “Four-wheel drift!?”

…LHC4 teaser aside, I’ve made a little fun thing for the handling sports cars to judge one another unofficially! How fast can you get down Mount Modred’s twistiest, craziest roads!? Covering over eight and a half kilometers, with grades sometimes as steep as six percent, this course will put your handling to the test.

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The pictured car, a KHI developmental prototype, manages a 4:44.20. What about you?
Modred Downhill.zip (525.8 KB)

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Mara goes Letara, Ep. 4-1: Back to racing basics?

Previous post (previous era)

Prelude to era 4 (carshow post, sets the stage for this ep.)

14 March 1974
Great Exhibition Hall, Lerance, Letara

Towards the end of the first day of the Auto Exhibition, Mara’s Comrade Executive Director Fedor Piechov visited the Mara exhibition stand located in a side room of the main hall. Inna Horyova, Comrade Director of Letaran Operations and Rodyn Gumprov, lead development engineer for both cars on display, approached Fedor and exchanged greetings. Fedor threw an appreciating glance at the prominently displayed Kavaler exhibition model.

LAC1-Kavaler_W
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The Mara stand at the Letaran Auto Exhibition

“Since I have you both here, let’s discuss whether there is anything to take care of in Letara for the next years”, said Fedor.

Inna started. “There should be no surprises for us in the ongoing public discussions and planned government initiatives. There is one manufacturer initiative to reduce engine emissions even further, but since leaded fuel is already banned, I don’t think that would have much impact on the people.”

“The only thing I could think of would be to ditch the antiquated rule that rear tail and brake lamps cannot be in the same fitting. Always annoying to have separate rear light clusters for the Letaran market”, added Rodyn.

Fedor nodded. “What about the future of racing here? I hear the current format is up for debate.”

Shaping a vision for a new racing format

Inna started. “If you ask me, racing should be more accessible and closer to what companies actually sell, not some wild fancy machines with little relation to what’s in the showrooms. By lowering the barrier for competitive entries we’ll also get larger fields.”

“So street legal cars without too many modifications or extra engineering?” asked Rodyn.

“Yes, and the format should obviously also allow us to enter a 3-door Irena in the same look as the current R2 race car.” Inna had good reasons for this argument.

“If the new course would be short and twisty, noone would not need big engines or fancy aerodynamics to be competitive.” Rodyn reminisced of his collaboration with the Aljoscha aeroplanes engineers to prepare the R2 Irena ten years ago. While this cooperation was certainly key to the string of podium finishes (and three wins) on the high speed race track, that exercise yielded little practical insights or implications for their regular products. He continued. “A mixed surface might further help to negate the advantage of excessive power. Just like on the long course on our proving grounds [BeamNG: Long race circuit on the Industrial map] where I recall that the V8 Irena interceptor a couple of years ago on cross-plies was hardly faster than the regular version and actually struggled more on the dirt parts.”

Inna added. “Prowess on loose surfaces would actually be well in-line with some of our future marketing which will be more geared towards farmers and others in rural areas where there still are dirt roads.”

Fedor stared at Inna and said only a single word with disdain. “Marketing?”

Inna shrugged. What did Fedor know of the struggles to run an operation in a free market economy? “I could also see the new racing event to be even more a spectacle for the general public where everyone can come together in one place once a year, enjoy the race together and celebrate the performance of what looks like what everyone has in there in their own driveway. Should help raise awareness also among the non-car enthusiasts. And those not liking the race can always go on the Ferris wheel or whatever.”

“Come for the event, stay for the cars?” asked Fedor.

Inna nodded. Rodyn picked up the thread. “This would mean a longer endurance event, but on a smaller circuit so that cars are passing - and lapping - each other regularly and appear frequently for all spectators. Reliability will be key here - which is something we have been good at anyway.”

“Sounds like you are talking about something like rallycross”, summarised Fedor. “There you can have a collective closely together around the venue for the duration of the entire event with lots of alternative activities on offer.”

“Of course we have to think in detail about the rules and the location, of course”, said Rodyn. “While we’re here we could check whether others at the car show like the idea as well, to build a short rallycross track inside Lerance raceway, and to propagate the introduction of a yearly big rallycross endurance event.”

Fedor nodded his curt approval.

OOC / TL;DR: Here is an idea for a rallycross extension (yellow: new tarmac, brown: new dirt, red - NOT part of this proposal: Aruna’s alternative plan for modifications to the big track - independent of the rallycross idea - as discussed on Discord and below).

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The format would require low-ish budget street legal cars and emphasize handling (and off-road, to an extent) over power, aerodynamics and quality spam. See the 24 hour clunker run threads for a good inspiration for the proposed format (just with MY1975 cars). (The scale of the rallycross track is debatable, if it is a bit too short.)

If you like it, feel free to spend and or lobby for the rallycross extension (so just the yellow and brown bits) and racing format, and let me know if you have further ideas to improve the details of the racing format.

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Vizzuri’s Proposal '75


–

–

24hr Endurance racing at a newly envisioned Lerance Raceway

–

With the Letaran public embracing the spirit of racing at Lerance Raceway each year, we will be spending towards further improvements of the track as laid out below; (Red: New track segments. Blue: Change to the short track {Still unpaved})

Vizzuri Raceway Costa Lerance 4.5 1976 edit
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Changes include a corkscrew downhill in the bottom left, two chicanes on the back straight as well as the unique “Knife-edge” and “Twin-90” corners in the revised top right and left.

We would like to make changes to the R1 class for 1975 onwards, the “R1 Prototypes” era:

Proposed changes to R1

R1 Class 1975-1984 “R1 Prototypes”:

  • Runs on Lerance raceway full course
  • Two-seater mandated
  • Not required to be road-legal
  • All prototypes run on Ethanol Blend E85 (108 RON) racing fuel mixture
  • Minimum safety of 35
  • Minimum comfort of 5
  • Enclosed bodywork (Does not require a roof)
  • Natural or turbocharged allowed - Turbocharged cars are allowed up to a maximum of 5.0L
  • Must be fitted with a minimum of a windshield, one or more windscreen wipers, two doors, headlights, taillights, front and rear indicators, roll bar (If interior, or exposed interior)
  • A maximum of two aero fixtures allowed
  • Slick radial tyres only

–

Caring for Letara, the Vizzuri way

–

Vizzuri are dedicated to the growth and aid of Letara: We are officially planning to expand with a full scale car factory (yet to be located, but likely with the assembly plant inside Lerance Raceway grounds.), which will offer more jobs, and training to the Letaran people.

Alongside our spending to Lerance Raceway, we would create 15 spaces for caravans or static holiday homes to be made on-site next to the lake as a scenic getaway or residence for those with a passion for motorsport. Additional spectator stands would be built and others moved in accordance to the new track changes.

Investing towards higher education will be done again, however we shall be funding support for a new class in higher education: Electrical robotics and computing, to help advancements towards driver assistance within cars and revolutionary computing of the future.

With the government’s proposal for mandated amber indicator lights, we urge them to reconsider, and keep current regulations allowing for white glass over indicators with amber bulbs on front/side and amber or red rear/rear side.

We are saddened to announce our lack of additional spending from this has sacrificed aid to the Letaran natural disaster response departments as well as Ethanol producing farms, and would urge fellow companies to offer their spending towards them. A safer and cleaner future is in everyone’s best interest.

–

We hope other car marques can collaborate with Vizzuri’s efforts for an invested Letara, with a well established and growing racing heritage, focus on safety, education and renewable environmentally friendly ethanol fuel.

–

–


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KHI on Racing
"...so while we will NOT be financially or politically supporting any racing initiatives, KHI does offer its full spiritual support of Vizzuri's proposal..."
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AN OPEN LETTER TO RHANIA FROM KESSEL

Greetings! We would like to thank you for inviting us to be a part of such a worthwhile cause. It may please you to know that we have already been testing converter systems in our new models for emissions reduction. We humbly accept your CHURCH proposal.

We will, however, remain indifferent on your AREA proposal. Our vehicles still cannot reach below 1000 ppm emissions. Also, as we are a domestic manufacturer, we’re not sure a tax rebate would help us as much as others. But the cause itself is still a noble one.

We have also read Vaughn’s response to your proposal. As an auto enthusiast, I can completely understand their position. From a business perspective, however, their decision confuses me. I’m left wondering why an American based company wouldn’t want Letara’s manufacturers to cope with the same restrictions they (presumably) ALREADY have to work with in order to legally sell their cars in the States. To each their own, I suppose. It’s not our job to pass judgement.

We would also like to submit a small proposal as it pertains to racing. We at Kessel feel there should be a minimum weight requirement added to the current racing rules, in an effort to keep the various classes more competitive. We have no set weight in mind, and we would welcome any input from manufacturers on the subject.

Cheers!

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Wolfram Press Release, 1974

With the increasing use of radial tires in Letara, we have decided to lobby for a total ban on the use of any and all types of cross-ply tires for road-legal consumer vehicles in that country, citing safety concerns. Also, the importance of aerodynamics for race cars has prompted us to lobby for allowing the use of functional aerodynamic devices on road cars, not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for improved performance.

In addition to this, we have invested heavily into the expansion of the Letaran road network, along with continued maintenance for the country’s existing roads.

We hope that our investment and lobbying leads to a better future for the people of Letara.

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Technical question: is a combined tarmac/gravel race feasible in game?
On the Modred Downhill, does the simulation account for elevation?

Modred Downhill malarkey

This section of road is often “closed momentarily for maintenance”. Reportedly this “maintenance” sounds like high-revving car engines to nearby hikers. It’s not far from Modred Resort & Casino, in which the parking lot is often occupied by several sports cars…
A box of very grainy videotape was found in the local Swanson archives in the 90s. After restoration, they revealed then-secret onboard footage of several Swanson vehicles being driven hard up and down this particular road.
Most interesting in context was the one titled “255 R2 8-3 take 2”, showing the 64-74 racecar clocking in at 4:16:09. Another one shows the '66 225PF road car at a more leisurely pace, completing the run in 4:47:22.

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In-game, no, that is not something the track simulator currently does. But I have in the past successfully simulated dirt tracks through my own excel calculator (see this ARM thread). It’s not perfect, but it served the purpose well enough. Basically for tarmac track I take the sport/drive stats ratio into account, and for dirt it’s the offroad/drive stats ratio.

Tracks can indeed simulate elevation changes, that is no issue.

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It does, yes. The grade typically ranges from 2-5, but some sections go from 4-6 (particularly near the end). There is also appropriate banking on the curves.

EDIT: Also, that’s a pretty good time for a '66!! My Harrier came in at 4:47 as well, despite being an expensive mid 70s car!

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Interesting. By “feasible” I also meant “not adding extra work” which would negate the switch to a single class maybe.

The 225 isn’t particularly fast by 70s standards, the downhill probably helps quite a bit. I suppose an uphill version of the track would reward powerful cars more. Alternating between up and down could then lead to quite different race results…

But I’ll return to that in character.

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Unfortunately it’s not as easy as just reversing the track- I’d have to remake the whole thing for an uphill, and that’s not likely to happen in the next few days before lobbying ends. Don’t put too much stock into that touge- running touge racing would be completely different to our racing thus far and would have very different priorities. Not sure cake wants to deal with it all- I know I wouldn’t. It’s essentially just a fun little thing for those of us who watch too much anime enjoy well-handling cars.

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AMCW, 1975

Kadinya gripped the steering wheel in the grip she’d been instructed to use by the technicians on staff, the raspy snarling growl of the prototype’s inline 5 engine setting every nerve on edge with a mix of excitement… and a hint of concern.

She pumped the accelerator twice, feeling the AMCW’s new powerplant responding a little less lethargically than her usual experience with the old Minerva she still drove, pulled the gearbox down into Drive, and then floored the accelerator.

20 km/h. 40. 60. 80. 100 km/h. She knew it was a bit over 12 seconds, but it felt like an eternity while on camera as she piloted the AMCW directly at a concrete wall, engine snarling under the load of shoving the test mule for their latest technology toward the inevitable doom awaiting the vehicle.

There, against the wall, were the previous 4 cars she’d crashed on film, back to back. The fifth joined them with a mighty crunch of steel and a heavy muffled thud as the center of the steering wheel opened up like a popcorn kernel left in the heat, a bag blasting out as it filled rapidly with air from the carefully controlled explosion. A millisecond later, Kadinya’s face slammed into it, decelerating her body safely from 100 km/h.

In the crash, her hands had been knocked away from the wheel, but like the previous four times, her specialized grip - thumbs resting on the rim, not tucked inside it - kept her from breaking anything. She pulled the release handle, shouldered the door open, and stepped out of the crumpled AMCW.

Kadinya walked over to the camera and spoke for the world to hear later, to see later, “You have just witnessed me crash five cars back to back at a speed that could kill even me on the highways of Letara. A speed we all travel at because there is no better option. I was saved each time by three things. The first is AMCW’s dedication to safety. Our next generation of cars have three point seat belts, improved crumple zones, and improved structural integrity of the cabin. The second is that I was doing what we all must start doing, I was wearing my seat belt. The new over-the-shoulder seat belt keeps you in place better in a crash so that you don’t smash your face into the steering wheel. The third technology, in our language, is adaki. Directly translated, it’s an “air vessel.” We are calling it an “air-bag.” It is a supplementary restraint system, designed to inflate instantaneously upon impact and further assist in slowing your body down upon impact. After all…” Kadinya smiled, motioning to the cars before finishing with, “It’s not the speed that kills you. It’s the sudden stop at the end. While driving an AMCW, Kasivah, or Minerva equipped with an air-bag system will require you to learn a new grip on your steering wheel, we assure you, lives will be saved if people use both the seat-belt and the air-bag together.”

Once the cameras were no longer rolling, Kadinya sat down in a chair and set a bag of ice on her forehead. “Please tell me I wasn’t bleeding on camera,” she grumbled.

“No, Kadinya, you were fine. We’re a bit surprised, honestly. John made a hell of a mess when he crashed one of the new “Vyrada” test mules at Lerance the other day and the air-bag mashed his nose,” Nathan said, smiling. “Still, a publicity stunt like that should prove that we put our money behind what we preach. We call out for safer cars, and we provide them.”

“And how is John doing?” Kadinya inquired.

“Other than a bloody nose and wounded pride, he’s fine. Honestly, I think he’s far more annoyed that he wrecked one of our three V6 test mules, and the only one with the “Vyrada” system in place. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask…”

“Yes, Nathan?”

“What does “Vyrada” mean?” Nathan inquired.

“In my language? It loosely means “Storm.” But I’m using it more literally, so it is “Violent Wind.” That is what it means,” Kadinya said with a vicious feline smile. “But it is also symbolic. With it, we will reenter the market like a vicious sea storm.”

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For some reason, I get the feeling that the violent wind will enter the intake manifold… :thinking:…time will tell.

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JUNE 1974

FROM THE DESK OF ICHIRO NIICHI, PRESIDENT OF NIICHI MOTOR COMPANY OF LETARA

Fourteen years ago, cars built by the Niichi Motor Company of Japan made their debut in Letara. Ten years ago, the Niichi Motor Company of Letara was established. Four years ago, our first product, the Niichi Dynema line, was released. Our goal has always been to positively impact the lives of the Letaran people. Up until today, we aimed to do this by delivering automobiles that are economical, elegant, and excellent: in those respects I could not be more satisfied.

However, I have always felt that this view of service is limited - though our primary focus will always be on improving our automotive operations, I believe that our company is capable of so much more. Today is the start of a new era for Niichi of Letara - one where our company will take full advantage of the experience and influence it has gained to make Letara a better place to live.

First, on grounds of safety, we call for the lifting of restrictions on aerodynamic devices on consumer vehicles. Excessive lift has been shown in numerous cases to lead to dangerous handling characteristics at speed, posing a danger both to the occupants of the vehicle as well as to people around them.

Second, Niichi of Letara urges the government to consider a 3% tax break for vehicles using ethanol-based fuels. We believe that reducing Letara’s dependence on fossil fuels can only be good for Letara, both economically and ecologically.

Third, and most importantly, Niichi of Letara is breaking ground on a factory to be located in Fiegheni. We believe the best way to serve the people of Letara is to give back as much as we receive - a stronger Letara benefits us all.

Where will we be fourteen years from now? This much I can say for certain - though our company may change, our focus on making a real difference in the lives of Letarans will be unchanged.

Economy. Elegance. Excellence.

The Niichi of Letara Promise

Ichiro Niichi
President, Niichi of Letara

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Publication by The Aero Company.

An announcement regarding emissions policy in Letara, and other initiatives.

Having heard much discussion recently on emissions in Letara, and with the 1974 lawmaking season approaching, we felt we wished to add our part to the discussion.

Aero's experience and opinions on the subject of emissions

We realize that in the past we haven’t been the most vocal on the matter- other than in joining the charge to phase out lead fuels -but over the past 10 years Aero has been at the forefront of emissions research. Our “Free” model line is, as far as we’ve measured, the least emissive gasoline vehicle on sale in Letara, and among the best in the world. So we already have a fair bit of research and experience to add to the discussion

And from what our experience tells us, the future of emissions reduction is the catalytic converter (or “cat” for short). To those unfamiliar with the technology, the cat is a device fitted to a car’s exhaust, which chemically reacts with said exhaust to break down the harmful chemicals it contains. At the expense of a little extra cost, and slightly reduced power and efficiency, the cat drastically slashes the emissions of a combustion engine.

How drastically? Let’s use our own model, the Free, to illustrate. The original Free in 1964 was already the nation’s least emissive vehicle, with emissions of 2116 emission units on our efficiency-oriented trim (the low pre-cat figure is largely just due to the engine’s exceptionally small size). As part of its 1971 facelift, we added a cat, and emissions plumeted to just 792 units- a %62.6 reduction in emissions!

2 years later, the 1973-model Rhania Hunters managed to contest the original Free in emissions, emitting 2132 units with their I4 models. To repeat: a work-oriented pickup truck managed to rival in emissions what microcars was doing just 3 years prior, thanks largely to its inclusion of a cat! Now imagine if that level of emissions reduction were applied en-masse to the entire auto industry, where the average car emits ~7246 units.

Emissions data provided by the Letaran Government Statistical Bureau.

Aero's Proposal: A tax incentive for cars with catalytic converters

Now, we want to make it clear that we are NOT proposing a mandate. The technology is still in its infancy, and takes more power/efficiency than some cars (especially utility vehicles) can afford to lose. The cat needs further development before it can be standardized industry-wide. But in order to further this development, we need to test out the technology as much as possible- running it in as many cars as possible, and as many types of car as possible, in as many conditions as possible.

So we propose a tax deduction for all cars which include any catalytic converter. This doesn’t punish manufacturers who understandably can’t or don’t want to try it out yet, while encouraging manufacturers that can support it- especially luxury and sports demographics, which already have an abundance of excess power anyway -to invest in and help improve the technology.

We also wish to clarify that we do not support any additional emissions restrictions to this cat incentive. We don’t want to create a situation similar to the US, where the industry is getting crippled by too many regulations applying at once. Plus, the advantages of a cat are already pretty superb on their own, as we have shown above. We should note that we are fine with other positive tax breaks, just nothing that adds tax or restrictions.

We hope you will join us in pushing for a cat-equipped car incentive, and also for testing and equipping your cars with the device if you are able. Refining this technology will be a huge step in reducing the emissions output of Letara.

Other lobbying policies

While we’re on the subject of the 1974 lawmaking season, we might as well discuss our other, unrelated spending and lobbying ideas.

We will continue to invest heavily in aluminum production, to bring down the cost of aluminum. We value the metal for its lightness and corrosion-resistance, and our eventual goal is to make the cost of aluminum comparable to that of steel someday by improving its infrastructure and distribution.

We are disappointed to see the ideas of requiring double headlights instead of singles, and of banning the third center headlight, are once again on the table. As we have said before and will again, the government has no place regulating a purely-aesthetic aspect of a product’s design. On the subject, we would like to continue to push for requiring side-marker lights, which actually do have a safety benefit.

We would like to petition to remove the service-costs requirement in auto racing. This regulation has kept us from competing in the previous decade, and also doesn’t really make sense in auto racing from a practical standpoint, where cars are built for limited short-term use anyway.

Finally, the way the current 160km/h speed tax-break is written, it only applies to vehicles with a speed limiter- and not vehicles with a natural top speed already lower than that. In our case, our own vehicles were too slow to even be able to equip a limiter at all- so even though we were among the nation’s best-aligned with the tax break’s goals, we did not qualify for the break itself. So we’ll be pushing to have the law rephrased to allow vehicles naturally below the limit to qualify.

The Aero Company.

5-chōme-325 Komaki,
Aichi 485-0041, Japan
+81 568-XX-XXXX

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SAETA Official Proposal

Pushing the limits of design

We can´t go green if the technology isn´t here yet. Widespread adoption of catalytic converters in the US has proved that it actually makes cars less efficient and also unsafe to drive due to substantially decreased engine performance. The clean fuels already in use in Letara are not proved to cause any health issues, so why should we even bother to adopt a clearly undeveloped and harmful technology?

Our alternatives to this nonsense are:

-Tax break for efficient, ethanol-fueled cars- Cars that use clean fuels and achieve 10L/100km (23,5 mpg) or better should get a 10% tax break.

-Allow aero on cars- Aero does not only make race cars go faster around the track, it can also make consumer cars much more efficient at high speeds

-Support a rallycross event- Such an event seems like a less wasteful but equally exciting form of motorsport

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