Hey now guys, dont give away all the good stuff till he has at least scored the cars 
Itâs fine. You may all speculate. People donât know the weight of each parameter anyway. Also donât forget that if you scored around the average results, you will have an average car.
Well, Iâm near or above average in every stat ⌠including production cost. Iâm guessing midfield finish.
Uhh⌠Why is everyone getting high Utility score? Iâm only getting around 20 or soâŚ
I believe it comes down to picking a ladder chassis.
Ladder does indeed help with that.
This, the unibody chassis is NOT always the best for all situations, in a 4x4 (or any utility type vehicle) you want an actual frame under you instead of the cars body taking all the abuse, it is simply better suited for various demands that will be placed on the vehicle, a unibody chassis just cant compare here.
Yep, guess I need to stop using monocoque like if it is an abnormal thing to not do so.
And I should stop using ladder frames, drum brakes and solid axles in my builds 
But hey, I dont care for the âmodernâ stuff so much, I like the simplicity and reliability of solid axles and drums (HAH!! Ok those arent simple, hate changing shoes.).
Drums are still viable in compact cars as rear brakes tho
Oh yes and I use them quite often!! I just wish we had (maybe in the future?) options for drum WIDTH as well, that can make a huge difference in braking performance as well, truck brakes were generally SUPER wide compared to a car.
It isnât all that bad [sproing] blast where did that spring fly off too. Oh ya, Drums are just as fun as I remember 
Or then realizing that the pin pulled through the retainer and you need to get new ones of those as well, LPT: always put new hardware on (springs, retainers, pins) when installing the shoes, oh and dont forget to grease the star wheel and the friction points for the shoes.
After seeing that the price was an important factor, I wonder: was it necessary to give a hard price limit then?
In my head, if there is a hard price limit, especially one this low, it shouldnât be considered as a valid stat once again.
Some of you might know that I wrote down the calculations for conanâs challenge and, in that, the prices give a boost or a penalty to the score. Basically, if a car was 10% cheaper than average, it got a 10% bonus in the final score. Because of that, there was no hard limit on price, people were free to make whatever they felt was appropriate for the class. NormanVauxhall made a basic, cheap car, whereas Tycondero made a premium, semi-luxury car, and both got into the top 4.
With that being said, I used up all of the budget when making my car, resulting in total costs of $5998.01, with 77.8 off-road, 126.51 utility, just $851.79 service costs and a bad fuel economy of 11.5l/100km
and @BlastersPewPew, I used OHV, a ladder frame, solid coil rear suspension and un-rust proof steel, all of which, apart from the crap materials, helped with those stats.
I also used OHV, ladder, solid coil rear but used corrosion resistant steel for the frame. I needed that badly on my car since it isâŚa car, not a true 4x4. My utility is close to the average and am rather surprised about that, I figured the 4x4s would rip me apart in that stat (as yours does Leo) but as it is an average Urbanlinerâs super low utility probably skewed the average down quite a bit.
The production price limit is there to force people to think cheap. Otherwise we get into the 8000 dollar range cars. Besides that, as I said earlier I will not use total production price directly in the calculation of the score. Instead it will be used in a calculation to kind of determine value for money (lacking a better word for it). This means reliability and environmental resistance are also part of the value for money parameter that is used in the score.
For example a cheap car that is made out of bad quality materials and breaks down quicker can be beaten by a well engineered car that is more expensive. The trick is to create both something that is cheap, reliable and doesnât show signs of rust within a year.
The car must be better than average in the majority of the stats, the car that does that will be in a good position to win.
Canât wait for the reviews of every car. I would want to see how other people will probably break me with my huge offroader.
BTW. If the car canât be resubmitted or tuned again, can I show some info about it? (including specifications) In my thread of course, but I can give some body shots here 
Canât wait for my car to be judged, it is my first time that I emphasized on very cheap cost like this.
[quote=âOskiinusâ]Canât wait for the reviews of every car. I would want to see how other people will probably break me with my huge offroader.
BTW. If the car canât be resubmitted or tuned again, can I show some info about it? (including specifications) In my thread of course, but I can give some body shots here [/quote]
Of course you can go ahead and post the specs, the challenge is closed now.
[size=150]Here are the results for place 25 to 4 for the Out of Africa Challenge[/size]
[size=150]Comments/remarks for each entry[/size]
SMC Panther: A 286HP bullet out of control. But, just like a bullet to the brain: it instantly kills you! Terrible ride, totally off in every way. You would think that the manufacturer of this car would have other motives than transporting people. Maybe nice for dictators who want to give their political opponents a âgiftâ.
Madrias Baron: 2.6L engine with 118HP AWD, but still fairly difficult to drive and not very cheap either. Eventhough it has AWD, stay on the road! Corrosion? That is part of your life if you own this car, and all of that for a hefty price tag both when purchasing it and when you drive it. Donât buy this car new, go for a second hand if you can find it as it loses you money hand over fist.
Rutland Bittern S1600: Overall ok, but nothing exceptional, until you get stuck with RWD in the bush with a broken engine and no spare aluminium head to put on your cast iron engine block. Terrible reliability.
Mercusa Hound L: Nice to race around with cam profile of 90 at max 5700 rpm, burning fuel till you donât have anything anymore on the steppe. Forget about off-roading and if the gas bill doesnât make you bankrupt the service costs will.
Rolev Viking: Steel, Steel and more steel and a 2.5L I4 engine. Paying gas bills should be no issue for the owner if you own it, you can always default (or can you?) and while your at it better avoid those tropical storms. It is spacious however and has 5 seats!
ZSD Roosya 4x4: Nice and relatively comfortable car with radio. Modernish, slightly more difficult ride, but still good on gravel. However, better buy it only if you can maintain the garage bills to fix that rust.
Ponni Olympus MKII E: Safe car, lots of good features there with comfort in mind. Good drive, but please let it stay on the tarmac. Also donât think about pulling other cars, it has enough problems pulling itself. Still good for within African cities though!
Airborne Arthemis: Huge car, almost the size of a small truck. A 3.0L I4 offroad truck that is! However, sadly difficult to control and not exactly fuel economical with nearly 17 MPG, unless you need vehicles for a transport company.
PolMot Gobi: Great drivability, relatively small car, better to stay mostly on the roads with this one. It isnât too expensive either, so for sure affordable, but the seats, well letâs not talk about comfort too much here. Eventhough it doesnât weight much it is still made almost entirely out of steel. Engine is small, but fairly modern and made out of aluminium.
Baltazar Atacama 2050 i: This car did a lot of things right. Relatively good comfort, performs well off-road and drives ok. However, sadly it did not have an economical mindset. Gas bills are a tad high, but still ok. Service cost also not bad, were it not for the terrible sensitivity to the environment. If you need and can keep it in your garage you will likely be able to afford something else as well.
Romanov Rodina: Decent car overall, compared to the competition this model offers decent value for money. Off-roading is average and donât expect a car that is particularly easy nor difficult to drive. Gas bills are somewhat higher, but ok. You can help others, as long as their cars are somewhat lighter than yours. However, overall bit too expensive for what it offers compared to some of its competitors.
ManHell Venturi W90: Average value for money here with this car. Can be easily kept under control and the power-steering is a nice feature. Even considers the environment by having a cat converter in it. Service costs are relatively high though, but at least it is quite safe to drive around in the rain with this car. Also again, performs quite bad to pull others or perform some heavier duties.
Ardent Ozette LX: Very easy to drive, has power steering and ABS. Off-road is average to good. Has decent safety features on board. However, it is more of a John Doe kind of car. It is decent in most things, but except drivability it does not stand out enough from the crowd. That said, people can surely buy this car without too many worries.
ZM Agadez 2.1 Rafiki: A comfortable big beast of a car. Eventhough it is big it is still a good off-roader and practical. It is even excellent for off-roading, maybe more than required, but that can be no issue. But being big and strong comes at a price. Itâs engine is slightly under-powered and the car is mostly steel, which means rust. It will also deliver you some serious gas bills and it not exactly the cheapest of the bunch in terms of purchase, but for sure overall decent and exceptional in some areas.
GSI Kilimanjaro: Something completely different. Not a big lumpy car, but a small compact kind of car with relatively good performance by its 1.1L engine. Fuel bills will be laughable with this one and it offers good value for money when you buy it. Donât think of yourself to be doing heavy duties with this one, it isnât designed to be that. Also it isnât very practical, but at least simple to drive and the sportiest of them all. Could be a hit in Japan, with some more finishing here and there.
PAW Helvum AX: Certainly one of the nicer looking models. Offers average value for money as it is more expensive, but also more durable. Gas bills are cheap for this one, considering its size and class as a station wagon. Offers fair comfort and is overall well made, yet doesnât stand out too much in order to be the great hit that the company hoped it would be for Africa. Still will sell decently no doubt, as it is a safe buy.
SBA Jungler: Nice and cheap model with very good value for money. Quite corrosion resistant for its value and somewhat cheaper service costs. Car suffers greatly in comfort however, which is its biggest shortfall. The floors of the car are only painted and botch-work as well, but if you donât care about that it will be a cheap and reliable buy. Also surviving a crash with this car is doubt-able above 50 km/h.
LHE DĂźefour: If you think cheap to run, think this car. Exceptional fuel economy combined with low service costs. For the price critical African a car that can be maintained and easy to drive as well. Whether it will actually retain its value over time is more doubt-able though, it has the tendency to show signs of corrosion. Also it is not practical at all and forget about heavy duty and impressing your neighbors with this. That said, as most Africans will be able to buy this it will sell no doubt, especially with those that do not want another jeep.
Bogliq Mouse: This car is not a jeep, that already makes it different. It retains it value very well as it hardly rusts or show any signs of corrosion at all. It has a good fuel economy and very low service costs. A great package for little money. Again, sadly a bit small and therefore not so practical. Furthermore, it is not easiest car to drive and off-roading is not great with this one compared to its competitors. However, overall a good package for anyone who wants a cheap car with great value for money and nothing else.
Mitsushita Jesta Africa 2.0 AWD: Fine looking car, thatâs for sure. A station wagon too, offers average value for money as it is somewhat more expensive to buy. However, thanks to its design and size it is very practical and offers a good off-road capability, eventhough it is a station wagon. Drives easily and surely comfortable enough for its class. Safety is somewhat low and it doesnât really inspire people to drive it for fun. However, a great car. Especially for those that want to have something else that also looks good and is adequate for everything it encounters.
Desert Motors Olive-ER: A bit antiquated coupe design. Offers good value for money, as it might be a bit more expensive, but is also reliable and corrosion resistant. These things hardly rust! Fuel mileage is bad though, eventhough it has a 1L push rod engine and 5 gears with overdrive. However, money you need to fill your car you save with the service costs. It is a good off-roader for when you need it and offers nice and comfortable ride for this type of car and it has 5 seats. It doesnât invite to take it for a spin, but who cares, it will bring you were you need to be.
Daiki Crosser: The best of the rest and almost made the top 3. This car has great value for money and retains its value well. It is somewhat cheaper than average, but still very corrosion resistant. Service costs are somewhat low and has decent fuel mileage. It scores well in safety and performs adequate in off-roading and easiness to drive. It is also one of the more prestigious cars, eventhough it is not that expensive and offers a comfortable ride. However, we think this car could have been even better. The brakes are overpowered, which helps in the safety but increases costs. 3 piston solid disks are overkill for a car weighing 740 kg and having only 48 HP. Fuel economy could have been even better with a more conservative cam profile. However, still it manages to perform excellent overall though you shouldnât ask it to perform heavy duties. Will no doubt do well in Africa, and who could have doubted that a Kei car from the land of the rising sun wouldnât do well in Africa.
[size=150]So what forms the top 3 then?[/size]
[size=150]The following entries are within the top 3 (in alphabetical order)[/size]
- Der Bayer: BAM P1100 A
- Elouda: Lightstar Janus 418A
- harizvet1: Infinity Motor QX 10 1.8