Wait, the Aero made top 5?? Dang, I wasn’t expecting to do that well in this crowd… o.o
Also, the Free pack wasn’t originally intended for the commercial market, but honestly that result is the best I could’ve asked for. Suits the car perfectly! :D
9 Likes
Uhh have you missed my cars? It’s not on the bin list? It appears you haven’t downloaded any of the car I’ve submitted?
4 Likes
Oh shiii… I totally missed your DM. Million apologies! I will do my best to rectify the situation. Stay tuned, I’ll get to it tomorrow.
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This can happen, especially considering the massive amount of submissions, it must be like 150 reviews. I’m curious how you fix that. 
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Rd. 4 RESULTS
Chapter 7B: Police interceptor - 1980
Car: Mitsushita Kuruan KT @conan
Parked somewhere in a back-corner of the Letaran Highway Patrol garage was one forgotten car that should have been included in the RFP evaluation. Who parked it there, and why, is anyone’s guess. Fact remains that Mitsuhita’s proposal was received it on time, and someone misplaced it. With thanks to Mitsushita, the error of the Letaran procurement office could now be corrected. The Junior Staff went to work to give the car a full evaluation. And the Letaran Government would like to formally apologize to Mitsushita for misplacing their proposal.
Mitsushita: The car is slightly more expensive to buy than average, and has significantly higher service costs too. Fuel consumption is about average, but overall costs are quite high. The car looks like a slightly sporty sedan, no intimidation factor. It is slightly less reliable than average, but safety is quite good. Comfort is adequate. It is rather fast, and surprisingly agile for its size. It is quite hard to handle though. Will not add to the sent-up list.
…to be continued…
17 Likes
Mrdja Cars Letara
Part 3: Living for the exports; new head obtained
Here we are just basically noting out stuff that happened in meantime:
-Yovan (intern mentioned in previous part) had took hold of leadership position in company through hard work, some studying of mechanical engineering and more hard work.
All five of his family seem to be doing rather well for themselves
Quint and Omega seemed to enjoy freedom to do whatever they pleased…and so was the case in last 5 years atleast.
He did restarted his family business in making and selling personal weapons, some of which have been imported and sold in Letara.
-Either government official responsible for legalising our documents for selling cars in Letara is incompetent or is such case with whoever from our company is supposed to give appropriate material
Anyway, such miscommunication happened twice, making us unable to sell cars in Letara.
But on other hand, we were able to still export them as we please, as factory is still ours
When we do manage to sort this out, we will probably need to re-register as legitimate Letaran producer of cars: importing cars from elsewhere and chasing down latest and greatest documentation needed for factory to be legalised for making cars for Letarans
(OOC: On 20th December my computer commited “black screen of death with cursor”, which is actual reason
Bit on factory thing is RP shenanigans and makes no difference from perspective of government)
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Any news here?
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Soon. 
Patience. Very sooooooonnnn
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theres absolutely no rush, take your time
5 Likes
Absolutely not. I was just curious if something had been coming in the way.
4 Likes
The problem is the sheer amount of entries, each round it’s like 20 percent more and LHC3 was already massive.
Even if the reviews are not in depth, having to look at 200 cars is a pain.
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Rd. 4 RESULTS
Chapter 8: Consumer car segment 1975-1984 - City
Left to right: Mara Irena 2.0 LK @AndiD, Knightwick Cosmopolitan 1100 DL @mart1n2005, SUMA M313 Selecta @Banana_Soule, Aero Free Base @Edsel, SUMA M313 Burra, Mara Irena 2.5 SSE RTH, Aero Free Access, Knightwick 1275 Classic, Swanson 112 GE @Ludvig, Knightwick 1275 GT - turbo, Grigory Special @Admiral_Obvious, Niichi Dynema M40 Estate @MisterRocketMan, Canadian Motors Lapin 1.8 SC @benjamintamilia, Canadian Motors Lapin 1.8 SC (FL)
Moving the the smallest car segment (by vehicle size, not by how small the segment is… but I digress), we see the city cars. Cars in this category may be smaller than in other categories, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are less than. In fact, they are very practical for crowded city centres, and are more agile. Some might even be considered fun! But most are general family workhorses that get your family from one place to another - hopefully safely and in some comfort. Without further ado, let’s see how this decade’s crop did.
The first city cars on the market were the 1974 1973 Canadian Motors Lapin 1.8 SC and its same-year facelift. Not only were these cars a year-old models already when first introduced, they also used quite outdated technologies throughout the car. To boot, they were quite expensive, well into the premium price category. The main difference between the two cars was that the facelift version lacked any cladding on the bottom, but had mechanical fuel injection instead of a carburetor - despite this, the facelifted version was actually slower and more lacklustre off the line. It also had minor changes to the fascia. Otherwise they were identical cars; both had five standard seats and a standard AM radio. Comfort for both was acceptable, but both suffered from reliability issues, and were not the easiest to drive. So given their price, late launch, and other issues, Letarans mostly avoided the Canadian Motors dealerships.
Two track rivals entered the city market in 1975: Mara with two cars, and Swanson with one. The cheapest of them was the Mara Irena 2.0 LK, which tuned out to be the cheapest city car of the decade if only considering purchase price. This small hatchback had 5 standard seats and a standard 8-track player for entertainment - already a step up from the Canadian Motors cars that were about 2.5 times its price. Comfort wasn’t great, but acceptable, it wasn’t necessarily the easiest to drive, but it was reliable and had about as much pep as the Canadian Motors cars. So for the price, you could almost not go wrong here. For the poorest car owners who couldn’t afford anything but the basis, the Mara Irena 2.0 LK made a good entry family car. And for the first time some premium family shoppers were contemplating a second car for the household, and the Mara was a good, cheap, and reliable second car option.
A bit more expensive was the Mara Irena 2.5 SSE RTH. This version of the Mara was a two-door sedan with the same 5 seats and standard 8-track. However, it was by all accounts a sporty city car. It featured a larger engine with over 100 Hp (the only city car to break the 100 Hp barrier), and good overall performance with a sub 10 sec 0-100 km/h time and a top speed of nearly 180 km/h, and ran on medium compound tires, unlike the more common hards. That is nearly basic sports car territory. All this for just $1000 more than the base Mara Irena 2.0. Upkeep was quite expensive however, which was a little off-putting. And of course the car sacrificed quite a bit of comfort and some reliability to achieve these figures. As the smallest 5-seater car with some sportiness, it did appeal to those who wanted just a hint of performance, but still be able to transport the whole family, and could not afford anything bigger and more expensive. The two doors were a bummer though, so it only appealed to a small and shrinking niche market.
Last and most expensive introduction this year was the Swanson 112 GE. It was a nice looking five-door hatch with four standard seats and standard 8-track. This car was in the standard price category, and had some more upscale features, such as alloy rims and a vented disc brake in the front. Performance-wise, it was roughly on par with the Mara 2.0, but it was more comfortable with its four seats, was more reliable, and was quite significantly easier to drive with its FWD lay-out. While the car didn’t have speed on its side, it still had a reputation from the Swanson race team, especially in the reliability department that was backed up here. Being a little more expensive than the Mara didn’t hurt much in the growing economy, so for those families that didn’t outright need a fifth seat, but wanted a reliable and cheap car around town, this was a great option. And for the rich who could afford more than the bare minimum, this was an even more appealing option as a second car than the Mara 2.0.
In 1978 the Aero company came out with two models: the Aero Free Base and the Aero Free Access. These two microcars were just as quirky as their predecessors, but they did bring significant improvements, and could almost be considered regular road cars. They were mid-engine sedans with two seats (basic in the Base and standard in the Access), and a basic 8-track player. The Base came with a manual gearbox, and the Access with an automatic. Considering their size and weight, they did opt for the latest in advanced safety features, but still only marginally passed crash tests. Their tiny 3-cylinder engines barely pushed them to 100 km/h, but they actually made it - eventually. So no, these cars still weren’t safe for highway use, and were only safe to use in town. Comfort in the Base was pretty abysmal, but surprisingly quite acceptable in the Access. Unlike previous iterations of the Aero Free, these were not the cheapest cars on the market; the Base was about $700 more than the Mara 2.0, and the Access was more expensive than the Mara 2.5 even. Upkeep was slightly cheaper to be sure, but only on par with the Swanson 112 GE. So no significant savings, if any at all, which did hurt the Aero’s sales.The Base turned out to be simply too… basic… and uncomfortable for Letarans, and without the attractive pricing of the previous generation, it didn’t manage to attract buyers. The Access was at least not as basic, so it was the car of choice for the large corporations to update their ‘campus fleets’ - the microcars that are used to zoom around between buildings. But the general public could not warm up to them.
In 1980 four new city cars were introduced. The cheapest was the Knightwick Cosmopolitan 1100 DL. It was only marginally more expensive to buy than the Mara 2.0, but much cheaper in upkeep, so economically it was a very appealing proposition. But it only had four standard seats and a standard 8-track. In terms of performance it was about the equal of the Mara 2.0, but it was more comfortable, much easier to drive with the FWD lay-out, and quite a lot more reliable. It was not quite as capable of pothole-ridden gravel roads, but on the tarmac it was superior. The car came with a eurpoean-size license plate holder, so the Letara-spec license plate was prone to rattling and was slightly unsightly, diminishing some of the car’s aesthetic appeal. So in the battle of the cheapest cars, it was a great car, unless a fifth seat was necessary. It was therefore not quite as successful among the poorest families as the Mara 2.0, but as a second car for the more well-off it was a lot more appealing, and split the bottom of the market accordingly.
The Knightwick 1275 Classic was quite a bit more expensive, and slotted in between the Aero Free Access and Swanson 112 GE at the bottom of the standard price category. This was a sedan trim with four premium seats (very nice at this price point!) and a standard 8-track. Medium compound tires provided more traction and comfort to this car. It had a larger and more powerful engine giving it better overall performance than the Cosmopolitan. For a city car, it was very comfortable and had extremely good drivability, and it also maintained very good reliability. Although the sedan body shape reduced its cargo space a little, the more traditional shape did appeal to some - especially the slighly older demographic. The nice chrome trim did the same, giving it a slighly retro-luxury feel. It was simply a solid car with good looks that was absolutely perfect for the recently retired who wanted something small, easy to drive, comfortable, not too expensive, easy on the eyes, and could on occasion ferry the grand kids around. Its only fault was the license plate holder issue, but given the cars strengths, it could be overlooked by most.
Slightly more expensive was the 1980 Grigory Special. This mini-car was a little more expensive to buy, but cheaper to maintain with its fantastic fuel economy. Despite its diminutive size, it still managed to fit five standard seats and a standard 8-track player. Despite appearances, it also featured alloy wheels. What it did not have, however, were front and rear side markers, so after-market units had to be installed by the dealer. The tiny inline-3 engine didn’t provide much power, leaving the driving experience quite anemic, but at least it was not that hard to control. For the price point comfort was lacking, but that is almost understandable for such a tiny car. One point where the car shone was reliability. They just never seemed to brake down. But for the price, all the shortcoming could not be overlooked by Letarans, because…
… the same year the Niichi Dynema M40 Estate was released. For almost the same price as the Grigory, here was something more practical and more unique: a small city-sized wagon. It also had five standard seats and a standard 8-track, but with its more roomy interior it was significantly more comfortable - the most comfortable city sized car of the decade in fact. Not only that, but it could haul a lot more luggage too than any other city-size car. It was very drivable too. Not quite as reliable as others, but not bad either. It had a fairly powerful engine, giving it very good performance in the segment. So while it was one of the more expensive city models, it did offer a lot too, and that didn’t go unnoticed by the buyers, and was quite a success among families who perhaps didn’t have as much parking space, but still wanted the utility of a family wagon for the family vacations.
The Suma M313 Selecta and Suma M313 Burra were released in 1981. Both cars had an unusual light truck monocoque chassis, and solid rear axles with locking differential, hinting at platform sharing with more utility-oriented cars. Both cars had five standard seats and standard 8-track. The Selecta was the cheaper model, rivalling the Knightwick Cosmopolitan in price - slightly more expensive to buy, but slightly cheaper in upkeep. Although it had a slightly larger engine, it was less powerful and performance was also a bit less. With the sedan body shape it was also less practical, and it was less comfortable too. It was quite a bit harder to drive and and was less reliable. All that not to say that it was a bad car - far from it. It’s just that the Cosmopolitan managed to be just a little bit better in practically every front. The sedan body shape of the Suma still appealed to some, however, so the Selecta was not a complete flop on the market, but it did not do stellar against the strong competition.
The slightly more expensive Burra had a hatchback body, so it was a lot more practical in terms of cargo space and access. It was a bit heavier, and thus slower, it was a little bit more comfortable and easier to drive than the Selecta. Where the Suma cars both excelled was getting out of a sticky situation - literally. They were the only city cars that could be taken to any corner of Letara without the fear of getting stuck in the muck. While that didn’t help the Selecta at all (nobody wanted to take a relatively expensive but impractical sedan into the bush), the Burra did seem like a better option for families who sometimes wanted to push the envelope a little and attempt a camping trip with their city car. It quickly turned out to be a bad idea, but sometimes bad ideas can be sold with the right advertising campaign. So the Burra managed to tempt a few buyers at first… who quickly regretted their decision.
The last city car on the market was the 1984 Knightwick 1275 GT - Turbo. For all intents and purposes, it was a mix of the Cosmopolitan and the 1275 Classic: it had the hatchback body of the Classic and its five standard seats, but had the larger engine of the 1275 Classic, but upgraded with a turbo. For a bit more sporty feel, it also had alloy rims and vented frond brakes, and a more sporty fascia. It had quite good performance too. Not quite sportscar level, but enough for some excitement with a 0-100 km/h time of 9.1 sec and a top speed of 187 km/h. It was then one of the few hot-hatches of the decade, and quite sought after, even despite the license plate issue.
…to be continued…
19 Likes
Rd. 4 RESULTS
Chapter 9: Consumer car segment 1975-1984 - Family budget and standard
Left to right: Popas Rushba 1800-4 MK-II @Mikonp7, Vaughn Firebolt STS @Knugcab, Nebula Orbit 1800 @Endfinity, Vaughn Firebolt Turbo, Globus Premier 310 @Happyhungryhippo, Kamaka Destiny 2000 EX @LS_Swapped_Rx-7, SAETA Lince @Petakabras, Globus Premier 310, Globus Stallion, Anhultz Dione IV @Elizipeazie, TIV Asna All Terrain @Maverick74, Stellar Crab @donutsnail
Martinet Erable 2.0 Li @Ch_Flash, Wraith Torrevieja
And because I missed it for the group photo: Mitsushita Kuruan 2000 LXi @conan
Family cars: the bread and butter of all car markets. These medium to full-size cars have one job to do, which they must do well to do well - and that is haul the family from one place to another in comfort and safety. Everything else is extra. Oh, and some definitely bring the “extra”! But that is not what this line-up is about. First we take a look at the budget and standard price categories, where extra is appreciated, but price is paramount. Let’s see how they did.
The first car on the market was the 1975 Globus Premier 310. This car came in at a reasonable ‘standard’ price point, but with a relatively high upkeep cost. Its looks and colour hearkened back to a bygone era that pensioners liked, but a younger family thought too outdated. It had five premium seats, a nice feature at this price point, and a standard 8-track. It had a larger V6 with plenty of power, so the car was quite quick for its size. The car was rather comfortable, but was nearly undrivable with terminal oversteer at any speed (which is quite a feat from a FWD car). And reliability was pretty abysmal, unfortunately. Given these major faults, it really only managed to sell because it was the only cheap-ish family car on the market, at least for now, but frankly, most people rather bought a Mara or Swanson city car than take a risk on the Globus, or bought used.
The following year its sibling was released, the Globus Stallion. This car was more expensive, and aimed to be a sportier version of the Premier: it had only two doors and four seats, and its engine was bored to its full capacity and had some upgraded components to increase its power by nearly 50%, including a turbo. It was quite a bit faster than the Premier, but also much less comfortable, and suffered from the same issues - terrible reliability and terminal oversteer. Its power and speed were not enough to push it into the true family-sports category either, so it was left to be a relatively quick but overall poor performer in the family segment.
The TIV Asna All Terrarain hit the market in 1977. Now this was something new an unique! This form of vehicle - a ‘people-mover’ - had no classification in the Letaran DOT scheme, so it was simply lumped in with family cars, but it could have also been a wagon. In any case, it was a large vehicle, more of a small bus than a regular car. It had five standard seats and a standard 8-track. It was also heavily oriented toward the more adventurous: it had a locking 4x4 drivetrain, offroad skid tray, and A/T tires. With that it could truly go anywhere in Letara and rivalled some of the more offroad oriented wagons. In terms of cargo space it rivalled the large Rhania SUVs (but of course those wouldn’t come out for another seven years), and eclipsed most wagons - definitely all sedans and city cars. With its bulky size and weight it was not fast, but was still relatively easy to drive. It was quite safe and reliable, but despite its size it wasn’t the most comfortable car. So the TIV was one of the more practical vehicles on the market: a decent and decently priced family car, a wagon, and an SUV all in one. Not many people actually needed one, but many wanted one, and given that at this price point there were still no decent family cars, it did quite well on the market.
1978 was the turning point in the budget-oriented family segment with the release of three vehicles. The cheapest of them was the Saeta Lince. It was a little more expensive to buy than the Globus Premier, but it saved thousands in long-term upkeep. This family sedan had five premium seats and a standard 8-track in the dash. It had more than adequate performance for a family car, and all-round disc brakes provided confident stopping power. It was quite comfortable and was relatively easy to drive. Reliability was acceptable, but miles better than the Globus cars. Its only drawback was that it really did not like pothole-y roads or anything that wasn’t smooth pavement. But as long as one stayed on good roads, it was a very solid all-rounder car without major faults. So while by now many people were moving up-market, it was still quite a hit for the bottom of the market that has gone without a real contender for a number of years.
The Anhultz Dione IV was slightly more expensive than the Saeta, but then it was a larger hatchback that provided more cargo space and better practicality. It also had five premium seats and a standard 8-track. It had a slightly weaker engine, but more weight, so naturally it was a little slower - still acceptable in the family segment though, just not as confidence inspiring when accelerating on the highway. The Anhultz was nearly as comfortable as the Saeta, but was harder to drive. But it did manage most of Letara’s roads, so this car was at least an option for the more remote areas of Letara where dirt roads still existed. And where the Anhultz excelled was reliability. It was simply impossible to break them. So the Anhultz was another very welcome addition to the cheaper end of the family segment, and was especially liked in poorer and more remote areas.
The third car of 1978 was the Stellar Crab. At first glance it was a very similar looking car as the Anhultz, but it was in fact a little smaller. To make up for the slightly tighter interior, it did feature five premium seats and a premium 8-track, which pushed its price just above the Anhultz and TIV. It had a slightly more powerful V6 than the Anhultz or Saeta, and with an overall curb weight between the two, its performance was in between too but closer to the Saeta. It had excellent comfort for its price and was very easy to drive, and was more reliable than the Saeta. It also managed most roads similar to the Anhultz. So with a similar practicality as the Anhultz, similar performance as the Saeta, and with more comfort at only a slightly higher price, it is understandable that the Stellar was a strong rival for both cars in both the more developed and less developed areas of Letara.
The following year the cheapest family car of the decade hit the market: the Popas Rushba 1800-4 MK-II. Its purchase price undercut all other family cars by quite some margin, but its upkeep was on par with the more expensive cars in the line-up. Despite its price, it still had four premium seats, but only a standard AM radio. There were certainly some areas where corners were cut and cheaper materials were used; especially the safety off the car was questionable, and drum-brakes on all four corners seemed outdated by this point. Comfort was quite poor, so was drivability and reliability. But it did manage to traverse all roads, so it was an option for any part of Letara. It was, considering its price, surprisingly fast though. So it was a severely compromised car that was only good enough to get you from A to B, most of the time. With the budget market shrinking daily, it was only bought by the most destitute and desperate who didn’t want an arguably better but smaller city car for the same price.
Three more cars hit the market in 1980. The Kamaka Destiny 2000 EX was a little cheaper than the Saeta, but a little more to maintain, so overall they were very similar in costs. It had five standard seats, which was comparatively a bit of a disappointment, and a standard 8-track. It had a more powerful engine, however, and had better performance - more akin to the Globus, but without the handling issues. The Kamaka was however not a very comfortable car, and was about average to drive. Reliability was adequate for the price point. So when the Kamaka hit the market it certainly didn’t take it by storm, but it was a very decent and well-rounded car that managed to dilute the market and snag some sales from the Saeta, Anhultz and Stellar trio.
Moving toward the top of the price bracket, the 1980 Mitsushita Kuruan 2000 LXi slotted in above the Stellar Crab. This relatively large sedan had five standard seats and a standard 8-track, which at this price point was certainly a disappointment to most. The car did come with a segment-exclusive advanced automatic gearbox, which made the overall driving experience a lot smoother and comfortable. The car also featured a very nice safety package. The Mitsushita didn’t have a very large engine, but it packed a punch, so the car had pretty good performance. Despite the standard seats, the car had decent comfort. Reliability was not the best, however. The Mitsushita’s nearest rival was the Stellar (and Martinet, see next paragraph), but the Stellar just did everything a little better, for less price. The only area where the Mitsushita trumped the Stellar was speed, but that was not enough to sway many people.
To round-out the ‘year when 2-litre engined cars were released’, the Martinet Erable 2.0 Li also hit the market in 1980. The Martinet was a bit more expensive than the Mitsushita, pushing toward the top of the ‘standard’ category. Especially its upkeep was quite significantly more expensive than its rivals. For this price, the Martinet featured five standard seats and a standard 8-track, again a bit of a disappointment. Aside from the nice safety package, this car didn’t even feature any other ‘extra’ like the Mitsushita’s advanced automatic gearbox for example. Its engine and performance were a little more anemic too, although still within acceptable limits for the segment. It was significantly less comfortable than its rivals, and suffered from similar deficits in the drivability and reliability department as the Mitsushita. To make matters even worse, it lacked the mandatory side markers, so aftermarket units had to be installed before driving off the lot. Needless to say, for the price it was a bit of a disappointment, and Letarans did not flock to the Martinet dealer for this car.
In 1981 the new facelifted Globus Premier 310 was released. Compared to its predecessor it was more expensive to buy, but a bit cheaper to maintain. On the outside, not much changed. The paint was a little nicer, but the overall looks were not updated and were now even more outdated. On the inside it was essentially the same car, albeit a bit updated. Mechanically, it got updated with rear disc brakes, and the engine got a new SPEFI system, which made it more efficient and powerful. However, the engineers did not manage to fix the car’s handling problems, and reliability was still a bit of an issue. So the car was overall a little better than the original trim, but it didn’t keep up with its rivals, nor did it fix some of its fatal flaws, so it just didn’t make any impact on the market in the end.
The Vaughn Firebolt STS was released in 1982. This was the second budget-priced car after the Popas, sitting just above it in price. This sedan had five standard seats and a basic 8-track, and no other frills. It did have a larger engine with decent power, giving it decent performance for the price - nothing sporty, but it could handle itself with confidence. Just like it rival, it suffered in the comfort department, but at least it was more reliable and drivable. It was not suited for the poorest of roads, but could handle some gravel, as long as the potholes weren’t too deep - so it was still an option for most poorer and rural Letarans. So was it a success? Well, no. With the continually growing economy, this market segment was shrinking every year, and the market was already saturated by the objectively poorer Popas. But the few buyers that remained would certainly opt for the Vaughn.
The same year the more expensive sibling, the Vaughn Firebolt Turbo was also released. This car was still pretty cheap to buy, slotting in below the Globus Premier (1975 edition) and Kamaka Destiny. Upkeep was, however, very expensive indeed, more befitting a ‘premium’ or even ‘luxury’ category car, so that was a large put-off for many budget-oriented buyers. Compared to its cheaper sibling, this car was a 3-door hatchback with a flashy colour and large Turbo decal on the side. It featured one more gear in the gearbox, a standard 8-track, alloy rims and medium compound tires. And as the name suggests, there were significant differences under the hood. The engine was the same, but it was fitted with an SPEFI system (compared to the carburetor of the STS), and it had a turbo charger. All this power made it quite peppy with a 0-100 km/h acceleration well under 10 secs, and a top speed of 199 km/h, making it the second fastest car in this segment behind the Globus Stallion - minus the handling issues. Being a sporty-oriented car, it was not the most comfortable, and reliability and drivability were just average. And forget driving it on anything but well-maintained asphalt. But as ‘hot-hatches’ go, it was quite practical with its five seats, and while the Knightwick 1275 GT Turbo would topple it in two years time, for two years the Vaughn could claim to be the top ‘family-oriented cheap hot hatch’.
Released in the same year, the Wraith Torrevieja slotted in at the very top of the price bracket, very nearly bridging the gap to the ‘premium’ category. Looking at this executive sedan with its white-wall tires and vinyl roof, it has hard to believe that it was on the same basic platform as the Vaughn cars, but it was. The car had five luxury seats and a luxury 8-track player, which was very nice at this price point. The car naturally had a very different engine than its Vaughn siblings: it had a larger 90-degree V6 with a milder tune, but still putting out almost as much power as the Firebolt Turbo. Being heavier, it was not quite as fast off the line, but had nearly the same top speed, though, giving the car overall very nice performance. The Wraith was quite comfortable for this price point, had average drivability, but suffered a little in reliability. However, given its price, the prestige of this car could not be beat - and those who were the poor of yesteryear, and always dreamed of having a luxury car, and now with the improving economy found themselves having a little more money, the Wraith was a no-brainer.
The last family car on the market in the standard segment was the 1984 Nebula Orbit 1800. This was a relatively cheap car, slotting in between the two Vaughn cars at the bottom of the ‘standard’ price point. Upkeep was quite reasonable too. It was a rather large hatchback with five standard seats and a standard 8-track. It had a rather weak engine, especially considering its size and weight, so the Nebula’s performance was quite lacklustre. Comfort and drivability were decent, and reliability was very good. With its large size and hatchback it was quite practical too, although with all-round drum brakes stopping power was a bit of a worry, especially when fully loaded. It did manage all roads in Letara, so it basically took off where the Popas and Vaughn STS left off: if you couldn’t afford anything else, then this car would get you there and back, nothing more, nothing less.
…to be continued…
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Rd. 4 RESULTS
Chapter 10: Racing results
1977
After a hiatus of a few years racing was back at the Lerance Raceway! The track was much changed compared to its earlier iterations: it was much shorter, eliminating the long and fast middle sector along the highway, and instead it now had a shorter and twisty dirt middle sector. The first and last sector were also changed to make them more challenging with tighter turns, more twists. The track is also safer with longer run-off areas and barriers. The race format is also changed to a longer ‘mini-endurance’ event with 100 laps. It is anticipated that each race will take about eight hours, and at least one driver swap is required. Spectators flocked to the track to see the new cars and new teams, and how they will tackle the new challenge.
Raceday saw some mildly damp conditions, so at times the muddy parts could be a little slick, but overall grip was good. The race was off to a fantastic start for Benetsch as it took the early lead, followed by the TIO-Mocabey (OOC: from now on only TIO to save me some letters) and Vizzuri. But on lap five the TIO took the lap, only to relinquish it to Vizzuri on the following lap. Meanwhile the Benetsch fell further back into the midfield as it battled away with its rivals. The TIO maintained its lead until lap 24, when the Swanson managed to overtake it monentarily after slowly catching up over many laps. However, the glory only lasted a short while, and the TIO was quickly back in the lead. The Swanson held onto second place with the Vizzuri in pursuit. At about a third of the race distance, the TIO was firmly in the lead, followed by the battling Vizzuri and Swanson, in turn followed by the battling Benetsch and Wolfe who managed to break free from the midfield. Behind them came the Mara and Levante in clean air. The main chase pack was lead by the Minerva with the Torshalla, Saeta and Van Zandt jockeying for position.
On lap 36 the TIO fell back, and the Vizzuri managed to take the lead as it dropped the Swanson. Slowly the Benetsch was also catching the front, and nearly took the lead on lap 41. A three-way fight ensued, which was won by the TIO on lap 42, the Benetsch second and the Vizzuri back in third. The Swanson was falling behind during this time, and the Wolfe team fell back to a spread-out mid-pack and battled with the Levante, Raceteam Malmo and Mara for a few laps before breaking away again.
In the second half of the race the TIO was building a quite considerable lead as all of its rivals fell well behind, but around lap 66 the car seemed to slow down and the lead shrunk again. The chasing team was battling amongst themselves too, but it was the Wolfe that first caught the TIO and took the lead on lap 82, later followed through by the Swanson and Benetsch. The Swanson caught the Wolfeon lap 85 and a battle for the lead ensued that would last until the end of the race. Meanwhile, the Benetsch was also catching the leading duo and methodically reeled them in, perfectly timing an attack on the last lap. After an intense last-round battle, the Wolfe did come out victorious, followed closely by the Benetsch and Swanson cars, less than a second separating the latter two.
1978
The race in 1978 started under blistering sunshine, and it promised to remain completely dry for the whole race, favouring the more track-oriented set-ups. The start was uneventful for most, but Benetsch, one of the favourites for this race, completely bogged down and was left to fight an uphill battle. The Vizzuri took an early but precarious lead followed by a heavily fighting field. On lap 8 the Knightwick managed to take the lead, but couldn’t hang on, and was overtaken by the Mara who had Wolfe hot on its heels. On lap 11 the lead changed again, and the TIO once again took a lead, but the Mara held on and fought hard, until on lap 15 it suddenly fell behind the Vizzuri, and found itself battling for third with the Torshalla and Levante. The TIO again managed to pull out a lead on the rest of the field fought their own battles. Eventually on lap 4 a clear separation existed between the Vizzuri, Wolfe, and Martinet trio fighting for second place, and the rest of the pack behind. The Vizzuri fell behind on lap 44, however, leaving the Wolfe and Martinet duking it out. Eventually the Martinet broke free, and even caught the TIO.
On lap 56 and laps 61-63 the Martinet even took the lead, but the TIO managed to take it back. Meanwhile, the Wolfe fought back again, and passed both on lap 68 for the lead. At this point the Martinet started showing some issues and fell well back, and the TIO was also slowing. This gave Mara an opportunity, and it slowly reeled in the Wolfe to pass it on lap 77. The two cars swapped the lead a few times in the next 8 laps or so. Meanwhile the TIO was barely hanging on to third place as it found itself in a battle with Kamaka. But then the Kamaka fell off the pace, and as the TIO also slowed down, it was next caught by the Swanson with which it had a brief battle. In the end, the Mara managed to drop the Wolfe, and the TIO came home in third.
1979
This year started off damp again, but overall the conditions were quite dry. This year the Benetsch team came with a point to prove: they took the lead on lap 1, and never looked back. They build a very sizable lead on the rest of the field by the midpoint of the race. Up till that point several teams were in a fighting position for second and third places: first Levante, then Swanson, Wolfe, then Vizzuri seemed to pull away from the midfield, but then Swanson put it all in high gear, pulled away from the rest and started catching Benetsch. Behind the field stretched out quite a bit. There was a fight for several laps between the Wolfe and Vizzuri for third place, but eventually the Vizzuri managed to pull away. On lap 86 the Swanson looked to be threatening the Benetsch, but the Benetsch seemed to have the race under control, and managed the gap thereafter to take an easy-looking victory. Swanson and Vizzuri rounded out the podium.
This year, with the dominant performance by Benetsch and the field so stretched out, the most exciting battle was perhaps in the midfield in the second half of the race, as the TIO found itself battling with the Mara, Kamaka, and Durendal, resulting in some tight passes and tense moments.
1980
The race in 1980 was the first full wet race with continuous drizzle around the race track. This would put the offroad skills and capabilities of the drivers and cars to a real harsh test for the first time. Despite the weather, the entire field got away well. After some jostling and pushing, the Wolfe took the lead on lap 5, and managed to drop the field behind on lap 8. The Benetsch was embroiled in battles in the midfield with the Mons and Mara, but eventually managed to drop them as it broke free and started to reel in the Wolfe. All the way to lap 36 there was a very tight battle in the midfield between several cars: the Durendal, Saeta, Kamaka, Raceteam Malmo**, Levante Mons, Mara, Vizzuri, and Swanson all in the mix.
On lap 36 the Benetsch briefly overtook the Wolfe, but had to relinquish the lead again on lap 38, after which the Wolfe held on and extended its lead till the finish. The Benetsch fell back a little and had a brief battle with Vizzuri around lap 50, but then the Vizzuri fell behind again and was also overtaken by the Durendal. At this point in the race the midfield slowly started to separate. The Vizzuri-Durendal fight for third place went down to the wire, eventually going to Durendal. Much excitement was had further back in the field, as the Saeta, Mara, and Swanson fought for sixth place for the last thirty or so laps of the race, and the Mons who was in a fight first with Rhania and then the TIO for the same period.
1981
Slightly damp conditions greeted the race teams and spectators in 1981. Many teams bogged down on lap 1, no team more so than Kamaka, and they never recovered. The lead was taken by Benetsch right from the start, first followed by Vizzuri, then Durendal, with Levante in hot pursuit. On lap 19 the Levante managed to overtake the Durendal, and then caught and passed the Benetsch on lap 22. It then quickly build a considerable lead as the Benetsch slowed down and was caught by the Durendal on lap 16. But then the Benetsch quickened its pace and dropped the Durendal, which then got gobbled up by the midfield and had a messy race thereafter. The Levante really started to slow, and was passed by the Benetsch on lap 32, but the Mons was hot on its heels. On fire this year, the Mons took the lead on lap 35, but immediately was overtaken by a charging Vizzuri and Benetsch, who was hungry to take the lead again, which they did on lap 41. The Mons didn’t give up the fight though, and swapped the lead position with the Benetsch several times until on lap 50 it finally managed to solidify its position in the lead, and even pulled a small gap to the chase cars.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the chaos up front, the Torshalla slowly snuck up on the leaders and even briefly fought for the lead on lap 49, but then started falling back into the midfield again. In the early part of the second half the Benetsch struggled, as the Vizzuri took up the chase position behind the leading Mons, followed by Swanson. It was hard to determine what was going on in this chase pack, as the Durendal, TIO, and Torshalla were also briefly involved in fights, but overall had quite erratic pace. Further back the Mara and Wolfe teams fought a cat-and-mouse battle, giving spectators some excitement too.
On lap 73 the Vizzuri finally caught the Mons and overtook it for a few laps, before falling off the pace again only to be overtaken by the Benetsch and Swanson, who in turn started to turn up the pace and catch the Mons up front. First the Benetsch caught the Mons on lap 89, but then a three-way battle ensued, which the Benetsch won on lap 93. After a brief battle with the Swanson, the Mons finally had to give up the fight, and on the last lap limped home in fourth place as the Vizzuri recovered and passed it on the last lap for the last podium spot.
1982
This year there were once again no clouds in the sky and the race was ran on a completely dry circuit. The early lead was taken by Vizzuri and Benetsch, closely followed by Swanson. Lap four some saw some drama, as the Benetsch fell well back into the main midfield pack, and Wolfe and TIO both very quickly fell well behind the main pack, and was left to fight the entire race. On lap 7 the Swanson fought its way to the front to take the lead, closely chased by the Vizzuri, but the Benetsch very quickly fought its way out of the midfield, and by lap 10 overtook the Vizzuri to give chase to the Swanson. On lap 14 the Benetsch managed to cathc and pass for first place, and at the same time the Vizzuri suddenly fell back and was passed briefly by the Van Zandt who was doing well leading the main pack.
From here out the Benetsch started to pull away slowly and the Swanson started to fall behind, and even got passed by the Mons and Mara cars on lap 20, who had just cleared the Vizzuri that seemed to have another issue. As the Benetsch extended its lead, second position was swapped several times: Mons, Mara, Vizzuri, Swanson, and Levante each taking a turn, until on lap 36 the Vizzuri finally made a statement and pulled away from the chase pack. Right behind the Levante and Swanson kept fighting for several laps, while the Mara and Mons fought amongst themselves in the midfield. Both battles were resolved around lap 45, with Swanson letting the Levante go, and the Mara falling behind as well. On lap 53 the Mons overtook the Levante too, as the latter slowly faded backward in the race. Meanwhile, the Wolfe has made a tremendous comeback through the field.
Between laps 52 and 67 there was a calm period in the race, with Benetsch managing the gap to behind, the Vizzuri, Mons, and Wolfe pacing at a distance. Benetsch does have a moment around lap 68, which allows the Vizzuri to close up a little, and at the same time the Mons slows too, allowing the Wolfe to go through, but their fight resumes on lap 73. It is short-lived though, as the Mons drops significant pace, and falls into the clutches of first the Swanson, then the following pack of Durendal and Mara. At the front the Benetsch managed its pace and took home another relatively easy-looking victory, followed by the Vizzuri in second. Third place was fought over for the last 10 laps by the Swanson and Wolfe, but in the end the Wolfe managed a pass and hold on till the end for third.
1983
Some mild moisture was on patches of the track in 1983, but nothing too serious that would seriously bother cars or drivers. The pack was off well, with the Wolfe taking an early lead that was then quickly snatched away by the Swanson, although the Mons was also right there nibbling at Swanson’s heels. After a small wobble and fight with the TIO, the Mons manages to jump ahead on lap 12 and take the lead from Swanson, but it is a close battle for a few laps, with Swanson re-taking the lead for a few laps before falling off the pace on lap 21. Mons managed to hold on to the lead until lap 27, but then the Saeta overtook it, and the Vizzuri engaged the Mons for a fight for third. Eventually the Vizzuri won that fight, and after dropping the Mons it went after and overtook the Saeta for the lead. On lap 37 the Saeta found itself in a fight with the Benetsch, who fought their way back from second-to-last place on lap 10, and the Mons was still in the picture too. The Benetsch encountered another problem on lap 42 and fell back in to the midfield again, releasing the Mons again into second place. There was a brief fight between several cars around lap 47: Saeta, Benetsch, TIO, Swanson, Raceteam Malmo**, and Wolfe all in the mix. The Saeta managed to break free and overtake the Mons on lap 52, and the ate into the lead of the Vizzuri. After a few laps of battling, it managed to overtake on lap 60. Now the group behind started to get stretched a little, with Swanson and Benetsch bringing the fight to the Mons, while the TIO, Wolfe, and Raceteam Malmo fell behind.
At lap 66 the Benetsch made a bold move, caught the Saeta within two laps, and then passed on lap 69 for the lead. The Swanson also started pushing at this time, overtaking the Vizzuri for third; the Mons had a few abysmal laps, and fell behind both the TIO and Wolfe, almost to be caught by the Raceteam Malmo car. But in the end, the Mons manages to hold pace, and no further battes were had.
Around lap 77 interesting events occurred both at the front and in the midfield. At the front, the Saeta regained its lead for five laps, displacing the Benetsch, but the charging Swanson took it away on lap 83, not to give it up again. The Saeta lost pace at this point, and allowed the Benetsch to go through on lap 86. After a hard-fought battle with the Vizzuri, it barely managed to hold onto third place. Near the end the TIO and Wolfe also put on a show in the battle for fifth. But back to lap 77 or so - there was an intense battle between the slowing Torshalla as the Mara and Kamaka fought their way through the Levante, Martinet, and Durendal group; this 6-7 long battle certainly kept the spectators entertained too.
1984
The race in 1984 was a quite damp affair, suiting the cars on more treaded tires. At the start the Minerva bogged down quite significantly; the rest were away OK. Swanson and Levante took an early lead, with not much separating the following pack. On lap 6 the Swanson all of a sudden slowed significantly, and fell to the back of the pack. Behind the Levante, then, were the Mons and Primus cars, closely followed by TIO and Benetsch who fell behind earlier in the race. The Wolfe also seemed quite out of place near the back of the main pack. Up front the Primus made quick work of the Mons, and also passed the Levante for the lead on lap 10. Glory was short-lived though, as on the following lap the TIO swooped by, but on lap 12 the Levante took the lead back, only to be re-passed by TIO on lap 14. The next 15 laps or so were pretty exciting (or messy, depending on your view point) up and down the field. From lap 17 the lead changed hands no less than nine times before Vizzuri finally managed to pull away, but before that the lead was in the hands of TIO, Levante, Durendal, and Benetsch at least once. In the chase pack, too, positions were swapped lab by lap, too many changes to keep track of.
So from lap 31 things settled down, at least at the very front where Vizzuri pulled out a considerable lead over the next 20 laps. Second place swapped hands a few times between first the Torshalla after it emerged from the chase pack on lap 31, then on lap 37 the Benetsch took over, only to fall behind again and let the Wolfe take it for a few laps. It was not a done deal though, as Wolfe couldn’t pull a large gap, and was briefly overtaken by the Mons on lap 51, but then finally managed to gap the midfield and reel in the leading Vizzuri. The positions behind were just as messy as before, with cars sliding and giving up positions, or nailing a few laps in a row and gaining on others. Only the Swanson managed to put in more-or-less consistent laps, and gained on the leader in tandem with the Wolfe.
Finally, on lap 77 the Wolfe caught the Vizzuri, and after a brief battle managed to confidently overtake on lap 80. But the Swanson was also in hot pursuit; after passing the Vizzuri on lap 81, it set its sights on the leader. Five laps later it managed to overtake and gap the Wolfe, and then the Swanson cruised to victory. Meanwhile behind the midfield battles resulted in the Durendal and Mara escaping the Mons, while the Vizzuri didn’t manage to put in consistent laps, and the Benetsch also suffering near the end. It looked like the Durendal would coast to a third place, but on the last two laps it was forced to slow down, and the Vizzuri managed to redeem a third place.
Letarans were once again treated to an exhilarating racing series. Tight battles were had up and down the field, results proved to be unpredictable, especially when the weather hit. Speaking of hit, the new track layout turned out to be one with the drivers, teams, and spectators alike. The dirt (and occasional) mud made for a great spectacle, so nobody minded some rain - it was quite warm anyway, and it kept the dust down!
New for this series was a cumulative “championship score” with points awarded for the top 10 finishers of each race. It is an experimental system put in place by the organizers to gauge if this would garner more interest from fans. Of course, this just gave everyone another reason and item to gamble on, and now some started to talk about building a casino on site! Well… that is all in the future. First it still remains to be seen what format racing will take in the next decade!
For now, contratulations to all racing teams, you all provided a great spectacle. Well done to all winners and point scorers too; your engineering efforts will surely move automotive technology forward in the future.
Cumulative championship results
@AMuteCrypt @AndiD @Aruna @Ch_Flash @DrDoomD1scord @GassTiresandOil @happyfireballman @Happyhungryhippo @karhgath @LS_Swapped_Rx-7 @Ludvig @Madrias @mart1n2005 @Maverick74 @Petakabras @TanksAreTryhards @Texaslav @VanZandt_Breda
…to be continued…
18 Likes
My reaction to this information
5 Likes
how delightfully humble of you
Did my drivers go on strike because of the wooden stool? (Cant find the car in the charts)
It’s there, follow the orange line. And I apologize to all colourblind folks, I know it is probably a bit hard to differentiate between some of the lines.
4 Likes
Practically impossible, but I get why it’s done.
Gasmea, 1982
“Lionel, what did you get there?”
“Its the new Premier, an early prototype, of course, that is why it is so bland and unfinished.”
“I have bad news for you - the Premier is now officially cancelled. A 1984 model will not exist. I am sorry, but the bosses said, it has not been successful and it would also be unneccessary because the new Astrona will feature FWD as well as a larger interior, so… you get the idea.”
Lionel Lomax looked at his colleague in disbelief. “First, they drop the Comet for the Astrona, then they end the Grand Cruiser and now we have to give up the Premier, again for the Astrona?”
“Yep, but hey, this year you´ve got two new models in return, the Intruder and the Phoenix, the latter being a really cool one. Primus even approved that you use some of their advanced technologies for your sports car.”
“So… we are sending it to Letara or not?”
“Well, the company wants to present the…”
“Dont say it… Astrona?”, interrupted Lomax.
“Yep. Primus Frunia and Primus Letara are already working together since 1979… and I am here to give you a letter from the CEO himself as well. Globus should develop a “minivan”, whatever that is. He says, Globus really has the ability to build good budget cars, and such a family hauler would fit great. This might be the compensation for the cancellation of the Premier.”
“Whatever”, shrugged Lomax. “I have two years left until retirement, I do not care anymore about these stupid descisions, however, until my last day, I will make sure that they get that thing they want…”
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