He is still thinking about it, and I am awaiting the descision before trying anything.
IMPORTANT UPDATE to the UPDATE
I made two changes to the rules (see also the change log at the bottom of the round rules):
- Race track time cut-off raised to 6:20.0.
- Deadline extended till December 15 at 10 PM EST.
Again, those who submitted already are allowed to re-submit once - and only for re-balancing their engineering due to the patch changes, not to submit a completely different car.
Final note: some things still seem a bit borked, so personally I expect a (few?) patch(es?) to drop relatively soon. If that happens and it changes things substantially again, then I may be forced to change rules and/or extend the challenge again. The beauty of an Open Beta folks - embrace it! 
8 Likes
Introducing the AMM FTA. Eight seats, under 11 grand post-tax (rip, missed fuel eco tax), and it even has a CVT!
4 Likes
Government Bid: Swanson 625AG -17.700
The Swanson minivan offers lots of space in a reasonably nimble footprint, with a “distinctive” style.
Reliable workhorse boxer 4 with 110 hp and a 4 speed autobox for a relaxing ride, and enough speed to not get into trouble.
9 Likes
VAUGHN REVUE LETARA
The magazine that goes out to all of you Letarans driving a Vaughn, Wraith or VCV
Winter 1991
THE CLASSIC AMERICAN CAR IS MORE ALIVE THAN EVER!
Some years ago, many people would tell you that the classic, body on frame, V8, fullsize American sedans and wagons had no future. Now, at Vaughn, we are giving our fullsize cars their largest overhaul since 1977, and shows you that nothing could be further from the truth. For the Letaran market, our main focus is on three versions.
VAUGHN BAHAMA LTE
The Bahama follows the same formula as always - a large, roomy, practical station wagon. A 301 cubic inch, single point injection V8 gives you enough power to haul heavy. A bench seat up front and two extra jump seats in the back gives you seating for 8. If this is not enough for your transportation needs, you probably will need a bus, honestly speaking.
The practical double action tailgate is standard equipment, and so is the woodgrain trim and roof rack, as well as the elegant chrome hubcaps and whitewall tyres.
The interior has also been given a full remake. Velour trim and manual air conditioning is standard equipment in the Bahama LTE, so is the same updated safety features as all full size Vaughns and Wraiths - dual airbags and anti lock brakes are now included in the price.
How many wagons will give you seating for eight? Most of them will only fit five.
VAUGHN GRAND MIRAGE GTS
If you want a sedan, the model we have choosen to sell here is the Grand Mirage GTS. A sporty trim, with lowered sports suspension, spoilers, fat tyres on sporty alloy wheels, and a multi point fuel injected, 288 hp 353 cubic inch V8.
Another way to recognize a GTS: Tinted stripes on the taillights.
Leather bucket seats and a floor mounted gear selector further complements the sporty image of the car.
WRAITH CHILLINGHAM
If luxury and comfort is your main priority, the Wraith Chillingham also got an update. Despite the aerodynamic body, it still oozes of traditions, elegance and class.
Vinyl roof, wire hubcaps, daytime running lights, whitewall tyres - yes, everything you can notice on the pictures is standard equipment. So is a 235 hp 353 cubic inch V8, a computer controlled 4 speed automatic transmission, limited slip differential, 4 wheel disc brakes and air suspension.
The Wraith interior is even more refined as the Vaughn one, with more wood trim and an automatic, electronically controlled HVAC unit.
Not to mention the special leather upholstery only found in the Wraith.
No matter which version you choose - you will choose the proof of that the classic american sedan still does have a lot to offer for many years to come.
Winter 1993
VCV IN THE SOCIETY’S SERVICE?
Our popular and roomy VCV Escapade minivan is at the moment undergoing testing by the government, to be the official disability transport of the country. Due to the van being more or less tailored for this purpouse, the changes are slim. A wheelchair ramp, warning lights on the roof is everything visible for the eye.
Two collapsible jump seats means that even with a wheelchair taking up space in the back, the Escapade can still fit four people.
17 Likes
Mara Goes Letara, Ep. 5-9:… and something for the government.
25th May 1990
Main building, Mara main factory grounds, just outside the town of Mara, Archana
Rodyn Gumprov, recently un-retired former Comrade Director of Engineering for Mara, and now Lead Development Engineer for the hasty facelift of the Kanyon family, walks into the smaller of the two main engineering halls in Mara’s main factory building.
Lined-up in the hall are three final prototypes for the Kanyon, one for each wheelbase on offer. Since Rodyn had been away to Letara for the transportation show earlier in the month, the production engineers have been busy preparing the Kanyons for production, and two of them are currently going over some finer points on the engine mounts and front suspension.
A special task for Letara - and what the future may hold…
As important as this last step is for eventual production efficiency, this part has always been the least interesting for Rodyn. ‘At least’, he thinks, ‘this is the last time ever I have to go through this before I can get finally back into retirement.’
Before he can get to the stack of engineering reports on one of the work benches on the side, he is stopped by the Director of Letaran Operations, Nina Vaskova who has entered the room shortly after him.
“Do you have a moment?” she asks.
“Of course. What brings you here?”
“Just some matters in getting the shipping to Letara organised these days. With all the upheaval over the past months, it looks like the country has to relearn how to put containers with the right content on the right ships with the right paperwork.” She sighs. “Speaking of…” She hands Rodyn a folder with some paper in it.
“What is this?”
“The Letaran government has put out a tender for a bulk order of special vehicles to transport mobility impaired people. Wheelchairs and such.”
Rodyn takes the folder. “And you thought of…”
“Yes!” Nina points to the Kanyon’s ultra-large wheelbase version where the two engineers are currently busy. “Sounds like it fits the brief perfectly.”
The prototype Kanyons in the engineering hall
“Well…” Rodyn is less enthusiastic. “We only kept this one in production because of reassurance from the military that they will keep ordering it for special purposes even under the new… circumstances. It’s not certified for Letara or anything.”
Nina is undaunted. “Well, have a look, and let me know. It would be good for us to make a favourable impression every once in a while with the local government over there.”
Rodyn skims the government brief. “ABS of course will be a thing… again, and updated safety stuff most probably as well, given the special requirements for large wheelbase car.”
It had been enough of a hassle to figure out how to efficiently install a certain aftermarket ABS kit to the Zora during assembly in Letara while achieving sufficient effectiveness to pass the government’s certification tests. Rodyn certainly wasn’t looking forward to doing it all over again for the export Kanyons, especially for a limited bulk order. But then again, how hard could it be?
“As I said, let me know. I’ll be in town at least a couple of days more.” Nina exits the hall as fast as she had entered it.
Rodyn places the Letaran folder on to the side of a workbench. But before he can have a closer look at the engineering reports from the previous week, Mara’s Chief Executive Director Klavdija Hechova-Rossi enters and signals him over to a quiet corner of the engineering hall.
“You look happy?” she begins. The influence in her voice from having worked and lived in Fruinia for almost 15 years was undeniable, something that catches Rodyn still off-guard even after the past few months. He has known her since the early 1970s, but not spoken to her for the entire time she had been in Fruinia.
Rodyn nods and points at the Kanyons in the centre of the hall. “Yes, this is more like the coda to my career that I envisioned.”
“How about… this is not the coda… yet?”
“What do you mean?”
“As you know, we will start three brand new development projects for the Zorya, Irena and Kavaler successors shortly. I need someone experienced to head the latter, and we don’t have enough people for me to assign anyone away from actual engineering work.”
Rodyn frowned. “But you have Vitalii…”
“… who has to oversee three big concurrent projects for the next three to five years or so.” Klavdija interjected. “That’s more than plenty. Tymur will be in charge of the Irena successor. The two Maysters will lead the Zorya successor* project - car and engine - over at their old workshop because we are running out of space here.” She gestures around the already quite crowded engineering workshop. “All other engineers who are senior enough to lead such a development programme to are either production or engine people. But I need a car person for the new Kavaler*.” She points a finger at him. “I need you, Rodyn.”
Rodyn is silent for a few seconds, not sure whether he should be happy about the offer or not. “Can I think about it?”
*See the results of these two projects in the 1995 Letaran Auto Convention
2 Likes
Knightwick 1985 Letara market update
For 1985 to 1989 the first generation Cosmopolitan continues as a 5 door hatchback and 4 door sedan. However to facilitate a one hundred percent locally made vehicle the second generation car slated for a 1990 launch will not be sold in Letara. Knightwick will offer the brand new K4 vehicle from 1989 in the small to medium family car segment.
Knightwick 1989 to 1995
Consumer cars: Knightwick K4
The K4 is a fully ground up new car for the segment, with modern manufacturing techniques and driving dynamics benchmarked against the market leaders.
A new all alumium four cylinder engine was developed alongside the K4 for all forthcoming Knightwick models, it is available in 1100,1400 and 1600 cc engine sizes.
1989 K4 1.4 si
All models of the K4 have power assisted steering, anti lock brakes, full cover plastic wheel trims, electronically controlled fuel injection and 5 seat lap and diagonal seat belts
Fitting above the i and Li models is the Si, this is positioned as an entry level sporting model with contrasting two tone body work, tilt and slide glass sunroof and boot spoiler.
Technical Specifications
| Length | 4.32m |
| Width | 1.67m |
| Wheelbase | 2.47m |
| Weight | 1072KG |
| Chassis | Galvanised Steel Unibody |
| Front Suspension | Macpherson strut, twin tube dampers |
| Rear Suspension | double wishbone, twin tube dampers |
| Front Brakes | 250mm solid discs, twin caliper |
| Rear Brakes | 250mm single leading shoe drum |
| Steering | power assisted rack and pinion |
| Front Tyres | P165 75R14 88U Radial |
| Rear Tyres | P165 75R14 88U Radial |
| Engine | 1396cc i4 with multi point fuel injection |
| Transmission | five speed manual |
| Power | 99bhp@6200rpm |
| Torque | 128NM@4600rpm |
1993 K4 1.6 GLi
For 1993 the K4 line up was refreshed with single colour body work, clear lense front and rear indicators, new wheel options and the new Knightwick corporate grille at the front.
The GLi sits at the top of the facelifted K4 range with full leather interior, alloy wheels, front fog lights and chrome striping on the sides and bumpers.
Technical Specifications
| Length | 4.32m |
| Width | 1.67m |
| Wheelbase | 2.47m |
| Weight | 1124KG |
| Chassis | Galvanised Steel Unibody |
| Front Suspension | Macpherson strut, twin tube dampers |
| Rear Suspension | double wishbone, twin tube dampers |
| Front Brakes | 250mm vented discs, twin caliper |
| Rear Brakes | 250mm single leading shoe drum |
| Steering | power assisted rack and pinion |
| Front Tyres | P175 65R14 88H Radial |
| Rear Tyres | P175 65R14 88H Radial |
| Engine | 1588cc i4 with multi point fuel injection |
| Transmission | four speed automatic |
| Power | 108bhp@5900rpm |
| Torque | 148NM@4400rpm |
1993 K4 city 1.1
Launched along side the 1993 face lift was the K4 city, to fill in the gap left by the Cosmopolitan, Using the same basis as the rest of the K4 range with a shorter hatchback body.
Technical Specifications
| Length | 4.11m |
| Width | 1.67m |
| Wheelbase | 2.47m |
| Weight | 1091KG |
| Chassis | Galvanised Steel Unibody |
| Front Suspension | Macpherson strut, mono tube dampers |
| Rear Suspension | double wishbone, mono tube dampers |
| Front Brakes | 250mm solid discs, twin caliper |
| Rear Brakes | 250mm single leading shoe drum |
| Steering | power assisted rack and pinion |
| Front Tyres | P165 75R14 90S Radial |
| Rear Tyres | P165 75R14 90S Radial |
| Engine | 1113cc inline four with multi point fuel injection |
| Transmission | five speed manual |
| Power | 66bhp@5400rpm |
| Torque | 99NM@3400rpm |
8 Likes
Mrdja Cars Letara
Part 4: Kolondra Winley…and some other stuff, we guess
Racing entry: 1989 Daniloski Letara89
Name is, admitedly, not very original and neither is concept of putting engine about right behind driver
Is it atleast original in regards to engine configuration?
No: 6.2 liter V8 may hardly be seen as original. And yes, its RWD. One or two vehicles being presented for Letara has turbo. They arent dark AND blue at same time
We are given some crude images of 449.2hp car, capable of getting to 100 kmph in tad bit over 4 seconds. It goes to 273 kmph.
Or so my notes say…
Its supposed to be decently reliable, so we should be able to see some finishes
Government entry: Rosanda Funf
So, next on line would be rather useful version of Rosanda Funf
Said model offering this kind of variant bcos few competitors also offer this kinda variant
This has 175hp or whereabouts from its 3 liter inline six engine, which is connected to rear wheels by means of 6 speed manual
8.46s acceleration and 213 kmph top speed mean this has rather decent performance and with 8.6 liter fuel consumption per 100 km, it fares much better than my colleague with beer
Seriously, this is his 6th one today and 2nd from when i started to write
We are aware that service costs seem scary (and they probably are) but proposal is made in hope reliability would be sufficient to compensate
That might help in swallowing 24k needed to get one of these in first place.
Ramp is retractable and should be able to easily fit even most comodious users
1985 Kolondra Winley Wagon
Ofc one could have been excited to see Funf on streets, i certainly was looking forward to placing my ass in one of those.
Luck decided otherwise.
Dissapointment was immesurable and day ruined upon realising we are rolling in what most of Kolondra’s home country might describe as compact station wagon.
Somewhat appropriately, it has different motorisation than cars already described: inline 4cyl engine with 2 liters of displacement, mounted transversally and powering front wheels
Some may say that racing inspires customer sales and its true in this case as well: you need to understand what a clutch is and how to use it to get car in one of desired 5 forward ratios
This is avaiable in WagonMax guise as well, which is notable by being ugly or beautiful.
Decision mainly relies on looking it through your eyes or through amount of stuff you can fit into it, courtesy of being about 30cm taller.
EcoWagon is also cursed with it, due to experimental reasons.
Turbo, however, isnt
Specs of these will be offered down below as John is already on his 8th beer for today and i, working very tirelessly on this here presentation, certainly deserve them more than he does
WagonMax
Can fit 2010 liters of cargo with rear seats taken down.
There was some experimentation with what could have been mid-size car, which is where wheel measurements originate
What you are actually getting on this is 175s, other measures being unchanged.
Rims are steel and tires are economy-spec
Glub glub have a nice day
3 Likes
no way we are so back (we are not, i hate it here, please somebody help)
Garland Automotive Group
1985 Garland Line-up
A return…
1985 Garland B1000 Aerovan
The Garland van had been extint from Letara for nearly three decades, old Vanstars rotted away or simply got left to rot by their owner who had moved on to newer, cheaper, more efficient options that came afterwards.
It was then when Garland executives decided to roll the dice once more in an effort to rescue the now stuttering company.
Introducing the B1000 Aerovan, a revival of the Garland Workhorse Van… hopefully.
To roots…?
1985 Garland B1000 Suburvan
The Aerovan wasn’t alone in its venture for redemption in Letara, beside it stood the Suburvan, an Aerovan converted for family use, this was made in hopes of bettering the odds of either of the B1000s of banking some much needed cash for the struggling company that designed them.
garland through the eighties
Garland faced its first truly major challenge after the Malaise that surged through seventies, while initially unscathed by the oil crisis, Garland began to experience what was to come for the brand in the following years.
For the first time in Garland history since the early 40s, Garland saw no growth in sales, rather a slight plummet from last decade.
Within Garland panic brews, Administration has changed hands three times in the past year. Layoffs became commonplace in this new crumbling version of Garland, and thousands are now uncertain of their job stability.
The future seems uncertain for the crumbling american giant, some speculate that Garland won’t even survive the turn of the Millennia if its trayectory continues to develop as it is currently doing.
10 Likes
Mara Goes Letara Era 5 TL;DR
As usual, here is an executive summary of Mara’s offerings on the Letaran market from 1985 onwards.
Three regular variants of the new Zora city car are offered: the Zora LK5 5-door hatchback, the Zorvan panel van and the Zora 1.3 S Kabriolet
For the government, a ultra-long wheelbase version of the hastily facelifted 1990s Kanyon is offered, named Ranger for Letara. 2.5 litre 4-cylinder engine, RWD only.
No participation in racing due to lack of support from the top management comrade in charge in the 1980s.
3 Likes
The more things change at Benetsch, the more they stay the same. The cars had gone from being air-cooled, carbureted and borderline hand-built to water-cooled, fuel-injected and very, very mass-produced - to the extent that even the Blitz sports car was being moved to a dedicated production facility, to be produced in many exciting variants. Even so, CEO Klaas Benetsch - now peering down the chasm of septuagenarism - would still prowl the company’s offices from time to time, giving insight as well as keeping his own unique account of any slacking or skullduggery among his upper brass. And on one slow day in early 1984, he chanced upon the international compliance workshop.
Klaas: Letara again, I presume?
Lech, the compliance engineer: Yes. It’s a quad taillight issue.
Klaas:: So what’s their boggle this time? They already got us installing bumpers with those ugly amber signals in them, what more could they want?
Lech: They want the taillights to look different under braking depending on whether or not they were on. As in: between daytime and nighttime light settings.
Klaas: What the Devil for? I swear, all these outdated, nonsensical bylaws besmirch the motoring heritage of that country. What’s your proposed solution?
Lech: Well, there’s always the old-fashioned way: make the outers the brakes, and the inners the tails.
Klaas: Hogwash, that’d ruin the car’s nighttime presence. Let’s see… How about we keep the taillight regime the same, but only make one of the two pairs light up under braking? That way the other pair can still act as if it was “just a taillight”. You don’t spend terribly much time under braking, anyhow.
Lech: I guess that could work… Sounds like loophole exploitation to me, though.
Klaas: Well, that’s what happens when you run a racing program. Rules are something to bend, not something to be bent by…
With Benetsch’s premium and luxury lines well and truly expanded, the growing European manufacturer mounted an effort to transform its Blitz sportscar - initially an offshoot of the Gwesda premium-compact - into a true sportscar. The new generation would be several inches lower, morphing into a classic vaporwedge; It would be offered in coupe and targa, 2-seat and 2+2 configurations, and equipped with V6 and V8 engines. Oh, and that one endurance homologation special that put down more power than the actual racing car by far.
With an aluminum body and no pretense of practicality (little more than a frunk afforded for storage), this was a more focused and modern Blitz, one aimed squarely at stealing your heart and wallet.
3.3-liter V6 - 5-speed manual - 2200 lbs - 5.2s 0-60 - 155mph - AM$30,000
4.6-liter V8 - 4-speed automatic - 3100 lbs - 4.8s 0-60 - LSD - 183mph - 2+2 - AM$50,000
4.6-liter DOHC V8 - 2400 lbs - 515 hp - 3.1s 0-60 - LSD - 230mph - 2+2 - Limited Production
11 Likes
@cake_ape Another open beta update has just been released, and its effect has been to change our cars’ stats significantly yet again - my entry (of which there are two trims) is no exception. To this end, I would like to ask for a deadline extension, as well as allowing resubmissions once more to account for the effects of the latest update.
1 Like
seconded, sadly. my cars weren’t hit too hard but it is noticeable. i can only imagine for some cars which were more impactes
IMPORTANT UPDATE to the UPDATE’s UPDATE
Once again a new patch dropped just before the deadline, and once again it affected car stats. Not majorly it seems, but enough for me to care about. So I have extended the deadline again:
Wednesday December 20, 10 PM EST
Again, those who submitted already are allowed to re-submit once - and only for re-balancing their engineering due to the patch changes, not to submit a completely different car.
Final note from last time still stands: some things still seem a bit borked, so personally I expect a (few?) patch(es?) to drop relatively soon. If that happens and it changes things substantially again before the new deadline, then I may be forced to change rules and/or extend the challenge again. The beauty of an Open Beta folks - don’t panic, embrace it!
16 Likes
1990 Martinet Requin
Martinet is introducing a new smaller family car for 1990, the Requin series.
10 Likes
The white coupé is really great looking! I could see it in a rally trim too now when I think about it.
2 Likes
A Super Touring version, based on the liftback, wouldn’t hurt either.
The Aero Keai
Holy cow did Aero just make a car
that’s actually just a car??
About Aero in 1985
By the mid-to-late 80's, faced with the constantly-increasing demand for technology and performance in cars (a.k.a. the lack of any more microcar bodies in game), Aero was forced to finally start letting go of it's smallest line of microcars; the quirky, oddly-shaped vehicles at the base of their lineup.
But this did not mean Aero lost it’s style, or it’s passion for small cars. Over in Japan, the kei segment continued to grow and grow, especially with yet another expansion in engine size coming, and the variety and capabilities of vehicles within it had to grow to match. So the car’s at the bottom of Aero’s range remained the smallest in Letara, and continued to incorporate Aero’s traditional character in spite of increasing capability and “normality.”
About the 1990 Keai
Named after the Chinese word for “cute” (“可爱,” roughly pronounced “kuh-eye”), the Keai was Aero’s response to Japan’s new expansion in kei regulations, and served as the company’s new entry level offering, available with a wider array of options and configurations than ever before. While specifically designed for Japan, Aero still brought examples of the vehicle to other markets as a budget offering, catering to those who wanted nothing more than simple, reliable transport with low running costs.
The cheapest Keais on the menu still bore strong resemblance to the microcars of old, with a 34hp, 660cc engine in a vehicle weighing just 688kg. Designed for the uber-dense cities of Japan, this little tyke excelled in low speed, crowded urban environments where it proved convenient and fun to drive. Ownership was easy and cheap thanks to it’s reliable construction, simple parts, and super-high fuel efficiency (4.4L/100km!).
But Aero knew not to expect much from just its lowest tier in Letara. Knowing the country wanted more power out of its cars, Aero bored a variant of its engine out to a whole 1L, offering a 55hp variant with your choice of an upgraded 5-speed manual or 3-speed auto (over the base model’s 4-speed manual). Yes, for the first time, a highway-capable Aero minicar! Various other mechanical, interior, and aesthetic improvements were offered, allowing a high degree of customization within the line, and combining to make a surprisingly comfortable, respectable city car.
Yet the improvements didn’t stop there. A trend favoring both hot-hatches and convertibles was growing (especially in Japan), trends the Keai enthusiastically dived into with various convertible configurations and performance packages; perhaps the most extreme of which being the “Firebreather” special edition. It’s N/A 660cc engine used every technology under the sun to push right up to Japan’s 64hp limit (and for Letara’s spec, the 50db noise limit) while being designed to backfire and burble as often as possible. While it’s actual performance numbers were unremarkable, the sheer amount of theater it offered paired with it’s ultra-lightness made this go-kart feel like a racecar at any speed.
14 Likes
IS ONCE AGAIN READY TO MOTORIZE LETARA!
“The new Faenza spells a welcome retun to form for ITAL after a decade of immobilism. A thorougly modern car that finally propels this forgotten brand back into the modern age. A remarkable effort indeed.”
Jhon Sloan, The Letaran Herald
In the 1950s, the ITAL Prima helped propel Letara into a new age, an age were every family could afford it’s own means of transportation. Now, almost fourty years later, we once again stand in our purpose, to once again bring the people of Letara a car that everyone can not only own, but truly live with. A modern, fuel efficient, practical getaway for a family, with foward thinking looks. A car you’ll be proud to own.
The Faenza is that car
Born from a clean slate, using the latest tech avaiable, the new Faenza delivers once again on our promise. A lot of car, for little money.
We are ready for a jump back to the future. What about you?
Discover the New Faenza
The three models coming to Letara as of 1987, from right to left: 1.4 Notchback, 1.6 Plus Multispazio, 2.7 Turbo V6
The Faenza is built on a new unibody platform, up to 42% more rigid than it’s predecessor, and does away with it’s predecessor solide axle rear suspension, adopting a simple yet effective torsion bar design, which light and compact nature naturally worked towards the shared goal of a light, fuel efficient family car.
To lighten the car, the car body is now partially mad out of alluminum, with up to 35% of the car shell doing away with steel, including bonnet, doors, rear hatch, and a roof section. That stop the scales at just 1.05 tons, an incredible result of a 4.6 meter long car. Paired with either a new 5-gear manual transmission, or the proven 4Select automatic, it guarantees all around adequate performance even with it’s low displacement engines.
And the new PME engine is at the heart of the revolution. A fully alluminum, low capacity gem of a modern engine built to sip fuel and make miles. Aviable in either 1400 or 1600 cc variants, it’s stil more than capable of propelling the car to it’s 160km/h limited top speed, while getting asthonishing consumption figures, with the 1.4 manual models rated for a 16.8 km/l (40 mpg) combined cicle. To make this possible it combines new technologies like Multipoint injection and Variable Valve Timing, with new materials like hypereutectic casts, while sacrificing nothing in terms of reliability due to a new manufacturing process.
Well, unless you buy the turbo model. That thing has a turbocharged Standard V6, which is cool 'cause a similar sibling is also in that nice racecar down below, but yeah it’s not cheap on gas folks.
For our Letaran launch, the car is brought to you in three specs:
1.4 ECI NOTCHBACK
Here shown in the classic "Patch Broke Car, Disappointment Green Metallic". Yeah it's not it's official name, no i'm not sorry, i'm joking pls Killrob don't revoke my Steam privilege lol.
The (almost) bargain basement model. Featuring standard interiors, ABS, a manual gearbox, and an 80 HP version of the PME engine. It’s a classic family 5 seater design, a reliable, supremely practical box that will bring you from A to B without fail. It’s built like a tank, and sips fuel as a citycar, but gives you the space of a midsize family wagon. All wrapped in a new curvaceous look that breaks away from 80s convention and looks foward to the future.
The perfect car for the modern family on a budget
1.6 PLUS MULTISPAZIO
SILVER IS A TOTALLY UNDERRATED COLOUR THAT STANDS OUT OF THE CROWD, THERE IS NO WAY IN HEAVEN THAT THIS BECOMES THE COLOR STANDARD FOR CARS IN THE FUTURE AND EVERYBODY DRIVES AROUND IN A SILVER CAR
The main attraction. 1.6 liter PME engine, 100 HP, premium interiors, same old 5-gear manual, and other niceties like body coloured bumpers and alloy wheels. All rounded out in an MPV style for even more practicality!
A little less fuel efficient, but with much better comfort and even more space, it’s a sacrifice you are willing to make. Oh and it’s just 2k more than the standard!
2.7 TURBO V6
200 hp FWD cruiser thing. Everyday, we stray further from God
Powah baby. The 2.7 liter Standard V6 here is limited to 200hp by a small turbo, for great low end response and a boatload of torque. Coupled with a 4-speed automatic, this car is fast, but not a sportscar. It still somkes the 0-60 in 7 seconds, but it does so while cruising along in suppleness. If you have the money and don’t fear steep service costs, this is the closes thing to a bargain GT you can buy.
A bargain FWD GT? We must be fucking mad.
RACING HERITAGE: THE FLYING BRICK
'Cause let's be honest here, rules are for nerds, and AWD Super-Sedans with a turbo V6 are frikking cool. It's also as reliable as it's Alfa Romeo putative sister, lmao.
In the previous decade, the Letaran branch of Levante had achieved pretty mixed success with their endeavors in racing. Sure, some of it’s cars were fast, but they tended to finish races far from the noble places, when they finished.
In the late '80s things were changing. With Letara becoming a pretty important market for Levante, and cash finally running into the company again, funding for racing in Letara was finally a little more than “build something and hope it works”. The company had decided that racing made for good marketing, and so for the first time in history the racing team in Letara recieved direct factory support, including highly trained personel and a new technical director in Paul Walkins. ANd so, a new adventure now starts for Levante
There is only a catch: For marketing reasons, they have to race the 320 sedan. In a GT bound category.
That requires some work
How they did it
Starting from their Group A homologation car, TD Paul Walkins and Lead Designer Herbert Stalh, had to find a way of making a proper racecar, out of a brick.
First of all, the thing needed a proper engine. Possibly light, since the thing was heavy per se. Surely better than a 2000cc NA four banger.
The solution was the Standard V6.
Born in 1973 as a joint venture between Levante and american carmaker Hamman, the block was originally a classic case of 'Murica considering everything under four liters an economy engine. Slapped in every possible car to reduce cost, it’s salient trait was that it was a SOHC engine, pure witchery for the americans. That came in handy when, with the second revision of the engine, turbocharging was taken into account.
So, with the Rev II, we had a decent displacement V6 that was friendly to turbochargers. Take it’s smaller 2.7 liter configuration, and it was also reasonably light, and with a DOHC head it made the 450HP requested. Problem solved.
Now to make the thing actually go fast.
Now, that was the trickier part. The rear suspension was traded for a pushrod item, the shell replaced with a fiberglass one, and one hell of an aero package was devised. But the car needed one new party trick to shine properly. And so Levante went looking around, and they found this little cool thing called AWD.
Hahaha Quattro goes brrr
The new factory Quadra AWD system is fitted to the car, Torsen differentials included, for absolutely ungodly level of traction. Sure AWD is heavy, but the car barely breaks the ton, and with so much traction, the trade off is well worth it. Understeer is an issue, but it’s a classic case of “slow in, fast out”, and with the AWD, out is fast indeed.
The car is shaping to be a pretty fast little racecar, despite it’s humble origins.
The bois driving this thing, Antonio Maresca, Kalev Happala, and Marcus Bruhnner, laughing at the track before testing. Blissful ignorance.
Now, it still isn’t perfect. To lap fast, an aggressive set-up is required, and that makes the car quite less forgiving than AWD would make you thing. And the trasmission sometimes just simply loves to go kaboom when torque is applied. Ah well.
Levante still expects solid placement from this thing. It may be a bricky sedan in a field of sexy GTs, but it’s a fast bricky sedan in a field of sexy GTs.
So watch out for the green and white monster on the track. It might just come for you next.
The car is now lapping significantly under the 6:20 mark, so expect some fun on the racetrack at the 30th anniversary opener race at Lerance!
GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENT:
FADIGA’S WONDERVAN EDITION
This van doesn't giva a fuck about trend or looks, it's all about substance. Kinda like me, minus the substance!
Fadiga is back into the heavy duty market with it’s newes generation Tuttofare. This passenger van edition it’s built on the third generation LTM platform, exchanging the solid axle of it’s Heavy Duty brethren for IRS. A new alluminum engine powers the workhorse, delivering 100 HP to a 4 gear Geartronic_Plus autobox.
The modifications include a new side access ramp that folds under the plastic cladding of the van, and the new FlexHelp modular wheelchair block, capable of accepting a vast selection of common commercially aviable wheelchairs, with a side foldable seat to accomodate the wheelchair even in an open position.
A 7 seat layout helps carrying a full complement of medical care personell and patients, while the 8 seat layout was ruled out to leave space for a center free corridor, should an operator need to assist a passenger during transportation. Ther rear jump seats can fold to accomodate a second wheelchair in the rear of the van.
The Van comes complete with a Hernet&Muller Astro III Wheelchair ready for use, and option for a foldable Astro Pro chair for a small premium.
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Torshalla during the 80's
As Letara’s economy has improved, so has the sales of Torshalla cars. The Ansa allowed the Swedish company enough funds to upgrade their assembly plant into a full car factory. To make use of this new capability, Torshalla chose to upgrade much of their line-up. The results of this are the '89 Kattunge, '89 Griffin IV, and the '93 Asna.
Torshalla's subcompact gets a makeover
While many Torshalla owners seemed happy with their “little kittens”, the Kattunge was getting quite old by the 80’s and no amount of facelifts could hide the fact. An all new car would be needed. With the completion of the Letara factory in 1988, the first of the second gen Kattunges rolled off the assembly line as 1989 models.
With a focus on safety, reliability, and aerodynamics, the standard model comes in a five door hatchback with seating for five and ample cargo room. An all new alloy 1.6L 16 valve boxer four puts out 105hp and 118 foot pounds of torque. Mated to a five speed manual driving the front wheels, it’s capable of 33 mpg and a 0-60 in under 10 seconds. Thanks to Letara’s tax incentives and the Kattunge’s heavy use of aluminum construction, prices start around $15128 AMU.
For those with the need for speed, a sporty turbo coupe version is also available starting in 1990. 176 horsepower turbo 1.6L boxer four, 16 inch alloy wheels on sport rubber, a close ratio five speed manual transmission, manual rack and pinion steering, and an aerodynamic body kit should make for an enthusiast’s delight. Prices for the turbo start at $22448AMU.
For the more effluent customer, there’s the top spec Cabriolet coming in 1991. It too features a turbo 1.6, but detuned to a more refined 152 horsepower. Other features include a four speed automatic, a premium interior with a CD player, alloy wheels, and an automatic deploying convertible roof. Prices start around $24,000 AMU.
30 years of the Griffin
With 1989 marking the 30th anniversary of the Lerance Raceway, it only made sense for Torshalla to begin work on the Mk. IV Griffin sports racer. For this, an all new bespoke chassis was developed. Featuring double wishbone suspension all around, aluminum body panels, and a rear mounted 4.1L DOHC turbocharged boxer six, it provides performance not before seen in Torshalla’s racing history. 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, quarter mile in 10.78 seconds, and a limited 186 mph top speed, it has proven to be blisteringly fast around the track. The engineer’s have high hopes for the Griffin IV in the upcoming racing season.
Torshalla heeds the call for Letara's mobility impaired
At the Letaran government’s request for mobilized transport, a specialized variant of the all new Mk.II Asna van has been built. Sold both as a TIV and a Torshalla, the new 1993 Asna is powered by a 2.5L 16 valve inline four making 138 horsepower and and 200 pound feet of torque. The LMS utilizes a four speed automatic limited to a top speed of 100 mph, hard long life tires, and special fold down seating in the second row.
Towards the rear of the van a folding ramp allows those in wheelchairs to enter and exit. With a cost of only $16,000AMU, it should be considered an affordable offering for Letara’s handicapped impaired.
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