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

[Happyhungryhippo]

Well, I already expected another goof, but this might be picked up later in the roleplay, just after I figured out what to do with this disgrace.

At least the 1980 one looks right and uses regular leaded.

The new Astrona III for '78 replaces both the Astrona II and the Globus Comet MK2, it is as roomy and comfortable as a Comet but stays in charakter for an Astrona, being easy to use at high speeds and overall fun to drive.
The specs of the police version are top secret, rumors say the 1980 model recieved the recently overworked engine of the Imperator, which means at least 170 horsepower, maybe even more.

Yes, I know the plate is wrong, but please mind it’s an early prototype.

[FidleDo]

@cake_ape

The usual colour scheme of Letaran police is a white background and green (#008018, 50% flake) accent colour. A creative, original, and appropriate livery in these colours would be appreciated.

What’s stopping me from breaking the rules and creating a disguised police car? Are those allowed?

[cake_ape]

I mean, it is allowed as in it won’t be an instabin, but it is not what is asked for…

[VanZandt_Breda]

A scrapppy war-time industry turned ambitious car builder, Van Zant Motor Company is today the most prestigious and successful auto company based in Texas. In 1942, the company formed to manufacture steel aircraft machinery, but when relieved of government mandates in 1946 focused on the post-war automobile boom. Van Zandt survived its own deadly competition in the 1950s and as other US firms failed to keep pace, emerged as one of the top builders in the US by the 60s.

In the 1970s, Van Zandt Motor Company’s market expands across the globe. In Houston, terminals reserved for loads of cars and trucks are kept busy with constant production. Thousands of vehicles destined for export are delivered by rail from factories scattered across the southern United States. Still more customers await.

In the port-zone of the small nation of Letara another new Van Zandt import office is established.

Important relevant papers are signed and notices circulate among important relevant people. Telephones blare. Steel presses roar. Without too much fanfare, cargo ships with the first Van Zandt imports unload their wares. Letarans will set their eyes on Texas-crafted cars for the first time very soon.

-~-~-~-~-

Van Zandt Motor Company has registered as a new automobile corporation in Letara and expects to import all deliveries into Letara for the forseeable future.

[Fayeding_Spray]

1978 Walkenhorst R1

[abg7]

1984 Wolfram Wolfhound

Yay, another retcon of prior lore!

Inspired by the 1974 WLF-6 concept car, the 1984 Wolfhound was a clear sign that Wolfram had weathered the storm of the oil crisis, and was ready to re-establish itself as one of the world’s premier performance car manufacturers. Its 3.6L all-alloy MPEFI I6 delivered 300 bhp to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox and geared LSD, while staggered high-performance tires wrapped around 16-inch magnesium wheels generated immense grip. 4-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS helped bleed off excess speed, while dual wishbone suspension at each corner provided world-class handling with a modicum of comfort.

The Wolfhound also had a premium interior and stereo (the latter of which incorporated a cassette tape player as standard). Yet despite being built on a (corrosion-resistant) steel monocoque chassis, strategically placed aluminum panels (for the doors and trunk lid) kept its weight under 1,200 kg; combined with its powerhouse I6, the Wolfhound could reach 60 mph from a standstill in under six seconds and top out at over 160 mph. Most amazingly of all, the Wolfhound had a base price of just $28,000 in 1984, which kept it under the $30k luxury tax threshold.

[TanksAreTryhards]

Simple question about the racing rules: Is there any rules or limitations about tyre types? 'Cause a rallycross series with road tyres really does sit odd to me, but the 4:30 limit on all-terrain tyres is kinda tought to get

[VanZandt_Breda]

From your friends at Van Zandt

All-New for 1975! The third generation of the acclaimed Van Zandt Brazos

Successor to the best-selling truck in America for over 20 years, your new Brazos is more powerful than ever, hauls more than ever, and is safer and more reliant than ever. You will see why the Brazos is the best truck - ever! With more than 14,000,000 sold to date, it has to be. It’s the truck that won’t rest! - Ever!

The 1975 Van Zandt Conestoga

Never outdone, never outclassed, never outperformed. When the job needs doing, you’ve always been there. The Conestoga is built on the new best-ever Brazos truck platform. Like you, it just gets it done. No questions asked. No questions necessary. The Van Zandt Conestoga. Always working for you.

Get out. Far out! The 1975 Brazos Ranch Wagon

For the idyll sophisticate who is anything but idle, the Brazos Ranch Wagon is a no-brainer. Long work weeks can’t leave you too tired for weekend play. And when you’re not hauling your entire workshed around town, it’s the entire household to and fro. It’s not just the Brazos. It’s the Brazos Ranch Wagon. You’re covered!

-~-~-~-~-

With Van Zandt’s early foray into the new market of Letara, the company put forward the pride of its utility division. The Brazos was a Van Zandt original dating back to 1946. But the 1952 model had been so wildly successful, so reliable, so cheap to own, so ubiquitous, that it took almost 20 years to finalize any more than repeated facelifts. With the 1975 Brazos, Van Zandt was content that they could finally outdo themselves. Meanwhile, Letarans were missing out on even that old spectacular workhorse. The new series including the Brazos, Conestoga, and Ranch Wagon variants became the debut of the brand in Letara. It was their best foot forward into what they hoped was a ripe customer base.

-~-~-~-~-

1979

Insistent on a response to the Government of Letara’s request for bids on a fleet of new highway patrol interceptor, Van Zandt Letara executives have put forward their package. It’s not the ubiquitous blue truck Letarans know and love. Instead, they brought out an example of the ‘Mayflower’ brand’s ‘Emissar Super Sport’. Replacing its V6 with an even more powerful, and not-mainline for Van Zandt, V8, they created the
Van Zandt Intender.

We are pleased to present our product for consideration:

[doot]

HLL tires are your friend. It’s definitely possible to go sub 4:30 with them

[cake_ape]

Nope, the tire choice is free - the question is, what compromise can you live with?

FWIW: modern rallycross runs on basically semi-slicks. But this is not modern, and not exactly rallycross. More of a mixed-surface enduro event.

[benjamintamilia]

Canadian Motors Press Release

Press Release On Current Conditions - October 1973

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Canadian Motors has long since prided itself on being the forerunner of Canadian automotive history since 1906, but for the first time since WWII… we have to express concern about the looming stock market crash and oil prices being through the roof, which is making it increasingly unviable to ship our cars overseas to Letara.

With these factors in mind, we at Canadian Motors have made the unprecedented decision to halt the planned export of the Lapin SC, which has been pushed back to until approximately June 1975/1976, or until the stock markets have stabilized (whichever comes first).
Rising fuel costs have made it currently unviable for us to ship the car as we have hoped to do for this year, but we also plan on retooling our factories to improve the quality of our products, which we estimate will take two years at the most to do.
We apologize in advance to the Letaran government, but we have no choice but to conserve money and be conscious in how we’re spending capital as it is predicted we will also lose a consider amount of money in the stock market crash.

We strongly urge any Letaran official that has been in contact with the company to understand the magnitude of the situation and understand we are trying to manage costs and weather the impending storm, but for now… our future is uncertain.

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Canadian Motors
A company for all.

1 Canadian Motors Circle,
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
+1 519-XXX-XXXX

[doot]

Cake, is downforce measured in the final screen under test track, or by holding your mouse over the downforce tab as close to the right as you can? I currently get 2 on the test track tab, but 19 on the downforce tab

[abg7]

I’m assuming it’s the former (which measures downforce figures at 200 km/h, or 124 mph) - the latter figure is taken from downforce figures at the car’s top speed.

By the way, when I checked my entry, it did not have positive downforce at the front or rear.

[cake_ape]

Ah, it was only spelled out for the consumer cars, not the race car. Thanks for pointing it out, I’ve added this clarification to the race rules now as well. As abg7 says, it’s the one in the Performance tab (or Test Track tab if you will) measured at 200 km/h. That is the value that exports to CSV and is easy to check for legality.

[Madrias]

AMCW In 1980

The best thing about AMCW and Kasivah is there’s one for everyone and their way of life.

Our eco-friendly, inexpensive, fuel-sipping AMCW Scout Workmate is guaranteed to get you, your work crew (or family) to their destination, plus their supplies (or your groceries) without draining your wallet. However, don’t think that because it has emissions equipment and a fuel economy better than 8L/100km that you’re getting anything less than the latest in safety equipment.

For those with a bigger budget, the Kasivah Serenity Camping Coupe is a more premium alternative to the Scout, bringing our High Technology V6 engine to the table, while offering you high-quality wood trim, a smooth VFC4 four-speed automatic, and our tried, tested, and trusted safety equipment.

If you’re feeling like amateur track days are more your speed, you want the wind roaring through your hair on a warm day, or you have a need to experience a thrill previously only known by jet pilots, then you want the Kasivah Serenity Sport. Equipped with the High Technology V6, bored and stroked to its limits already, we added the “Vyrada” package to it. In our language, “Vyrada” is “Violent Wind,” and we have harnessed the power of the turbocharger to cram as much violent wind as we dare down the intake manifold. For insurance purposes, we’re rating the engine at 400 horsepower. To make sure that power gets to the ground safely, we gave you a 5 speed manual gearbox and our new all-wheel-drive platform.

To Letara’s police departments, we offer the Kasivah Serenity Police Interceptor. Equipped with the same “Vyrada 6” as the Sport model, with multi-point fuel injection instead of single-point, and offered as a sedan instead of a convertible, we hope that while this car will be expensive, a few might find their way into your fleet. Otherwise, we’ll have to paint them black and sell them to the public instead, minus the lights and nudge bar.

[Knugcab]

VAUGHN REVUE LETARA

The magazine that goes out to all of you Letarans driving a Vaughn, Wraith or VCV
Winter 1982

THE VAUGHN FOR THE 90S IS ALREADY HERE!

Now, that’s kind of a bold thing to say, we admit that. But our all new compact front wheel drive platform is one of the most large and expensive projects we have ever had, and we still believe that it will pay off. Because on this modern, light, efficient, cost-effective architecture, we believe that all our compact cars will be built well into the 90s. It is so modern, so cleverly engineered, that we can make that promise - already now in 1982.

THE VAUGHN FIREBOLT STS

The entry level model is the new Firebolt in its STS version (Standard Type Sedan). As you may notice, not only are the underpinnings new of the 1982 Firebolt, the sedan also has gained a four door body, for better practicality even for a car this compact. The 77 hp 1.8 litre inline four is based on the same trusty concept as the old 2.4 litre engine in the previous generation Firebolt, but the improvements in fuel economy is remarkable. Included in the STS is styled steel wheels, bright exterior trim, durable vinyl interior and a 4 speed manual gearbox (3 speed auto available at extra cost).

THE VAUGHN FIREBOLT TURBO

Yes, we understand if you think that this looks similar to the last year’s fastback Firebolt. And that’s not a bad thing, since after all the old fastback was a stylish vehicle, with looks appreciated by many people. But of course, this is an all new car as well as the sedan. And for the first time ever for a Firebolt, you can get the fastback with a turbocharger. The Turbo has the same 1.8 litre inline four as the sedan, but the turbocharger in combination with a single point injection system bumps up the power to 128 hp. To get that down to the ground, you get a five speed manual transmission and meatier low profile rubber on alloy wheels. Outside, the fender flares, turbo striping and blacked ut exterior trim looks tough. On the inside, a leather steering wheel, gearknob and shift boot, a tachometer and two-tone cloth/vinyl interior gives a sporty feeling. Driving experience is enhanced by power steering and 4 wheel disc brakes. The Firebolt Turbo can reach 100 km/h in 8.3 seconds and has a top speed of almost 200 km/h!

THE WRAITH TORREVIEJA

Some years ago, a compact Wraith with a 6 cylinder engine would have been out of the question. But times are changing, so are the taste of the customers, and to reach a broader range of buyers, we made the new platform good enough to be used for a car worthy of wearing the Wraith name. Because if there is something the Torrevieja is, it is a real Wraith. If you’re in doubt, look at the elegant and classy styling, what else could that be than a Wraith? Look at the state of the art leather interior - where could you find that, if not in a Wraith? The 121 hp, 2.8 litre V6 is based on the all new, all aluminium “CV8” that came out two years ago, so it is Wraith through and through. Of course, there are no luxuries missing in this car, a 3 speed automatic transmission is standard, as well as power steering, wire wheel covers, whitewall tyres, vinyl roof, four wheel disc brakes, electric windows, electric sunroof, air conditioning and much more.

The only unorthodox thing for a Wraith is its size - and why should anyone looking for a compact luxury car have to settle for less?

[Texaslav]

I’m not sure what I’m more genuinely impressed by: the impressive design language that makes these cars some of the most compelling 80s compacts I’ve seen on here, or the fact that you managed to make a wheezier 80s V6 than the GM one.

[Ch_Flash]

[cake_ape]

MONS 356-ESQUE RETURNS

The 1977 Mons 356-esque - Rev. 4

Mons continues its Lerance racing legacy with the 356-esque, which is now on its fourth revision.

The racing machine from the previous decade was once again significantly re-engineered. It retains its predecessor’s monocoque chassis, but sheds its aluminium panels for much lighter fibreglass ones - much easier to repair too if there’s a small mishap in racing. The powerplant remains our large 6.5L V8 with the modern technologies available at this time pushed to the limit (showcasing top-quality Letaran engineering!). The top end is switched to aluminium for weight saving and a little extra revvability, pushing the redline to almost 7k RPM! Power output is 607 hp (real hp). All this power is translated to the road through a sturdy 5-speed manual gearbox and the latest in oversized radial tires. Ultimate cornering grip is provided by the fully independent double-wishbone suspension front and rear, and over-engineered aerodynamics, this time with a race-dedicated rear wing assembly. The suspension is raised to better absorb the dirt sections, but retain enough rigidity and stability for the tarmac.

With a predicted top speed just under 300 km/h (ok, it could’ve gone faster, but for service cost reasons it is limited), an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 4.0 s, improved cornering (despite the raised suspension), improved reliability, and a track time of redacted, Mons once again hopes to be among the favourites around the Lerance Raceway!

[TheYugo45GV]

Mayland Motors Press Department

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The Mayland Paxton Arrives in Letara

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April 13th, 1977.

As we get closer to the next decade, the time has yet again come to introduce the latest car we’ve conceived here at Mayland Motors. So, allow us to present the Mayland Paxton.

The Paxton is our first ever convertible, and since it’s US launch in 1975, we’ve introduced a number of improvements. While there are two more trim levels that are available in the US, we feel that three trim levels for the export model is quite enough. Because of the loss of chassis rigidity due to a lack of a roof, the Paxton uses body on frame construction to retain a lighter weight.

The powertrain options come with an automatic transmission as standard, and three engines, two V8s and a straight six. The most basic model has our new 3.8L NS inline 6 engine delivering just under 180hp to the rear wheels, the next trim level up possesses a 4.2L V8, that puts out 193 horsepower, while at the top is a 4.4L V8 making almost 210hp.

It is expected for the new Paxtons to go on sale in Letara at the start of next month, just in time for summer or as we like to call it, convertible season. Once it arrives at the start of May, the Paxton will be the ultimate summertime cruiser for any owner who buys it. Plus, when winter comes, we’ll throw in a set of snow tires for free when you take home one of our cars.

Pre-orders have closed. Financing and Leasing will be available once the car goes on sale.

See you all in May!

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MAYLAND MOTORS
©1977