[LHC] - Letara History Challenge - Rd 5 Preface: lobbying and spending

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755



Rd. 4 RESULTS

Chapter 15: Consumer car segment 1975-1984 - Sports car standard and premium

5 - Sport S and P
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Left to right: KHI 792 Sparrow @doot, SAETA Lince CC, SAETA Lince Turbo @Petakabras, Turból 940 Superletara @donutsnail, Zephorus Stelvio Entre @Riley, Wolfe E320 Roadster 2+2 @karhgath, Mayland Paxton 3.8GT @TheYugo45GV

Although there was a general proliferation of sports cars in Letara, which led to two new car classes - family sports and small sports - you would not know it looking at the bottom brackets of the true sports car category. With only seven cars representing this category - one in the ‘standard’ price bracket and six in the ‘premium’, you might think that there was a true under-representation here. But with the improving economy, this might just have been a reflection of the times. So while relatively cheap, these cars are still expected to be good performers and relatively comfortable, certainly compared to their small sports car cousins. Let’s see how they did.

The first sports car on the market was the Zephorus Stevio Entre. Right off the bat this car aimed to make a statement with its very aggressive wedge shape. Not only the shape was pure sport. It had weight saving aluminium panels, a 202 HP mid-mounted boxer engine, sport compound tires, and a two-seater sports interior and only a basic 8-track for weight savings. The car’s tuning was very nice too that allowed precision handling particularly at lower speeds. Overall the car was not very comfortable, but that could almost be expected from such a wedge car. At first glance its performance was good, but Earth shattering: 5.9 s 0-100 km/h, and a top speed of under 240 km/h - but considering its competition at the time of launch, it was a very cheap way to get this kind of performance and handling - and a definite step up from the small sports cars on offer. So while not the ‘king of the road’, its was the cheapest way to get those supercar looks and rival the true kings and queens, and thus found its way into many garages among the richer classes who had enough to spare for a second car to terrorize the highways with.

Two years later the Mayland Paxton 3.8GT was released. This was a completely different beast altogether. First, it was a little more expensive than the Zephorus, with a more expensive upkeep, overall it was in the same bracket near the top of the ‘premium’ class. It was a much larger car on a ladder frame, but with weight-saving aluminium panels. It had 2+2 luxury seating and a premium 8-track, and was on medium-compound tires and had an automatic gearbox. The car was a convertible with a manual soft-top, which made it all the more desirable. So this car was more in the grey-zone between sports and family sports, but fell on the sports side with the rear jump seats. Performance-wise, it was good, but not exceptional: 8.6 s 0-100 and 224 km/h top speed. It was more comfortable than the Zephorus, but not by much, which was a disappointment for those that were cross-shopping from the family segment: this was more of a true sports set-up. It was fairly easy to drive, but was a bit cumbersome in corners, and potholes seemed to pose a bit of a problem too. So was it a bad car? By no means. It was just a little… ‘grey’. Good enough, but will not make your heart pump. It was more of a relaxed driver with the roof down, and had just a hint of sportiness that the older crowd appreciated. So it’s buyers consisted mostly of the ‘young-at-heart’ and ‘empty-nesters’ who were still mostly broke after kicking the kids out, and used the car for their trips to the local winery.

In 1978 the lower end of the sports market got an infusion of three new cars. The cheapest was the Saeta Lince CC, just clearing the ‘standard’ price bracket and ending up a ‘premium’ car. This relatively small convertible (manual soft-top) coupe had 2+2 premium seats and a standard 8-track in the dash. It’s looks and equipment hinted at a sporty car - manual gearbox, sports compound tires, sharp-ish handling and mild aero - but its engine sang a milder tune with barely 100 HP. The performance, then, was also quite lacking here: 11.7 s 0-100 km/h and a top speed of ‘only’ 186 km/h. So it was certainly not a speed monster, but it drove really well and crisp. Comfort was just about what you’d expect: not stellar, but about acceptable. But with its bright colour, fresh design, convertible top, overall sporty aura, and relatively price and upkeep, it became a favourite around the university campuses as some students now had more money to spend (sometimes helped by their parents) and could afford more than the bare basics to get around.

The slightly more expensive Saeta Lince Turbo aimed to be a more serious mature contender among the sports car crowd. It had a solid top, sports interior, and larger rims that fit larger brakes. The car had a smaller and lighter engine than the Lince CC, but with its turbocharger it made nearly 1.5 times as much power. Despite the solid top, this car provided a significant (nearly 200 kg) weight savings compared to the Lince CC, and with the more powerful engine it had proper sports car performance: 6.8 s 0-100 and a top speed of 210 km/h. Handling was much crisper too at both slow and high speeds, and its brakes were much more powerful too resulting in more confident stopping power. So overall it succeeded in being a lot more sporty than the Lince CC, but it came at a significant comfort cost, making it the least comfortable full-size sports car of the decade, and even worse than most small sports cars by a margin. Given that the much cheaper Levante Grifo V6 outperformed in most metrics, it is not hard to see why the Lince Turbo faced very stiff competition. Again, not a bad car by any means, but when there are many similar or better options out there, it is hard to make a real dent in the overall market. But for those that bought one, it certainly put smiles on their faces on the road as well as during track days.

The third car of 1978 was the Wolfe E320 Roadster 2+2. This car was introduced as a direct competitor to the Mayland Paxton. The Wolfe was slightly cheaper, but there was no appreciable difference between the two. It had a similar ‘stately’ design, ladder frame, manual soft top, and 2+2 seating in a luxury interior. Compared to the Paxton it had some upgrades, including an advanced automatic gearbox, luxury 8-track, better safety equipment, and larger rims that fit larger rotors. As drawbacks, however, it had simple solid discs rather than vented ones, and it had a 160 km/h speed limiter. It did have a large and powerful, but ultimately lazy engine, and the car’s 0-100 km/h was 9.1 seconds. Much of the lack of performance was also due to the car’s weight, which clocked in at over 1.5 tons. But, it was a very comfortable car - one of the most comfortable in the entire segment in fact. And it did handle corners much better than the Paxton, and was overall much easier to drive too. So its categorization in the sports category really relied on its number of doors and seats and body shape, it had just enough handling and power to not be a complete outlier - and took off where the Paxton left off - in the hands of grey(ing) couples with a heart younger than their years.

The Turból 940 Superletara hit the market in 1980. This car was priced near the middle of the ‘premium’ market, above the Saeta cars, but below the Zephorus. This was an interesting beast. It had a very strong engine for the price: at nearly 350 HP it was nearly 150 HP stronger than any other in the ‘premium’ bracket, and only beaten by cars in the ‘luxury’ bracket that were twice as expensive. And despite being on a ladder frame, it handled really well with superb cornering characteristics. Its two premium seats and premium 8-track provided just about adequate comfort - comparable to the Zephorus, and overall it was quite a pleasant car to drive. Its acceleration was excellent too with a 0-100 time of 4.8 seconds - making it fastest in class and beating many more expensive cars. But the car was limited to 250 km/h - at first seemingly an oversight, but it was done for cost saving purposes, as the car naturally managed 251. So it was the fastest car in the segment, again beating several more expensive cars. Its Achilles heel? It got stuck in potholes. Indeed, like many of the small sports cars, it was only suited to the most pristine of tarmac surfaces, and had to be trailered to the track. But there it destroyed its price-equivalent competition, and paced ahead of many much more expensive cars too. So it was clearly not a car for everyone - but it became a track-day favourite.

Last on the market was also the cheapest of the bunch - the only ‘standard’ car in fact: the KHI 792 Sparrow. This was a small car, barely clearing the small sports size limit. It was a 2+2 seater with a standard interior and standard 8-track. For its size, it was on surprisingly large 16" rims and full-size rotors inside, but with very comfortable pads. It had a class-only I5 engine with 111 HP propelling the Sparrow 0-100 in 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 177 km/h. Its comfort was a little lacking, beaten by many of the small sports cars, but it was quite drivable and had decent handling. So while not the fastest, or very comfortable, its bargain price that undercut even all small sports cars cannot be overlooked. In this booming economy it was mostly overlooked, but those that could not afford any more for a second ‘fun’ car, this might have been the only option to buy.

…to be continued…



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756

Exactly as I expected. The Wolfhound was priced like a premium product, and indeed performed, looked, and felt like one, but had a relatively small footprint, which explains why it was treated as a small sports car (and was surprisingly effective in that role, as your writeup showed).

757



Rd. 4 RESULTS

Chapter 16: Consumer car segment 1975-1984 - Sports car luxury

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Left to right: Mayland Paxton 4.2GT, Mayland Paxton 4.4GT @TheYugo45GV, Macht Teuton CL285-C @GetWrekt01, Walkenhorst R1 @Fayeding_Spray, KHI 792 GT20 @doot, Zephorus Stelvio DAKR @Riley, Martinet Erable GLXi Cabriolet @Ch_Flash, Vausse Naviria*, Zephorus Stelvio, Vausse Naviria RS*, Vizzuri Laonda Cabriolet Special 35th Edizione Dell’Anniversario Top Down @Aruna, Mocabey Bonneville @SheikhMansour, Kasivah Serenity Vyrada 6 @Madrias, General Auto AX Evolution @ldub0775, Vausse Naviria Super Special*

Due to unforeseen circumstances there were customs issues with the Vausse cars and they only made it into the country on the very dark grey market. As such, they are only known to the public through rumours, innuendo and speculation.

While the lower brackets of the sports car category didn’t see much growth, the luxury bracket exploded with a plethora of new models to choose from. These cars promise to deliver ultimate driving experience, performance, prestige and luxury. In this bracket the discerning buyers expected that no corners are cut - well, very few anyway - and that the best of the best are simply without compromise - or very few of them anyway. Let’s see how the cars stack up to the stiff competition!

The first car on the market was the Zephorus Stelvio, the bigger brother of the Stelvio Entre. Whereas the Stelvio Entre was relatively affordable and had many compromises, the Stelvio removed all restraint and was the first true ‘supercar’ of the era. It was also very expensive with a price tag at nearly $45k and a long-term upkeep that would make even the richest Letarans think twice about actually using the car, ever. But when they did use it, it was the pinnacle of performance and luxury: the large 7 L mid-mounted V12 provided a hefty 578 HP to the oversized rear tires through a clutched LSD. The engine noise was kept just under the legal limits, but with the notes the car sang, it was deemed a shame that it could not be a little louder still. It did use the ultimate E fuel available, but that could pretty well be expected from such a car. The car was a rocket in a straight line: 3.5 s 0-100, and a top speed over 350 km/h made it one of the fastest cars of the decade - and certainly nothing any cop could catch in a straight-up chase. Its set-up was superb too, making it quite nimble in the twisties and a fun car to drive. Not just fun, but surprisingly easy too! Sitting in the car you were enveloped in a luxury seat and had access to a luxury 8-track. Comfort was then - while not stellar in the grand scheme of things - very good indeed for such a car. The only downside of the car, aside from the already exuberant upkeep costs, was its poor reliability. But given that it would not be driven very much, that seemed OK by most owners. That makes it sound like there were many owners. There were not. As said, the car was very expensive, and frankly anything but practical, so it was only a toy of the few uber wealthy - but it was certainly the dream car for all car enthusiasts!

In 1977 two Mayland cars were released: the Paxton 4.2GT and the Paxton 4.4GT. These were released at the same time as the slightly cheaper Paxton 3.8GT that sat at the top of the premium bracket. The main difference between them being that the more expensive models had a larger V8 engine (vs the 3.8GT’s I6) and they ran on higher octane fuel, and a luxury 8-track vs the premium version in the 3.8GT. In addition, the 4.4GT was bored slightly over the 4.2GT, and added a clutched differential and a slightly better breathing exhaust system, giving the car a slight performance boost. But with their ladder frames and more outdated pushrod engine configurations, neither car could outperform the 3.8GT by any margin - the 4.2GT actually being slower off the line in acceleration tests. Overall these two were more comfortable than their cheaper sibling, but with the soft top they remained on the low side for comfort. In the end, there was very little between the three Mayland models and the minor differences catered to the nuanced tastes of those “empty nesters”, but the three ended up competing against each other as they all filled the same niche in the market.

A year later the Walkenhorst R1 hit the market. This was another wedge sports/super car candidate with a mid-mounted engine and a flashy, aggressive look. Its design, however, was not quite as refined as the Zephorus vehicles, but a wedge is a wedge, some thought. In many aspects the Walkenhorst placed itself right in between the Zephorus Stelvio Entre and the ‘full’ Stelvio - its price and upkeep were basically right in between the two Zephorus, so was its power output (287 HP), acceleration (5.0 s 0-100) and top speed (276 km/h). Equipment wise, it was also somewhere in between: it had a sports interior and standard 8-track. But that is about where the middle-ground ended, as the Walkenhorst was much less comfortable than even the Entre (and many tiny and cheap city cars), it lost a splitter on even the tiniest of road bumps, and its set up was much less sporty and ‘on the edge’ as the Zephorus cars. So it was quite fast in a straight line, but it would understeer quite severely in corners. So the Walkenhorst tried, but ultimately didn’t quite manage to fill the gap in the ‘wedge’ market between the Zephorus cars, as it unfortunately missed the mark in a few key areas: driving fun and comfort.

The Macht Teuton CL285-C was released in 1979. This was another manual soft-top convertible car that naturally appealed to many buyers. Price-wise, it was just a little more expensive than the Mayland cars, but a little cheaper than the Walkenhorst. Where it shone, however, was its long-term upkeep: it cost only about half of the Walkenhors, and about 1/4 of the Stelvio, which meant significant long-term savings compared to its competition. This two-seater had a luxury interior and premium 8-track, and had some more novel features, such as an advanced automatic gearbox and modern power steering. It had a relatively small engine for the class with a power output just shy of 200 HP. Despite this, it had decent performance with a 6.5 s 0-100, but a top speed of only 236 km/h. But this was more of a luxury cruiser, similar to the Maylands: it had superb comfort for the class, was quite easy to drive, and had good handling even though it was by no means a canyon carver. It had very nice, stately looks too, with only one flaw: the rear side reflector was orange, and had to be changed to a red one. And over time another reliability issue came to light: the engine was sneakily tuned just over the 92 octane rating, making the engine prone to knock when a bad batch of fuel was encountered. Notwithstanding these minor issues, it singlehandedly managed to displace the Mayland cars from their perch on the ‘empty-nester’ niche, and become the a favourite sporty convertible of the greying ‘young-at-heart’ population.

In 1980 four new cars appeared in Letara, but only two officially hit the commercial marketplace: the Martinet Erable GLXi Cabriolet and the Kasivah Serenity Vyrada 6. The Vausse Naviria and Vausse Naviria RS also appeared in Letara, but only on the grey/black market. From what we know of these two cars is that they were favoured by rich youngsters who were into shady nighttime street racing. The Naviria especially caused many accidents with its terminal oversteer issues. The RS was more planted and was a more respected rival, with some cars even earning prestigious nicknames among the underground, but that is where they remained, only to be remembered through urban legends.

So, back to the regular market then. The Martinet Erable GLXi Cabriolet was introduced as a more luxurious competitor to the Mayland and Macht convertibles. Indeed, its purchase price nearly rivalled that of the Zephorus Stelvio, but its upkeep was less than half, rivalling the Maylands. Its equipment consisted of 2+2 luxury seats and a luxury 8-track, advanced automatic gearbox, and super comfortable hydropneumatic springs. Its performance was not stellar for a sports car at this price point: a meagre 222 HP, propelling it from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 214 km/h. On the other hand, it was more comfortable than the Macht and was easier to drive too - although it was even lazier in the corners. The car also suffered from a lack of any side markers, so those had to be installed before driving off the car lot, which at this price point was not appreciated by customers. So where the Macht came in and conquered the market from the Maylands, the Martinet didn’t quite manage such a take-over of the demographic - it merely slid in next to the existing brands as another option to share the market with.

The Kasivah Serenity Vyrada 6 entered as the most expensive (thus far) sports car on the market, costing another $15k more than the Zephorus Stelvio. Although its upkeep cost only about half that of the Stelvio, it was still the second most expensive in the category so far. This 2+2 seater convertible had a hidden foldable top (very nice), premium seats (a major disappointment at this price bracket), and a luxury 8-track. It was also the only luxury sports car with a solid rear axle, which was an interesting choice for a sports car - perhaps reflecting its hybrid nature, as the platform also served as the company’s van platform. The good reliability figures also reflect this. The engine was a large V6 putting out a healthy 420 HP, pushing the car 0-100 in 4.3 seconds and to a top speed of 305 km/h. So while not Zehoprus fast, the car had very good speed indeed. But this is unfortunately where the good ends. The car was quite uncomfortable - the worst in class in fact, its steering - while objectively pretty good - still trailed the most sporty of cars, and it was not the easiest to drive. Not to mention, the car’s design was… unorthodox to say the least, and left many scratching their heads. It was just too out there, too… alien. So, especially given its price point, it could be said to not have been a success on the market, as it didn’t manage to put a wedge into the Mayland/Macht/Martinet niche, although a few collectors appreciated its weirdness and bought it for their car collections.

Another rival in the already over-saturated ‘luxury sports convertible’ entered in 1981: the Vizzuri Laonda Cabriolet Special 35th Edizione Dell’Anniversario. This car, too, was a 2+2 seater convertible, this one also with a very nice hidden top. Price-wise, it slotted in above the Martinet (and above the Zephorus wedge), but below the Kasivah, so it positioned itself in the upper end of the potential cabrio-sports market. This car did bring a fully loaded feature set: handmade interior, luxury cassette player, advanced automatic gearbox, and hydropneumatic springs. The car had plenty of power with 352 HP, but similar to its cheaper competitors, it was not a crazy over-powered beast, but rather offered a lively but controlled experience. Its setup was sharper however than the Mayland/Macht/Martinet trio (despite lacking any aerodynamic enhancements to high-speed grip), and performance was also generally better with a 0-100 of 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 288 km/h. Comfort was absolutely superb for a sports car - best in class in fact, reliability was pretty good, and it was one of the easiest cars to drive in all of Letara. All these plusses did not go unnoticed by the public, and with the ever booming economy, Vizzuri’s reputation at the race track (and along highways in white/green livery), it is not surprise that the Vizzuri snagged a large portion of the sports-cabriolet segment, breaking free of the “retirement-car” image of the previous “three M’s” and making this type of car cool again.

No new car was released in 1982, but in 1983 a new and very interesting car hit the market: the Zephorus Stelvio DAKR. Now this was a true oddball of a car. It was a wedge mid-engine supercar with 306 HP, 5.0 s 0-100 and a top speed of 270 km/h, but it had a lifted suspension an AWD drivetrain with locking differential, offroad undertray, air suspension and A/T tires on steelies. Other than that, it had a segment-first ABS system, a luxury interior with luxury 8-track. So here we had a luxury supercar rally racer at a price point just shy of its true supercar sibling, but with a maintenance price more in line with a Martinet or Mayland or Vizzuri (i.e., just a bit more than 1/3 of the Zephorus Stelvio). The car was surprisingly comfortable too, very easy to drive, and while not sharp in corners like the supercar version, it could still handle turns well. With its roof rack the practicality of the car could not be denied, as it was quite suitable for some overnight camping trips. And yes, it was superbly off-road capable too rivalling many pick-ups and some wagons/SUVs. It was clearly not a car for everyone, as with two seats and a supercar price tag it was still a very niche thing. But with the rally/dirt racing craze sweeping the nation, the DAKR certainly managed to attract quite some attention. It even become the favourite go-to car and promotional tool of the multi-millionaire owner of Letara’s booming outdoors equipment store chain.

In 1984 it is rumoured that a Vausse Naviria Super Special was illegally imported into the country by the country’s foremost producer of flour, baking soda, powdered sugar and other white powder substances, but not much is known about the car. It is rumoured to have been the by far most expensive object on four wheels in the country at $124k with an upkeep that more then doubled any other car’s upkeep costs, that it was insanely fast (too bad it was stuck in said person’s garage as a display model) with its 1140 HP engine. And that is all we really know about this car, as most information that survives to this day is only through rumours and innuendo.

Three more production cars were released in 1984. The cheapest of them was the KHI 792 GT20, slotting in between the Walkenhorst R1 and Zephorus Stelvio DAKR with a price tag of $36k, and an upkeep roughly as expected at this price range. This was a relatively small muscle-oriented two-seater coupe with sports seats and a premium cassette player. On the engineering side it was quite well equipped with AWD, ABS, and geared LSD, although some corners were cut (e.g., plain steel panels and cheaper suspension options). It was the only car in Letara with larger diameter rear rims (yes, rims, not just tires) than fronts, giving the car an interesting foreward stance. Its colour was also striking with a unique pearlescent paint that seemed to change based on the light and angle you were looking at it. In terms of performance, it was a good car, but didn’t really stand out from the crowd: 242 HP, 6.2 s 0-100 and 256 km/h top speed. It was exceedingly easy to drive and had pinpoint accurate steering at all speeds, so it was an absolute blast to drive on twisty roads. However, it was also severely uncomfortable, so it was not suitable for any kind of relaxing cruising. It was also superbly reliable for a sports car - the most reliable of any sports car in fact. So while still quite expensive, it was unlikely that it would outright blow up during a track day. And that is where most of these could be found: as a track toy of the rich who wanted something to race the by now aging Zephorus Stelvio Entre and its ilk.

The second car of 1984 was the Mocabey Bonneville. This car slotted in next to the Kasivah in terms of price, but was even more to maintain than the Zephorus Stelvio - so it was quite an expensive car (if it weren’t for the next car on the list, it would’ve qualified as the most expensive sports car in Letara…). This rather large two-seater sedan had a sports interior and premium cassette player in the dash, and was equipped with an AWD drivetrain, geared LSD, ABS, and magnesium rims. Its 6.4 L V12 produced 783 HP, propelling the car 0-100 in 2.9 seconds and to a blistering top speed of 357 km/h (beating the current record holder, the Zephorus Stelvio). Despite all this power, the car was not terrible to drive and had a very good suspension setup for cornering at all speeds. Comfort was not the greatest, but marginally acceptable given what else the car did offer in performance. Visually it was a bit of an odd car, however: its front seemed to borrow inspiration from a luxury saloon rather than a sports car, and with the long wheelbase, the two doors were almost comically large in side profile. But by all accounts, this should have been a raving success of a car just based on its incredible performance, if it weren’t for…

… the last car on the list: the General Auto AX Evolution. Sure, this car was 1.5 times as expensive as the Mocabey with a purchase price of $97k, and its upkeep was equally crazy, but for the uber-rich that didn’t matter. If you wanted the ultimate car, this is what you got. This was also a two-seater sedan body, but with much better proportions and general aesthetics: it had just the proper mix of luxury and aggression. Mechanically it had very similar equipment as the Mocabey, but on the inside the driver was seated in a plush hand-made seat and had access to a luxury cassette player. The General Auto might not have been quite as sharp in corners, but what set it apart was what lurked under the hood: a beast of a 7.2 L V12 with 1005 HP, propelling the car 0-100 in 2.9 seconds and a new land speed record for consumer cars of 371 km/h. This car would not be beaten by any other four-wheeled car on Letaran roads - even leaving the fastest of police interceptors in the dust with an over-speed of nearly 100 km/h! Despite all this performance, the car was till relatively easy to drive and quite comfortable, nearly as good as the Vizzuri Laonda Cabriolet. There were no real weaknesses to this car - save the price of course, which proved to be prohibitive for all but the most ultra-rich in the country, but they all just had to have one of these in the garage!

This concludes all the results of Letara 1975-1984. See you soon in the Preface of Round 5!



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758

Better late than never, but the fourth round of LHC is finally complete. And your final batch of reviews shows how crazy the top end of the performance car scene was in the 1980s.

759



Rd. 5 PREFACE: SPENDING AND LOBBYING



The Preface of Round 5 will determine the starting condition of Letara in 1985. For a summary of what happened between 1974-1984 economically and politically, see this post. In short, the country’s economy is growing by leaps and bounds, and people have more and more disposable income, even for luxury items and second cars. The government remains 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 five will span 1985-1995 inclusive.

CAR CULTURE - TAKE-AWAYS FROM 1974-1984

The overall size of the car market expanded a little this decade, especially in the more expensive and sports-oriented segments. Starting with the city segment, however, this segment held relatively steady with a good number of options to choose from. There was not too much excitement here, as could be expected perhaps, but with some race-winning brands having cars in this segment meant that through brand recognition, some could still show pride in their car ownership. In the city-size segment there were enough sporty cars on offer to warrant the creation of a whole new segment: the small sports car. In their own right these offered a fun new outlet for the masses.

The family segment in general expanded quite a bit, especially in the premium and luxury categories. There was plenty of variety to choose from for consumers, and that made it so that cars didn’t step on each other’s toes all that much, so to speak. Similar to the city segment, this decade more ‘sporty’ family cars were released that warranted the creation of the ‘family sports’ segment. This was for the more mature family audience who wanted more than a simple transport vehicle for the family, but could afford to buy something with actual performance.

As for the wagons and SUVs, this segment seemed to not only stagnate, but even back-slide a little compared to the previous decade. There was really a dearth of choices here, leaving the adventurous families with few options to take them into the woods.

The sports car segment exploded, however. Well, not quite as simple as that though. There were two new categories (small and family sports), adding to the variety and selection on the fringes of other segments. The standard and premium sports car selection diminished quite significantly, with only two models in the standard price bracket, which left many poorer Letarans only dreaming of a sports car. On the other hand, the luxury segment was over-saturated, making true sports car something of a status symbol.

The utility segment expanded a little in this decade and for the first time was large enough to warrant splitting out the vans from the pickups. There were some interesting choices for consumers, but a few gaps still remain in the market that Letarans would love to see filled here.

COMPANY SPENDING AND LOBBYING

In total 39 people submitted consumer cars in Round 4, 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:

  • Spend 10 tokens on spending items and 10 power on lobbying items (you forfeit the assembly for next round); or
  • Spend 3 tokens to maintain the assembly plant, spend the remaining 7 tokens on spending items, and spend 13 lobbying power; or
  • Spend 7 tokens to upgrade to a full factory for the next round, spend the remaining 3 tokens on spending items, and 16 power on lobbying items.
    @AndiD @Banana_Soule @doot @LS_Swapped_Rx-7 @Maverick74 @Texaslav @TheYugo45GV

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.
  • 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.
  • Construction of a different racing venue, track or otherwise.
  • Support for train infrastructure.
  • Support for air infrastructure.
  • Support the shipping infrastructure.
  • Supporting and/or expanding industry - general support, or any of the following:
    • Bauxite/Aluminium
    • 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 three brake lights on the rear of the car.
  • Mandate rearview mirror placement on doors.
  • Tighten current safety regulations (currently small cars must have at least 20, larger cars 25).
  • Implement emissions standards (currently only curbed by a slight tax, but no hard limits).
  • Tighten noise regulations (currently 55).
  • Reduce functional aero loads (currently 0.0 kg at 200 km/h) on road-legal consumer vehicles.
  • Adjust and tighten speed limits on public roads.
  • Implement mandatory electronic speed limiters on consumer vehicles (state desired speed).
  • Change vehicle taxation (current taxation system is quite expansive and convoluted, and even results in negative taxation in certain circumstances - see Prologue of previous round for details).
  • 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 still only one race category will be available, whatever that is.)
  • “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. You have plenty of time to think about it, do not rush, think it through.

Spending and lobbying is open until 6:00 AM ET on Saturday, June 17.

OOC: I will compile all lobbying and spending at this time, but will take a hiatus from LHC thereafter. That way I can focus on RL stuff during the summer without the expectation/pressure to write car reviews and such. I will also have more time to properly build the next round’s rules, build Letara in WR:SR, and build/update a new track/track layout if necessary. LHC will return in the fall!


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760

That’s a bold move to come back for round 5! Good to see you taking the burden despite all circumstances.

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761

Correction: it should be “Round five will span 1985-1995 inclusive.”

If that’s true (which I’m assuming it is), you deserve your summer break from LHC - but it will be properly ready to (re)launch (complete with rules for submissions, plus changes to Letara) when it resumes in a few months’ time. It also gives us much more time to develop and build our submissions, long before you actually begin accepting them.

1 Like
762

Vizzuri’s Proposal '85


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Endurance racing on the full Lerance Raceway

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After the alterations to the track in 1977, Vizzuri are lobbying towards opening the full circuit up with a new class of cars: Road-legal homologated race cars

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Proposed "Road-Legal Prototype" class

RLP Class '85 onwards:

  • Runs on Lerance raceway full course
  • Must meet road-legal status
  • Minimum of two full seats allowed
  • All ethanol fuels allowed, as well as Ultimate 100RON fuel allowed
  • Minimum safety of 35
  • Minimum comfort of 20
  • Enclosed bodywork (Does not require a roof)
  • N/A maximum displacement is 7,000cc, Turbocharged maximum displacement is 3,000cc (Or similar rule for fairness)
  • Slick radial tyres only
  • Maximum SVC of 3,000

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Caring for Letara, the Vizzuri way

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Vizzuri are dedicated Letara, we will continue to maintain our car factory.

We plan to invest into aerodynamics and material sciences in higher education.

Agreeing that emission standards need seeing to, we believe this can be sorted by mandating catalytic converters to every car sold in Letara from 1985 onwards, as it is proven these systems help reduce emissions.

We are saddened to announce our loss of spending power from maintaining the car factory has sacrificed aid to the Letaran natural disaster response departments, we would urge fellow companies to offer their spending towards them. A safer future is in everyone’s best interest.

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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, and education.

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6 Likes
763

Greetings comrates

It's time to take action

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We from Popas love Latara and its people. Thats why we always stride to support the local community by providing not only transport for everyone, but also provide jobs in every part of the Popas production. From Mine to quality control of the finished cars, we source and use Letaran materials and finest workforce

Furthermore we will invest in the Letara Transportation Show to give once again an open space for the Letaran people to experience the today and tomorrow of Transportation!

7 Likes